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Home / Romance / FORCED TO BE A MAFIA QUEEN / Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

All Chapters of FORCED TO BE A MAFIA QUEEN: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

164 Chapters

71

SIERRAI woke to a disconcerting warmth pressing against my back, far too solid and familiar to be a pillow. When I recognized the expensive scent, I turned and met the peaceful face of Alessandro.His arm was draped heavy and possessive over my waist, pulling me back firmly against the long and hard length of him. He was definitely asleep, his breathing deep and even right against my hair.How?I gazed wildly toward the door. I remembered, with absolute certainty, locking the heavy brass bolt last night, and just to be safe, I had pushed the sturdy bedside table directly against the frame. It would have taken considerable force and noise to move. The door was still standing perfectly still, and the table was undisturbed. My eyes darted to the tall and arched window, which was locked securely from the inside. Panic, mixed with a thrill of pure disbelief, flared in my chest. So, how did he…My gaze slowly swept the room again. The heavy tapestry on the far wall, the carved wood p

72

SIERRAThe clink of the porcelain teacup against the saucer was the only sound in the dining room, save for the rhythmic tapping sound of a silver spoon against a soft-boiled egg. I maintained a facade of perfect composure, meticulously buttering my toast, but inwardly, a storm was brewing.Obviously, because of this man in front of me.Alessandro was sitting opposite me, looking criminally handsome in a crisp black shirt, a contrast to the sweat-soaked one I had nursed for the past few days. Suddenly, I felt a feather-light brush against my ankle, sliding up to just under the hem of my pajama.My jaw tightened. This absolute maniac!I took a slow sip of my tea, trying to ignore the heat that instantly rushed up my neck. The foot, undeniably his, was firm and warm while tracing the delicate line of my Achilles tendon."Darling," he murmured without even looking up. He was reading the morning paper, the financial section, as if he weren't currently violating a doctor's orders

73

SIERRAMy eyes flew open and I gasped as I stumbled backward until my shoulder hit the bookshelf. The heat, the intimacy, and the tension were shattered instantly.Standing in the open doorway was the Don of the Don. Alessandro's grandfather, with his imposing frame, filled the archway.He's here again.I heard Alessandro sigh. When I looked down at him, his vein was pulsing slightly in his temple. Obviously, he was far from pleased.“Grandad,” Alessandro greeted with his flat tone. “To what do we owe the… unexpected pleasure?”Don Roberto didn't step inside the library. He simply stood there with his sharp gaze, assessing his grandson. “I heard you were ill. That you were down with a severe fever for a few days. I came to see if my successor was so easily defeated by a common cold.”Alessandro straightened, his arrogance instantly returning, a suit of armor slipping into place. He gestured dismissively toward me with a sweep of his hand.“Nonsense. I recovered quickly because

74

SIERRAIt wasn't a gentle kiss, it was a demand and a silencing claim. I inhaled sharply, the faint scent of his expensive cologne filling my senses. I resisted while trying to tilt my head back with a desperate sound escaping my throat.I stepped back, but his other arm wrapped around my waist with brutal strength. He pulled me against his hard chest, silencing my gasp as he deepened the kiss.Oh Fudge!His lips moved with a ruthless expertise that sent a shiver of unease through me. The kiss was punishing and possessive, as if it meant to break my will and remind me of his ownership.It was too much. My grip on the book loosened as my fingers went numb, causing the book to slip from my grasp. It hit the polished marble floor with a sharp, echoing thud that broke the suffocating silence of the library.The distraction was enough and made Alessandro finally pull back. His usually cold and unreadable eyes were now dark with raw emotion, focused on the aftermath of the kiss, until

75

SIERRAS-She died? Why did their lovers die? Is it because of the dark world they were in? Exactly, Sierra."There was an 'accident.'" Dimitri cut off the silence. “A fire at Alessia's home. It was declared an electrical fault, but everyone knew…” he shook his head. "Alessia didn't make it. Her father lost everything, and Alessandro lost his soul."Alessandro lost his soul.My chest tightened imagining Alessandro crying his heart out when he found out about Alessia's death. It made my heart ache just by imagining the wrecked Alessandro Montrego."That picture…” Dimitri continued, "is the boy he was and the life he was robbed of. When he saw it today, he wasn't looking at you or even the room. He was reliving the night she died and the night he became the monster his father needed him to be." He sighed. "He believes that love is a weakness. He believes that every woman he cares for will be taken away to punish him for trying to escape his duty."So… he never believes in love anymore

