All Chapters of Acknowledged By A Mafia Leader: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

He couldn’t quite place what kind of mood he was in at the moment.“Zac, take me with you when you leave. I want to spend the weekend with you and Ava. I miss her so much,” Aurora said brightly, her small hand wrapping around Zac’s large, powerful one.Zac looked down at the little angel and smiled softly, momentarily forgetting that he had been angry just a moment ago.“If that’s what you want, sweetheart,” he replied.Just then, the front door swung open and Mia Dawson stepped into the exquisitely decorated living room. But the instant her eyes met Zac’s, she wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole.Busted.“Mommy!” Aurora squealed with delight, hurrying over to where her mother stood. “Look, I’m going with Zac! I get to see my babysitter again!”A surge of anger bubbled in Mia’s chest. She loathed how her daughter spoke so fondly of that mere nanny, perhaps because the woman had somehow carved out a place in Zac’s otherwise impenetrable heart.How unfortunate. Mia had

“Zac,” Ava groaned, swatting lightly at his chest. “If you do that, you’ll leave me no choice but to sell them.”“And you’ll leave me no choice but to buy them all over again, Tinkerbell,” he shot back with a wide grin and a bold wink, tugging her firmly against his chest.Ava sighed, the urge to argue dissolving as her gaze met his. She stared into his deep brown eyes, finding herself momentarily speechless.“Don’t give me that look, babe,” he murmured, leaning in until his breath danced at the tip of her nose, hot one moment, cool the next, sending a trail of goosebumps across her skin.“As we speak,” he whispered, “you’ve got full access to this penthouse, baby. So if your little apartment can’t fit all your cars, just come here and take your pick. Anything you want.”Each word fell slow and deliberate as his lips grazed the curve of her neck. The rasp of his stubble against her soft skin made her giggle, half ticklish, half breathless.Ava’s eyes fluttered shut as his warm mouth l

The pair of six eyes ogled Ava with matching expressions of concern. She, Hazel, Freya, and Caleb were all gathered at their favorite spot in the school restaurant, a table they had unofficially claimed long ago.Ava had finally told them what happened between her and Zac the last time they were together and ever since, she’d been ghosting his calls and ignoring his texts.She simply couldn’t deal with his explosive temper. That day, Zac had scared the living soul out of her, and before he could return from wherever he had stormed off to, she made the decision to leave.But not without taking responsibility, she’d made sure Nick came back to stay with Aurora before slipping away.“Ava, you can’t stay mad at him forever,” Freya was the first to speak, her eyes soft with genuine concern.“It’s good that you’re aware of his anger issues now, Ava. Besides, no sane man would just stand by after finding out what Mia Dawson did to someone he cares about,” Hazel added gently, reaching out to

The following morning, Ava woke up later than usual. Her body felt heavy, her thoughts even more so. Dragging herself to the bathroom, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were puffy, her skin pale, her hair a tousled mess.“God, I look like shit,” she muttered, pressing her palms to her face before splashing cold water on it repeatedly. Her hands lingered on her cheeks, hoping the sting of the water would snap her out of the haze clinging to her. But it didn’t.No matter how much she washed, the memory wouldn’t leave her. The gunshots. The blood. The way Zachary pulled the trigger without hesitation. Someone she truly liked had taken a life in front of her, and now he refused to talk about it. The silence from his end was louder than the shot itself.Shaking off the thoughts, she got dressed and walked out of her hostel in a casual outfit suitable for class. She kept her head down, shoulders tense. The moment she stepped into her lecture hall, one of her classmates fl

Ava’s heart skipped a beat the moment the caller uttered her nickname.“Tinkerbell.”A jolt surged through her like electricity. She knew that voice. How could she not? It was the only voice that had ever made her forget how to breathe. The deep, husky timbre of Zachary Gonzalez wasn’t one you could confuse. For a moment, everything around her dulled, her surroundings blurred, the music faded into a faint hum, the laughter of her friends became white noise. All she could hear was the steady breath on the other end of the call.She tried to speak, opened her mouth even, but no words formed. Her mind went blank. Completely, utterly blank.“What are you doing in the Bahamas?” His voice flowed through the phone, low and firm.Ava’s eyes widened. How does he know I’m here?Panic flared in her chest.Is he stalking me?No. That couldn’t be. Zac might be many things, controlling, possessive, intense but not a stalker. It had to be a lucky guess… or maybe someone tipped him off. Still, it wa