LOGINShare
19. An unfamiliar feeling
Last Updated:
2025-02-28 06:25:50
Related chapters
MAFIA’S PET: Beg, or worse, Break 20. Good girl.
Aelia’s POVWhen I woke up, I didn’t move, I didn’t even blink. I just stared at the ceiling, watching the dull cracks in the paint, following them with my eyes as if tracing an escape route.My body felt heavy.As though I had been buried beneath the weight of something I couldn’t name.The dress sitting nicely on my stool stared at me in mock delight, much to my terror. It barely resembled what it once was. The ruby-red fabric was wrinkled and stained, the shimmer dull, like it had withered along with everything else.I had peeled off the diamond necklace Jamie gave me at some point. It now lay abandoned on my nightstand, catching the soft morning light which was the only thing in my room that still had life.I turned my head and caught sight of myself in the mirror across the room.I wished I hadn’t.My eyes were swollen, the skin beneath them bruised and dark. My lips were dry, my hair a tangled mess. I looked like someone who had spent the entire night breaking apart.And I had.
Last Updated : 2025-02-28MAFIA’S PET: Beg, or worse, Break 21. BEG
Aelia’s grip tightened around the envelope in her hands as she stepped into the towering glass building with a bold crest “Corale Prime” the biggest conglomerate in the continent. She didn’t hesitate and wouldn’t hesitate tonight.She had spent the entire day ensuring every last trace of Pedro Montonio’s gifts was erased from her life. A broker had liquidated the designer clothes, the extravagant jewelry, the limited-edition shoes, every damn thing, much to Darla’s dismay.Now, the money was in her hands, wrapped in a crisp white envelope.And tonight, she would end this.She walked up to the front desk with her heart pounding but her resolve firm.“I’m here to see Mr. Montonio,” she said, standing tall.The receptionist, a woman in her mid-thirties with sharp eyes that barely glanced at her.“Do you have an appointment?”“No, but—”“Then I’m afraid Mr. Montonio is unavailable.”Aelia clenched her jaw. “I just need five minutes.”The woman’s stare was cold. “No appointment, no meetin
Last Updated : 2025-02-28MAFIA’S PET: Beg, or worse, Break 22. A weak heart
The silence in Pedro’s office was suffocating.Aelia stood frozen, her pulse pounding so violently she could hear it in her ears. He owned the orphanage.Her last refuge. The only place that had ever felt like home.Pedro Montonio had taken that, too.Her throat felt tight, her pride crumbling as the weight of what she had to do pressed against her chest.She hated him. Hated him to her core!But for the children, for Penelope…She swallowed hard, forcing the words out. “Please… don’t do this.”Pedro watched her carefully, his blue eyes glistening. He leaned back against his desk, arms crossing over his chest as he tilted his head.“I’m a reasonable man, Aelia.” His voice was smooth, controlled. “If you want me to leave the orphanage untouched, I need something in return.”Dread curled inside her. “What do you want?”Pedro’s lips quirked at the corner. “Work for me.”Aelia stiffened.“No.”His gaze didn’t waver. “Then the orphanage goes.”Aelia’s stomach plummeted.He wouldn’t.Would
Last Updated : 2025-02-28MAFIA’S PET: Beg, or worse, Break 23. Keep your enemies closer
Valeria brushed her gaze passed the delicate clink of porcelain which filled the lavishly decorated tea room, where golden sunlight streamed through sheer curtains, casting soft glows over the polished mahogany table.She sat elegantly, her posture perfect, her manicured fingers swirling a silver spoon inside an ivory teacup. Across from her, Camilla Moretti, her mother, studied her with the same calculating sharpness she had wielded all her life.Between them, an array of herbs and spices lay in glass jars, their scents mingling in the air. Lavender, rose, bergamot, star anise, saffron.A delicate, timeless ritual. Tea-tasting.The act itself was a deception, an appearance of leisure, of harmless indulgence.But nothing about Camilla Moretti was harmless.“Your hand is unsteady,” Camilla observed, her voice smooth but piercing as she watched Valeria stir her tea. “Your mind is troubled.”Valeria stilled, her grip tightening around the spoon. Her mother never missed a thing.She force
Last Updated : 2025-02-28MAFIA’S PET: Beg, or worse, Break 24. Who did this?
