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Chapter 95
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
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Fallen From Grace [Married to the Mafia Novel] Chapter 96
It doesn’t take long before the quiet tears evolve into violent sobs. The kind where your shoulders shake uncontrollably as the hiccups escape. The kind that leaves you heaving and clutching at your chest for any sense of stability.But there’s no amount of effort that I could have done to ease the hurt in my heart. I don’t know how to cope or hope to process Dante’s confession.He’s doing this for me.Is he really?He’s keeping me hidden to protect me.Am I really protected?He thinks that I hate him……but I don’t.There’s something powerful stirring in my chest but it’s not hate. Understanding, maybe? Frustration, guilt, anger, but not hate… because I love him.“I love him.”The words leave my lips followed by a choked gasp. I’d never admitted it to myself before. I’ve never allowed myself to acknowledge the feelings because I know it would never end well. Dante could never leave his empireI know in my heart that I love him, but can I really live a life of blood and violence? Where
Fallen From Grace [Married to the Mafia Novel] Chapter 97
“Don’t worry, Bub. I got you.” The boy—no, the young man— cradles a little girl in his arms, trying to calm her screaming. They’re both wet from an unexpected dive into the lake and I watch, frozen where I stand.My sister almost died and I did nothing. I’m a horrible sister.“No, you’re not. You called me. You did the right thing.”Did I say that out loud?The young man stares at me with storm gray eyes burning with determination. He wasn’t going to stop until I accept that this isn’t my fault.But it kind of is. My sister and I weren’t supposed to be here. But I wanted to see this young man. He played with us, and he cared for us.That’s right. This person holding my sister is Gavin.~~~Why did I dream of that?I shift on the bed slightly and immediately hate myself for it. Wincing at the sudden movements, memories from the previous night flashback immediately.The slow and passionate sex turned into a rough night of fucking our frustrations on one another. I’m sure that if I look
Fallen From Grace [Married to the Mafia Novel] Chapter 98
The change doesn’t happen immediately, but I could work with baby steps. For starters, the guards stationed outside my door and balcony have been removed, and the door is never locked either. I still feel warry about going out, but this is still a good start for both of us. I’ve started training again, starting with a simple routine Dante wrote for me as a note on the bedside table. And whenever I go to the shooting range, it’s empty, leaving me alone inside with my three guards remaining outside. I guess that’s Dante doing too. After the incident with Dick here and then him betraying Dante and trying to kidnap me, it does make sense to be a bit more cautious. I tried talking to Adeline once, but she shakes her no and goes back to her post. I find it weird, but later decide that it’s not something worth risking my freedom for. And in light of being helpful and as a symbol of good faith, I finally propose my plan to Dante. “That’s cute.” Huh? That is so not the reaction I was goin
Fallen From Grace [Married to the Mafia Novel] Chapter 99
The planning of each step took time but it’s all worth it knowing everything so far is going according to plan.Dante and Luca’s network of runners found us a lead and an address for a warehouse for Serafino’s drugs. Having managed to intercept their most recent drop, Dante had instructed his men to capture those who they deem useful.“Did it really work?” I ask just as Luca lowers his phone from his ear. He looks at me with a small smile before nodding.“It did. The plan worked perfectly,” Luca replies. Pocketing his phone, he gestures for Dante and me to follow him out of Dante’s office. “He’s ready to talk, Boss.”As the three of us walk out of the office, I realize that this is the second time that I find myself in the middle of the action. The first being Dante’s rescue.I shake my head to rid myself of the thoughts. This is no time to relive the horrors of this day, especially when I’m facing something similar right now. I need all of my focus or else, I’m going to spiral.“Who
Fallen From Grace [Married to the Mafia Novel] Chapter 100
