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Chapter Thirty Seven
Huling Na-update:
2025-02-09 10:25:36
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A Mafia’s Trillionaire for Christmas Chapter Thirty Eight
STRANGER IN THE ELEVATOR.~LAUREN’S POV~I tossed my phone onto my desk and leaned back in my chair. Rubbing my temples.Alexandro was infuriated.Smug, arrogant, and too damn aware of the effect he had on people—on me. He knew exactly how to push my buttons, and worse, he enjoyed it.And now, thanks to last night, I had the media turning my life into some soap opera.Just perfect.A sharp knock on my desk pulled me from my thoughts. But before I could respond. Rosette closed my laptop, causing me to look up from where I sat.Beside her stood the same man who had pulled me from the reporters earlier. I stiffened slightly, my brows drawing together.“Morning, Rosette,” I greeted flatly.Rosette folded her arms, clearly not liking my tone, but she knew too well than to cause a scene or accuse me of anything in front of everyone.“Deal with him,” she said, not even leaving room for more explanation as she turned on her heels and left. I stared at her, confused, before turning to look at
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-11A Mafia’s Trillionaire for Christmas Chapter Thirty Nine
CHECKMATE.~ALEXANDRO’S POV~I chuckled, dragging a hand through my hair as I tossed my phone onto the desk. Stubborn little thing. She was learning—fast. I thought the press would crush her, thought she’d cave under the weight of the headlines. But no, she held her ground. A little shaken, maybe, but not broken. I underestimated her. A mistake I wouldn’t make again. “I can’t decide if you’re still just playing with her or if you’re starting to believe your bullshit.” Mario’s voice dragged me out of my thoughts. He was sprawled across my couch, a glass of scotch in one hand, a cigar in the other. Casually watching. Always watching. He set his drink down, picked up a magazine, and skimmed through it like it was the morning paper. “What happened to keep her at arm’s length?” he asked, not even bothering to lift his gaze. I smirked, making my way to the bar in the corner of my office. The half-empty bottle of aged Scotch stared back at me, a gift from an old associate i
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-12A Mafia’s Trillionaire for Christmas Chapter Fourty
THE WHISPERS ~LAUREN’S POV~ I moved through the office like a shadow, slipping past curious eyes and muffled whispers. I had mastered the art of invisibility, but today, it felt like everyone’s gaze was on me. I tightened her grip on the stack of files in my arms, focusing on the hum of the Air conditioner above. Anything to drown out the world around me. The break room door was ajar, and despite my instinct to keep walking, a familiar voice made me pause. "...still can't believe she's with Alexandro now.” Patrick’s voice was filled with disbelief. I froze. My pulse quickened as I ducked behind a corner. “Yeah, right. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I’d call it bullshit.” Malcolm responded, a dry chuckle following his words. “That night at the gala... I was her partner for the coverage, you know? Never thought I'd see Lauren wrapped around a man like him.” “So, you’re telling me she’s with Alexandro now?” A third voice joined in, one of the junior reporters. “Didn’t she
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-21A Mafia’s Trillionaire for Christmas Chapter Fourty one
OUT OF CONTROL. ~LAUREN’S POV~ ‘I can't believe that I actually slapped Patrick.’ I muttered under my breath. ‘And now, the news of the slap was everywhere.’ My phone buzzed incessantly in my bag, but I didn't bother to check it out. It was obviously the office group chat, lighting up with notifications. I didn’t need to look to know what they were saying. I could imagine it—memes, jokes, a play-by-play of my humiliation. The same colleagues who’d whispered behind my back were now finding fresh fodder in my anger. I stepped into the cafe down the street. The reporters who’d caught wind of Alexandro’s name being dragged into office gossip were outside with their cameras ready. I slipped through the side entrance, desperate for a moment to breathe. I placed an order for a cup of caramel latte, and when it arrived I took a few sips before setting it down. I should have just ignored Patrick. I should have let him drown in his own drama instead of giving him the satisfaction of a re
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-22A Mafia’s Trillionaire for Christmas Chapter Forty Two
