บททั้งหมดของ 31 DAYS WITH HER BILLIONAIRE MAFIA DADDY : บทที่ 71 - บทที่ 80

Vince and I rarely went on dates—especially public ones. So it felt really strange sitting with him out in the open. A few people stared in our direction, well, mostly because Vince wasn’t a regular man. He was easily the biggest person around, heavily tatted, and they probably recognized him from the black-and-white hood newspapers. “This feels so weird,” I muttered. The wind blew my hair, massaging my scalp and I felt quite cold. It was almost dark now, and it would probably rain in the middle of the night. “Why? Thought you liked this place.” He frowned—not that it worried me. Vince was always frowning. “You used to come here a lot in your first year of college…” I saw the instant he regretted saying those words. Christ, he had always been stalking me. Usually, I’d get mad, but I didn’t even have the energy for that. It had become tiresome getting mad at Vince. “Yeah, I was all by myself. Not with a man.” I sniffed, circling the straw in my iced apple juice. Vince had ginger a

~~LUCA~~ I paced around the room, watching Selene’s unconscious body like a hawk. My son, Marco, had been nowhere to be found since morning. There had been no sign of a kidnap, and Selene had gone unconscious upon hearing the devastating news. Something was off. Someone was playing a dangerous game—with help from the inside. Marco had been taken by an enemy, but someone from within had aided whoever it was. “Luca?” I heard Selene groan. I stood still by the window, my hands buried deep in my pockets as I did my damnedest not to go mad with rage. I watched her closely, her squinting eyes, the pressing of her lips, her steady breathing, unlike my chopped ones. She wasn’t scared. She didn’t seem nearly as worried as I’d expect her to be over Marco’s disappearance. Like I said, something was off. “Where were you when my boy was taken?” I growled, dangerously low, narrowing my eyes at her. She appeared shocked, but I saw the hesitation flash across her face. “Luca… what are y

"Good morning. Welcome to Lexton’s. Please state your name and form of appointment?" said a holographic AI woman, her voice smooth and polite. She had the appearance of a blonde lady, sleek and futuristic. I was already in awe, even from the high-tech gates. It felt like stepping into the future of publishing. I wouldn’t have been surprised to see robots walking around as employees. Noah certainly had an interesting circle of friends. "I'm Jessica Reese. I have an interview with Mr. Julian Lexton," I told the hologram. It paused for a moment, scanning me—at least that was what it seemed like. I’d worn an emerald-green dress that I hoped was professional enough, but then, confidence wasn’t my strongest suit. "Registered. Thank you for your time, Miss Reese. You may proceed." I smiled at the hologram. It felt a little weird, smiling at a piece of tech, but not smiling felt ruder. I’d been emailed a blueprint of the entire building. The CEO's office was on the top floor. When I got

The ride was long and quiet, except for the crunching sound of gravel scattered all over the place as we rode into a deserted area.Luca hadn’t said a word in the past twenty minutes. He looked like he was on the edge—focused, guarded, dangerous. But strangely, I didn’t feel unsafe like I should have. Luca wasn't exactly a saint; he'd tried to abduct me before. But now, sitting beside him, it felt different. Like there was something raw and conflicted clawing at him beneath the surface.When he finally pulled the car into a grassy driveway deep into the woods, I leaned forward, my eyes narrowing. Tall and thick trees surrounded us, their branches forming a natural cage overhead. At the end of the road stood a lonely, weather-worn house. It looked like it had been forgotten long ago. The windows were smudged, the paint was peeling, and weeds had claimed the porch like it was attacking it.“Luca, where is this place?” I asked quietly, like someone was listening.Luca didn’t look at me.

Guilt kept me awake, filled my chest and burned deep as Vince’s words echoed in my mind.“I’ll never forgive either of you.”What had gotten into me? This was Vince. Yes, he had done terrible things, but he wasn’t the devil. Everyone had their flaws—even Luca. Even me.And now Lola, the closest thing I had to a mother, was going to die because I couldn’t forgive Vince.How was I any different from him?I could still do the right thing. I could still help save Lola.Luca was still asleep, his arms loosely curled around my waist, breathing softly against my neck. I had managed to pull away from him without rousing him.Before sunrise, I left Italy.It was nightfall when I arrived in Seattle. I went straight to Caesar’s mansion.So many ugly memories clung to the gates of that estate, but I pushed forward. I knew I could be walking into my death. But I had to do it. I had to sacrifice myself—not for Vince—but for my mother.All I carried with me was a trembling hope that I could trade my