All Chapters of I Was Never Yours: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

On our five-year anniversary with Daniel, he showed up at the city hall where I work.Only he wasn't alone. Emma Miller from the second-largest mafia family was right beside him.And in their hands—a marriage license application.Daniel saw me and forced an awkward explanation."Sophia, you know this is just a merger. It's not real.""Once I take the Don's seat, I'll divorce her."I'd heard that line so many times.The Bonanno family's highest rule: no government employee can become the family's Madre.And I just happened to be a government employee.Ever since we got together, Daniel's people had been coming at me one after another, threatening me to leave him.At first, I actually thought about ending it.He was the son of the biggest mafia don, the future Don himself. And me? Just some ordinary civil servant.We were never from the same world.But Daniel kept telling me—over and over—that he only loved me, that I was the only one he'd ever marry.And I believed him.Until a year ago

Chapter 2

The clock tower at city hall struck six before I realized I'd been sitting at my desk for two hours.Daniel and Emma's marriage registration file was still glowing on my computer screen.I stared at that certificate. The edges of my vision went blurry.In the photo, Daniel was wearing the dark gray suit I'd given him for his birthday last year. Even the tie—I'd picked that out myself.On his birthday last year, he'd held me and talked about this year. Said maybe by then we'd already be married.Now he really was married.Just not to me.I wiped my eyes, gathered my things to leave.My hand knocked against the photo frame on my desk.Daniel was hugging me from behind, kissing my neck. I was laughing, trying to squirm away.I took one look, flipped it face-down into the trash, then dropped my resignation letter on my boss's desk.I was done. Done with this place. Done with him. I was going to Anli—that little seaside town I'd always dreamed of.I'd told Daniel about it so many times.And

Chapter 3

When I woke up again, my head was pounding.The air reeked of mildew and rust. My hands were tied behind my back, the rope cutting into my wrists until they'd gone numb."Oh, she's up."A gruff voice came from the corner.I looked over. A burly man with a thick black beard was crouching a few feet away, sizing me up with cloudy eyes."Who are you? Why did you take me?"Panic clawed at my chest. I couldn't tell if this was real or part of the fake death setup.The man grinned, yellow teeth showing. "That's on you, sweetheart. We were after Emma Miller—the Miller family's precious daughter. Spent days tracking her down. And we end up with you. Useless."My heart dropped. The panic got worse.He stood, walked over, and crouched in front of me, grabbing my chin."But hey... a catch is a catch. Can't let it all go to waste.""You're Daniel's woman. Sure, he married that bitch Emma, but he's not gonna just let you die, is he?"He fished my phone out of my pocket, grabbed my finger to unlock

Chapter 4

Daniel's POVAfter Sophia hung up, Daniel sent everyone out to search for her.A full day and night of hunting. And the only news he got—Sophia had fallen off a cliff. Dead.He wouldn't accept it. He drove like a madman to where she'd supposedly jumped, and without a second thought, he threw himself down after her.He hit a rock on the way down. Split his head open. Landed in the river below.When he woke up, he was in a hospital bed.The second his eyes opened, he ripped out the IV and bolted for the door."Sir, you can't—"One of his men tried to block him outside. Daniel's fist connected with his face before he could finish.The guy stumbled back, blood gushing from his nose. Two more guards lunged forward, pinning Daniel's shoulders. He thrashed once, twice—then his knees buckled, and he dropped to the floor."Let me go. I have to find her." His voice was so wrecked it barely registered."Sir, the doctor said—""I said let me go—!"The cold fury in his voice made everyone scatter.

