Lahat ng Kabanata ng MARRIED TO THE MAFIA: Kabanata 151 - Kabanata 160

LucaIt was close to midnight when I finally asked Lila to go upstairs and get some rest.She tried to argue, but I saw how exhausted she was how the last few days had ground her down to the bone.So I kissed her forehead, promised I’d follow soon, and watched her disappear up the stairs with one last, worried glance over her shoulder.When the house was quiet again, I let out a breath I’d been holding all day.I sat there in the dark living room, the fire reduced to a few stubborn embers, and wondered if I was making the biggest mistake of my life by inviting Lena back into it.A part of me, some old, savage part still wanted to slam the door on her existence.But I’d already lived my whole life carrying the consequences of a father who shut people out.I wasn’t going to do the same.I heard the soft creak of floorboards behind me.I didn’t have to turn to know it was Anna.Her steps were lighter than they used to be.It struck me how much she’d changed since she came back into our li

LucaThe next morning dawned gray and brittle, the sky hanging low over the house like it was waiting for something to break.I hadn’t slept.Not really.At some point, I’d dozed off in the chair in my study, waking every hour with that tight knot in my chest that wouldn’t go away no matter how many times I rubbed at it.When I finally gave up and wheeled myself to the kitchen, the whole place was silent.Anna was still upstairs.Alex had left early to deal with some business I hadn’t even asked about.And Lila was in the guest room down the hall, likely trying to catch a few hours of sleep after everything we’d said to each other.I didn’t blame her for needing space.I barely knew how to look at myself in the mirror, let alone ask anyone else to pretend they were okay with all of this.By nine, I’d made the call.It was surprisingly easy to track Lena down she’d stayed at a small inn on the edge of town.When I’d told her over the phone that I wanted to see her again, she’d gone quie

LilaI didn’t realize how much I needed to leave that house until we were driving away from it.The past few weeks had felt like living in a pressure cooker one small explosion after another, everyone barely holding together out of sheer obligation.Luca didn’t tell me much when he suggested we leave town for a few days.Just that he’d made arrangements, that everything at home would be fine without us, and that I should pack something nice to wear.“Something nice” turned out to be an understatement.The resort was an old, sprawling villa perched on a cliff, the Mediterranean stretching blue and endless in every direction.I’d never stayed anywhere so beautiful in my life.I’d certainly never been on vacation with a man like Luca who’d once told me, very matter-of-factly, that he didn’t believe in vacations.Apparently, he’d changed his mind.“You look like you’re thinking too hard,” he murmured beside me, his voice low and amused as we stood on our balcony, watching the sun slip behi

LilaThe suite was so beautiful it almost didn’t feel real.Soft lamplight spilled across the polished floors, picking out the gleam of glass doors that opened to a terrace overlooking the moonlit sea.But it wasn’t the view that made my chest ache.It was the quiet.The sense that for the first time in what felt like forever there was nothing pressing in on us.No demands.No expectations.Just space to breathe.Luca stood by the window as I slipped off my shoes, watching me with that calm, unreadable expression that made my pulse flutter.He didn’t say anything as I moved past him, heading for the bathroom.But when my hand closed around the door handle, his voice followed me.“Leave it open.”My breath caught.I glanced back to find his gaze fixed on mine.“You don’t have to hide from me,” he said quietly.A flush crept up my throat.“I wasn’t,” I lied.He only lifted a brow, like he knew exactly what I was doing.Heat prickled my cheeks, but I didn’t close the door all the way.Jus

Lila Sunlight streamed through the sheer curtains, gilding everything in soft gold.I woke slowly, drifting up through layers of warmth and exhaustion and something sweeter I didn’t have a name for.At first, I thought I was alone.But then a low, contented sound rumbled behind me, and I realized Luca’s arm was still wrapped around my waist, his chest pressed to my back.I smiled into the pillow, my body aching in all the best ways.I could feel every place he’d touched me.Every place he’d claimed.And for once, instead of feeling embarrassed or shy, I just felt…happy.Wanted.His breathing was steady and slow, his palm splayed over my stomach, his thumb brushing idly against my skin.I wondered if he was already awake, savoring this the same way I was.I turned my head just enough to look at him over my shoulder.His eyes were open, dark and soft in the morning light.“Hi,” I whispered.His mouth curved in the faintest smile.“Hi.”We stared at each other for a long moment.And then