All Chapters of Contract with the Cold-Hearted Mafia Boss: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Lena's POVThe charity gala felt like navigating a minefield while wearing a smile. Every conversation demanded my full attention, but I couldn't ignore the device hidden beneath my dress that Salvatore controlled.The vibrations would start without warning, sometimes gentle, sometimes intense, forcing me to grip my champagne flute tighter and bite the inside of my cheek to maintain composure."Mrs. Venturi, your husband's recovery must be such a relief," commented Mrs. Pemberton, the pharmaceutical heiress we'd been speaking with earlier. "And expecting your first child during such a challenging time... you're truly remarkable."I felt the familiar buzz against my most sensitive area just as I opened my mouth to respond. My breath caught, and I quickly covered it with what I hoped looked like emotional overwhelm."It's... it's been difficult, But we're hopeful."Salvatore's hand rested possessively on my lower back, his thumb tracing small circles. Through my peripheral vision, I cau

Lena's POVThe door exploded inward with a thunderous crash, and the last thing I saw before darkness claimed me was the ceramic shard slipping from my fingers, clattering harmlessly to the floor.When consciousness returned, my head felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to it, and my mouth was dry as sandpaper. The antiseptic smell and steady beeping told me I was in a hospital before I even opened my eyes fully."Cara mia, thank God you're awake."Isabella's voice was thick with tears and relief."What..." My voice came out as a croak. "What happened?""You collapsed at the museum," Isabella said, reaching for a cup of water and holding the straw to my lips. "The doctors say it was exhaustion and dehydration. With the pregnancy and all the stress from Nico's surgery..."The events came flooding back. The champagne that tasted wrong, Luca's hands on me, the broken vase, the ceramic shard pressed to my throat. I tried to sit up, but waves of nausea forced me back down."Easy, eas

Lena's POVThrough the thin hospital room door, I could hear the commotion in the hallway. Luca's screams made my blood run cold, followed by the sound of what could only be bones breaking. But it was his final, desperate words that made my heart stop completely."She even had this on her. Why would she be wearing this if she wasn't... if she didn't want..."My hand flew to my stomach, checking instinctively for the device that was no longer there. When had Luca taken it? During the struggle in the room? When I was unconscious? The thought of his hands searching my body while I was helpless made bile rise in my throat.The door burst open and Isabella stormed in, her face flushed with anger and confusion. In her trembling hand, she held the small vibrating device."What is this? Luca says he found this... on you. Hidden under your dress."I opened my mouth but no words came out."I... I don't...""Don't lie to me, Lena." Isabella's eyes were filling with tears. "I defended you out the

Lena's POVI settled into Salvatore's leather armchair, trying to focus on anything other than the sounds coming from upstairs. The soft thud of footsteps, the occasional creak of floorboards, and then... silence. Whatever Salvatore was doing with that blonde woman, at least it was quiet.I picked up a financial magazine from his coffee table, flipping through pages of market analysis and investment strategies without really reading them. The words blurred together as my mind wandered back to the gentle way he'd bandaged my finger, the unexpected tenderness in his touch.Forty minutes passed. Then an hour. I found myself checking my phone repeatedly, though I wasn't sure what I was waiting for. The morning sun climbed higher through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long shadows across the pristine living room.By the time two hours had elapsed, I was fighting to stay awake in the comfortable chair. The events of the previous night were finally catching up with me, and the early m

Lena's POVNico's eyes fluttered open as I leaned over his hospital bed, my hand gently covering his. The afternoon light streaming through the window caught the gold flecks in his green irises, making them seem almost luminous against his pale skin."Lena," he whispered. "You look tired. Are you sleeping enough? The baby...""I'm fine," I assured him, forcing a smile. "We're both fine. I just need to take a short trip for work. Some art authentication business that requires my expertise."It was a carefully constructed lie that Isabella and I had rehearsed. My supposed pregnancy had forced me to take leave from the Metropolitan Museum, but Salvatore's contacts had arranged for a private art collector in Sicily to request my services. A perfectly reasonable explanation for why I would be away for a week."Sicily? That seems far to travel when you're expecting...""It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to examine some Renaissance pieces that have never been publicly catalogued. The col