All Chapters of His Hired Lover: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

Sofia was hunched over the couch with her hands trembling slightly when Rios arrived.“Babe,” he said, gathering her into his arms. He’d been in a board meeting when the call about the attack came through. He didn’t say a word to anyone. He left the meeting immediately and drove straight to Sofia’s condo. “Are you okay?” he whispered, planting a kiss on her lips.“Yes,” she said, nodding, though her eyes glistened with tears. “I-It happened so fast. We didn’t even get a good look at the guy.”“Here’s the flash drive that was found several miles from Starbucks, Boss Rios,” Valeria said, handing him the small black device. “You can see a man getting out of a black car. That means the lady with the toddler was telling the truth.”Rios didn’t respond. He rolled the flash drive between his fingers, thinking deeply.Meanwhile, Kyle moved fast as he opened a laptop and set it down on the glass table.“Who could it be?” Rios muttered. “I don’t think the Sandovals would pull something this rec

Madam Carrie walked towards the huge building located in a secluded place in Manila. It had been exactly a week since she received the memorandum from Rios Alcaraz that told her she would no longer be his personal advisor, but she had been upgraded to Head Mistress of his facility.She scoffed, her chest tightening with anger and frustration as she recalled the content of the memo. Some lawyer explained it to her, and the compensation was thrice as big as she earned in her own whorehouse. But it wasn’t the content that angered her. It was the fact that Rios hadn’t visited her since he came to her almost a month ago, complaining about some woman. She would’ve appreciated it if Rios had been the one to deliver the news. She would’ve appreciated it even more if she had been invited to his wedding. Some wedding—bah! Who would’ve believed the scum would marry? Still, she was genuinely happy for him, but felt sorry for the girl.“Madame, this way please.”A voice pulled her from her though

Rios stood in front of the grand hall where his private meetings with the Mafia were often held. The sound of the waves outside the building called loudly, but the silence only drowned out the impending excitement.In about three hours, the Mafia Tribunal would be held on this private island in Batangas. His family called the venue Taal Island Fortress—a private ancestral estate on a volcanic island in the country. For years, the Alcaraz family had owned such an esteemed, secluded place that could only be reached by chopper or private boat. No wonder it had been one of the places the Sandoval family had been eyeing.Rios heaved a nervous sigh. The annual Tribunal required each Mafia Boss to bring at least one prominent Mafia family from their turf. In the Philippines, only the Alcarazes and the Sandovals controlled most of the regions. It automatically meant Rios had to bring the Sandovals with him. The invitations had been sent. Somewhere deep in his mind, he hoped and prayed none of

Once everyone was seated, the room fell into silence as Rios stepped into the circle. Torchlight flickered off the walls, and only the rustle of papers and the waves outside could be heard. At the center of the round table, the thick and almost ancient Secret Ledger lay unopened. Rios placed his palm on the book, and one by one, the bosses rose from their high-backed chairs, their footsteps echoing as they moved to perform the ritual before formally going into session.Kenji Takahashi bowed stiffly before placing his hand on the cover. Rika followed quickly. Next to her was Vittorino Mancini, who muttered something in Italian under his breath and kissed two fingers before pressing them to the spine of the book. Luca Bellanti grunted and followed suit. Then Gabriel Fonseca approached slowly, crossed himself, and whispered a blessing that sounded more like a curse because of his language. Meanwhile, Catalina Cabrerra didn't speak.Beatrice Sandoval placed her hand on the Ledger next, s

A voice thundered from the head of the tribunal table. "You are given a choice. Become officially part of the Mafia or—"But before the threat could settle, Sofia’s voice cut through the thick, suffocating air. "No," she said sharply as her fists clenched at her sides. "I just did what I needed to do."Sasha looked over her shoulder, locking eyes with Aunt Rita as they listened to Sofia's voice filling the place. Sasha felt a knot forming in her stomach. Why would Sofia turn down an offer that would surely shield her against the Sandovals’ wrath? Just earlier, Sofia had survived the duel against that spoiled Mafia heiress, Beatrice. The bitch was finally dead—not by their hands, but it didn’t matter. Rios’s contract wife had done it for them. Relief flickered in Sasha’s chest, but it tangled with a gnawing worry. Surely, Beatrice’s death was bound to blow up the tension between the Sandovals and their family. Across the field, Rios was already leading Sofia out, cradling her like she