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63: Family, by Name Only
Last Updated:
2025-02-21 00:26:56
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How to Escape from a Ruthless Mobster 64: Tested by Family
POV BeatriceAfter finishing our drinks, Loretta led us to the dining room. The table was set with an unusual level of care. She had even lit candles in the center."Are we celebrating something?" I asked, eyeing the perfectly arranged plates, the polished glasses, and the unopened bottle of champagne in the middle."You’re here in Italy with us. Isn’t that reason enough?" Bion’s voice came from the head of the table, low, deliberate. He had been quiet since we arrived, but I hadn’t missed how intently he had been watching—observing every interaction, every detail. His eyes darted between Ryuu and me, as if trying to gauge our dynamic. Or looking for a weakness.I knew what he was doing. He had made it clear in the Bahamas—by marrying Ryuu, my loyalty was with the Morunagas. I wouldn’t give him ammunition to use against us.Ryuu’s hand shifted slightly, resting on my thigh. The heat of his palm seeped through the fabric of my jeans, and as his thumb traced slow, deliberate circles, I
Last Updated : 2025-02-22How to Escape from a Ruthless Mobster 65: Tea, Scars, and Family Tensions
POV BeatriceI bit my lip before continuing. "I’ve been staying with a friend for the past few weeks. I needed space.""A friend?" She frowned. "And that’s safe?""Sophia lives with her uncle. His house is outside the city, heavily secured. Without a doubt, safer than the Morunaga estate. He’s wealthier than Ryuu and can afford all the protection I need. Ryuu trusts him.""And do you trust Ryuu’s judgment?" Her question was laced with the same doubt I’d heard before.I straightened in my chair, my voice steady. "I trust my own judgment." I didn’t need Ryuu to hold my hand through every decision. I had done just fine on my own before my father and Gojou intervened. "But I know Ryuu worries about my safety. He wouldn’t let me stay there if he thought Espósito couldn’t protect me."She nodded, though I could tell the questions weren’t over."Has my father contacted you?" I asked after a brief silence."No. Not since he left to finalize the restaurant contracts with Gojou." Loretta’s lips
Last Updated : 2025-02-23How to Escape from a Ruthless Mobster 66: Shades of Truth and Tenderness
POV Beatrice"Aunt?" I called as I wandered through the house. I found her in the living room, Lex sprawled across the couch with his head resting in her lap while she read a book. The sight made me smile."Lex, enjoying Mom’s lap?" I teased, barely holding back a laugh.His eyes snapped open, and he scowled at me. "Shut up, Bea. Don’t be childish.""You two, don’t start," Aunt Loretta warned, though her voice carried that familiar motherly patience. She closed her book, setting it aside. "What is it, Beatrice?"Before she could catch him, Lex stuck his tongue out at me like a five-year-old. Sometimes, I forgot he was only two years younger than me, but moments like this made it painfully obvious."What are we doing for dinner?" I asked sweetly, ignoring his immaturity.Lex let out a loud laugh. "Jesus, do you ever stop eating?""Do you ever stop talking?" I shot back, unable to keep the smirk from my face."We haven't even had lunch yet!" Lex mocked, chuckling, only to be silenced by
Last Updated : 2025-02-23How to Escape from a Ruthless Mobster 67: Divorce or Devotion?
POV BeatriceRyuu's expression shifted, his eyes widening slightly as if a realization had just struck him."I didn't realize how much the attack affected you," he murmured, almost as if speaking to himself.I shrugged, unsure of what else to say. Words felt small compared to the weight of everything I was feeling.Then, he reached out, taking my hand with a gentleness that contrasted with the gravity of our conversation. He turned my palm in his, his fingers tracing the faint lines as if trying to memorize them. His touch was firm but steady, and the way his gaze locked onto mine made me swallow hard. My mouth was dry, my heart pounding against my ribs."It’s not foolish to want to trust people. It’s not foolish to want to trust me," he said, a rare vulnerability threading through his voice.I looked away, exhaling sharply."Maybe not foolish, but definitely naive. I expected too much from you.""No, you weren’t naive." His voice grew firmer, and he tightened his grip on my hand, gro
Last Updated : 2025-02-24How to Escape from a Ruthless Mobster 68: The Edge of Confession
POV RyuuI watched her settle into bed, that effortless grace of hers always leaving me unmoored. I wasn’t ready to sleep. Not yet. My body ached with exhaustion, my eyes burned, but my mind wouldn’t shut down. I wanted… more. The warmth of her skin, the quiet concern always lingering in her gaze. The silence between us was unbearable, suffocating. She was right next to me, yet she felt miles away. And I had no one to blame but myself. I had been replaying our conversations, analyzing every glance, every shift in her voice. Beatrice cared. That much was obvious. She wanted me to be part of her life, to be accepted by her family. But was this thing between us even a relationship? I had been with countless women before, yet none of them had ever made me stop and think. I never cared about their emotions, never felt the need to. But with Beatrice… she stirred something in me I hadn’t even known was there. It was a strange kind of pride, uncomfortable and raw, like an ember catching
Last Updated : 2025-02-24How to Escape from a Ruthless Mobster 69: At the Edge of Uncertainty