Aelia’s POVThe scent of antiseptic clung to the air. The soft beep of the heart monitor filled the silence, an annoying reminder that my body had betrayed me.I lay stiffly in the hospital bed, staring at the ceiling, ignoring the man sitting beside me.Pedro hadn’t left since I woke up.Not even once.And he was making himself useful in the most infuriating ways possible.The cool press of a damp towel met my forehead.I flinched.“Stop that,” I snapped, swatting his hand away.Pedro ignored me, dipping the towel back into the bowl of water before wringing it out. His sleeves were rolled up, his broad hands moving with precision.“You’re burning up,” he murmured, placing it back on my forehead with careful fingers.I nearly growled. “I don’t want your help.”“Yet, here you are. Needing it.”My fingers curled into the sheets, my pulse spiking for all the wrong reasons.Pedro Montonio, the same man who had blackmailed me, taunted me, and cornered me against a wall just hours ago was n
Last Updated : 2025-02-28MAFIA’S PET: Beg, or worse, Break 25. I hated him
Aelia’s POVPedro Montonio owed me an explanation.That thought had consumed me all night, turning over and over in my mind like a storm I couldn’t escape.And now, standing in front of the glossy black doors of his office, clutching the strap of my bag so tightly my knuckles turned white, I was about to get one.No more games. No more silent power plays.I slammed the door open without knocking.Pedro sat behind his desk, the golden light of the setting sun spilling through the high-rise windows, casting a glow on his crisp white shirt and loosened tie.He didn’t look surprised.His gaze lazily lifted to mine, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the wooden desk.I shut the door behind me, forcing my heartbeat to settle.“You paid for Penelope’s surgery.”Pedro’s expression remained blank. “And?”And?My hands curled into fists.“You didn’t tell me. You didn’t ask for anything in return. Why?”A slow, almost amused smirk touched his lips.“Would you have accepted it if I did?”No
Last Updated : 2025-02-28MAFIA’S PET: Beg, or worse, Break 26. Conflicted
Pedro’s POVThe door slammed behind her.I didn’t move. Didn’t react. Didn’t chase after her.I simply stood there, my fingers resting against the edge of my desk, staring at the empty space where she had just been.She was angry.Livid.Conflicted.I had seen the flicker of doubt in her eyes—the moment her hatred for me wavered, just for a second.And for the first time in a long, long time—I felt nothing but emptiness.No satisfaction. No amusement.Just… nothing.I should feel something, shouldn’t I?I had pushed her, cornered her, made her doubt her own emotions.I had won.So why did it feel like I lost?—I tried to shake it off.I went through my daily routine. Attended meetings, calls, business deals.But everything blurred.I caught myself staring into space, thinking of her.Thinking of her fire, her stubbornness.Thinking of how small she looked, curled up in that hospital bed, pale and weak.My fingers curled around the crystal glass of whiskey in front of me.This is ridi
Last Updated : 2025-02-28MAFIA’S PET: Beg, or worse, Break 27. An invitation
Third-Person POVThe restaurant was quiet. Elegant. Exclusive.The kind of place that dripped with power and class, where the soft hum of conversation never rose above a refined whisper.Aelia sat stiffly at the table, her fingers curled around the linen napkin on her lap, fighting the urge to leave.Across from her, Valeria Montonio sat with perfect poise, dressed in a fitted black dress that clung to her like a second skin. Her long, dark hair cascaded over one shoulder, a picture of effortless grace.But Aelia knew better.Everything about Valeria was calculated. From the delicate way she lifted her teacup to the sharp glint of amusement in her icy green eyes.Valeria smiled, slow and knowing. Too knowing.“I appreciate you agreeing to meet me,” she said, voice smooth as silk.Aelia didn’t respond immediately.She hadn’t agreed.Valeria’s assistant had cornered her outside her office, informing her that Valeria Montonio had extended a lunch invitation. And when someone like Valeria
Last Updated : 2025-02-28
Latest chapter
MAFIA’S PET: Beg, or worse, Break 88. Her boyfriend
