Lahat ng Kabanata ng HER ROYAL MAFIA : Kabanata 61 - Kabanata 70

VINCENZO CASTILLOThe air was thick, heavy, the kind of silence that crawled under your skin, until Celestino suddenly broke it with laughter. That ugly, grating laugh of his."Wait... did you really think I meant that, honey?" he mocked, his mouth twisting into that serpent’s grin he wore too well. "C’mon. You think I’d pick a slave boy over my own daughter? Don’t insult me, Caterina."My jaw clenched. Slave boy?. He had the audacity to throw that word at me as if I was still that same hopeless boy he kept under his wing ten years ago, and Caterina didn’t even flinch. His hand landed on her shoulder, slowly, claiming, like she was his prized doll.Something burned through me instantly. I wanted to rip that hand clean off him. He wasn’t worthy to even breathe her air, let alone touch her. She didn’t deserve this deceptive, crawling snake.But then her eyes flicked to mine. Sharp. Searching. "For a moment, Papa," she said coolly, "I actually thought you really would choose him over me.

VINCENZO CASTILLOThe moment the door clicked shut, I let the silence breathe. A full minute. Long enough to let the two dogs by the door believe I’d accepted defeat.Then my eyes lifted, locking on them one after the other.I’d already counted the minutes. I knew how long before Nero’s Kiss swallowed Camilla whole. I still had a window, small, but enough. Enough to take these hounds out, cut myself loose, and get to her before the drug burned her alive from the inside.She was still fighting for air, her chest heaving, lashes trembling. My chest clenched, but I forced the storm down. She’s a fighter. I know her. That was the only thread of faith binding me to sanity.The knife Caterina had slipped me was still tucked inside my shirt. My way out. My only chance. But unless these two bastards dropped, it meant nothing. I couldn’t reach Camilla if they were still breathing.So I did what we’re trained to do... what every man in the mafia learns early. You don’t wait for mercy. You make

VINCENZO CASTILLOCelestino slipped his hand into his pocket, his sharp gaze locked on me. His face was unreadable: stone-cold, giving nothing away. That strange expression made it impossible to tell what thoughts were running through his head already."You see why I could bet my fortune on Vincenzo? Why I told you it was useless having you guard him?" His words were directed into the air, but I knew they weren’t meant for me.His eyes quickly flicked to Caterina. She still looked stunned, frozen between surprise and maybe fear. Her arms folded slowly, a defense she clearly didn’t feel inside."He wouldn’t have made it this far if you’d trusted me to stay with him, Papa," she fired back, but her tone was still trimmed.Celestino’s lips curved faintly, not quite a smile, more like mock amusement."I trust you, darling. But debating the obvious is unnecessary." His finger lifted, pointing straight at me. "A man will turn into a demon to save his woman. Vincenzo is already a monster. Sav

VINCENZO CASTILLO"You’ve changed, Vin," Caterina whispered. Her voice fell low, almost trembling, her eyes locked to mine with a softness I hadn’t seen since she returned.I didn’t realize how close I was until I felt her breath stir between us, the faint heat pushing against my own restraint.I was the first to break the contact, dragging my eyes away and stepping back, silently, my shoes grinding softly against the marble floor."You used to talk to me gently. You don't call me 'Caterina', you call me 'Catty'" she continued, her voice cracking around the edges, "with those soft eyes... but now..." She broke off with a sniff, as if fighting back millions of emotions. "Now you talk to me like I’m some stranger on the street."I clenched my jaw. "You’ve changed too. People change. That’s life."Her gaze didn’t waver. "You know very well what I’m talking about. If you don’t want to speak about it, fine. Just say so. Don’t make me feel like I’m losing my mind here."Her words cut deeper

CAMILLA RYDERI knew this man right here thinks I’m probably brave enough to admit what he hasn’t said in years. I knew he loved me: the way his eyes lingered, the way his hands handled me as if I were fragile glass, what more could betray his feelings?But I wasn’t brave. I tried so hard not to feel this way. It wasn’t that he wasn’t good enough... he was too much. Vin was everything I ever wanted in Liam, so much that at first I thought I was only drawn to him because he was everything Liam wasn’t. But no…This man sitting right here, with that soft look in his eyes, craving nothing but my touch… this untouchable man with a hundred secrets, with shadows and traumas he hides deep… this was the man I loved. And right now, I didn’t care if the world collapsed around us, if he did to me what I could already see burning in his eyes.I didn’t answer him. Instead, I tugged at his shirt, unbuttoning each piece, avoiding his gaze, but when I peeled it off his shoulders, my breath caught. My