Semua Bab A Substitute Bride For The Mafia Boss: Bab 1 - Bab 10

Valentina Russo I was never supposed to be here. Not under this chandelier, dripping with crystals and menace. Not in this gown silk, suffocating, white like a goddamn lie. Not walking down the aisle of a gothic cathedral that smelled of blood and sanctimony. And I was definitely not supposed to be marrying Alessandro De Luca the most dangerous man in New York's underworld. That was supposed to be my sister. Serafina the golden child, the obedient one, the Russo family jewel. She smiled in rehearsals, played the part of the docile bride, and promised to save our father’s crumbling empire with her dowry of submission. But Bianca disappeared last night. No note. No goodbye. Just a shattered phone, a bloodstained scarf, and a phone call from a blocked number at 3 a.m. Only two words: "She's gone." The next morning, my father was pale and shaking, sweat beading under his temple like he’d aged ten years in one night. “You’ll take her place,” he said with dead eye

Valentina I never thought a rose could terrify me. But the one I held in my hand the blood-red rose.felt like a death sentence. Its petals, delicate as velvet, were smeared with something darker. Not just crimson... blood. Real blood. Fresh. I clutched the edge of the marble sink in my en suite bathroom, my knuckles white. My heart pounded like war drums against my ribs. Who left it? When? I had locked this door before I fell asleep, hadn’t I? A knock echoed on my bedroom door, polite but firm. “Signorina Valentina,” the voice of the housemaid, Lucia, called from the other side. “Colazione è pronta. Breakfast is ready.” I stashed the rose in a towel, burying it at the bottom of the hamper, and composed myself. When I opened the door, Lucia was already halfway down the corridor, not waiting for a response. They all did that here served and vanished like ghosts. Like they were scared. Breakfast was in a sunlit atrium that didn’t match the chill crawling under my skin. The table was

VALENTINA I didn’t sleep. The sheets in this gilded cage felt too soft, like they were trying to seduce me into forgetting where I was. But I never forgot. Alessandro’s words echoed in my head: You’re something else. A wildcard. He meant it as a warning. But it felt like a challenge. I rose before dawn, pulled on a dark sweater, boots, and tied my hair back. If this was a prison, I was going to map every inch of it. I needed to know the escape routes, blind spots, and who watched whom. Down the corridor, two guards flanked the staircase. I flashed them a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “Morning,” I said coolly. They didn’t respond. Just nodded. As expected. The main hallway led to the south wing an area I hadn’t yet explored. But I’d overheard whispers yesterday. About a door. About keys only Lorenzo had access to. I needed to find it. I turned a corner— and walked right into Lorenzo. He caught my arm before I fell, his fingers tightening for a fraction too long. “Mornin

(Valentina) I couldn’t breathe. The room was spinning, the book still open on the table in front of me. Names. Bloodlines. Deceptions. Betrayals. My own name, written in ink. Not as the bride, but as a pawn. Alessandro’s eyes never left me. He stood across the room, motionless, like a predator savoring its prey. "Now you understand," he said, his voice low, colder than I’d ever heard it before. “This wasn’t about love. Or marriage. This was about survival.” I didn’t reply, couldn’t. The words felt like they were stuck in my throat, but I couldn’t let him see my weakness. Not now. “I wasn’t meant to be your replacement,” I finally said, my voice shaking. “I wasn’t meant to be anything but a tool for your empire. A chess piece.” Alessandro’s expression remained impassive, but I could see the slight tightening in his jaw. He was hiding something. His control was slipping. “You don’t understand the stakes, Valentina,” he growled. “I do what I must to protect what’s mine. And you’r

FLASHBACK — One Week Before the Wedding My phone buzzed under the pillow, and I snatched it up before Mama could hear. One look at the encrypted number, and my stomach twisted. "Did you get it?" a low voice rasped through the line. I hesitated. "Yes. The guest list, the security codes, the transport schedule... it's all in the drive." "You’ve done well, Serafina. You’ll be rewarded." I pressed the phone tighter to my ear. "You promised he wouldn’t get hurt. "You were promised your freedom. Nothing more." I wanted to scream. But I couldn’t. I had already gone too far. What they didn’t know, what none of them knew, was that I’d fallen in love with a man I wasn’t allowed to have. Not Alessandro. Not Lorenzo. But someone far, far worse. PRESENT DAY — VALENTINA The panic room was too small. Lorenzo’s breath was hot near my ear, his body shielding mine from the steel door. “Stay quiet,” he whispered. My chest heaved. “What the hell just happened?” “I think we were ambushed. Bu