All Chapters of Her Mafia Stepbrother’s Obsession : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Alessia remained in the cellar until late that night.Hours passed without her knowing when one ended and another began. There was no light, no warmth, and nothing to tell her how much time had gone by.Her fingers had gone numb from the cold, they started aching so badly that she could hardly move them, and she couldn’t stop shaking.Her thin cotton dress was damp against her bruised skin, making the cold even harder to bear. She had stopped hoping that anyone would come for her.Marta wouldn’t be allowed down here, and even if she tried, the heavy iron bolt on the oak door was too high and too difficult for the head cook to reach.So Alessia stayed in the corner with her face buried against her knees, her arms wrapped tightly around her legs. She tried not to think about how long Elena might leave her there. She wondered if her mother would keep her locked away for days.She wondered if Kayden was somewhere upstairs, waiting for her to come out. She wondered if this was what her lif

Alessia woke the following morning with a high fever.Her eyelids felt heavy, her throat was dry and sore, and every bone in her body seemed to ache. The hours she had spent shivering in the cold, wet cellar had left her sick. Her skin was hot, yet chills kept running through her. She needed medicine, even something as simple as a painkiller, but she couldn’t ask her mother for help. Elena wouldn’t care. Asking her for mercy would probably earn Alessia another slap or worse.Slowly, fighting the dizziness that made the room seem to move around her, Alessia forced herself off the narrow cot.She made her way into the small bathroom, her legs unsteady beneath her. She turned on the shower and waited until the water was completely cold. Then she stepped underneath it.The freezing water hit her burning skin, making her gasp. She closed her eyes and stayed there for ten minutes, hoping the cold would bring her temperature down enough for her to get through the day.When she finished, sh

Alessia stared at the light red velvet in her trembling hands.It was a long, body hug gown with a slit running almost to the upper thigh. Thin spaghetti straps held the top in place, leaving her shoulders, collarbones, and much of her back exposed.Alessia’s stomach tightened. How could her mother expect her to wear something like this to a syndicate gathering?A dress this revealing, surrounded by powerful and dangerous men made her feel less like a guest and more like someone being deliberately placed in harm’s way.The gown would show every curve she had spent years hiding. Beneath the loose, faded servant dresses she normally wore, Alessia had a naturally curvy figure. She had always kept it covered beneath layers of oversized cotton, wanting as little to no attention as possible.“Madre… this is…” Alessia swallowed, lifting her frightened eyes toward her mother. “It’s too much… I can’t wear this.”Elena’s expression darkened instantly.“What did you say?” she asked quietly.Ales

The massive gilded doors to the banquet hall opened, and Alessia stepped inside. The room seemed to change the moment she crossed the threshold.The dark red velvet gown hugged her figure, leaving her shoulders exposed beneath the bright crystal chandeliers. Several of the armed guards stationed along the stone pillars turned to look at her.Their attention lingered long enough to make Alessia uncomfortable. She lowered her gaze and kept walking, wishing she could disappear into the crowd.Before she could reach the shadows near the stone archway, Elena appeared beside her. “Alessia, darling! We’ve been waiting for you!”Elena announced warmly, loud enough for several nearby guests to hear. She slipped an arm around Alessia’s waist and leaned in as though she were about to kiss her cheek.Instead, she whispered into her ear. “Behave. Don’t push me. Smile and play your part, or I swear I’ll drag you back to the cellar in front of everyone.”Elena pulled away, her pleasant smile returni

Rocco tightened his grip around her waist, dragging her closer until his heavy body pinned her against the stone pillar.He lowered his head, his hot, wet breath brushing against the sensitive skin beneath her ear. Alessia shuddered in disgust.“Give in, Alessia,” Rocco whispered, his raspy voice carrying a dark promise. “Do you have any idea how insanely aroused you made me the moment you walked into this hall? Looking like a little slut in that tight red dress?”Alessia turned her head away, her weak hands pushing desperately against his broad shoulders, but the fever had drained her of the strength she needed to move him.“If this wasn’t a formal gathering with all these old dons watching,” Rocco growled against her ear, his fingers pressing so hard into her waist that she could feel the skin beneath the thin velvet starting to bruise, “I would have sprawled you across one of those long tables and fucked you raw right here, right now. Nobody in this room would have done a damn thin