Semua Bab The Mafia King's Only Love: Bab 31 - Bab 40

CASSANDRA'S POV~The morning sun streamed in through the sheer curtains, slashing golden rays across my face. I flinched, groaning softly as I stretched like a cat, arms above my head, legs tangled in the sheets. I yawned and turned to the other side of the bed, hoping to steal a few more minutes of sleep when—What the hell?There was someone beside me.Someone… warm.Tall. Breathing.Warning bells exploded in my head.Without even thinking, I snapped into fight-or-flight mode—and unfortunately for the intruder, I chose violence.I kicked hard, my legs shooting out with all the grace of a startled goat, and there was a loud THUD! followed by a very, very male groan.I screamed at the top of my lungs as I leapt out of bed like a wild banshee. “WHAT THE HELL?!”Then I blinked. Froze.Oh. My. God.“Adriano?!” I clapped my hand over my mouth in horror, staring at him where he sat on the floor, one hand on his butt, his eyes wide with disbelief and a pout blooming on his lips.“I think yo

CASSANDRA'S POV~Before that asshole could even part his lips to mutter a word, Adriano was already there. One second he was behind me, the next—bam!—his leg shot out like a missile and landed right into the man’s ribs with such vicious force I heard something crack.The man screamed, a ragged, pitiful sound that echoed through the hallway, collapsing to the floor as he clutched his side in pure agony. My breath hitched. I saw my mother flinch beside me, her eyes wide and terrified.But Adriano? He wasn’t done.He bared his teeth and crouched beside the man like a predator, eyes sharp and wild. The man whimpered, rolling on the floor, and I could already tell it’d take a handful of scans to make sure he didn’t end up coughing blood or worse.Adriano spat near him with disgust. “Don’t you ever mention my name with that filthy mouth of yours again. You hear me? I don’t have relatives like you. You’re not blood. You’re not anything.”The man tried to speak but only let out a pitiful whee

CASSANDRA'S POV~I followed him.Slowly.My footsteps were soft, but inside, everything screamed. I didn’t care that he was surrounded—guarded from every damn side like he was untouchable. All I could see was his back, rigid with fury. All I could hear was the way silence roared between us. The sun was nearly gone, the sky bleeding into twilight. Salvatore noticed me. He hesitated—just for a second—and then stepped aside. No words, no warning. He knew this wasn’t something he could step in to fix.Adriano didn’t even look at me as he stormed toward the car I’d used in arriving at the shopping mall. He yanked the door open, got in, and slammed it shut with so much force I flinched. My heart cracked a little at the sound.I approached, slowly, carefully, afraid that the smallest wrong move would set off another explosion. I reached for the door handle and tried to open it.It didn’t budge.I pulled again—harder. Still nothing.Confused, I looked through the partially lowered window, a

CASSANDRA'S POV~I didn’t even realize how fast my heart was beating until I heard it pounding against my chest like a drum in a death march. My breath caught somewhere in my throat, and my limbs moved before my brain could even process what was happening. "Hey, hey—" I whispered as I gently helped Adriano lean back against the wall. His breaths came out in harsh, short puffs. His skin, usually so warm and golden, now looked pale under the dim lights of his room. Beads of sweat had gathered on his forehead, and with trembling fingers, I reached up to wipe them away.“Are you okay?” I asked softly, barely able to keep the panic from coating my voice. “Adriano, what’s wrong? Tell me.”He exhaled through gritted teeth and forced a tight, fleeting smile. “It’s nothing serious. Probably just... stomach stuff. I’m fine.” His voice was hoarse, roughened around the edges with pain, but he tried so hard to sound like he wasn’t dying in front of me.I didn’t believe him. Not for one second. Bu

CASSANDRA'S POV~I was adjusting the IV line, my fingers moving gently over the patient’s wrist as I checked the pulse. Mrs. Lorne, my new patient, had barely slept all night; her breathing was shallow, and she kept murmuring in pain. I smoothed down her blanket and offered her a soft smile. “You’re doing great, Mrs. Lorne. Just a little more, okay? I’ll bring you some warm water soon.”Her frail fingers tightened slightly around mine and I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. There was something sacred about moments like these. The quiet connection. The trust. I didn’t mind the weight of it—I carried it proudly.I reached for the clipboard at the foot of her bed, scribbling down her vitals when a loud, sudden noise burst through the hallway. Shouting. A voice raised in frustration. My pen stilled. I looked up sharply, my body going rigid.Another thud echoed—something, or someone, had slammed into the wall. A gurney screeched across the floor outside, and someone was barking orders