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Camila woke up to the sound of cupboard doors slamming and the unmistakable hiss of her espresso machine being bullied within an inch of its life."This thing have a manual or am I about to trigger a small explosion?" Rafael's voice boomed from the kitchen, hitting it lightly by the side."Put the damn machine down before you ruin it," she called, rolling out of bed, a d ran down the stairs with a speed of lightning."What happened to normal instant coffee? You know, the kind that comes in a jar and doesn’t require an engineering degree? Are you just waking up?"Camila ignored him and headed to the downstairs bathroom, only to stop in her tracks when she opened the door. Nico stood at her mirror, slathering serum on his face like it was sunscreen."Why are you using my stuff?""It's has cool labels, which means it's expensive. And I deserve nice things. Also, my skin's been dry lately.""Get out. Now.""Come on, now, don't be so cheap, it's just a product. You can buy another.” He gru

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Somehow, some fucking how, Rafael guessed who she was talking about and literally threatened to shoot the back window if she took them there.It was just a threat alright, but Rafael was one unpredictable man when he's angry and there was a fucking kid in the dam car.She didn't want to risk it. What if the bullet decides to bounce back or shards of glass punctures holes in his eyes. All in the name of a hot man, who's ou of the city with his wife.So she asked him to apologize for being such a jerk and thank goodness he was man enough to.She turned the car around and gave him the chance to choose their next meal place. "We should just have dinner and go back home."Yeah?" Cam asked, looking at Nico through the window.“Yeah, I might fall asleep before we even get there.“But they got there, parked the car and the boys argued the rest of the way Cam ignored them both and adjusted the strap of her bag. Her head was pounding already. She didn't have it in her to argue. Besides, she'd a

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The ocean looked endless from the balcony.Valentina stood barefoot on the smooth stone tiles, robe hanging loose around her body, hair swept back in a low knot that had mostly come undone. The breeze off the water had been steady since sunrise, warm and salty, brushing against her skin like something alive.She'd been standing there for almost fifteen minutes. Enjoying the sound of waves folding against the shore, soft and repetitive, like breathing.Their corner of the resort had been built for peace, and for once, she wasn’t pretending to enjoy it. The past few days had been fun in a way her life never was anymore — morning swims, late breakfasts, confory. Lucas hadn’t pushed to go home which meant he was also enjoying his stay.Still, this morning felt... different.Not bad. But, everything just felt off. She’d woken up uneasy, with her chest squeezing with every breeze and nerves frayed for no reason she could name. She’d stood by the bed for a full minute before walking to the b

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Alecia had turned off notifications, deleted every app that could drag her deeper into the noise, and still her phone kept buzzing like it had a mind of its own. Calls poured in. Unknown numbers. Blocked numbers. Ones she recognized but didn’t dare answer. She switched it to silent, tossed it face down on the couch, stood over it like it might bite her again. Nothing worked. The world had seen the photo. The world had opinions.Her face, Chase's face. His arm around her waist, her mouth near his cheek, their bodies pressed too close to lie. The shot wasn’t even well-lit but it didn’t need to be, people filled in the blanks themselves. Posts flew out within minutes. Her name was trending across platforms. Accusations, edits, side-by-side comparisons with Marco’s last red carpet event, people pulling clips of old interviews where she called herself loyal, fans throwing out her old statements like receipts.“Of course she cheated,” one said. “Girl was never solid.”“Marco deserves better

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Alecia had barely opened her eyes when her phone started buzzing again. She'd thrown it across the room last night, not even bothering to check what broke—the phone or the table. It didn’t matter. None of it mattered now. She rolled over and stared at the ceiling, not moving for a full minute, until the buzzing became impossible to ignore.She got up, stepped over yesterday’s heels, two crumpled water bottles, and the sequined dress she didn't know why she brought out. Her feet were bare and cold on the floor, but she didn’t care. She grabbed the phone and looked. It wasn’t a fucking missed call this time.She groaned and stared at the screen.Every headline was still about her.“Alecia DeLuca Meltdown at fiance's Gate—Unhinged or Heartbroken?”“Sources Say Rich fiance Caused Tension with ex Before Cheating Scandal”“Marco Moves On Gracefully: ‘He Deserves Better,’ Say Fans”And the kicker:#ByeAlecia was trending worldwide.She scrolled. Screenshots of her at the gate, mid-scream. A

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The staff at the front desk was pretending not to look, but Alecia could feel their eyes on her every time she stepped off the elevator. No one said her name, but they didn’t have to. Every face in that damn lobby knew exactly who she was, and they were all wondering the same thing—how long until the screaming starts again?She wore oversized sunglasses that didn’t match her clothes and kept her hoodie pulled up even indoors. The concierge smiled too politely. One of the bellboys whispered something behind his hand and laughed. The girl at the café kiosk tapped her phone under the counter.This was her fucking life now.She hadn’t left the room all morning, but the hotel was buzzing. Someone had leaked her check-in. She knew it wasn’t the front desk—at least not directly. It was always the same game. A cousin of a cleaner. A friend of the valet. One photo, one rumor, one post.All because of one fucking thing. She didn't know they hated her that much.She rode the elevator down in sil

All Chapters of The Mafia's Substitute Bride: Chapter 201 - Chapter 206

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