All Chapters of 280 Days With The Mafia King: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Mariella’s POVLying on the hospital bed in my room, I found myself crying my eyes out. The fact that my life had been pawned out since I was a child felt horrible to me. I thought about the clause Marcello forced my dad to sign. No matter how much I thought about it, my dad seemed not to be as innocent as I had originally assumed when I got here, a hard pill to swallow. While I lay on my bed in melancholic thought, the door creaked open. Looking to my side, I was surprised to see Jose. He casually strolled in, looking smug as usual. He was carrying a leather bag and wore a grin that seemed to promise trouble. “Did someone order a black sheep?” He asked jocularly as he strolled in. “I must say, Mariella, I didn't think you'd ask for me to come back. In fact, I didn't think Luciano would even grant such a request, even if it came from you. Let me in on your secret, will ya? How'd you do it?”I was just as confused as he was. More so, too, probably. “I-I have no idea. I didn't think

Mariella’s POV“Well, they don't call it old for nothing,” I muttered as I stared at the old building covered in crumbling bricks and rusted fire escapes. The streetlights flickered with a weird rhythm, casting long, distorted shadows across the cobblestones. Jose drove with a focused intensity, his eyes darting to the rearview mirror every few seconds. “Alright, we’re here,” he said, pulling the car into a narrow alleyway.I looked out the window. The address Charlie had given me belonged to a narrow, three-story building squeezed between an abandoned motel and a warehouse. A faded sign hung over the door: Santini’s Horology.“A clock shop?” I asked, rather surprised. “My father was a bookkeeper.”“Well, he was a man of many layers, Mariella. A man of many layers,” Jose said, getting out and going around the car to lift me. He was careful with my cast, but the movement still sent a dull throb through my leg. “You see, Mariella, in the Mafia, everyone needs a front.” He said, “Your

Mariella’s POVThe sound of the glass shattering was like a gunshot. I felt Jose’s grip tighten on my waist as he pulled me behind a wooden counter, the iron box clutched to his chest. My broken leg sent a shockwave of pain that made me feel lightheaded. Jose and I remained quiet in the shadows, watching with dread as the red laser dot moved across the floorboards.Dante and two men in suits stepped through the broken window frame. His aura was different now, almost like that of a predator stalking its prey. I had experienced fear a lot in the course of my life, but nothing compared to what I was experiencing now. Peeping from a crack in the counter, I saw the silver light of the moon flash off the watch on his wrist, the same watch from my visions. “I have to admit, Jose,” Dante spoke up, “I didn’t think you’d have the guts to bring her here.”“Well, I’m a man of surprises, Dante,” Jose shouted from behind the counter, though I could feel his heart hammering against my shoulder. “Bu

Mariella’s POVI watched the sea spray the rocky beach with its salty waters as we drove along the coastline, and looking behind us, I saw the city lights fade into the distance. We were safe for now. The drive continued for a little while longer, and soon we came to a crunching halt on a gravel path. And then I saw it, a stone cottage standing in the shadow of an abandoned lighthouse nearby. “Wow…” I gasped. Not so much in awe but still in surprise. I didn't think the De Lucases would own anything this lacklustre.Luciano turned off the engine, and an awkward silence rushed in, broken only by the rhythmic crashing of the waves below. “Jose, take the box inside,” Luciano ordered. “And keep your eyes on the perimeter. We need to be sure no one's here.” Jose nodded quietly, for once skipping his usual witty comebacks. He grabbed the iron box and got out of the car.Meanwhile, Luciano turned to me, making my heart skip a beat. “Can you stand?” he asked.“N-No,” I replied, feeling a

Mariella's POV“L-Luciano–” I stuttered as I watched him vibrate in rage. He looked like he would snap at any moment. “How dare he?” Luciano growled, clenching his fists till blood started dripping down his hands.“Brother, please calm down,” Jose tried to de-escalate the situation.“Calm down?!” Luciano barked, glaring at Jose, who immediately went quiet. “How can I call myself the leader of the De Luca family when there's so much going on that I have no idea of?” He asked. No one responded. No one dared to respond. The room remained eerily silent for a few seconds – a few very long seconds. And then I spoke. “Luciano…” I reached out to touch him, but he pulled away, his eyes colored with a feeling of betrayal and self-loathing. “What did you see when you touched me?” he asked quietly.I hesitated before answering.“Nothing,” I admitted softly. “After that night… the first night we were together, my ability stopped working on you. Every time I touch you, nothing happens.”Luciano