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Chapter 56

Penulis: Feesa
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-02-25 22:19:22

LUCA

I stood in the dimly lit office, hands braced on the desk, staring at nothing. The weight of everything—Costa, the violence, the endless bloodshed—pressed against my ribs. But none of it compared to the realization settling deep in my bones.

I was going to be a father.

The words tasted foreign, like something that didn’t belong to me. A father.

My grip on the desk tightened.

I had spent my life ensuring control, making sure nothing—no one—had power over me. And yet, with one whispered confession, Isadora had undone everything. She had shattered the last piece of armor I had left, and the worst part? I didn’t even resent her for it.

I wanted this.

A breath shuddered out of me, sharp and unsteady. The thought alone should have terrified me, but it didn’t. No, what terrified me was the possibility of losing them.

I had grown up watching my father treat my mother like she was disposable. Like love was something fragile, something that could be broken and discarded without consequence
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  • Bound To The Mafia   Chapter 57

    LAURA The soft hum of the city beyond the window was the only sound in the apartment. It was quiet—too quiet. I sat on the edge of the couch, gripping the small knife in my hand. My heart was steady now, but my body still held tension, my muscles coiled, ready. I hadn’t always been like this. But then, I hadn’t always been attacked in my own home either. A shiver ran down my spine as the memory flashed behind my eyes. A few nights ago... The door had burst open with a deafening crash. I barely had time to react before shadows poured into my apartment. Men—three of them. Their faces hidden, their movements sharp and calculated. I’d grabbed the first thing I could—a lamp—hurling it at the closest one. He staggered back, cursing, but it wasn’t enough. Hands grabbed me, rough and unrelenting. Panic clawed at my throat. I fought. Hard. My nails raked across skin. My knee connected with someone’s ribs. But I wasn’t strong enough. Not against all of them. One of them s

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-26
  • Bound To The Mafia   Chapter 58

    ISADORAThe cold porcelain of the toilet pressed against my palms as another wave of nausea wracked my body. My stomach twisted violently before I lurched forward, emptying what little remained inside me.A firm but gentle hand ran soothing circles along my back."Get it out, bambina," Bianca murmured, her voice surprisingly soft.I groaned, forehead resting against my arm as I caught my breath. "I hate this."Bianca let out a quiet chuckle, still rubbing my back in slow, measured motions. "Morning sickness is a bitch, but you’ll survive. Besides, you’re strong. You’re Luca’s."I exhaled shakily, sitting back against the cool tile. "He’s gone again."Bianca didn’t pretend to misunderstand. Her lips pressed into a thin line, eyes sharp even as she handed me a damp washcloth. "Chasing a lead. You know how this works."I took the cloth, pressing it against my clammy forehead. "Doesn’t mean I have to like it."She studied me for a long moment. Bianca might have been ruthless in Luca’s fam

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-26
  • Bound To The Mafia   Chapter 59

    LUCAThe night air was sharp, carrying the scent of damp pavement and cigarette smoke as I leaned against the hood of my car, phone pressed to my ear."Nothing yet," Rafael muttered on the other end. "The bastard’s slippery, but he’ll show his face soon enough."I clenched my jaw, fingers tightening around the device. "Soon enough isn’t good enough."Rafael exhaled heavily. "I know."I ended the call without another word, shoving the phone into my pocket. My patience was wearing thin, and patience wasn’t something I had in abundance to begin with. Every second wasted out here was another second I wasn’t home.Home.The word twisted something in my chest.Isadora.I could still hear her voice from the last time we spoke—anger laced with frustration, a quiet plea beneath it all. She wanted in. Wanted me to talk to her.And I wanted to.God, I wanted to.But I didn’t know how.She thought I was keeping her in the dark because I didn’t trust her. She couldn’t be more wrong. I trusted her

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-28
  • Bound To The Mafia   Chapter 60

    ISADORALuca’s fingers lingered against my skin, rough and warm, but I didn’t lean into his touch. Not yet.Because I wanted to believe him.I needed to believe him.But belief alone wasn’t enough.I stepped back, his hand falling away, and wrapped my arms around myself. The exhaustion wasn’t just physical—it ran deeper, settling in my bones."You say you’ll do better," I said quietly. "But what does that mean, Luca? Because I can’t keep waking up alone, wondering if today is the day someone takes you from me."His jaw clenched. "No one’s taking me from you."I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. "You can’t promise that."He exhaled sharply, raking a hand through his hair. "I can promise I’ll fight like hell to make sure it never happens.""And what about me?" I took a step closer, my voice steadier now. "You act like keeping me in the dark is protecting me, but it’s not. It’s isolating me."His gaze darkened. "Isadora—""No." I cut him off. "I’m not some fragile thing you can tu

