All Chapters of THE KINGMAKER'S MAFIA BRIDE : Chapter 1 - Chapter 6

“Say it again.” “I said I’m sorry for your loss, Mrs. Moretti.” “Don’t call me that.” “It’s your name.” “It’s a typo.” Elena kept her eyes on his face and her feet planted on the grass. The last mourners had drifted toward the cars. Sofia hung back by a tree, gripping her phone like a weapon. Alexander Moretti was taller than she’d expected. His charcoal suit was cut so well that every other black suit at the burial looked rented. He had grey eyes and a thin scar through his left eyebrow that she decided not to look at. A watch with a worn leather strap sat on his wrist. He didn’t fidget, check it, or glance at her mouth. She had met senators who couldn’t stand still for ten seconds, and this man looked like he could stand there until spring. “You called Harold Kessler at six-forty,” she said. “I did.” “My father was alive at six-forty.” “Was he?” He said it gently, which made it worse. “Did anyone tell you how long he’d been in that chair when Mrs. Dunn found him?” Her stom

"Down!"Alexander's hand landed between her shoulder blades and pushed. Elena's face hit the leather seat just as the rear window cracked.It wasn't loud. That was the part she'd remember. No movie bang, just a flat, hard slap, like someone dropping a phone book on concrete. A white web spread across the glass. Nothing came through it."It's armored," Alexander said, close to her ear. "Stay down. It's armored.""Then why are you holding my head?""Habit.""Enzo!""I see him!" Enzo's voice cracked, and the car lurched left so hard her shoulder slammed into the door. "Sorry! Sorry, Mrs. Moretti!""Don't call me that while someone is shooting at us!""Which time would you prefer?""Drive!"Another slap against the glass. Then a third. Elena counted them the way she counted everything. Three. A man firing three rounds into an armored car wasn't trying to kill her. He was trying to scare her. Or slow them down.She wedged her phone against the seat with shaking fingers. The call was still

"Say it's fake."Elena's voice came out thin. The video had ended. The phone showed a black rectangle, and her thumb was still on the screen like she could press play and get a different ending."I can't," Alexander said."Say it anyway.""It's not fake. I was there."She laid the phone face down on the metal table, slowly, because her hands wanted to throw it. The man at the monitors had left. The door clicked shut behind him. Enzo stood against the far wall with his eyes on the floor. The lights hummed."You were in my father's study," she said. "He was in his chair, and you took something out of his drawer.""Yes.""And you left him there.""Yes.""For Mrs. Dunn to find.""Yes, Elena.""Stop saying yes!" It cracked off the concrete. Her chin had started to shake, and she pressed her lips together until it quit. "Stop agreeing with me like you're giving a statement.""What do you want me to say?""That it isn't what it looks like.""It's exactly what it looks like." He kept his hand