MORNING AFTERMATH~LAUREN’S POV~Pain. A deep, throbbing, merciless pain pounds inside my skull, making it nearly impossible to pry my eyes open. But I do—slowly, hesitantly—blinking against the soft light filtering through sheer white curtains. I stare at the ceiling above me. Cream and gold. A chandelier that probably costs more than my rent. Furniture so pristine it looks untouched like it belongs in a museum instead of a home. This isn’t my apartment. This is… “Oh, God.” My voice is barely a whisper as last night slams into me like a freight train. The bar. Rosette’s forced team night out. The drinks. The endless drinks. Ethan. His unexpected defense. And then… Alexandro.I sit up way too fast, the room tilting like I’m on a boat lost at sea. My stomach churns in protest, and I squeeze my eyes shut, willing the nausea away. Where the hell am I? I don’t even need to ask. The answer is written in every luxurious detail of this place. This has Alexandro Castello
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-01A Mafia’s Trillionaire for Christmas Chapter Forty three
~A Game I Never Agreed to Play~~LAUREN’S POV~Alexandro held up his hands in surrender. The universal sign of ‘please don’t murder me.’"Alright, alright. That was a bad joke," he admitted, his voice softer now. "I just got back, okay?" I narrowed my eyes at him, searching for any hint of mischief. But for once, he looked... sincere. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, forearms were dusted with just enough dark hair to make him look like the kind of man who knew how to fix a car but would pay someone else to do it. He didn’t look like the trillionaire I had Googled. He looked normal. "Really?" He nodded, stepping back. "Get dressed and meet me at the beachside lounge. We need to talk." "Talk?""Yes. Unless you’d rather I join you in the towel-clad fashion show you’ve got going on." My mouth fell open. A sound—somewhere between a gasp and a growl—clawed its way out of my throat. His lips twitched, and then he chuckled, stepping out and pulling the door shut behi
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-01A Mafia’s Trillionaire for Christmas Chapter Forty four
MARKED BY DANGER ~LAUREN’S POV~The man in the suit moved fast. Too fast. He barely touched the ground before he was at Alexandro’s side, leaning in, murmuring something low and urgent. Whatever it was, it wiped the smirk clean off his face. His jaw clenched. His grip tightened around the edge of the lounge chair, knuckles turning white. The muscles in his neck pulled taut, his sun-kissed skin stretched over something harder, something colder.I felt it before he even looked at me. That shift. Like the entire atmosphere around him had changed. The playful, arrogant man who had been teasing me just moments ago had vanished—replaced by someone else entirely. His gaze snapped to mine. Something dark flickered behind those unreadable eyes. Something sharp. Something dangerous. "I’ll explain later," he said, voice like gravel. "But for now, keep playing your part." I opened my mouth—to argue, to demand more than these cryptic half-answers, to tell him I was done preten
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-03A Mafia’s Trillionaire for Christmas Chapter Forty Five
UNMASKING ALEXANDRO ~LAUREN’S POV~A FEW HOURS BEFORE THE BALL:A few minutes after Alexandro disappeared with that mystery man, I stormed into the house, still burning from the way he spoke to me. Like he was in charge. Like he had control. Like I was just some game piece he could move around at will. I stomped down the hall, ready to slam my bedroom door shut and pretend none of this was happening. But just as my fingers curled around the doorknob, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I sighed, pulling it out without much interest. It was a message from Rosette in the office group chat: “Patrick and I are officially inviting everyone to our engagement party! Can’t wait to celebrate with you all! ”I scoffed. Seriously? Sliding my phone back into my pocket, I shook my head. I did not care about Patrick and Rosette. Not anymore. But they just had to make sure everyone was watching. It was pathetic. For fuck’s sake, they were already engaged. Why the grand announcement? Why
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-05
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A Mafia’s Trillionaire for Christmas Chapter Eighty Two
