Semua Bab The Substitute Bride of the Ruthless Mafia Boss: Bab 81 - Bab 90

The lights above me flickered as the chair came into full view. The restraints were still swaying from where they hung, and the buzzing silence in the room made my heart feel like it was beating out of sync.I didn't sit immediately. I just stood there, eyes locked on the leather straps, trying to breathe normally.Then his voice crackled through the hidden speaker again.“Still with me, Brielle?”“I don’t think I have a choice,” I muttered.“You always had a choice,” Ezekiel replied. “You just didn’t know what you were choosing.”I swallowed. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”“No,” he said. “It’s supposed to make you listen.”I glanced toward the walls, expecting something—anything—to happen. But nothing did. The silence stretched.“What do you want me to do?” I asked.“Sit,” he said simply.I hesitated, then slowly moved toward the chair. My fingers hovered over the restraints.“They won’t lock unless you want them to,” Ezekiel said.“Creepy,” I muttered, but I sat down any

Valerie wouldn't stop pacing.Back and forth. Back and forth. Her boots made this soft clicking sound against the tiled floor, and each time it echoed, it was like a metronome ticking away the patience I didn’t have.“I’m just saying,” she muttered, hands flailing now, “if you’re going to live with a mafia boss, the least he could do is hand you the full script to the twisted soap opera we call your life.”I didn’t reply.Not because I didn’t agree—hell, I did. But because the ache in my chest hadn’t dulled, not even after I’d left Ace standing in that room, wearing the kind of pain in his eyes that made me question if maybe, just maybe, he had a heart after all.“You want tea?” Esther asked, arms crossed as she leaned against the kitchen counter like she wasn’t the reason I almost lost my sanity earlier.I shot her a blank look. “Tea? Seriously?”“It’s either that or a tranquilizer,” she replied dryly. “Pick your poison.”Valerie finally stopped pacing and plopped onto the armrest be

It was 2am and I was still awake. Shocker.I sat in the massive, king-sized bed Ace and I supposedly shared—though let’s be honest, it was mostly just me in it these days. My knees were tucked to my chest, blanket bunched around me, phone clutched like it held answers to the universe.It didn’t.It only held his message.> I don’t want to be your mistake, Brielle. Tell me how to be better. I’ll do it.I read it again.And again.And again.“What the hell do you even mean by that, Ace?” I whispered to myself, because apparently, I liked talking to walls now.A soft knock startled me. I froze.It came again—three soft taps.I got out of bed slowly and opened the door.Valerie was there, barefoot, hair a frizzy mess of auburn curls, and holding a tub of ice cream.“Couldn’t sleep,” she said simply.I stepped aside. “Join the club.”We both plopped onto the bed. She handed me a spoon like we were about to commit a crime.“Esther’s passed out in the game room,” Valerie said, digging in. “I

By the next morning, the whole mansion felt like it was holding its breath.And I was holding a coffee I didn’t remember making.Valerie hovered nearby, watching me like I was a soap opera about to deliver a shocking mid-season twist. “You’ve been staring at that mug for ten minutes.”“Feels like a metaphor,” I muttered.“For what? Burnt hope and lukewarm feelings?”I gave her a look. “That... was oddly poetic.”She bowed. “Thank you. I read a quote on Pinterest once.”I sat on the armrest beside her. “Everything’s changing, Val.”She raised a brow. “Yeah. You’re married to the mafia king, your sister wants to kill you with politics, and you’ve apparently decided to join a war room instead of, you know, therapy.”I snorted. “When you say it like that, it sounds completely unhinged.”“That’s because it is,” she said sweetly. “But weirdly? I think you’re handling it.”I blew out a breath. “Barely.”Just then, the door creaked open and in walked Isobel—no veil, no makeup, just sweatpants

It was almost noon when I woke up to Valerie balancing a bowl of cereal on her knee while humming off-tune to some obnoxious pop song.“Sleeping beauty arises,” she said without looking up from her phone. “Ace left a couple hours ago. Said not to wake you unless the house was burning.”I blinked at the ceiling. “Do you always start your mornings like this?”“Only when I’m staying in a mobster’s mansion and pretending this is a reality show.”I groaned and rolled out of bed. “Don’t tell me you’ve been scrolling mafia Twitter again.”“Oh, it’s worse now. Someone made an edit of you with glowing red eyes and the caption ‘the storm in silk.’”I paused mid-stretch. “Okay, that’s kind of badass.”“Right? I saved it.”I was halfway to the bathroom when I heard a soft knock at the door. It creaked open, and Isobel peeked in.“Can I come in?”“Sure,” I said, brushing hair out of my face.She shut the door behind her and leaned against it. “Ace wants you to go see Mr. Wallace.”I frowned. “My d