Beatrice's POVI exhaled sharply, my gaze lingering on Bion before I turned toward the door. I needed sleep—without it, tomorrow would be hell. But just as I took a step forward, his voice stopped me."I met Mateo when I was twenty-two. He was nineteen. We..." Bion hesitated, his head dipping as if the weight of his words was too much to bear. My pulse kicked up. "We started dating a year later."Everything clicked into place. Mateo’s hatred for our family—it wasn’t rivalry. It was heartbreak. A wound festering beneath years of silence. For someone like Bion, bound by tradition and power, admitting this couldn’t have been easy. How many people knew? Not many. And the fact that he was telling me now—that meant something."We were together for two years," he continued, voice low. "Then I ended it.""And you two… don’t talk anymore?" I asked carefully, afraid of touching an open wound."I’d be shocked if we ever spoke again." His jaw tensed, eyes locked on the floor. End of discussion. P
Last Updated : 2025-02-25How to Escape from a Ruthless Mobster 70: In the Shadow of Regret
I regretted it the moment I saw the shock flicker across his face, but it was too late. The words had already escaped, raw with anger and exhaustion.He went still, his features hardening. And then, I saw it—the quiet resolve in his eyes. Anton wasn’t a child anymore, not the scared boy who had watched his father abuse his aunt. At seventeen, he had already decided he was the family’s protector. And if he thought Ryuu had hurt me, nothing would stop him."Ryuu never hurt me!" I tried, but Anton wasn’t listening. He had already turned, striding away, and I knew exactly where he was going. "Damn it! Anton, stop!" I shouted, racing after him, panic flooding my veins. My cousin was an idiot. A stubborn, reckless idiot.He was moving too fast, and I knew that if words wouldn’t stop him, I had no choice but to act. Without thinking, I threw myself at him, locking my arms around his neck. The impact sent us both staggering into the hallway wall."What the hell are you doing?" Anton growled,
Last Updated : 2025-02-26How to Escape from a Ruthless Mobster 71: A Choice Yet to Be Made
Beatrice's POVI had been avoiding Ryuu since my visit to Esposito. I didn’t know what to say, how to face him without the weight of my secret crushing me. Telling him about the possible pregnancy? Not a chance. Not until I was sure… not while I still prayed the test had been wrong.But avoiding Ryuu was nearly impossible, especially when he was waiting for me. Seated among my cousins in Aunt Loretta’s living room, drink in hand, he watched in silence, detached from their conversation. He seemed to prefer it that way, which worked in my favor—except that his focus was entirely on me.I curled up in an armchair across the room, scrolling through my messages with Sophia. I hadn’t told her about the pregnancy yet, and wouldn’t until I talked to Ryuu first. This wasn’t something you shared over the
Last Updated : 2025-02-27
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How to Escape from a Ruthless Mobster 86: Nowhere Left to Run
Beatrice’s POVMy breath hitched again, the weight of this nightmare pressing down on me, suffocating. Every choice felt like a trap, each second slipping away too fast. The room was empty, but death was circling, waiting, a predator in the dark.With trembling fingers, I typed the message: THERE ARE MEN IN THE HOUSE. I DON’T KNOW WHERE RYUU IS. I NEED HELP.The words glowed against the screen, sharp with panic. Pressing **send** felt like throwing an anchor into a storm, like clinging to something solid in a sea of terror. I tossed the phone onto the bed, my body stiff with fear, ears straining against the muffled footsteps outside. Time was slipping through my fingers. I couldn’t speak. One sound, one wrong move, and I was dead.I moved toward the c
How to Escape from a Ruthless Mobster 85: A Ghost in His Own Home
Ryuu’s POV I never planned on going back to the bedroom that night. The only thing running through my mind was that Beatrice was safer without me. The past few weeks had dragged me into a pit I couldn’t climb out of. The anonymous threat against her, the pregnancy—everything weighed on me like lead, pressing down harder with every passing day. And today, after the appointment with Dr. Takagi, the reality finally hit me like a punch to the gut. That ultrasound image in my hands… I was going to be a father. The thought terrified me. How the hell was I—someone built from violence, shaped by control—supposed to be anything other than a disaster for this child? My father had failed me at every turn. What made me think I’d be any different? I shouldn’t have poured that first glass of whiskey in the dark silence of my office. But I didn’t stop at one. Or two. Or three. Or four. Now, all that was left was the bitter aftertaste and the emptiness growing with every sip
How to Escape from a Ruthless Mobster 84: Shattered Reflections
Beatrice’s POVI didn’t know what to say.The words stuck in my throat as I watched Sophia, her pain hidden behind that forced smile. A part of me felt like a terrible friend for unloading my own burdens on her, completely oblivious to the fact that hers might be far heavier.“I…” She hesitated, fidgeting with her fingers. “I didn’t handle it well afterward. I broke up with Fukui right after… and we never talked about it. I’ve never talked about it with anyone, actually.”Silence settled between us, thick and suffocating.“Are you…” My tongue felt dry as I searched for the right words. “Are you okay?&rd
How to Escape from a Ruthless Mobster 83: A Choice I Never Made
Beatrice’s POVTwo weeks. That’s how long we’d been back in America.And yet, as I stared out the window of the black car, I still felt like I was in limbo. My reflection in the glass was pale, tense—just another ghost trapped in this endless cycle of uncertainty. Ryuu sat beside me, silent, his presence looming but unreadable.We were on our way to Dr. Takagi’s office.Today was my first ultrasound.The weight of that reality felt suffocating.Ryuu had arranged everything, just like he always did. And, to my surprise, he had kept his promise—staying by my side almost every day while I recovered.