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE.~LAUREN’S POV~“So, let me get this straight,” Sophia said, twisting toward me in the back seat like she had not just spent the last ten minutes making soulful eye contact with Luca through the rearview mirror. “We’re breaking into your ex’s office to look through his files. On a Friday night. Wearing lip gloss.”“Yes,” I said. “And for the record, we’re not breaking in. I have my access card. This is technically still above board.”“Right. Above board. Legal. Super classy,” she muttered, flicking a glance at Luca. “Just like your driver here. What's his name again? Luca? Or Tall, Dark, and Possibly Packing?”“I can hear you,” Luca said from the front, eyes still focused on the road….but the edge of his mouth twitched. I saw it.“Just making sure your ears work,” Sophia joked, crossing her legs like a Bond girl. “You do have nice ones, by the way.”Luca said nothing.But he adjusted the mirror, To look at her. I choked on air. Sophia gave me a little shrug like, o
A Mafia’s Trillionaire for Christmas Chapter Eighty One
SONG PLAYED: “Do It For Me” by Rosenfeld.BLOOD ON MY HANDS ~ALEXANDRO’S POV~FLASHBACK: The Castello mansion smelled like fresh lilies and betrayal the night Leonardo came home. A whole month away for business, and no one thought to clue me in on what kind of business needed my stepfather to disappear like a ghost and reemerge with an even darker flash in his eye.I was sixteen. Old enough to know how to cock a gun, but still too young to be trusted with the real kind of power…the type that ruined men, that turned blood into currency and truth into collateral.Leonardo said I had ambition. Said I had ‘the makings’. Said I reminded him of himself. That should’ve been the first red flag.The house was too quiet when we came back from boarding school. The kind of quiet that clings to your skin and whispers that something’s wrong, even if you can’t name it yet.I was halfway down the hall, steps light, heart unbothered, until I saw him. Standing outside the master bedroom. Watchi
A Mafia’s Trillionaire for Christmas Chapter Eighty
SONG PLAYED: “Who Do You Want” by Ex habit.THE MONSTER YOU MADE.~ALEXANDRO’S POV~I made my way to the bar like a man with all the time in the world and none of the patience.The crystal decanter waited, filled with the kind of aged scotch that bit like betrayal and soothed like a lover’s lie. My fingers wrapped around the neck of the bottle. I poured two glasses like I had a goddamn degree in it.Behind me, Mario sank into the couch with the dramatic flair of a man who survived everything but therapy. Julio stood by the door like a statue carved from loyalty and nightmares.“Drink?” I offered, holding up the bottle.Mario flashed me a smirk that said fuck it and leaned back like he owned the room. “Pour away, Prince of Pain.”I chuckled under my breath. The bastard was insufferable. Still, I liked him better than most people I did not fantasize about strangling.I walked over with the glasses and handed him one. “Here, asshole.”He took it, eyes twinkling with mischief. A cigar al
A Mafia’s Trillionaire for Christmas Chapter Seventy Nine
SONG PLAYED: “We Can’t Be Friends” by Ariana GrandeTHE GOSSIP WE TALK ABOUT ~LAUREN’S POV~The door swung open like she had been waiting behind it all night, which, let’s be honest…she probably had.Sophia stood there in a faded band tee and leopard print boxers, holding a glass of wine like it was a weapon and I had just interrupted her murder documentary binge.“You look like you just escaped a rich person’s breakdown,” she said, eyeing me from head to toe.“Technically, I did,” I muttered, stepping inside. “Also, this apartment still smells like coconut and emotionally unavailable men.”She shut the door with her hip. “Thanks. It’s the candle and my taste in exes.”We made it to the couch before I collapsed like my bones were optional. She handed me a fresh glass of wine and a stare that said talk or I will make you.“So…” she dragged the word like a slow, sexy murder. “You slept with him, didn’t you?”I choked on the Merlot. “Can we at least say hi first?”“Oh, hi. Now tell me a
A Mafia’s Trillionaire for Christmas Chapter Seventy Eight
SONG PLAY: “28” by Ruthie B (Dawn Lewis)THIN ICE ~LAUREN’S POV~“Can we talk?”I didn’t look up right away. I knew that voice. I could pick it out in a room full of demons. Patrick.Slowly, I lifted my gaze from my laptop, arching one brow with all the grace of a woman who used to care, but now only keeps receipts.Vanessa paused mid-flirt on her call, eyes darting between us with that ‘what-the-hell-is-this’ look. I ignored her.Instead, I flicked my gaze to Luca.He was already moving, jaw set, posture rigid, like he was seconds away from turning Patrick into a lesson. I gave a quick shake of my head.Stand down.But the men Alexandro assigns to me? Yeah. They don’t exactly stand down. They loom. With guns. And bone-melting cheekbones.Patrick raised both hands, surrender style. “I just want to talk, Lauren. That’s it.”I stood up, straightening my skirt and pretending like I hadn’t just fantasized about drop-kicking him into next week.“I hope it’s something worth hearing,” I sna
