All Chapters of Forbidden By Her Mafia Stepbrother : Chapter 271 - Chapter 280

The little girl hugged the bear to her chest, her sobs subsiding into small, shaky hiccups. She looked up at Viola with round, watery eyes and offered a tiny, shy nod."Lily! Oh, thank goodness!" A young woman with an armful of wool scarves rushed around the corner, her face pale with worry. She dropped to her knees, gathering the little girl into her arms. "I turned around for two seconds! Thank you so much," she said, looking up at Viola with profound relief. "Thank you.""She was very brave," Viola said with a gentle smile, rising to her feet and brushing off the hem of her coat.When she turned around, Sebastian was standing lean and imposing against a display pillar, his arms crossed over his broad chest. His tailored black coat made him look like a shadow cut from stone. His face was completely expressionless, his jaw set in a hard, immovable line as he watched the mother lead the child away.Viola couldn't help the soft huff of laughter tha

"His eyes are everywhere," the man whispered, the rustle of a coat signaling he was stepping back into the shadows. "Do not show any reaction. If you tell him we spoke, you'll put another target on your back. You will know the truth soon enough. Trust me this time, Viola. Keep your guard up."The soft brush of footsteps faded away down the private hallway.Then, absolute silence.Viola sat frozen in the booth, her knuckles bone-white as she gripped the edge of the table.Her heart hammered violently against her ribs like a trapped bird. Cold sweat prickled across her forehead.The woman from the restaurant bathroom is dead?Sebastian killed her?Her thoughts spun in wild, dizzying circles. If her mother had sent that woman, why would Sebastian kill her? Why was this stranger warning her? Who was he?What did he want from her?Before she could pull air into her lungs, the familiar, heavy footsteps approa

A low, dry chuckle rumbled in Damian’s broad chest."There's something different about you," Damian said smoothly, taking a slow sip of his drink.Sebastian scoffed, shaking his head. "Don't start with your corporate psychology, Damian. I'm the same as always."“Are you?” Damian tilted his head, a knowing, dangerous calm settling over his features. “Because I’ve watched you lose your composure, Sebastian.The great cartel boss, Sebastian Cain Hierro, unfazed by everything and everyone. Yet I have never seen you look at another human being the way you look at your stepsister.” He placed a deliberate, heavy emphasis on the word. “Are you sure that’s all she is?”Sebastian’s amber eyes narrowed into cold, sharp slits. "Stop beating around the bush and spit it out." “Anyone with eyes could have seen it at my wedding,” Damian replied evenly, resting his glass on the marble. “The way you were watching her. You don’t look at

An hour later, the goodbyes had been said, and the cool night air embraced them once more.Sebastian drove the heavy black SUV down the quiet, tree-lined highway winding back toward the city. The dashboard glowed with a faint, soft blue, and the road ahead was dark, illuminated only by their high beams.Viola sat back in the leather passenger seat, watching the silhouettes of the pine trees flash past the window.A radiant, lingering smile touched her lips."I really had a wonderful time tonight," she said softly, turning her head to look at his sharp profile. "Ariella was so adorable. I don't think I've ever seen a baby so sweet."Sebastian glanced at her from the corner of his eye, his hands steady on the leather steering wheel."Did you enjoy it that much?" he asked, his deep voice smooth in the quiet car."Yes!" Viola replied, her face instantly brightening with excitement. "This whole week... It feels like the best

Outside in the darkness, the roar of multiple engines broke through the woods.Three sets of headlights swept across the wet pavement. Car doors slammed open, and heavy footsteps hit the road. Men were heading straight for their ditch.Sebastian’s amber eyes flicked to the side mirror.Through the cracked glass, three more black SUVs had blocked off the road behind them. High-powered flashlights cut through the trees like white blades, accompanied by the metallic, unmistakable clicks of assault weapons being chambered.There were at least a dozen men moving in a tactical sweep toward their ditch.Sebastian’s expression flattened into pure stone. The warmth, the teasing from the dinner table, the humanity of the past few days—everything vanished in a split second, replaced by the merciless, cold-blooded mafia king of the Hierro cartel.He reached down to the center console, picking up his Glock and checking the magazine with a sin