“Why are we here?” I ask as Dante closes the door to our bedroom. He continues to walk inside gently ushering me to sit on the bed.After revealing that the island is the next step, Dante started acting weird.“There’s something I need to talk to you about,” Dante says softly as he sits on the edge of the bed. This way, we’re facing each other.Confused, I simply say, “Okay.” Not wanting to mess with the seemingly delicate situation. Earlier, Dante had this grim expression and the overall mood had been dark since we left the dungeons.Dante may not have noticed but I saw him and Luca exchange looks before the latter went away to do whatever it is that Dante asked him to do. They’re being so secretive and it’s making the anxiety build in me. It settles badly in the pit of my stomach and then it dawns on me before Dante could even utter another word.“Shit. You’re locking me in here again… aren’t you?” I look straight into his eyes not bothering to hide the fear from my face. I study hi
Fallen From Grace [Married to the Mafia Novel] Chapter 101
Without having to look, I know all the color drains out of my face the moment I heard those words. I feel faint, and if I wasn’t already sitting down, my legs would have given out beneath me.“What? No. It can’t be possible.” Disbelief is the only thing running in my mind right now, fighting to push out any thoughts of my sister trapped in those container vans.I lift my head in time to see Dante nod solemnly. “She’s young, beautiful, and untouched. She would have fetched a high price.”What the actual fuck? Does Serafino’s cruelty know no bounds?I feel sick. Swallowing the bile that’s risen to my throat, I silently wonder how long it would take to get to the bathroom or if I would even make it.“Noah did the right thing when he escaped with her.” Dante’s trying to make me feel better. I can tell from how gentle he’s being and how delicate he’s treating this situation. For that, I’m grateful.“My baby sister…”“Jean, she’s safe now.” I hear Dante’s voice but his words don’t register.
Fallen From Grace [Married to the Mafia Novel] Chapter 102
“You’re sure about this? There’s nothing I can do to make you sit this one out?” Dante asks quietly, not to be overheard by the rest of the team preparing to mount the boat sitting idly on the pier.The whole day it was overcast, so now, the clouds cast a thin veil over the moon, giving us more cover than we’d hoped for. The plan is going to go well.We’ll hijack that boat, get to the island, gather the evidence that we need, then free those innocent people. The plan is simple. But that’s the thing with simple things, they don’t always mean easy.“We’ve been over this at least a dozen times, Dante,” I reply softly, not wanting to aggravate him so close to the start of the mission. “I’ll have your back and you’ll have mine. We’re a team. We’ll be fine.”Dante’s expression turns dark even as he reaches one of his gloved hands forward to touch my face. “No one will touch you. I’ll make sure of it.”Smiling, I nod my head to say that I trust him. Dante lets me go and turns around to walk
Fallen From Grace [Married to the Mafia Novel] Chapter 103
Silence envelopes the entire boat as our team waits hidden with bated breath. We listen carefully to the sound of each panel of the flooring as heavy booted feet stomp onto the platform. They’re here.The footsteps get closer, and it’s impossible to tell how many of them there are. Four? At least, maybe more.“What the fuck happened, man?” One of them grunts out, his voice has a heavy accent but I can’t quite place where it’s from. “You were supposed to call in two hours ago.”When no one breathes in reply, we hear the shift in their demeanor immediately. They know something is wrong, and soon it will be our time to strike.It’s still dark despite the sun slowly making its appearance, and we use it to our advantage. Before long, I hear the heavy grunts and groans of pain from the men, then big splashes into the ocean. We take that as our sign to move out of hiding.From the control room, I make my way out just in time to see Daveed throw another man overboard. He floats aimlessly in t
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Fallen From Grace [Married to the Mafia Novel] EPILOGUE