A Mafia’s Trillionaire for Christmas Chapter Seventy Seven
THE ART OF BREAKING ~LAUREN’S POV~A normal person would’ve walked away. Heard what I heard, packed up their pride, and got the hell out.But I’ve never been good at walking away. Especially not when the wolves were circling. Especially not when I knew my name was already sitting pretty on Rosette Goldberg’s revenge list, underlined in red, probably scented with Chanel No. 5 and malice.Now here I was, stuck in the middle of a meeting that felt more like a firing squad.“Earth to Lauren,” Maryjane’s voice sliced through my thoughts like a scalpel.My eyes lifted from the notepad I’d been scribbling nonsense on. Loops. Crosses. A sketch of Rosette with devil horns.All eyes were on me.Of course, they were.Rosette sat at the head of the table like a queen drunk on her poison, the look in her eyes one part disdain, two parts ‘try me.’“You spaced out,” Vanessa whispered next to me, her voice low. “You okay?”Lie. Lie through your teeth, Lauren.“Yeah, fine,” I murmured, faking normal
A Mafia’s Trillionaire for Christmas Chapter Seventy Six
INTERVIEW GONE WRONG~LAUREN’S POV~I blinked, not once, but twice. This was a scandal okay, maybe the biggest.Julian Moretti Blackwood, another top dog in the business world and Castello's biggest rival. Alexandro would freak out if he ever found out.Julian stood behind Heather as if he belonged there, smirking, calm like he was enjoying whatever chaos was going on in my head.He was supposed to be trouble, at least that's what I was told and what I had read.The kind Alexandro did not talk about, except in threats or warnings….always followed by: “If you ever see him, you run”I never dare to ask why I should run, all I know is that I trust him.And now I was standing in a hotel hallway…and Julian was practically naked, wearing nothing but a low-hanging pair of sweatpants and danger-like second skin.My heart stuttered.Vanessa’s grip tightened around her notepad. “Nope,” she muttered under her breath. “Nope. We are not doing this.” Heather leaned her head back toward Julian, giv
A Mafia’s Trillionaire for Christmas Chapter Seventy Five
SCANDALOUS MORNING ~LAUREN’S POV~My body still ached in the best way. Last night with Alexandro was... memorable.I’d been nervous, it was my first time with him. But God, it was everything. The way he touched me, the way he owned me... I still had flashes of it when I closed my eyes. My body reacted like it was happening all over again.I was so lost in thought, that I barely noticed the elevator doors ding open.Antonio wasn’t around today, but Luca stood close behind me, unusually quiet. He said Antonio had something important to handle.I prayed it wasn’t what I was thinking.“Good morning, beautiful.”That voice. I turned quickly, and there he was. Ethan. Alive. Standing. Smiling.“You’re here,” I breathed, shocked. I shot a glance at Luca, whose jaw tightened as he glared at Ethan like he wanted to put him through the nearest wall.Ethan’s smile didn’t waver. “Where else would I be?”The elevator slid open. He stepped inside first, cool and calm, his eyes lingering on me like
A Mafia’s Trillionaire for Christmas Chapter Seventy Four
DEVOTION.~ALEXANDRO’S POV~Lauren kicked off her shoes, “I still can’t believe you didn’t shoot him,” she said, pulling her hair out of its clip. “Or at least punch him.”I turned to her slowly. “Don’t tempt me. I’m still considering both.”She laughed softly, then walked past me into the kitchen like she’d always belonged here. I followed her, watching how comfortably she moved, how she opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water like this was hers.Maybe it was. Maybe that’s what scared me the most. “I want to take a shower,” she said, glancing back at me.“Use mine,” I replied. “You know where it is.”She disappeared down the hall, and I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. I poured myself a glass of whiskey and stared out the window, city lights twinkling like stars below.My mind was still racing. The stolen shipments. Ethan. Julian’s name stayed in the air like smoke I couldn’t shake off.Trouble was circling. And she, Lauren, was standing dead in the center of it
