Chapter 11

Daniel’s POVI stormed down the hallway toward Lina's room. All the guards I passed stepped aside immediately. Word had already spread throughout the mansion, and even some other Mafia leaders had heard of it.Soon the council would be informed, and we'd have another burden on our heads.That wasn’t my problem though. Lina was.I loved her to death, and when she had called me to take her away from Rivera, I was literally the happiest man alive. I had just started treating her like the queen she had always been.I couldn’t lose her because of Cara’s lies.“Damn, Cara. I knew I shouldn’t have let her stay here,” I muttered to myself.At Lina’s door, I breathed deeply and knocked.“Come in.”I gulped. Suddenly, my palms became very sweaty. Shit Cara, what have you done to me?She sat by the window, the light giving a glow to her dark hair. I studied her face.She looked calm. Unbelievably calm for a woman who'd heard the news that was buzzing over the place.“Husband… I don’t think you ca

Chapter 12

Lina’s POVDaniel parked the car two streets away. The man with the camera had no idea we had seen him and were following him. Even if he did, there was nothing he could do to escape.We walked down to where he parked. It was an abandoned warehouse in neutral territory.If this was Kane's man, then it was his first smart move.Too bad we outsmarted him again.“You also think it’s Kane?” Daniel asked as we watched the inside of the warehouse through our binoculars.“It has to be,” I replied calmly. “He lost today. His pride must be bleeding.”He hummed. “Hmmm, interesting.”We had ascended to the second floor of the closest building for a better view.The man—a huge giant with a fake beard—looked around nervously. Then someone emerged from the shadows: a woman.I straightened my spine as the man smiled and opened his arms.I almost choked on air the moment Cara ran into his arms.They shared a kiss, a long, intense, and hungry one.My mouth almost met the floor.Then the man leaned down

Chapter 13

Lina's POVDaniel and I sighed for the umpteenth time before reluctantly going our separate ways.Neither of us wanted this party in our home. The entire hall was full of small cliques gossiping each time they saw Daniel, Cara, or me.Everyone had heard the same rumor: President Don Daniel Reed had impregnated a woman before marrying me, and the woman was carrying the Mafia heir.While the wives whispered, the husbands weren’t so subtle, openly congratulating Daniel, who looked like he’d rather be climbing Mount Everest than be here.I bit my cheek to hide my smile.Cara stood at the center of the room.She wore white, expecting to stand out alone. I wore red—the signature style for the queen.She was surrounded by a small group of Mafia wives. If she hadn’t been pregnant with Daniel’s child, they’d have been trying to kiss the ground I walked on.Most of the other women stared at her with thinly disguised disgust.“You’re only pregnant for him. Not his wife. Not our queen,” one openly

Chapter 14

Lina's POVDaniel had ripped Kane off me with so much force it sent him flying backwards.Once he regained his footing, Daniel swung his arm back and landed a solid punch on his face.He slumped to the floor, the whole hall watching in silence.Kane woke up and wiped his mouth. Blood smeared across the back of his hand.His eyes were bloodshot. He didn’t stare at anyone else but me.“Lina,” his voice cracked.“Leave, Kane,” I replied coldly.“Lina. I can't leave you. I came to protect you.”“I don’t need your protection, Kane. Leave now,” I repeated.Kane's eyes glistened with tears. “No, please—”“She said you should leave. Are you deaf?” Daniel boomed.Something seemed to have snapped inside Kane. Before anyone could react, he lunged forward and punched Daniel.Gasps echoed once more in the hall.Daniel staggered backwards.“Daniel,” I gasped, running toward him.I hadn’t even gotten close when I was shoved to the floor.“Oh my goodness, Daniel. Are you okay?” Cara gripped his arm. “

Chapter 15

Whispers started low, then spread through the hall like wildfire.Cara finally snapped out of her trance as people pointed at her from every angle.“No. This man must be crazy. Get him out of my house! Security!”When no guard moved, Cara's face turned red. She looked at me, clenching her fists and stomping right up to my face.“You,” she gritted, pointing at me. “How low can you stoop with your jealousy, you—”“Enough!” Uncle Matteo's voice sliced through the room. Cara’s mouth snapped shut.Uncle Matteo stalked closer to the man, scrutinizing him for what felt like an hour. He shifted on his toes, averting his gaze to the floor.“Are you telling the truth? You know you’re laying a claim on the potential heir of the Mafia council, right?”He nodded stiffly. “I would never make such allegations without sufficient evidence.”As he pulled out his phone, Cara lunged forward, slapping it out of his hands. It shattered as it hit the ground.“You’ve fabricated evidence to use against me. Don

Chapter 16

“Don’t move!” Kane roared as guards pulled out their weapons.The guards froze, hands still on their holsters.Kane looked back, not once taking the gun off my head. Daniel used the opportunity to reach into his jacket for an extra gun, but stopped when Kane pressed the weapon harder against my head.“One more action and I’ll blow her brains out.”Suffocating silence descended upon the room. I remained steady while Kane’s heart pounded against my back.“Out of the way,” he ordered, dragging me past a group of unarmed women to the nearest door. His foot kicked against the door of my library before shoving me in and slamming it shut.He clicked the lock, pushed me to the floor, and spread his lips in a sinister smile.He stooped beside me, moving the gun along my face and to my neck. “Look at you, right where you belong.”My skin crawled as he grabbed my hair and yanked it up so I’d face him.“Lina, tsk tsk,” he whispered. “You really thought I’d let you outsmart me? Oh baby, you underes