บททั้งหมดของ THE MAFIA DON HIRED ME AS HIS WIFE: บทที่ 11 - บทที่ 20

ADRIAN I had spent my entire life learning how not to care. Caring made people weak. That was what my father taught me. My enemies taught me the same thing. But Elena had somehow managed to break every rule I'd built around myself. She was stubborn. Brave. Reckless. And completely incapable of following instructions. She was also the only person who could make me forget, even for a moment, who I was. That frightened me. Because I knew what happened to people I loved. They became targets. I stood in my office when Dante Moretti entered. "You look tired." "I am." "Because of your wife?" My eyes narrowed. "Don't mention her." Dante smiled. "So it's true." "What?" "You care about her." I walked toward him. "If you came here to provoke me—" "I'm here to offer you a deal." "No." "You don't even know what it is." "I don't care." He placed a file on my desk. I opened it. Inside was a photograph of Elena's father. My blood ran cold. "Where did you get this?"

ADRIAN The warehouse was empty. Too empty. I knew immediately I'd been tricked. My phone rang. Dante. "You came alone." "Where is Elena?" "Safe." "If you touch her—" "She's not the problem." "Then what is?" Dante laughed. "You." The lights came on. Men surrounded me. I recognized them. My own men. People I'd trusted for years. One stepped forward. "I'm sorry, Boss." My blood ran cold. "You." He lowered his weapon. "You were the traitor." "Yes." "Where is Elena?" "Somewhere you'll never find." I smiled. It confused him. "What?" "You made one mistake." "What?" "You assumed I came alone." The warehouse doors exploded open. My loyal men rushed inside. Gunfire erupted. I moved through the chaos. My only thought was Elena. Nothing else mattered. ELENA I heard the fighting outside. Dante looked toward the door. "What did you do?" I whispered. He smiled. "Nothing." The door burst open. Adrian. My

The photograph changed everything. My father was alive. Somewhere. Someone had been hiding him. And now someone wanted me to find him. Adrian spent the entire night searching for answers. I watched him from the doorway of his office. He looked exhausted. "You need sleep." "So do you." "I'm not the one bleeding." He looked down at his bandaged arm. "I forgot." I smiled. "You're impossible." He looked at me. "You make me forget everything." My heart warmed. Then the door opened. Sofia entered. "Boss." Adrian turned. "What?" "We found the sniper's vehicle." "Where?" "Abandoned two streets away." "Anything inside?" "A phone." Adrian took it. The screen was already open. One message. THE TRAITOR IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK. Adrian stared at it. Then the phone rang. He answered. No one spoke. Instead, a recording played. It was my father's voice. "Elena." I stepped closer. My heart pounded. "Elena, if you hear this, don't trust—" The recording cut out.

I stared at the check on the table. Five million dollars. The exact amount written in our original contract. I looked at Adrian. "What's this?" "Your payment." "I know what it is." He remained silent. "Why are you giving it to me now?" "Because our agreement is finished." I looked at the divorce papers beside it. My heart sank. "You signed these?" "Yes." "Without telling me?" "I didn't think you'd want to stay." I laughed bitterly. "You didn't think I'd want to stay?" "Elena..." "No. Explain it." He looked away. "I don't want you trapped." "Trapped?" "Because of the contract." "The contract ended a long time ago." "I know." "Then why are you doing this?" He took a breath. "Because I love you." I stared at him. "That doesn't make sense." "It does." "No, it doesn't. If you love me, why are you asking me to leave?" "Because loving you means putting your safety before my happiness." I shook my head. "That's not your decision to make." "Yes, it is." "No

The final confrontation happened at the docks. Adrian stood across from Luciano's remaining men. I watched from a safe distance with my father and the police. Luciano's right-hand man stepped forward. "You really think you can walk away?" Adrian remained calm. "Yes." "You don't walk away from this life." "I already have." "You are a De Luca." "I am." "Then act like one." Adrian shook his head. "My family spent generations building an empire based on fear." He lowered his weapon. "I'm ending it." The man laughed. "You're weak." Adrian looked at him. "No." He glanced toward me. "I'm choosing something more important." The man followed his gaze. "Your wife?" Adrian's expression immediately hardened. "Don't mention her." "So it's true." "What?" "She changed you." Adrian smiled slightly. "She didn't change me." He looked back at me. "She showed me who I wanted to become." The man raised his gun. "You'll regret this." "No." Adrian stepped forward. "I reg