CALAVERA: The Mafia’s Caged Bride のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 21 - チャプター 30

~ANYA POV~I heard the front door slamming a few minutes after he had locked me in here.When I woke up the first morning in Uncle Marco's house, I felt like I hadn't slept at all. My eyes were burning, my head heavy, but I forced myself to sit up. The air smelled like old wood and strong coffee drifting from the kitchen. For a second, it almost felt normal. Safe.But the moment I thought about César, the feeling was gone.Marco had made me tea. He sat at the table, smiling too much, his eyes too wide. "You rest here," he said. "Don't think of running away yet. César has men. Everywhere. At airports, train stations, and border roads. You must wait."I swallowed the tea. It tasted bitter. My voice came out small. "Wait? For how long?"He rubbed his chin like he was thinking, but his eyes didn't blink. "Three days. Only three days. Then I'll help you leave."I nodded because what else could I do? But deep inside, my chest tightened. Waiting felt like dying slowly.The first day moved l

~ANYA POV~We ran and ran. My chest was on fire, my throat burning with every gulp of cold air, and still, Marco's girlfriend didn't stop. She was like a ghost, fast and quiet, her steps not even stumbling once. I felt like I would fall any second, but her hand dragged me forward so hard I couldn't let go even if I wanted to. My legs screamed in pain, but the fear in my chest was louder.Behind us, the footsteps got fainter until finally I couldn't hear them anymore. My ears only rang with the sound of my own heavy breathing. I bent down, hands on my knees, gasping for air like I was dying."You're... so fast," I muttered between breaths, shocked that she didn't even look out of breath at all.She didn't answer me at first. She just stood tall, her eyes scanning the forest around us like she expected something to jump out. Her chest rose and fell but she wasn't panting like me. She pulled out a small black phone from her pocket and pressed it to her ear. She spoke in Italian, the wo

Trigger warning: {This is not your usual dark romance novel, it's dark, if you can't handle it please drop it and check my other books, not all main leads are heroes}~ANYA POV~I had just finished the meal. It was good, really good, but it also felt like sand in my mouth. Every bite tasted strange, like my tongue couldn't tell the difference between food and dirt anymore. Maybe it was because he was watching me or because of the board with the bottles stuck in it that was lying not far away, or maybe it was just because I was too scared to even taste anything right. My stomach was full, but it also churned like I would vomit.I put the fork down with shaky hands. My legs felt like jelly even though I was sitting. César was too unpredictable and it scared me so much.The door opened with a creak and my heart stopped. A guard stepped inside, his boots loud on the floor, and behind him came a woman and three men, no, not men, boys. Twin boys. Small, no more than sixteen years old. The

~ANYA POV~I turned, forcing my foot forward again. Pain cut through me like hot knives. Each step made my breath short and sharp. My toes curled in my shoes. Blood kept coming, warm and sticky. The sound of it was loud in my ears, like someone pouring water slowly. I bit my lips so hard to keep from screaming, and I tasted metal in my mouth.My knees wanted to fold but I pushed them. I thought of the innocent people that I had dragged into this mess. I knew it wasn't my fault, César was just an evil person but I couldn't help feeling guilty that maybe if I hadn't run away, then these people would be going about their lives normally. My heart cracked open and the pain made me move faster, like a machine with a broken gear.The room was full of noise. The hostess was whispering words of comfort to her daughter, her voice broken. The frail woman was moaning softly. The ticket man kept praying under his breath, words I could not understand but felt like a rope thrown to me. The survivi

~ANYA'S POV~ The first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes was how heavy the air felt. It was quiet, too quiet, like the world itself was holding its breath. The curtains were drawn halfway, and a pale light spilled into the room, slicing through the dust floating lazily in the air. My throat burned when I swallowed.I felt his presence before I saw him. César was here.He sat on the edge of the bed, his elbows resting on his knees, his bloodshot eyes staring at me startled me as my breath caught. The decanter of whiskey beside him was empty, the smell of alcohol hanging thick in the air. His shirt was halfway open, his hair was combed back neatly, though a few strands were out of place, it gave him a kind of handsome roguish look, and his fingers rubbed the glass absentmindedly, like his mind was trapped somewhere far away.I didn't move. I just watched him.His eyes were deep and empty, he looked almost broken, but not in a way that made you pity him, he was broken dangerously, l