All Chapters of The Mafia's Substitute Bride: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

I lowered myself onto the bed, carefully, like it might shatter beneath me if I wasn’t careful. I was tense, every inch of me aware of his presence beside me. But now that I was here, lying in his bed, a new kind of confusion settled in.Should I face him? That felt too… intimate, somehow. But then again, turning my back on him felt odd too, almost like I was being dismissive. And there was no way I was about to fall asleep with my back turned, especially knowing he’d be right there, seeing only… well, that side of me. I’d never been one to think too much about it, but my usual way of sleeping—curled up with my back slightly arched and, okay, maybe pushing my hips out a bit—suddenly felt painfully inappropriate.What on earth was I doing here?I pulled the blanket over myself, half-wondering if it could shield me from this odd tension. My heart was racing in my chest as I carefully angled myself on my side, choosing a middle ground, slightly diagonal, like some bizarre game of chess w

I woke up late, feeling like I’d been hit by a train. The previous night’s memories trickled back slowly, mostly of me lying in bed, wide-eyed and irritated, as my brain kept replaying that stupid comment Lucas had made about “working it off.” No matter what I tried—reading, counting backward from a hundred, even watching a mind-numbing TV show—it would sneak back into my head, leaving me restless, hot, and oddly uneasy. By the time I drifted off, it was practically dawn.The knock at my door startled me awake. I blinked, disoriented, to find a woman standing by my bed, dressed in a drab brown dress that seemed almost out of place in this house.“Who… are you?” I asked, trying to shake the remnants of sleep.She gave a respectful nod. “Good morning, Miss. I’m here to assist you today. Mr. Caruso called me in to help get you ready and bring you to him before he went out.”I blinked, feeling a little jolt of surprise—and something like disappointment. “He… left?”The woman nodded. “Yes,

What?” I snapped, raising an eyebrow. The whole situation should have been obvious to him. “A girl’s weapon is her face, you know,” I said, half under my breath as I slipped my phone back into my purse. The flick hadn’t exactly ruined anything.He didn’t reply, just continued staring, that faint smirk tugging at his mouth. I glared back, gathering myself. “Now, introduce me to whoever is the reason you brought me here,” I demanded. “before I run out of social battery.” I could practically feel it draining by the second, with him at the top of the list.He tilted his head, letting the smirk break into something more genuine, as if he actually found me… amusing? But thankfully, he nodded and finally turned to lead the way. Except, he paused halfway across the room, glancing back over his shoulder just as I caught up. Without a word, he extended his arm, positioning it for me to take—as if we were an actual couple, like we belonged together in this way.And, well, we were a couple. Tech

After a few minutes of talking and being introduced all over again into the cosa nostra italia. The room quieted as the introductions came to an end, and the weight of the whatever was about to go one seemed to be forced down on me even if I have no idea of it. I was no longer just a wife—Bianca’s words, delivered in that sharp, matter-of-fact tone of hers, echoed in my ears. Alphonse’s voice followed, laying out what was expected of me before me. I wasn't brought her today to be to just discuss and have lunch or something. That as Lucas has put his faith in me to rule in his absence, I must not disappoint.This was no ordinary meeting or casual initiation. This was my formal introduction into the familia—the beating heart of the Cosa Nostra Italia.They spoke of responsibilities that went far beyond the confines of a conventional marriage. This wasn’t just about Lucas and me anymore, or our marriage or even business. But I wasn't suprised to know it was about the empire. I was told t

I didn’t know how long I stayed crouched there by the abandoned bakery. My legs were stiff, my back ached, and my head was pounding. Everything felt heavy—my clothes, my limbs, my thoughts.It was dark now, probably around seven or eight. I couldn’t be sure; I had no way of checking. I’d left my phone back at the mansion, and for the life of me, I couldn’t remember why. What was I even thinking? Why would I leave my phone behind if I didn’t plan to run away for good?Now I was sure this was it. I was going to die here. Alone. In the rain. Like some tragic figure from a bad novel.My mind wandered to my mother. What would she think? Would she even find out about this? Would anyone bother to tell her? I shook my head, or maybe it was the dizziness doing it for me. My thoughts felt disjointed, fraying like loose threads unraveling one by one.The rain soaked through my clothes long ago, but now my insides felt like they were on fire, as if my body was burning through its last reserves of