Chapter 5

"Sir!"One of his men hauled Daniel out of the water.His consciousness was already fading. For a moment, he thought he saw Sophia in front of him.He reached out to touch her—but the next second, everything went black.When he opened his eyes again, someone was sitting by his bed.Emma.She saw he was awake and reached for him, relief flickering across her face."Daniel, you're finally awake. You've been burning up for days. The doctor said you almost—"He jerked away from her hand. Fire burning in his eyes.She did this. She killed the only person who ever mattered.Emma's hand hung in the air for two full seconds before she pulled it back awkwardly."Daniel," she cleared her throat, "I know you're upset about Sophia... but she's gone. You have to move on."He just stared. Said nothing.She paused, then carefully added, "Honestly... isn't it better this way? We're already married. Now that she's out of the picture, we can finally—"Daniel's head snapped toward her. His pale hand clos

Chapter 6

"What did you say!?"A body?They found Sophia's body?Sophia was really dead?No. No way.Daniel's mind reeled. His grip went slack.Emma collapsed like a rag doll, crawling away from him on her hands and knees.Daniel stood, didn't even glance at her. He ran.His father was sitting in a wheelchair in the next room, four bodyguards behind him.He'd been sick for months. His face was gaunt, pale, sunken. But those eyes—still sharp as ever. They fixed on Daniel with cold judgment.This son of his. Refused to marry Emma. Chose some government worker instead.It drove him crazy. He would have gotten rid of the boy if he could. But he had no other heir. So instead, he got rid of the woman.What happened next had been his doing. Authorized Emma to finish it.Once that woman was gone, his son would become a proper Don."It's really her body? Where is it?" Daniel demanded.His father didn't answer. Just said, slow and deliberate:"Take Emma back. Keep playing the obedient Bonanno heir. Then I

Chapter 7

I dragged my luggage to Anli—the little seaside town I'd been dreaming of.Two days ago, the fake death crew had set up air cushions and netting under the cliff. Divers were stationed in the river below.The moment Daniel saw me fall, I was already being pulled onto a speedboat in the dark. They erased every trace of me, leaving behind a disfigured "body" they'd prepared in advance.After that, Sophia White didn't exist anymore.Just me. A woman given a second chance. Sophia Davis.I dragged my suitcase along the shoreline, barefoot, wandering without direction. The sea breeze lifted my mood, and I couldn't help it—I dropped my luggage and started running across the sand.So free. So good.Then a sharp sting shot up from my foot."Hiss—"I gasped, my weight tilting, and my knee slammed against the edge of a reef. Pain flashed behind my eyes. My legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the wet sand.I looked down. A piece of shell had sliced my foot open. A bright red gash, mixed with sand a

Chapter 8

But he didn't say anything."Found it on the beach," he said, scratching the back of his neck, a little awkward. "A rock the tide washed up. Looked pretty, so I had it polished and shaped into this."I clutched the pendant, looked up at him, my cheeks warming."Thank you, Joe."He turned away, cleared his throat, and busied himself with the fish by the stove.That night I had a dream.I was back in Daniel's world. He was screaming at me for lying. Called me cold, heartless. Then he locked me in a dark, windowless cell.It was freezing. I was shaking.Then the light came back.I saw Joe standing not far away, holding a bowl of hot soup, just watching me with that quiet smile."Sophia," he said. "Let's go home."I woke up.Dawn was already breaking. I heard Joe moving around softly outside, getting ready to head out.I got out of bed and walked to the door.He saw me and looked surprised. "You're up early.""Couldn't sleep."He studied my face for a moment, didn't push. Then, almost hesi

Chapter 9

He stared at me like I might vanish if he blinked. Then he stumbled toward me, his steps unsteady."Sophia..." His lips trembled. "You're alive... you're really alive..."I stood still. Didn't move. Didn't step back.I heard familiar footsteps behind me—Joe had come out at the noise.The moment he saw Daniel, his face went dark. He didn't say a word. Just moved to stand half a step behind me.Daniel saw him too. Saw the hand Joe placed on my shoulder.His pupils contracted sharply. His feet stopped. His voice shook when he asked:"Sophia, who is he?""The man who saved me," I answered, calm.Daniel flinched like those words had cut him. His whole body trembled.He knew—I was dead because of him too. And Joe had saved me. He understood in an instant what that meant.He closed his eyes and took a breath. When he opened them again, they were bloodshot and raw."Sophia. Come back with me."I said nothing."I was wrong." His voice cracked. His knees buckled, and he dropped onto the sand. "I

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