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2024-12-24 16:34:30
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Mafia's Forced Bride 009
Kai’s Point of View.The noise of the security system was a repetitive, robotic lullaby. It was always the quiet rhythm that presided over my life—a sense of order and control in a world of the unknown. Every camera, every guard, every slamming door helped run everything smoothly. There was no room for chaos. No room for unexpected disruptions. And then Katherine walked into my life.She wasn’t just defiant. She was a wildfire that threatened to tear through everything I’d built, leaving destruction in its wake. She had no idea how dangerous she was, but I couldn’t let her see that. I could not tell her how dangerous she was.She had seen the photo.It shouldn't have mattered a jot, just another piece of the history I'd discreetly put away. However her gaze, those of them that upon it fell—turned it into pure and sublime something else. I knew there was a reality that I could not escape, no matter how deeply I ignored it.I swirled the whiskey in my glass, and observed the amber liqu
Last Updated : 2024-12-24Mafia's Forced Bride 010
Katherine’s Point of View.The world beyond the walls of the Rossi estate remained an elusive mirage, but the idea of stepping into it—finally going to school—was a small crack in the prison I found myself in. However, it wasn’t freedom, not really. I had swapped the space for a new cage with a bit more air to breathe in.Kai had made up his mind as well and I could not help but reluctantly agree. But that didn’t mean I trusted him.The morning began with a flurry of activity. Lex came to my door, his typical expression of emotional restraint revealing nothing. "Your schedule for today is finalized," he announced curtly.I looked up from the notepad I had been mindlessly writing on. "My schedule?""You'll be attending lectures at the university downtown. Limited access, supervised," he added, as if anticipating my objections.I rolled my eyes. "Of course. Supervised. Wouldn't want me plotting an escape or anything."Lex ignored my sarcasm, as usual. "You'll also have a driver and a bo
Last Updated : 2024-12-25Mafia's Forced Bride 011
Katherine’s Point of View.The next morning the house was still, a quiet stillness that was too knowing, too heavy. It was as if everybody was just in wait mode, for something or somebody to act.I had slept poorly, and the residual tension from the previous night hung there like a spectre. Not to mention, the mere idea of another day on campus wasn't something which excited me as much as it might have. However, a brooding feeling of unease had settled in, as if something was constantly vibrating beneath the surface of Kai's carefully constructed reality.Julian arrived promptly, his expression as stoic as ever. "Car’s ready," he said.I grabbed my bag, suppressing a sigh. "Let’s go."__The university was buzzing with activity as usual, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. Julian’s presence didn’t help. He hovered just far enough to give me the illusion of space but close enough to remind me I wasn’t truly free.Lily found me during the break between classes, her brigh
Last Updated : 2024-12-25Mafia's Forced Bride 012
Kai’s Point of ViewThe morning mist wrapped itself around the estate as a shroud, a sign of the day to come. Watching the sleek black car with Katherine inside go through the wrought iron gates and onto the street from the balcony of my study, I felt an unease course through me. Julian was, as per usual, behind the wheels, and the fellow was consistent, but I couldn't seem to get rid of the feeling that something was not right.Closing my eyes with a slow breath, I looked back upon the papers on my desk. The estate's silence, which is usually a tool of control, became oppressive rather than comforting today. I saw the picture, lying inside of the false bottom of the drawer—a testament to vows I broke, and lies I hid.The knock at my study door did not surprise me. “Come in,” I said without looking up.Lex strode in, his expression as grim as ever. He paused slightly from in front of my desk, with both hands behind his back. “She’s on campus,” he reported.“I’m aware,” I replied, my
Last Updated : 2024-12-27Mafia's Forced Bride 013
Katherine’s Point of ViewThe first week of classes flew by, a blur of lectures, readings and a heady, scary thrill of freedom, exhilarating and terrifying. Even in the classroom, between the students, whose characteristics I did not know and whose presence I did not understand was curious.For once, I could pretend. Let's say I was just like any other student with ordinary student issues, like papers and tests. Let's assume the sensation of pressure on my world does not fail to affect me.But it only worked if I didn't turn around—and I couldn't help but turn around.“Hey, Katherine.”I looked up ro see Claire, a grinning, sunny girl with kinky, curly hair. She’d latched onto me from the first day, her bubbly personality a stark contrast to my guarded demeanor.“Are you coming to the coffee shop later? We're all going to cram for the econ exam," she said, sitting on the seat next to me.I just stopped, convinced in a mental duel between the invincible allurement of a yes and the psy
Last Updated : 2024-12-27Mafia's Forced Bride 014
Kai’s Point of View.Except for the gentle, soft clack of the old clock on the wall, the room was still. The weight of today's information's importance floated in the air while Lex and Julian gave me the lowdown on DiCarlos' most recent escapade.“They were testing boundaries,” Julian said, his tone clipped. “But tailing Katherine? That’s a direct provocation.”I took the seat, my index digits in mesh above knees. “It wasn’t just a provocation,” I said. “It was a message.”Lex frowned. “You think they know about her significance?”I shook my head. “Not yet. But they’re curious. She's a mutant, and in this mad world mutants are seen.”Julian shifted, his expression grim. “We need to act before their curiosity turns into something more dangerous.”I nodded. “Agreed. Double the usual surveillance on their operations. I want every move they make monitored. And, and unequivocally, let our partners know that anyone associated with the DiCarlos should be made responsible.”Lex and Julian exc
