Lahat ng Kabanata ng BRIDE TO THE MAFIA HEIR : Kabanata 51 - Kabanata 60

I clenched my jaw, swallowing down the sharp retort that threatened to slip out. Her calling me "Haye" instead of my first name stung more than it should have, but I couldn't blame her. She had every reason to hate me, every reason to distrust anything that came out of my mouth.She sat there on the bed, her chest heaving with exertion, her wrists bound to the headboard like she'd been thrown into some medieval nightmare. Her green eyes burned with a fury that could have set the room on fire, and yet, underneath that rage, I caught the faintest tremor of fear. It was a look I knew all too well, one I'd seen in the mirror during the years when my father's fists had spoken louder than his words."I don't make promises lightly," I said, keeping my voice calm, even. "And I don't break them."Her laughter was hollow, slicing through me sharper than any blade. "Spare me the knight-in-shining-armor act. You kidnapped me, James. You dragged me into this hellhole, and now you're playing protec

The courthouse loomed ahead like a silent judge, its plain façade offering no answers, no comfort-only a sense of finality. My heart pounded with a relentless rhythm as I stepped out of the car, Roberto's steady hand guiding me as if I were a fragile thing on the brink of collapse."Cold feet aren't an option," he said with a faint smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. His voice was warm, steady, everything I wasn't in that moment. "The judge already signed the paperwork. We're good to go."I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. Words wouldn't come-not the ones I needed to say. Not the ones that would tear this fragile dream apart. Instead, I followed him inside, my heels clicking against the sterile tiles of the courthouse floor. Each step felt heavier than the last.The air inside was stifling, the walls too close, the lighting too harsh. I busied myself with the paperwork, my hands shaking as I scrawled my name on the dotted lines. Focus on the pen. Focus on the paper. Don't

The moment his lips left my skin, I could barely stop myself from making a sound of protest, but he was already looking at me, a teasing grin tugging at his lips. "Impatient, huh?""Tease," I muttered under my breath, watching him as he unbuttoned his pants, his movements slow, deliberate. He grabbed the condom off the nightstand, his gaze never leaving mine. My body felt like it was on fire, my skin prickling, every part of me craving him. "Come here.""With pleasure," he said, his voice low and thick with desire.Roberto lowered himself between my thighs, his weight settling over me. For a split second, it felt comforting. Safe, even, like nothing in the world could touch us. But then the fire in me flared again. I was desperate. I needed him, needed to feel him inside me. His pace was maddeningly slow, his lips teasing mine like he had all the time in the world. But I couldn't wait. Not anymore. Not when everything around us felt like it was hanging by a thread, fragile and ready t

I took my time getting dressed, the motions automatic, as if my body knew what it needed to do even if my mind didn't. I called for a cab, waiting for it to arrive, but my thoughts kept circling back to one undeniable truth.I'm the only one who can save her.If I turn myself in, this nightmare ends. No one else will be hurt. Roberto's family will be spared, and he won't ever have to choose between me and them. It's all up to me. I can't let this drag on any longer, not when lives are at stake. What's one life when weighed against so many others? It's not even a question. Not mine, not anyone's.The cab finally showed up. I climbed in and shut my eyes, feeling the lurch of the vehicle as it pulled into motion. Maybe this would kill my father, losing me like this. That was one of the many reasons I had stayed quiet up until now. But Papa's pain isn't enough to stop me anymore. The stakes are too high, and there are too many people depending on me. I can't keep hiding.I climbed out of

Kylie povI walked into the pub, my feet dragging with every step, though all I really wanted was to climb into the SUV and drive straight to Roberto's house. I quickened my pace, ignoring the stares of the men scattered around the tables. It was early, but the smell of stale beer and the murmur of low voices made it feel like late afternoon. The bartender, a giant of a man, looked up with a deep sigh, his eyes narrowing as he saw me approach."You've got the wrong place, ma'am."The word hit me like an ice-cold slap. Ma'am. The irony wasn't lost on me-not when I was here to turn myself in, to confess the unspeakable. I didn't even attempt to smile. "I'm Kylie Morgan. I'm here to speak with James Haye. Is there some way you could convey that to him?"He stared at me, the silence stretching out like an eternity. I could feel the eyes of the men behind me, their stares like needles at my back, their interest keen, hungry. The bartender's arms came down onto the bar with a soft thud. "Th