12 YEARS LATER. “Come on! We’re going to miss it! Hurry, Papa!” “Okay, okay. Slow down, sweetheart.” The man hastens after his daughter, weaving through a small crowd of people that had just arrived, same as them. The young girl complains, “We promised Lily we’d be on time—there!” she points to the entrance of the auditorium. “Lily!” Lily waves back frantically at her sister. “You made it, Rose!” Lily replies running up the remainder of the distance between them. “You missed the opening ceremony but the displays are out. Come on!” The twins leave their father behind, opting to rush inside the auditorium that was converted into a small gallery to display the artworks created by the students of the summer art program. The auditorium is large for a school with a population of only a few hundred, but the family decided that a private school was best for their kids. “Ah, you’ve finally arrived,” Jean greets her husband as he strides toward her. She looks as beautiful as ever with her
Fallen From Grace [Married to the Mafia Novel] Chapter 137
Jean“Is there somewhere we can talk privately?” he asks when he notices the tear that escapes my eye. “I won’t have tears for our reunion, love.”I quickly wipe away the tears that managed to stain my cheeks and pull away from the man I used to call my husband.With my head still spinning, I manage to get out of work immediately with the promise that I would close the deal with the mysterious art donor.Dante—or rather, Gavin and I find ourselves behind the safety of my apartment doors soon enough.“Now,” I order just as the doors close behind us. “Explain yourself.”Gavin quirks an eyebrow at me, “Quite a warm welcome, love.” I sense the sarcasm in his voice which makes me roll my eyes at him.“When you explain yourself, I might reconsider.”“Why are you mad at me?” he asks almost in disbelief. “When everything I did, I did for you.”“For me?” I scoff loudly, returning the same energy and disbelief. “You left me alone for two years! Even when I asked you to come—” then shaking my he
Fallen From Grace [Married to the Mafia Novel] Chapter 136
JeanI think it’s been three days since I learned about Dante’s death. Three days that I’ve stayed home, calling in sick for work because there’s no way I can hold myself together in public when I burst into tears every hour or so.It’s been three days since my world shattered.The television has been playing on the same news channel the whole time with me waiting for any developments. I dove into the deeper parts of the internet, looking for any information but there is none to be found.“This is it, huh?” I whisper to myself, clinging onto the fleece blanket wrapped around me as I stare out the window. The heavy rain doesn’t help my mood at all, but it gives me comfort that the sky weeps for my loss too.I go to sleep that night feeling a blackhole-sized void in my heart.~~~The next morning, I woke up with several texts from the gallery asking me to come back to work. I’ve informed them that I couldn’t come but it must be an emergency if even my head supervisor is leaving me voic
Fallen From Grace [Married to the Mafia Novel] Chapter 135
JeanI don’t remember the bar being this stuffy, but I somehow find myself suffocating in the middle of a conversation with my colleagues. And suddenly the black dress I’m wearing is too short and too tight on my body.I shouldn’t have come tonight. It’s a full night at the club, and it doesn’t take long before I request to move to a private room. I’m met with various curious and lust-filled looks but I ignore them. Parisians know how to party, and oftentimes those parties involve more than just drinking and dancing, there’s always something more.I’m sure my colleagues assumed I was asking for more, but I simply needed to get away from the crowd.Lara invited way too many strangers, but I figured this party was more for them than it was for my work anniversary. But I go along with it. I’ll just have to find an excuse to leave a bit earlier than the rest of them.“Jean, why aren’t you dancing?” Lara pipes up hugging me from behind. I chuckle softly, she’s already buzzed. “Ditch these
Fallen From Grace [Married to the Mafia Novel] Chapter 134
Jean I fumble with my coat as I reach for my phone in my purse. The rain hasn’t let up once since December rolled in. I would have preferred to stay in the office today, but the statement for Bianca’s tuition came in my email last night.I tried to call her, but Bianca’s phone seems to be turned off and I went straight to voice mail.“Hey, Bub. I’m on my way to the bank now to pay for your tuition and other fees. Let me know if you need anything else— Oh! And as usual, do you want me to release your trust yet or not? That’s all bye! Call me back!”The answer has always been the same. Bianca doesn’t want to touch the money our parents left us until she was making her own. And I took it upon myself to pay for her education despite her protests.But I still figured I’d ask her every four months or so. Bianca was sustaining herself by working part-time and getting free lessons by volunteering for every camp and workshop. But she grew up sheltered and pampered. As her big sister, I still