How to Escape from a Ruthless Mobster 82: What Comes Next?
Beatrice’s POVDespite his obvious irritation, Nitta listened. His lips pressed together in something that almost resembled a smirk, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. As he walked toward the door, he shot me one last look, as if asking if I was okay. I barely managed to return it before he was gone, the door clicking shut behind him.“Are you alright?” Ryuu asked, his tone unreadable.“You keep asking me that,” I muttered, my voice hoarse. The letter slipped from my fingers, drifting to the carpet between us.“Am I not allowed to worry?” His exhale was heavy. “You’re crying.”I wiped my face quickly, feeling stupid. Of
How to Escape from a Ruthless Mobster 81: The Gift Left Behind
Beatrice’s POV“Things were weird last time we spoke,” I admitted, watching his face carefully.“I was an idiot,” Nitta sighed, his shoulders relaxing. Behind me, I heard Fukui greet Ryuu, but I didn’t turn.“What’s new?” Fukui coughed, and Nitta shot him a glare but didn’t rise to the bait.“Whatever you have with Ryuu isn’t my business. I know I already apologized, but after our last conversation”—he hesitated, something unspoken passing between us—“I was defensive. I wasn’t sure where we stood. I’m sorry for being short with you. And as for you and Ryuu… I was selfish. It was my pride talking.”“You are a child,” Fukui cut in with a laugh.
How to Escape from a Ruthless Mobster 80: The Future We Didn’t Plan
Beatrice’s POV“My aunt Loretta suspected. She took me to see her doctor.” A chill ran down my spine at the memory. I wet my lips before continuing. “At first, I wasn’t sure. We took tests at home—one was negative, the other positive. I felt like my world was caving in. Espósito walked in right after. I hadn’t planned to tell him, but I was so lost… I needed someone to talk to.”“And that someone couldn’t have been me?” Ryuu’s voice was low, but the quiet impact of his words made my heart stutter.It could have been. But in that moment, it hadn’t felt like an option.“I needed to be sure first,” I admitted. “I wanted the test to be wrong
How to Escape from a Ruthless Mobster 79: Lost in the Silence
Beatrice’s POVSilence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating. My fingers moved through Ryuu’s dark hair, the motion almost instinctive, desperate to soothe him even as my own heart pounded erratically. With every stroke, I felt his pain as if it were my own.Without thinking, I cradled his head against my stomach, holding him close in a futile attempt to shield him from the weight of everything crashing down around us. My hands trembled as they tangled in his hair, my stomach twisting at the realization of just how fragile this moment was. He still hadn’t spoken. I wanted to shake him, force him to snap out of whatever storm was raging inside him, but I knew he needed time. Too much had happened, too fast.Tears streaked his face, his bloodstained vest soaking up the moisture as he pressed agains
How to Escape from a Ruthless Mobster 78: His Reaction, My Fear
Beatrice's POV"And you didn’t take him to a hospital?" Her incredulous gaze snapped to me."I’m not going to a hospital," Ryuu muttered, his voice firm."That’s why you’re here," Anton added like it was some great relief."This isn’t as simple as stitching up a knife wound. You need imaging to determine if surgery is required. I can’t assess the damage or tell where the bullet is just by looking. Clearly, it didn’t hit a major artery or vein, given the blood loss, but the bullet is still inside you, and I can’t tell if it needs to come out.""Can it wait?" Ryuu tensed as she started cleaning the wound, the antiseptic stinging against raw flesh. Without the blood covering it, the injury looked worse.