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-28
  • Bound To The Mafia   Chapter 61

    ISADORA The silence stretched between us, not awkward, not heavy—just there. A quiet understanding.Luca’s fingers trailed lazily along my arm, his touch gentler than I’d ever felt from him before. Like he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to hold me but couldn’t quite stop himself."You said she was never really there," he murmured after a while. "What did you mean?"I exhaled slowly, staring at the ceiling. "She was… distracted. Distant. Always chasing something that wasn’t us. My father, mostly."His hand stilled. "She loved him?"I let out a small, hollow laugh. "She thought she did. But I think she loved the idea of him more than the reality. She built him up in her head, made him into something he wasn’t. And when he didn’t live up to it, she just… checked out. From him. From me."Luca was quiet for a long time, his gaze unreadable. "And yet, you still miss her."I turned my head to look at him, something sharp curling in my chest. "You ever think about your mom?"His expression fl

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-28
  • Bound To The Mafia   Chapter 62

    ISADORAThe silence stretched between us again, but this time, it was different. I could feel the weight of everything Luca wasn’t saying pressing against the air between us. His hand still traced slow, absentminded patterns along my spine, but his mind was somewhere else. Somewhere darker.And maybe I should’ve let it go. Maybe I should’ve let him stay in that quiet, let him believe that I didn’t need to know more.But I did.I tipped my head back, studying his face in the dim light. “Did you ever love her?”His fingers paused. Just for a second.His jaw tightened, his expression unreadable as he exhaled slowly. “Alicia?”I nodded.Something flickered in his gaze, something I couldn’t quite place. He was quiet for a moment, like he was trying to decide how much he was willing to give me.Then, finally, he spoke.“I met her at a gala,” he said, his voice distant, like he was pulling the memory from a place he hadn’t touched in a long time. “It was just after I took over from my father

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-01
  • Bound To The Mafia   Chapter 63

    LUCAIsadora’s breath was still shaky when I pulled away, my thumb brushing over the curve of her jaw. Her lips were kiss-swollen, her eyes dark with something I could finally name.Love.She might not have said it yet, but I saw it in the way she clung to me, in the way she didn’t hesitate when she asked me to marry her.And fuck if that didn’t make me want to lock her away where no one could ever touch her.My phone vibrated against the nightstand, and I exhaled sharply, pressing one last kiss to her lips before reaching for it.Rafael.I already knew what this was about before I even answered.“Talk,” I ordered.His voice was sharp, all business. “We’ve got him. Valentino Costa. He’s holed up in a warehouse near the docks. Not alone, but we can handle it.”The name sent a slow, dark heat curling through my veins.Alicia had been many things—a traitor, a liar—but when she’d gasped out Costa’s name as the one behind the attacks on Isadora, There's no doubt he's not the boss but he ha

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-02
  • Bound To The Mafia   Chapter 64

    ISADORAI didn't even know there was a fucking clinic ward in this house.Rafael barreled through the halls, shouting orders, his grip on Luca unrelenting as he and another man hauled him toward a hidden wing of the estate. Blood trailed behind them, soaking into the expensive floors, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.Luca's weight sagged between them, his head lolling to the side, his breaths shallow. Too shallow.Panic choked me."Move!" Rafael barked, shoving through a set of double doors.The clinic was pristine, cold, too white. It smelled of antiseptic and something metallic—Luca’s blood. My stomach twisted as they laid him onto a surgical bed, hands working fast to strip away his blood-soaked shirt.I hovered, frozen, my heartbeat a frantic, unbearable rhythm in my ears.Luca was too pale. His eyes fluttered, unfocused, lips parted as though he was fighting to stay conscious.A doctor—where the hell did he even come from?—rushed in, a bag slung over his shoulder. "Get out of

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-02

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  • Bound To The Mafia   Chapter 114

