All Chapters of SUBSTITUTE BRIDE FOR THE MAFIA DON: Chapter 161 - Chapter 170

Luca’s POVWe drove for a long time before the cars finally slowed and turned off the main road.The city lights faded behind us, one by one, until there was nothing but darkness and open space. No horns. No voices. Just the low hum of engines and the sound of tires on rough ground. The farther we went, the heavier my chest felt, like the night itself was pressing down on me.The warehouse appeared ahead of us, large and lonely, sitting in the middle of nowhere. Dark. Silent. Wide. It looked abandoned, but it wasn’t. It was waiting.I chose this place on purpose.I didn’t want Marco anywhere near my mansion. That house was more than walls and furniture. It was my home. My wife’s home. It held memories of quiet mornings, shared meals, soft laughter. I would not poison it with blood, screams, or revenge. This filth belonged somewhere else.The metal doors groaned as they rolled open, the sound harsh and loud in the still night. It echoed, sharp and ugly. Our cars moved inside slowly, he

Dahlia’s POVI didn’t know how long I had been sitting there.Time felt strange in the dark, like it didn’t move the way it used to. My wrists hurt from the ropes, my back ached from the chair, and my throat felt dry from fear and silence. The darkness pressed in on me from all sides. I couldn’t see anything. I could barely hear anything except my own breathing and the pounding of my heart.Then I heard it.A door.It opened slowly, the sound loud in the quiet room. My breath caught in my chest. Footsteps followed. Calm. Unhurried. They moved closer, one step at a time, and with every step my fear grew. I held my breath without meaning to, my body stiff with panic.Suddenly, the lights snapped on.I gasped, squeezing my eyes shut as the brightness burned. When I opened them again, a tall man was standing right in front of me. The light made his shadow stretch across the floor toward my feet.He looked young. Around my age. Well put together. Calm in a way that felt wrong.I stared at h

Luca’s POV“I’m going in alone,” I said.My voice didn’t sound like my own. It was rough, strained, like it could crack at any second. Saying the words made everything feel terrifyingly real.Immediately, Dante stepped closer. He placed a firm hand on my shoulder, steady and solid. His eyes searched my face, filled with concern and something close to fear for me.“Are you sure?” he asked quietly.I let out a shaky breath and nodded. “I don’t have a choice.”He studied me for a moment longer, then nodded. He understood. They all did. He stepped aside, giving me a clear path to the door.“Be careful,” he said softly.I met his eyes for a brief second, then turned back to the basement door. My heart was racing, fear and rage twisting together inside me until I felt like I might tear apart. My hands trembled, but I forced them to steady. Somewhere beyond that door, Dahlia was waiting for me.The thought stayed with me like a wound that wouldn’t close. It burned. It hurt. It was the only t

Luca’s POVMy chest tightened so hard it hurt to breathe. The weight of her words pressed down on me, heavy and terrifying and real. I thought of our child. Thought of the life we hadn’t even begun yet.“I promise,” I said without hesitation. My voice was steady now, even though my eyes burned. “On my life. On our child. I will come back to you.”Behind us, I heard Leonardo scoff.The sound was sharp and mocking, full of cruelty, like my pain amused him. I didn’t turn. I didn’t react. He didn’t exist in that moment.Nothing existed except her.There was something else I needed to say. Something I had held back for too long. Fear had kept it locked inside me, fear that loving her this deeply would give the world another way to destroy me.But now?Now it felt stupid to keep it hidden.“I love you,” I said softly.The words felt strange and right all at once, like they had been waiting their whole life to be spoken.Her breath caught.Her eyes widened, then filled even more with tears.

Dahlia’s POVStrong arms wrapped around me from behind, steady but tight. I hated it. I hated being held back. I hated not being the one running toward Luca.Dante turned to face me. He reached out and held my shoulders, forcing me to look at him. His face was set, jaw tight, eyes burning with the same fear that was tearing me apart inside.“I’m going back in,” he said firmly. “I’ll get him out. I promise you.”My lips trembled. I nodded over and over again, tears spilling down my cheeks faster than I could stop them.“You have to,” I whispered brokenly. “Please. He’s still in there. He’s hurt. He’s—” My voice cracked, and I couldn’t finish the sentence. “Please bring him back to me.”Dante didn’t say anything else. He just gave me one last look—one that said he understood exactly what Luca meant to me—and then he turned and ran.I watched him sprint toward the mansion, his boots hitting the ground hard, his body moving with purpose and urgency. My heart raced with every step he took.