All Chapters of THE WIFE THEY BURIED : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

**Sam's POV** *You belong to me now, and you're my property* I exhaled nervously and stared at the big rock sitting on my ring finger as I rubbed it clearly to be sure of what It really was. I knew exactly what those words meant when he whispered them to me Seventy-two hours ago. The dress I was wearing tonight was elegant, black, the kind that cost more than most people made in a year, and it fit me perfectly, like it had been made for a body I hadn't fully grown into yet. My hair was styled neatly, every strand accounted for. My makeup was flawless, precise in a way that felt less like beauty and more like armor. I looked exactly like who Adrian wanted me to be — the wife of a dangerous mafia boss, rich, poised, untouchable. I picked up the mask from the vanity, a handheld one, black with a matte finish, gold lining the edges around the eyes, a small cluster of black feathers arranged along the top. I turned it over once in my hands before Rosa opened the bedroom door and

**Adrian's POV** The drive back from the gala was quiet. City lights blurred past the windows, but I barely registered any of them. Sam sat beside me, her hands folded in her lap, fingers twisting together in a way she probably didn't realize she was doing. She was still tense. I could feel it in the rhythm of her breathing, in the way she kept her eyes fixed on the glass. When the car stopped at the mansion, I stepped out first and opened her door myself. She got out slowly, her black dress still holding its shape despite the length of the night behind her. She really looked breathtaking. Dangerous, in a quiet way without even doing anything. Mine, whether she'd fully accepted that yet or not. A message came through my phone as she started up the steps toward the entrance. *Grave excavation complete. Three bodies recovered. One is a close match* I stared at the screen longer than I needed to, then I slipped it back into my coat. Sam had already reached the top of the s

**Sam's POV** I sat in the car for a full minute after we pulled up outside the gates, just watching. Women arrived in pairs and small groups, stepping out of cars that cost more than most people's homes, laughing with the kind of ease that only comes from never once doubting you belong somewhere. I watched the way they touched each other's arms in greeting, the way their eyes flicked briefly over each new arrival's dress before settling back into practiced warmth. Every one of them was performing something, the same way I was about to. This had been my home once. Now I was about to walk back into it wearing a new name, and I intended to make sure every person in that room remembered exactly who'd walked through the door. I stepped out of the car slowly, letting the door close behind me, two of my guards fell into position on either side. I let my heels take their time against the gravel, let the sound of them announce me before anyone had even turned to look. By the time th

**Sam's POV** I shoved him hard, both palms slamming into his chest with every ounce of rage I had left in me. "Get off me... You'll never get the chance to claim me. Never." He straightened slowly, an easy, dangerous smirk curling at the edge of his mouth, the kind of arrogance only a man like him could wear without it looking cheap. Mafia royalty, through and through. "Careful, dear wife," he murmured, dark eyes dragging over my face like he already held the deed to it. "That fire of yours only makes me want to break it in further." My jaw locked. I wiped my palm against the side of my dress, hard, like I could scrub the feel of his chest off my skin along with it. Everything about him made my stomach turn, the way he moved through the room, the cold arithmetic behind every word out of his mouth, the grip that lingered on me even after he'd let go. Tailored suits and quiet threats, that was all this life had ever been to me, yet he wore both like a second skin. And still,

**Adrian's POV** I stood at the window of my study, one hand braced against the frame, watching Sam cross the courtyard below. Head down, arms folded tight against the evening chill, moving fast enough that I could tell she was bothered by something, without needing to ask who. Behind me, the study door creaked open. Theo stepped in, a set of keys held out in one hand. "Jet's ready for takeoff by dusk." "Good. Give these to Rosa. She runs the properties while I'm gone." "Sure, boss." A pause. "I think it's that time of the year again." I finally turned. "You say that every year like it surprises you." "It surprises me every year that you still go." "It's not a matter of wanting to." I crossed to the desk “You know that better than anyone." Yes. The one week I get to sit in the same room as my whole family, all at once, without a body between us. Family. Honor. Loyalty. Three words carved into the foundation of everything I was raised to be. As the