76

SIERRAThe click of the door as it swung shut was the only sound in the space of the room, yet it sounded like a gunshot. I was frozen as my hand clutched at the hem of my shirt.Alessandro is gone.Not just out of the room, but out of the house. He left the room with Gianna and didn't even look back at me.‘I found Alessia.”Gianna's three words really echoed in my head.Alessia.It was the name of the ghost who was supposed to have died years ago in some 'unfortunate accident.' The legend I was never supposed to compete with.I closed my eyes, trying to summon the emotion I was supposed to be feeling. Relief? Disinterest? After all, this marriage was a transaction, an ice-cold exchange for my family’s solvency. He was the Mafia Lord, I was the collateral. Love was never part of the contract.But when I opened my eyes, the image searing my vision was Alessandro's eyes.In the second between hearing her name and launching himself toward the hallway, his eyes had changed. The gran

77

SIERRAShe was stunning. Not in the polished, magazine-cover way I was forced to be, but in a way that was undeniably alive. Her long, dark hair was simply pulled back. Her eyes looked intelligent and intensely focused, though edged with a faint weariness. She wore clothes that looked expensive but practical, suggesting function over decoration.This woman, Alessia, didn't look like a fragile rescued maiden. She stood next to Alessandro, and the way Alessandro immediately placed a hand on the small of her back, a protective gesture he had sometimes offered me, felt like a physical blow.They stood together for a second, framed by the intimidating sight of the armed security, a tableau of power and deep connection.Alessandro's eyes, momentarily meeting hers, held an expression of relief and fierce possession I had sometimes received.My hands clenched and hid them behind me, witnessing the arrival of the woman who held the key to my husband’s heart and, consequently, the key to my

78

SIERRAThe silk of my gown whispered against my legs as I finally descended the grand staircase. The clock in the foyer had already chimed thirty minutes past the agreed-upon dinner time. The maid keeps coming back here to inform me about dinner, but I keep declining to have dinner with them. And for the nth time, the maid came back teary-eyed because Alessandro would kill her if she came down without me again. So I don't have any choice but to come down, fuming in madness. Obviously, I was thirty minutes late.Let him wait. It was the only power I felt I had left in this gilded cage.When I reached the dining room, the low voices of people having a conversation ceased instantly and four pairs of eyes snapped to me.Alessandro was at the head of the table, holding his glass of wine. But I could feel his dark gaze even through his lashes. I frown at Dimitri, who was already smirking, and at Gianna, who simply gave me a look of exasperation. But it was the fifth person, seated beside

79

SIERRAThe library was my sanctuary, filled with the scent of old paper and leather. I knew Alessandro would be in here within the hour, seeking answers or perhaps demanding an apology.I reached the desk and stared blankly at the stack of bound ledgers he needed me to review. I hated him for giving me this work, for making me feel like a necessary part of his machine, but I hated that I excelled at it even more.I slumped into the chair as I reached for the top ledger. I had a job to do, a performance to maintain.As I was skimming through the pages, the door of the library swung open. I thought it was Carlo, but based on the scent that invaded the room, it was the bastard.I didn't look up, pretending intense focus on the numbers. Alessandro’s slow footsteps crossed the plush Persian rug. He stopped a few feet away, near the leather wingback chair where he often sat to watch me work.I waited as my jaw tensed.“The veal was excellent. Does Alessia also appreciate his delicate

80

SIERRAThe scent of cypress and evening jasmine hung heavy in the Italian air, a contrast to the churning storm inside me. I sat at a marble-topped table in the ornate garden as the wrought-iron chairs cooled beneath my pajamas. Across from me was Carlo, meticulously sorting through a sheaf of papers that Alessandro had demanded I handle.“Focus, Sierra,” Carlo murmured. He pointed to a clause about shipping manifests. “The Don wants this reviewed tonight. You know how impatient he is with delays.”My fingers tightened around the expensive pen. “Oh, I know all about Alessandro’s impatience, Carlo. He seems to have a lot of it these days, especially when I’m not fast enough getting out of his sight.”A dull ache settled in my chest, a feeling I absolutely despised. It was anger, yes, but it was also something sickeningly tender that had no business being there. Since Alessia returned, that tenderness had curdled. He was distant and indifferent, treating me as little more than a ne

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