Louisa’s words haunted him.“I have a boyfriend now.”She’d said it so easily, so carelessly, as if it didn’t mean anything, as if he didn’t mean anything. But Derrick knew better. He felt better. That night they spent together wasn’t just lust, wasn’t just two people falling into old habits.It meant something.He saw it in the way her fingers trembled when she touched him, the way her breath hitched when he whispered her name.And now she was telling him she’d moved on? That she was settling down?Bullshit.But it wasn’t until later that day, when he saw it with his own eyes, that the words really started to sink in.He hadn’t been looking for her. Not intentionally, at least. But as he stepped out of the hospital, irritation already simmering beneath his skin, he caught a glimpse of her.Louisa.Standing by a sleek black car, dressed sharply in one of her tailored outfits that hugged her body just enough to be professional but tempting.And she wasn’t alone.A man, tall, broad-shou
MAFIA’S PET: Beg, or worse, Break 87. She didn’t break
Darcy Never Liked Hospitals.They smelled like loneliness and disinfectant, like whispered prayers and silent cries. They were places of endings and beginnings, of cold white lights and walls that had absorbed too many last goodbyes.But she was here.Standing beside Aelia’s bed, her fingers curled tightly around the metal railing as if her grip alone could anchor her friend to this world.Aelia looked small against the stark white sheets, too pale, too still. The rhythmic beeping of the machines monitoring her vitals felt both comforting and unbearable, a cruel reminder that she was alive but not awake.Darcy’s throat tightened as she studied the bruises peeking out from beneath the hospital gown, the quiet evidence of the violence Aelia had endured. It was wrong. Aelia had always been the strong one, fierce and stubborn, the kind of person who could stare down danger without flinching.Now, she looked defenseless.“She looks better than yesterday,” a voice murmured from behind her.
MAFIA’S PET: Beg, or worse, Break 86. Not in this lifetime
The Spencer estate, once a symbol of untouchable power, felt like a fortress under siege. Reporters swarmed the gates, cameras flashing through the iron bars, their voices merging into an unintelligible storm. The phones inside never stopped ringing, board members demanding answers, lawyers scrambling to contain the damage, investors threatening to pull out.Regina Spencer stood in the middle of it all, perfectly composed despite the chaos. She had weathered storms before. She would weather this one, too.She adjusted the pearl necklace resting on her throat, exhaling slowly as she watched the news broadcast on the living room television.“Sola Spencer, daughter of Regina Spencer and sister to Alan Spencer, has been arrested as the prime suspect in the attempted murder of Aelia Spencer, her adopted sister. This comes after a series of threats were uncovered in the victim’s phone, allegedly sent by Sola herself. The Spencer family has yet to release an official statement.”Regina’s n
MAFIA’S PET: Beg, or worse, Break 85. Meaningless pity
The moment Sola stepped outside, she knew something was wrong.The air felt too heavy, too watchful. The street was too quiet, save for the distant hum of traffic. Then came the sharp sound of a car door slamming.Two men in suits approached. Not just any men, law enforcement.“Sola Spencer,” the taller one said, voice clipped. “We need you to come with us for questioning.”Sola’s brows furrowed. “What?”A flash of a badge and a formal tone. “You’re a suspect in an ongoing investigation. Please come with us.”The world shifted on its axis. She felt it in the pit of her stomach, the kind of freefall sensation that came with being caught off guard. She barely had time to react before firm hands took her by the arms, guiding her toward the unmarked car.Her mind raced. Investigation? What the hell were they talking about?Then she saw them, reporters. Cameras flashing, microphones extending.(“Sola Spencer, do you have any comments about the allegations?”“Are you responsible for Aelia
MAFIA’S PET: Beg, or worse, Break 84. Everything over me
The room was too quiet. The kind of quiet that made Darcy’s skin crawl.She sat beside the bed, hands clasped together as she stared at Aelia’s face. Peaceful. Unmoving. It didn’t suit her. Aelia was never still, never silent. She filled spaces with her presence, with her sharp wit, with the reckless gleam in her eye that always warned trouble was around the corner.Darcy swallowed the lump in her throat.She hated this. Hated how pale Aelia looked under the hospital lights. Hated the slow, rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor, each sound reminding her that Aelia was still here but only barely.“You idiot,” she whispered, fingers tightening in her lap. “You absolute idiot.”She exhaled, pressing her palm against her forehead. “You promised, Aelia. You promised me. And now you’re just lying here—” She sucked in a shaky breath, her chest heaving. “I can’t, I don’t know how to do this without you.”The words scraped against her throat, raw and aching.“I should be angry,” she admitted,
