Semua Bab The Substitute Bride of the Ruthless Mafia Boss: Bab 101 - Bab 110

Ace leaned against a steel pillar, his gaze tracking me as I paced. Valerie tossed a dossier onto a rusted table, her scar catching the light. “Nightwind’s moving tonight. Dock 12.” She smirked. “Julia’s got a new plaything—some tech mogul with a death wish.” Ace didn’t look up from cleaning his pistol. “Burn it down.” I halted, my heels clicking. “No. We take the mogul alive. He’s leveraged.” Ace’s thumb paused on the slide. “Since when do you negotiate?” “Since *I* started leading.” I met his stare, the air crackling. Valerie whistled. “God, it’s like foreplay with you two.” Ace stood, holstering his weapon. “You want to play diplomat, *Donna*? Then you’ll wear the crown *my* way.” He tossed me a bulletproof vest lined with black lace. “Try not to bleed on it.” --- The docks reeked of salt and diesel. Julia stood atop a shipping container, her bobbed hair gleaming under spotlights. T

The scent of smoke clung to my skin like a second layer, a reminder of the warehouse fire still smoldering downtown. Ace’s fingers drummed the map spread across the table, his eyes narrowed at the red X marking Haemir’s latest stronghold. “We hit them at dawn,” he said, voice cutting through the static of the police scanner. Valerie tossed a bullet casing into the air, catching it with a smirk. “Dramatic. I like it.” I leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “They’ll expect a frontal assault. Haemir’s not stupid.” Ace’s gaze flicked to me, cold and calculating. “You have a better plan, *Donna*?” The title still burned, a brand I hadn’t asked for. “We split their forces. Lure them into the tunnels beneath the docks. Valerie rigs the exits.” Esther arched a brow from the corner, her British accent sharp. “And who plays the bait, love? You?” Ace’s fist slammed the table. “No.” I stepped forward, meet

The island wasn’t just burning; it was screaming. The roar of the inferno consumed my father’s final, mocking laughter, the crackle of ancient timber snapping like bones, the frantic shouts of Ace’s men – Valerie’s voice sharpest among them. Smoke stung my eyes, thick and acrid, carrying the sickening sweetness of charred flesh – *his* flesh. My bullet, Ace’s bullet… it didn’t matter. The man who sired me, who sold me, who orchestrated this bloody symphony, was ash."*We need to go! NOW!*" Valerie’s scream cut through the din again, closer now. I felt her hand clamp onto my arm, trying to pull me back from the edge of the crumbling veranda where Ace and I stood locked in our own private inferno.He hadn’t moved. Not an inch. His eyes, reflecting the dancing hellfire, were fixed on mine, not the carnage, not the collapsing structure around us. The heat radiating from the blaze was nothing compared to the intensity pouring off him. His hands, slick with sweat and soot, framed my face wi

Her lip curled. "It suits the one strong enough to take it. Which you clearly are not. Where’s your guard dog, Brielle? Where’s the mighty Ace? Hiding? Or finally dead for real this time?" She took a step forward, her hand resting on the pistol at her hip. "Give me the key. Now. And I might let you crawl out of here. Back to whatever pathetic, sheltered life you can scrape together."I smiled. A slow, cold curve of my lips that didn’t reach my eyes. "The key?" I reached slowly into the neckline of my shirt, pulling out the chain. The brass key glinted dully in the weak light. I held it up, letting it swing. "This old thing? You’ve wasted so many lives chasing a fairy tale, Julia. This key doesn’t open a vault of weapons. It opens a storage locker in Queens. Full of my father’s old accounting ledgers. Worthless."Her face contorted, fury warring with disbelief. "Liar!""Is she?" A new voice, cold and lethal, drifted from the high shadows of the rafters. Every gun in the room snapped up

The name feels alien on my tongue. He grins, a flash of white teeth that still holds an edge of danger. "Prove it, *Sarah*."We drink our coffee on the deck, the mountain air crisp and clean, scented with pine and damp earth. The view is staggering – endless green slopes rolling down into a mist-filled valley, jagged peaks piercing the clear blue sky on the horizon. It’s the opposite of the city’s oppressive skyline. Open. Free. Terrifying in its vastness."It’s beautiful," I murmur, wrapping my hands around the warm mug.Ace stands beside me, his gaze sweeping the terrain not with appreciation, but assessment. Calculating sightlines, potential cover, escape routes. "It’s defensible," he states flatly. "Good sightlines from the ridge behind us. One access road. Easy to monitor." He takes a sip of coffee. "Quiet."I elbow him lightly. "Try to see the trees, not the tactical advantages."He looks down at me, his expression unreadable for a moment. Then, slowly, deliberately, he turns hi