    ‎‎LUCA‎‎She said she was fine.‎‎But she wasn’t.‎‎I knew Isadora too damn well by now—not just her smiles, her sighs, the subtle shifts in her posture when she was tired or thinking too hard—but the way she lied.‎‎Because she was a terrible liar.‎‎And that smile she gave me? It was just that—a cover. A shield.‎‎I watched her a second longer, her eyes flicking back to the phone like it burned.‎‎He looked familiar to her.‎‎She didn’t say it out loud, but I saw it in the way her shoulders stiffened, the pause too long before her answer. Something about that face hit her memory hard, and she buried the reaction faster than she thought I’d notice.‎‎But I always noticed.‎‎Because I paid attention.‎‎Because ever since I put that ring on her finger, I’d made it my business to protect her—whether from enemies or memories she didn’t want to face.‎‎I set the phone down, leaned closer, brushing her hair away from her cheek, even though my pulse had picked up slightly. “You

  • Bound To The Mafia   Chapter 113

    ‎‎‎ISADORA‎‎The Next Morning‎‎“Peonies or white roses?” Laura asked, holding up the two mood boards like this decision could alter the course of history.‎‎I eyed both, pretending to care even though my head wasn’t really in it. My heart was, though—because this wedding? It meant freedom. A promise. A future. Even if the groom walked around with a loaded gun and nightmares carved into his bones.‎‎“Peonies,” I said, eventually. “They’re softer.”‎‎Laura nodded, scribbling a note. “And the dress fitting is still set for Friday. Your shoes came in yesterday, and we need to finalize the seating chart.”‎‎“Luca’s not going to care who sits where,” I muttered.‎‎She smirked. “He cares more than he lets on. He told Rafael to make sure your uncle doesn’t sit next to that one cousin you hate.”‎‎I blinked. “He knows about that?”‎‎“Girl, he knows everything.”‎‎I bit back a smile.‎‎Maybe he did.‎‎Maybe he was listening.‎‎Luca and Rafael popped in and out—checking on securi

  • Bound To The Mafia   Chapter 112

    ‎ISADORA‎‎Later That Day‎‎I didn’t go back to my room. Couldn’t. I needed clarity, not the suffocating silence of silk sheets and locked doors. So I went to the only place that ever made sense when everything else didn’t—the garden. Luca’s mother’s garden, to be exact. It was a piece of serenity tucked between the chaos, the only place in this mansion that hadn’t been touched by blood or secrets.‎‎I walked along the stone path, brushing my fingers against the petals of the roses she used to care for. It was ironic, how something so delicate could survive here, in a place built on violence and power plays. Maybe that’s why I liked it—because it reminded me of what I wanted to be. Soft when I chose to be. Sharp when I needed to be.‎‎I sat on the stone bench at the edge of the garden, pulling my knees to my chest, letting the wind carry my thoughts. I didn’t hear him approach—not at first—but I felt it. That same tension in the air. That same storm.‎‎Luca.‎‎He didn’t say anyt

  • Bound To The Mafia   Chapter 111

    ‎ISADORA‎‎The Next Morning‎‎I woke to the faint scent of sandalwood and fire.‎‎Luca.‎‎Even before my eyes opened, I could feel him—his presence thick in the air, like a storm had passed through and left its electricity behind. The sheets beside me were cool, but the echo of him lingered. A ghost of warmth. A shadow of protection. And danger.‎‎I sat up slowly, the silk of my nightgown whispering against my skin as I ran a hand through my hair. The mansion was too still. Like it was holding its breath.‎‎Or maybe… like he was.‎‎The last few days had been a blur of lace, tastings, flower samples, and dress fittings. Smiles that didn’t quite reach my eyes. Laughter that felt like someone else’s. I’d played the part—I always did—but I wasn’t blind.‎‎Luca had changed.‎‎There was an edge to him now, sharper than usual. Not the possessive, controlling type that gripped my waist too tightly or growled when someone looked at me too long—no, this was colder. Strategic. Distant.

  • Bound To The Mafia   Chapter 110

    ‎EMILIO ‎ ‎Unknown Location ‎ ‎The ice clinked against the side of the glass as I stirred lazily, the amber liquid inside catching the light of the chandelier above. ‎ ‎“Status?” I asked, mirroring the same word Morretti was probably spitting into his phone right now. ‎ ‎Viktor stood across the room, arms folded, expression sharp. “She was shaken. He’s rattled. Mission accomplished.” ‎ ‎A smile tugged at my mouth. “Good.” ‎ ‎I rose from the armchair and crossed to the wall of screens, all still frames from different angles—streets, clubs, surveillance feeds. And right in the center, a blurry image of Isadora, caught mid-turn in that little bridal boutique. Fear in her eyes. Vulnerability in her shoulders. ‎ ‎It was art. ‎ ‎“She didn’t see the blade,” Viktor said. “Just the man. It was enough.” ‎ ‎“That was the point,” I murmured. “It was never about hurting her. Not yet. It was about jarring him.” ‎ ‎I tapped the screen slowly, the rhythm like a