MAFIA’S PET: Beg, or worse, Break 83. Not good enough
Something touched her, warm, damp, seeping into her skin like a silent plea. Aelia couldn’t see it, but she felt it. A drop of something, liquid, heavy, and full of sorrow breaking through the veil of unconsciousness that held her.And then, she could hear him.At first, it was just a murmur, distant and hollow, like an echo traveling through an endless void. But the more she focused, the clearer it became.Pedro.His voice cracked and raw, whispering words between ragged breaths. She couldn’t grasp all of them, but the pain in his tone tightened something in her chest. It felt tight, suffocating. He was crying. Crying because of me? The thought alone sent a ripple through the darkness. She wasn’t angry. She should be, she knew she should be. But all she felt was… grief. A terrible, gnawing grief.And then, Penelope.Aelia’s breath…if she had any in this state, hitched. The memory of her promise came crashing down. ‘I told her I would come back. I told her I’d visit every day.’ The
MAFIA’S PET: Beg, or worse, Break 82. Did I cross the line?
Pedro’s POVThe doctor stood stiffly behind his desk, fingers twitching against the clipboard he held. The room was too quiet, except for the ticking of the wall clock, slow, agonizing ticks that did nothing but fuel the storm building inside me.“She’s stable,” he said, voice careful, controlled, like he was stepping through a fucking minefield. “But… waking up is entirely up to her.”I stilled.“What?”The doctor swallowed. “We’ve done everything we can. The surgeries were successful. There’s no internal bleeding, and her vitals are steady, but—”“But?” My voice dropped, lethal.He hesitated. “But… at this point, we can only keep her stable and monitor her progress. We can’t force her to wake up.”A sharp, seething breath pushed through my teeth.The clipboard in his hands trembled slightly, his knuckles white. He wasn’t a fool. He knew who I was, knew what I was capable of. But that didn’t change the fact that I was hearing the same fucking words I had heard once before, words that
MAFIA’S PET: Beg, or worse, Break 81. The world without her
The hospital air was thick with antiseptic and despair.Pedro stood at the edge of the chaos, rigid and silent, his presence a storm contained within flesh. The emergency ward was alive with urgency, doctors barking orders, nurses rushing between rooms, the rhythmic blaring of heart monitors filling the space. People moved around him, but he remained still, watching through the glass as the team of surgeons fought to keep Aelia tethered to the world.His breath was slow, deliberate, but his mind was anything but calm.Aelia.Lifeless.The moment he had seen her car—no, what was left of it, something in him had cracked. The twisted metal, the shattered windshield, the streaks of blood smeared against the crumpled hood. It looked less like an accident and more like an execution.His phone had vibrated in his hand then, a message flashing across the screen like a blade drawn across his throat.“You should’ve said goodbye when you had the chance.”The sender was unknown. Of course, they
MAFIA’S PET: Beg, or worse, Break 80. Broken promises
“What if—what if…they don’t come back?” Penelope’s muffled voice invaded Aelia’s ears like a nightmare. She lifted Penelope’s face and carefully cleaned her tear-streaked face, flashing a smile she forced to reach her eyes. “Don’t say that, they’d definitely be back, Penny. Or have you forgotten how resilient Sam is or even how Annabel can’t stay a day without Mr. Bunny? that means she would wake up soon to cuddle him so you don’t have to worry. Kimberly will never let you have all the snacks so she would certainly be back for them.”Penelope giggled, “You’re right, Kimberly would definitely be back for my snacks.” Her eyes had a rare gleam as she added “I don’t mind giving them all to her, if only she returns… I wish I had given them to her without fighting.” her voice cracked and Aelia’s heart broke. Aelia held Penelope tighter, cradling her as though she could shield her from everything. It wasn’t fair. None of this was fair. The orphanage, the only home they had, now a crime s