Last Updated : 2024-12-29Mafia's Forced Bride 015
Kai’s Point of View.The night was calm—too calm. That state of serenity that prefigured a coming storm.I reclined against the window of the study room, the glass smooth and cool under my skin, focusing my gaze on and through the glass until the sky's horizon. Katherine had pushed boundaries before, but this was different. She hadn’t just tested my patience tonight; she’d tested my control.The call from Julian came abruptly.“She slipped past the north gate,” he said, his voice tense. “We’ve tracked her to the city.”I didn’t need to ask how. Katherine was resourceful, far more than I had anticipated. But her defiance had reached its limit.“Where is she now?”“She's at the east side cafe," Julian says. On the other hand, there is a problem—it is one of the women of DiCarlos' that is in the company of her.That name sent a chill through me. The DiCarlos were opportunists, vultures waiting for easy pickings.“She doesn’t know what she’s done, Julian added, his tone cautious.“I’ll h
Last Updated : 2024-12-29Mafia's Forced Bride 016
Katherine’s Point of ViewThe silence in the car had been suffocating. The kind of silence that screamed louder than calls and that suffocating atmosphere, heavy with expectation, as if about to tear through the heavens in the form of a great black thunderstorm. I had been gazing out of the window the whole time, too ashamed to look at Kai, even though I knew its gaze pierced to my left cheek.Back in the mansion, however, the tension still itched my skin like a second skin. His words keep whispering back in my mind, "Did you realize what could have happened to you?” His words were filled with, not the least bit angry, but filled with. Something that I refused to acknowledge. Concern.However, my worry did not diminish the fact that I felt confined. Suffocated.I should’ve known sneaking out was a terrible idea. But staying here, under Kai’s constant control, was unbearable.The memory of the café lingered in my mind. Dante had seemed friendly enough, but there had been something of
Last Updated : 2024-12-29
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Mafia's Forced Bride 030
Katherine’s Point of ViewThe following morning started like any other. Mark arrived promptly to pick me up for school, his usual stoic demeanor firmly in place. I got into the car with my bag under control, but did not notice it.Logan's words from yesterday still buzzed in my head. You're in deeper than you think. And if you’re not careful, you’re going to drown.What did he mean by that? What was so insistently wrong with me getting within any range of Kai's attention? It was as though everyone around me was playing a game, and I was the only person with no rule book.“Miss Katherine?” Mark’s voice broke through my thoughts.“Hm?”“We’re here,” he said, gesturing to the school building.“Oh. Thanks,” I mumbled, stepping out of the car.By walking through the campus I felt the weight of things observed and described verbally. It was not quite as bad as the initial day, but it still lingered, a constant reminder that I did not belong.I managed to make it through my classes without a
Mafia's Forced Bride 029
Kai’s Point of ViewThe room was dimly lit by a candle, and the dull hum of the old fireplace echoed through the stillness as I sat in my armchair with my fingers crossed before me. Lex stood in the doorway, patiently waiting, as he always did.“She spoke to Logan again today,” Lex said, breaking the quiet.I made no outward reaction but the chill of fury raged beneath the surface. Logan Volkova has been pushing the limits for weeks and his determination was starting to thin.“How much do you know?” I asked, my voice calm but laced with steel.“He approached her during lunch,” Lex replied. “Their conversation didn’t seem casual. He’s planting seeds, trying to turn her against you.”Of course he was. Logan thrived on manipulation, and Katherine was his perfect target—new to this world, unsure of her place, and still searching for answers.“Do you think she believed him?”Lex hesitated, a rare show of uncertainty. “She seemed... conflicted. But she hasn’t acted against you.”Not yet. Bu
Mafia's Forced Bride 028
Katherine’s Point of View.The house was unnaturally quiet the next day, in a creepy and suffocating kind of way. Kai had missed breakfast without a word. His absence wasn’t unusual, but after last night’s conversation, I couldn’t shake the unease that lingered.I’d replayed his words over and over in my head. You’re in my world now. And in my world, trust can get you killed. He made it sound like I had a choice, like I’d willingly stepped into this chaos instead of being dragged into it.Yet by the time Mark picked me up to head to the campus, I'd pushed the images out of my mind. I didn't have to worry about Kai's vague prediction.Going to school was pretty mellow, but as soon as I stepped off the school bus, I could sense the air change in moods. Whispers followed me, just like they had the day before, but this time they felt more pointed, more deliberate.I caught snippets of conversations as I walked by.“...heard she’s involved with him...”“...Kai Rossi’s girl...”“...you don’
Mafia's Forced Bride 027
