Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Mafia's Adopted Princess : Kabanata 21 - Kabanata 30

NOVARIA’S POV“Daddy?” I called softly, my fingers absentmindedly clutching the sleeve of Sylvester’s shirt.“Hm?” he responded immediately, turning his head toward me. His voice was deep but gentle, the kind of voice that always made me feel safe no matter how troubled I was.I hesitated.The question had been lingering in my mind ever since that blonde woman stormed into the mansion, screaming like she owned the place.My head rested against Sylvester’s shoulder while the movie continued playing quietly in the background, forgotten by both of us.“Who was that lady?” I finally asked.For a moment, Sylvester went still. Not tense. Just thoughtful.“She was Melissa,” he answered after a brief pause. “My ex.”I slowly lifted my head to look at him.Sylvester sighed, leaning further into the couch while his fingers continued tracing slow circles against my back.“We broke up over a month ago,” he continued calmly. “She cheated constantly. At first, I ignored it because I honestly didn’t

NOVARIA’S POVChris shook his head lightly, pushing away the troubling thoughts crowding his mind as the SUV finally came to a stop in front of the mansion.Rainwater still clung to the black vehicle from the earlier drizzle, and the large gates slowly slid shut behind them as the guards secured the compound once more.Carefully, Chris stepped out of the car first.He moved quietly, almost instinctively gentle as he leaned back into the vehicle and slid one arm beneath my knees while the other supported my back.I stirred immediately.My eyes fluttered open for barely a second before I recognized his scent and warmth.Without a word, I melted against his chest again and drifted right back to sleep.Chris chuckled softly under his breath.“You can sleep properly once we get inside, princess,” he murmured while adjusting me more securely in his arms.But I was already gone again. Fast asleep.The mansion doors opened before Chris even reached them, one of the guards quickly stepping asi

NOVARIA’S POV“It’s alright, princess,” Sylvester said softly, his thumb brushing gently against my cheek. “I’m not going to scold Chris, okay? I promise.” His voice had already lost every trace of seriousness from earlier, becoming warm again.“Now,” he continued, “why don’t we get you out of the bath so you can eat something and go back to sleep? Then tomorrow, you can show me all your new clothes.”That immediately brightened my mood. I nodded eagerly, making him chuckle under his breath.The warm water slid down my skin as I carefully stepped out of the bathtub, wrapping the fluffy towel tightly around myself. Sylvester walked toward the closet and pulled out a pair of soft pink pajamas for me, laying them neatly on the counter before respectfully turning around again to give me privacy.Even something so simple made my chest feel warm.Once I was dressed, we quietly headed downstairs together.The mansion was silent at this hour. Most of the lights had been dimmed, leaving only

NOVARIA'S POVBy the time Collins carried me to Sylvester's office, my tears had soaked through the shoulder of his shirt.The sting in my knee hadn't faded. If anything, it hurt even more.Collins didn't bother knocking. He pushed the office door open and walked straight inside.Sylvester was seated behind his desk, several files spread out before him. His attention was fixed on a document until he looked up.The moment his eyes landed on me, everything else ceased to matter. His chair scraped loudly against the floor as he shot to his feet."Aria?"In two quick strides, he reached us.Without hesitation, he lifted me from Collins' arms and held me against his chest. The familiar scent of his cologne instantly calmed me."What happened?" Sylvester demanded, his eyes narrowing as he examined my tear-stained face."What did you do, Collins?"Collins looked offended."Excuse me?"He folded his arms."She was running. She tripped. Gravity did the rest."Sylvester ignored the sarcasm.Col

NOVARIA'S POV"Who's this? Is she a new member?"The man's curious gaze shifted between Sylvester and me.Before Sylvester could answer, Collins stepped forward protectively, as though he had already decided it was his responsibility to speak for me.Honestly there was no need to be over protective of me, and besides, the man had only asked a simple question, and was even being nice."Yeah, she is. Her name is…..""Novaria," I interrupted softly.Taking a small breath, I extended my hand toward the stranger.For once, I forced myself to meet the eyes of someone involved in the mafia world.Usually, I avoided eye contact with them. Most of them looked intimidating enough to make me nervous.The man blinked in surprise.His eyes lingered on me for a few seconds longer than necessary, making heat crawl up my neck.Had I done something wrong?Just when embarrassment started creeping in, he chuckled warmly and shook my hand."I'm sorry," he said. "I was just surprised. You don't exactly lo