All Chapters of Sold To The Mafia King : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The man at the front gate wore a plain gray suit and carried himself with the kind of quiet patience that made Ivy nervous before he'd said a single word. One of the guards brought the message to the study, where she and Adrian were reviewing the last of the Castillo paperwork."A detective, sir. Name's Harlan. Says he's here about a missing person report."Adrian's pen stopped moving. "Whose."The guard glanced at Ivy before answering. "Hers, sir."The room went very still. Ivy set down the papers slowly, something cold moving through her stomach. "Someone reported me missing.""Apparently a friend from your old workplace, back around the time you first came here." The guard shifted uncomfortably. "He says it's routine follow up, nothing formal. He'd just like to see you and confirm you're safe."Adrian rose slowly from his chair, something guarded and careful settling over his expression. "Let him in. Ivy stays with me for the entire conversation.""No." Ivy stood as well, steadier

The bar Reilly mentioned turned out to be a dim, half empty place near the union hall, the kind of establishment that survived on regulars rather than foot traffic. Adrian's contact had confirmed Marco's usual schedule, and sure enough, a young man matching the description sat alone at the far end of the counter, nursing a beer with the particular slump of someone who'd already had a few before this one."That's him," Adrian murmured, guiding Ivy toward a booth with a clear line of sight to the bar. "Let me approach him alone first. See how he responds before you come over."Ivy nodded, watching from the booth as Adrian settled onto the stool beside Marco, casual, unhurried, striking up conversation like any stranger might at a bar. She couldn't hear the words from this distance, but she watched Marco's posture shift within minutes, nervous energy replacing the loose slouch he'd been sitting in.Adrian glanced back toward her, a small nod indicating it was time. Ivy crossed the room a

The house sat at the end of a quiet gravel drive, modest and unremarkable, exactly the kind of place a man builds when he's spent a decade trying not to be noticed. Adrian parked a short distance away, studying the property through the windshield while his men confirmed Reyes was alone inside."No wife, no children living with him," one of the men reported through the radio. "Just him. Lights are on in the back room.""We go in quiet," Adrian said, glancing at Ivy beside him. "You stay close to me the entire time. If this goes wrong, you're out the door before anything else happens.""I know the drill by now." Ivy's voice stayed steady despite the nerves tightening in her stomach. "Let's just get this over with."They approached the front door together, two of Adrian's men flanking them at a careful distance, and Adrian knocked firmly rather than attempting anything more subtle. A long moment passed before the door opened, revealing a weathered man in his sixties, hard eyes immediatel

Ivy stared at her phone for nearly ten minutes before finally pressing call, Dana's name sitting on the screen like something fragile she wasn't sure how to approach anymore. It rang twice before a familiar voice picked up, breathless with surprise."Ivy?" Dana's voice cracked slightly. "Oh my god, is this actually you?""It's me." Ivy's throat tightened unexpectedly, months of distance suddenly collapsing into the sound of her friend's voice. "I'm so sorry. I should have called you so much sooner.""I filed a missing person report, Ivy. I thought something had happened to you." Dana's voice wavered between relief and frustration. "A detective actually came and found you, apparently, and even then I didn't hear anything directly. What happened? Where have you been?"Ivy had rehearsed this conversation more than once over the past week, turning over exactly how much of the truth she could safely share, how much would protect Dana from danger she had no business being pulled into. "It's

Adrian found Marta in the kitchen on a quiet Tuesday morning, Ivy still asleep upstairs after a late night going over territory agreements with him, and something in his posture made Marta set down the kettle immediately, giving him her full attention."You look like a man working up to something," she said, studying him carefully. "What is it."Adrian hesitated, something uncharacteristically nervous crossing his features before he finally spoke. "I want to ask Ivy to marry me."Marta's face broke into the first truly unguarded smile Adrian had seen from her since everything with Dominic happened. "Finally. I've been waiting for you to say that out loud for weeks.""You knew.""Adrian, I watched you grow up in this house. I know exactly what your face looks like when you've decided something matters more than anything else in your life." Marta crossed to him, resting a hand on his arm, something maternal and warm in the gesture. "I'm happy for you. Truly.""I don't know how to do thi