All Chapters of THE MAFIA KING'S FORBIDDEN BRIDE: Chapter 1 - Chapter 4

Rain fell without mercy, drumming against rows of black umbrellas scattered across the old cemetery on the outskirts of Milan. Dark clouds swallowed the afternoon sky, turning daylight into a dull gray haze. It was as though the heavens themselves had chosen to mourn.Aria Romano stood at the edge of the freshly dug grave, her fingers gripping a single white rose so tightly that its stem snapped, leaving tiny drops of blood on her palm.She didn't notice.The pain in her hand was nothing compared to the ache in her heart.Three days ago, she had been studying for her final medical examinations. Her biggest concern had been whether she would pass anatomy with distinction.Now she was burying her father.The polished mahogany coffin slowly descended into the earth.Father...The word echoed painfully in her mind.Antonio Romano had been more than a father. He had been her protector, her greatest supporter, and the only family she had left after her mother's death years earlier.The poli

The words hung in the air like a curse."The Phoenix has awakened."Lorenzo De Luca didn't blink.But everyone inside the SUV noticed the subtle change in his expression.His jaw tightened.His eyes darkened.For the first time since Aria had met him, the Mafia King looked genuinely concerned."What does it mean?" Aria asked quietly.Lorenzo didn't answer immediately.Instead, he looked out the rain-covered window at the burning remains of the Romano estate. Firefighters continued battling the flames while police officers searched the grounds."The Phoenix isn't a person," he finally said."It's an organization."Aria frowned."My father mentioned it in his letter."Lorenzo nodded once."I was hoping he never would."She stared at him."You knew?""I knew rumors.""What kind of rumors?"He folded his hands together."My father told me there was once a secret alliance formed by the five most powerful mafia families in Italy. They called themselves the Phoenix Syndicate.""What happened