Semua Bab Wife: A Dark Mafia Arranged Marriage Romance: Bab 171 - Bab 180

1HadesTwo Months LaterWe stood in the middle of the street, streetlights slightly illuminating us in the center of the city. Most of the buildings around us were dark because tenants kept their curtains shut and kept to themselves. Florence was a beautiful city, but everyone knew it was plagued by monsters like me. As long as they minded their own business, they knew they were safe.Maddox stood beside me, in a long-sleeved shirt and dark jeans. He never wore a watch or any other kind of jewelry. He was slender and ripped, possessing a strong physique that wasn’t burdened by a mass of muscle. The time I’d spent with him had yielded even less information about his character. He didn’t have a concrete personality. Some days he was talkative, and other days he didn’t say a single word. We’d combined our men together, like a sick blended family. As we waited for our accomplice to arrive, he turned his gaze on me. With his crystal-blue eyes, he stared at me with a burning gaze that was

“That’s a good name. Ash would’ve been better…but it’s good enough.”He successfully got me to smile a little bit.“Can I walk you home?”“I only live a few blocks away.”“Good. Because I hate to walk.”Together, the two of us walked down the street and headed to the three-story home I’d bought for my mother and me to live in. My mom had a few friends in the city, so she stayed busy socializing. She even came to the hotel and worked with the decorators to keep the ambiance fresh.There was a lot of silence because I didn’t know what to say. I liked Ash, but being around him only reminded me of what I’d lost. I had to move on with my life, move on from Hades, but that was impossible if I had to spend time with his brother. But since I was having Ash’s nephew, I would always be connected to both of the Lombardi brothers.I took control of the conversation. “How are you?”He shrugged. “You know, all sex and money.”“So, things are good?”“Very good. What about you?”“You already asked th

“I don’t know…it’s like he can see the future.”“Then we need to look further ahead. And if we don’t kill him, someone else will…eventually. This isn’t the kind of career that lasts a long time. It has a short shelf life. Someone will get Maddox eventually.”But it should be me.“You should be with the woman you love. You should kill the man who hurt your family. We should not be his busboys. We can lie low for a while…but not forever. And if you wait too long, Sofia might find somebody else.”I knew Sofia loved me, but she broke my heart when she asked to leave. Marriage was about forever, for better or worse. She abandoned me and took our son with her. She did the right thing, but that didn’t make it less painful. It was a betrayal…and it stung like lemon on a fresh wound. After our son was born, men would swoop in. She would have a million offers all over again. No one would care about the fact that she was a single mom. She would move on and forget about me. “I don’t think Sofia a

5HadesWhen I got the news Andrew was doing well, I should’ve been happy.Ecstatic.But I wasn’t. All I could feel was overwhelming resentment toward my ex-wife. She’d never looked so beautiful, never glowed so bright. Relocating to Rome was the best thing for her, and while she didn’t look happy, she didn’t look stressed either. She’d gotten everything she wanted…and she did it without me.It made me bitter. Angry.I wanted Sofia and Andrew to be safe, but I was miserable living under Maddox’s thumb. I was his little bitch, practically a slave. I was a rich man in a powerful position, but I had no rights, no freedoms. I couldn’t have the one thing I wanted more than anything else. It was like she didn’t care…at all.When Maddox took her and all hope was lost, I sacrificed myself in exchange for her freedom. I threw myself on the grenade so she could get away.But she abandoned me.I would’ve judged her if she stayed. In fact, I respected her for choosing herself and our son over me.

“No, it’s not that. I just can’t believe someone asked me out.” I assumed I would be undesirable to men everywhere. I was pregnant, and when I wasn’t anymore, I would be a single mom. What kind of guy would be interested in that unless he were a single father himself?Antonio raised an eyebrow as he looked at me. “I don’t think it’s that surprising…” He straightened in his chair and relaxed now that he knew I wasn’t offended by the proposition. “You’re a beautiful woman, you are kind and funny, and you are dedicated to your hotel. I think you have the whole package.”It was such a compliment that I didn’t know what to say. My ambition was a turn-off for most men. One person who didn’t care was Hades. He actually seemed aroused by it. “Well, I’m very flattered.”Antonio waited for an answer.I was free to do whatever I wanted. I was single, almost legally divorced, and it seemed like Hades hated me. I’d relocated here to move on with my life, so that was what I should be doing. But I w