Kai’s Point of View. The journey home from the restaurant was quiet. Katherine sat beside me, her gaze fixed out the window, lost in thought. She hadn’t said much after we left, and while I appreciated the silence, I couldn’t ignore the tension radiating from her.Something had happened when I left to answer the phone call. I could see it in the way she carried herself—her posture slightly rigid, her expression more guarded than usual.“Something on your mind?” I asked, breaking the silence.She glanced at me briefly, her eyes unreadable. “No.”A blatant lie, but I didn’t push her. Not yet.When we returned to the mansion, however, the snow had begun falling, again, and covering the grounds in a soft light of white. Katherine left the car without waiting for me, the sound of her feet on the snow as she approached the front door.I went in after her, and watched her disappear up the main staircase, without even a look at my way. My jaw tightened. Whatever was bothering her, I’d find
Mafia's Forced Bride 026
Katherine’s Point of ViewThe hours went by in endless whispers of rumors and gossip. The gossip around Kai and me just hadn't gone away; in fact, it seemed to be growing louder and louder. By the time, it was reasonable to assume that everyone thought that I was either his girlfriend or mistress, at least half of the campus thought I was.When the final bell of the day rang, I rose, walking away from my hideout and towards the main gate. As usual the sleek, black car was already parked somewhere waiting for me. Mark leaned against it looking at the onlookers with his enigmatic eyes.“Ready?” he asked as I approached.“Yeah," I mumbled, climbing into the back seat.The drive home was quiet, save for the imperceptible sound of the engine. I would peer out from the window, and see the lights of the city fade one at a time down. It wasn’t until we took an unfamiliar turn that I realized we weren’t heading back to the mansion.“Where are we going?” I asked, glancing at Mark in the rearvi
Mafia's Forced Bride 025
Kai’s Point of View.Logan Volkova's name was a source of annoyance that had gone unseen for far too long. Listening to it again, in association with her, brought a chill to the blood colder than the Siberian snows. I walked away back to Lex, taking a breath and into the doorway to my office but satisfied with no answers.With a slam of the door, I inhaled a bracing breath, the sort of breath that contained both anger and frustrated cries that I held back. Control was everything in my world. As soon as you lost it they attacked your throat with the wolves.Logan. Of all people.I picked up my desk and grabbed a shot of vodka, and the stinging sensation pulled me back to reality as I leaned against the side. Lex followed, his face tight with tension. He also knew, as did I, that it was not a coincidence. Logan’s sudden appearance in Katherine’s life wasn’t random. It never was with him.“You knew this was coming, Kai,” Lex said, breaking the silence. His voice was soft, controlled with
Mafia's Forced Bride 024
Katherine’s Point Of View.The whispers were relentless. They filled every corner of the walls of the lecture hall, they invaded every corner and crevice in the room no matter how much I tried to zone it out.I reclined in the rear of the rows reading a blank page, supposedly writing notes. The pencil in my hand laid idly above the page, as I scribbled barely readable words that I couldn't even focus on . My eardrums itch from the pressure of their voices and I could feel their gazes, and my ears filled with the heat of their speculations.“Did you see her at the gala with him? Kai Rossi of all people.”“She doesn’t even look like someone he’d take seriously. Maybe she’s just his secretary or… something else.”“Whatever she is, she can't be trifling to him—and probably of great practical value too. There's no one who's been on the headlines for being so close to Kai Rossi for no reason .”I gritted my teeth and tried to ignore them. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard my name tossed a
Mafia's Forced Bride 023
Kai’s Point of ViewThe door to the east wing closed with a resounding finality, but my thoughts were anything but settled. I followed along the corridor and with every step its echo sounded like a bell of warning inside me.Katherine was too close. Too defiant. Too curious.Or she did not know the way she was dealing with the fire that she was messing with.I got to my office and slammed the door shut behind me, heavily leaning against it. My hands curled into fists at my sides, the tension coiled in my chest threatening to break free.Sofia. Her name was a wound I’d carried for years, one that never fully healed. Being confronted with Katherine and that folder, so near the truth, was like ripping the dressing off all over again.I moved to the desk, pouring a glass of whiskey with hands that were steadier than I felt. The amber liquid burned as it slid down my throat, but it wasn’t enough to dull the memories.Sofia's laughter rang in my ears, the timbre of the sound was so clear a
Mafia's Forced Bride 022
Katherine’s Point of ViewThe weight of Kai's pronouncements settled between us, each word followed by the sharp resonance of a warning that I could not prevent.“Once you know, there’s no going back.”I took a breath, steadying myself. “I’m already here, Kai. Whatever it is, I deserve to know.”He stood there for a second, stone face. However, as soon as he moved closer, his aura overtook the room, enveloping, but at the same time, a caring, magnetic feeling. He plucked the folder out of my hand and laid it on the table.“Fine,” he said, his voice dangerously calm. “You wanted the truth? Let’s start with the basics.”Kai opened the folder, pulling out a photograph I hadn’t noticed before. It was the more contemporary of the lot, lifelike and realistic color. There, a girl, not over 10, was standing with someone, whose upper half was hidden. The girl's eyes glittered with luminescence, as did the man's figure, which then masked it.“This,” Kai said, tapping the photograph, “is Sofia.
