Lahat ng Kabanata ng Mafia's Heir: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

The rain had been falling since the afternoon, soft at first, then harder as night crept in, drumming against the tin roof like impatient fingers.Elena Marquez stood outside the little wooden door of their home for a second, her hand on the knob, breathing in the wet air before stepping inside. The small house was warm and dimly lit, the yellow glow of a single bulb flickering slightly as though tired from staying on too long.The smell hit her first — fried plantains and onions, the kind of smell that reminded her of home even on the worst days. She dropped her worn shoes by the mat and let her wet hair fall from its clip, running her fingers through it to loosen the tangles.In the kitchen, her little brother Marco sat at their wobbly wooden table, his chin resting on one hand, his pencil clutched in the other as he frowned at his math homework. He was twelve, lanky, and always losing his socks.“You’re late,” Marco said without looking up, his pencil tapping against the page in rh

The rain was relentless that night.It clung to Elena’s coat and hair, beading on her eyelashes as she stood at the corner of the street, staring at the house written on the small slip of paper.She had almost turned back twice.Marco’s face kept flashing in her mind, the way his brows had furrowed when he’d asked where she was going. She’d lied, told him she was meeting a supplier about restocking the shop. Her mother hadn’t believed her but hadn’t stopped her either. Maybe she understood — this was something Elena had to do.Elena pulled her coat tighter around herself and crossed the empty street.The building loomed ahead — a dark, heavy-looking house with no sign to indicate what it was. Just black shutters, black door, and a single lamp above it that buzzed faintly against the rain.Her boots squelched in the puddles as she climbed the two stone steps and stood before the door.Her hand hovered over the knocker, her stomach twisting.Before she could knock, the door opened.A ma

The car slowed as it climbed the final hill, its headlights cutting through the night. Elena pressed her forehead against the cold window, staring at the dark road ahead. Her heart had been thundering since they left her neighborhood, every beat a reminder that she was getting closer to the one man she’d tried to avoid for weeks.Adrien.She didn’t know why he’d summoned her, only that the guard who delivered the message had left no room for refusal. Come tonight. Alone.Her hands twisted together in her lap. Every instinct screamed at her to run back home, to hide under the covers and pretend none of this was happening — but she couldn’t. The debt was real. The danger was real. If she didn’t face him, her family would pay the price.When the car finally stopped, she lifted her head and froze.Adrien’s mansion stretched before her like a fortress carved from shadow and steel. Its black gates had already swung open, welcoming her inside like the jaws of some patient predator. The drive

Morning came far too quickly.Elena awoke with a start, heart pounding, sweat clinging to her skin as fragments of her dream slipped through her fingers like smoke. Adrien’s voice had haunted her all night, his eyes as cold and sharp as steel. She sat up slowly, her head heavy, her gaze falling on the folder still on her desk.It hadn’t moved. It hadn’t opened itself. But it may as well have.Because even in silence, it screamed at her.A knock came at her door. Soft. Hesitant. Her mother’s voice followed.“Elena? Breakfast is ready.”Her throat was too tight to answer, but she forced a quiet, “Coming.” She splashed water on her face, braided her hair quickly, and came to the kitchen.The smell of warm bread and eggs filled the air, but she had no appetite. Her little brother, Mateo, was already at the table, kicking his legs against the chair, grinning at her like nothing in the world was wrong.“Morning, Lena!” He pushed the plate toward her. “Mama made your favorite.”Her chest ach

The sun rose too early.Its golden light spilled through Elena’s thin curtains, brushing against her face, too gentle for the kind of day it was.She lay awake long before dawn, staring at the ceiling. Sleep had abandoned her hours ago, leaving her alone with the echo of Adrien’s words.“You belong to me.”She could still hear the cold authority in his voice, still feel the sting of his gaze as he watched her sign her life away.Now, as morning slipped quietly into her room, the weight of what she had done pressed against her chest so hard she could barely breathe.She had agreed to marry a man she barely knew.A man she hated.A man who terrified her.And she had done it for love — not for him, but for her mother and brother.The thought burned.She sat up slowly, her hair a tangle, her eyes raw and tired. Her room looked the same — the books she’d left stacked by her bedside, the photos pinned to the wall, the old ceramic mug her brother had painted for her last Christmas — yet ever