Fallen From Grace [Married to the Mafia Novel] Chapter 133
DanteIn the end, Jean leaves like a thief in the night. She left no note except for the signed divorce papers on top of the living room center table. I watch from the balcony as Jean shoulders a small carry-on bag with only her essentials. Despite the thundering protests I feel stirring in my chest, I know that tonight is the night I lose her. From the corner of my eye, I spot a few men with guns trained at her, ready to fire at my command. Their previous orders were to not allow Jean out of their sight, which includes having to injure her if she gets taken away by enemies again. But this time is different.Luca stands beside me, watching the same scene unfold. “Dante, are you sure about letting her get away?”I understand his sentiments. The amount of time, money, and effort I’d put into making her mine, only to watch her walk away in the end.And I was sure. But as I watch her walk away, I find out that letting her go is the single hardest thing I’ve done in my life.“Yes, tell m
Fallen From Grace [Married to the Mafia Novel] Chapter 132
DanteI let Jean cry in my arms. The contract was a way to keep us both tethered to each other, and now that it’s gone, there’s nothing officially tying us together. In a way, we both lost someone tonight.“What happens now?” Jean asks with the softest voice. She sniffles a bit before sitting up, but she doesn’t leave my lap.With us finally being at eye level, I can see how red Jean’s nose is, her cheeks are tinted pink as well. She’s beautiful, and I make sure to tell her just that.“Will you stay?” I ask instead, even though I know full well that Jean’s already made up her mind about this long ago.Her eyes soften as she takes me in fully. One of Jean’s hands comes up to cup my cheek, and she smiles ever so softly as she whispers my name.“Dante… I love you,” Jean starts and it’s the saddest I’ve ever heard her utter those words. I know there’s a but coming up. “I never asked for this life, and I—I don’t want any part of it.”Jean finishes talking, shaking her head from side to sid
Fallen From Grace [Married to the Mafia Novel] Chapter 131
DanteThe day I’ve been dreading has finally come. The day that I let her go.I watch Jean silently as she stares out of the wall windows. With the rain softly pattering outside, it reflects my mood perfectly. Jean looks stunning even in sleep shorts and a pullover she stole from my closet. She looks so perfect in my clothes, in my penthouse… and in my life.Suddenly the folder in my hand feels heavier than it should be.I ground myself before approaching Jean, needing to be a hundred percent sure I can handle this conversation. Because once I start, there’s no going back.“Hey,” I whisper in her ear as I wrap my arms around her from behind. Jean leans into my touch, resting her head against my shoulder.“What is it?” she asks, a frown on her face as she turns in my arms to face me. She must have noticed my agitation. “Is everything okay?” Jean reaches forward and cups my cheek.“Yeah,” I reply simply, offering her a reassuring smile—at least I tried to. “Come here for a sec.”“Dante,
Fallen From Grace [Married to the Mafia Novel] Chapter 130
JeanUpon hearing those words, I notice that Dante had made himself scarce. Now that I think about it, he didn’t enter the living room with me and Bianca. He most likely left the penthouse to talk to Noah. How do I know that? Because there is no way in hell that Dante would have allowed Bianca to travel alone right when the investigation for the Regis family is about to start.But there’s something in the air that doesn’t quite feel like home.The woman in front of me may look like my little sister, Bianca, but she’s different. The last time I saw her she still had her baby cheeks and that wanderlust look in her eyes, but now that’s all gone.Her eyes no longer hold wonder in them but wisdom that only hardship and experience can mold. Her features look more angled, more mature.It makes me wonder if I somehow look the same to her or if I’ve changed in her eyes as she has changed in mine.I smile at my sister, albeit a little sad that I missed out on an entire year of her life. My baby