  • Bound To The Mafia   Chapter 109

    LUCA‎An Hour Later‎‎I watched her disappear down the hall with a flicker of a smile on her lips. A rare one. One I hadn’t seen in too long.‎‎God, I missed that smile.‎‎The moment she turned the corner, I was already pulling my phone from my pocket.‎‎“Status?” I asked, voice low.‎‎Rafael answered on the first ring. “We tracked the van. No plates. Abandoned in Queens. Torched.”‎‎Of course it was. “Surveillance?”‎‎“Nothing clean. Either they knew the angles or they’ve got someone on the inside feeding them locations.”‎‎I let out a breath, slow and steady. My fingers clenched around the glass in my hand, tension humming just beneath my skin.‎‎“Pull every camera within a ten-block radius. I want facial recognition run on anyone near that vehicle in the past twenty-four hours.”‎‎Rafael was silent for a beat. “Luca, you should tell her what we know. She’s not stupid—”‎‎“No,” I cut him off. “She doesn’t need more reasons to lose sleep. Let her plan the damn wedding.”‎

  • Bound To The Mafia   Chapter 108

    ‎LUCA‎‎The Next Morning‎‎The storm inside me hadn’t passed. It had simply settled into a quiet rage, one that hummed beneath my skin like a loaded gun. I stood by the window in my office, watching the sun claw its way up through the skyline, wondering how the hell it had come to this.‎‎Emilio. That name was starting to rot in my brain. I should’ve seen him coming. I should’ve anticipated the move, the breach. The moment I saw the fear in Isadora’s eyes, I knew I’d failed. And failure? That’s not something I wear lightly.‎‎She was right. She always is when it comes to the things I don’t want to admit. I’d been so obsessed with shielding her, watching her every move, preparing for every threat—except the one that slipped right past us. And she’d seen it clearer than I had: maybe she wasn’t the real target. Maybe I was.‎‎But fuck, if I’m the target, then fine. Let them come. I can take it. I’ve taken worse. What I can’t take? Watching her unravel, feeling that grief eating her

  • Bound To The Mafia   Chapter 107

    ISADORA ‎“I mean,” I continued, my voice tightening with each word, “what if it’s not me they want? What if they’re after you? What if Emilio’s plan is bigger than just hurting me? Maybe I’m just the distraction.” ‎ ‎I saw the shift in him, but it wasn’t shock. It was something else—an understanding. A knowing. ‎ ‎“I thought I’d made that clear,” he said, his voice softer now, almost like he was speaking to himself. “You’re always the first to be in danger because they know what you mean to me. But I’ve never thought you were the ultimate target.” ‎ ‎My chest tightened at the realization. I wanted to argue, but the truth was, he already knew. He’d already thought of it. He always thought of everything. ‎ ‎“You always think about me,” I murmured, my voice cracking slightly, “but you never think about yourself. About what could happen to you.” ‎ ‎He stepped closer, but this time there was no anger in his movement. Just an unsettling calm. “You don’t get it, Isador

  • Bound To The Mafia   Chapter 106

    ‎ISADORA‎‎The tension in the house was suffocating. Luca hadn’t spoken much since last night, but I could feel his presence—watchful, calculating. He was always in control, but now? Now he was something else entirely. A storm waiting to break.‎‎I sat in the library, pretending to read while my mind ran in circles. Emilio. The name had latched onto my thoughts, sinking its claws in, refusing to let go. He had sent someone to me. He had found me. I was supposed to be safe under Luca’s protection, yet a stranger had slipped past his security like it was nothing.‎‎A sharp knock at the door made me jump.‎‎Laura stepped in, eyes scanning me carefully before shutting the door behind her. “You okay?”‎‎I sighed, closing the book I wasn’t actually reading. “I don’t know.”‎‎She sat on the armrest of my chair, crossing her arms. “Luca is losing his mind over this.”‎‎I snorted. “Yeah, I gathered that much.”‎‎“Have you spoken to him?”‎‎I shook my head. “Not since last night. He ju

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