6. Wife or Mistress?

Alessia Rossi

The air felt thick and heavy with the scent of expensive cologne when I slowly came back to senses. My body felt heavy as if I had been drugged or given something to knock me out. The back of my head throbbed with pain. My heart was pounding against my ribs.

When my eyelids opened, the first thing I saw was the high ceiling. Its golden designs blurred as my mind struggled to wake up. My eyes widened slightly when I realized it was not my room. The creepy familiarity in the air sent chills down my spine.

Panic set in, and I immediately sat up, panting heavily. Tears stung my eyes as images of fire that had consumed my world flashed before me.

A loud cry escaped my mouth. I tried to run away, but my body felt too heavy to move even an inch.

I barely had time to collect myself before I felt a large figure beside me. My head snapped, and my eyes widened in horror.

Nikolai.

The monster without a heart.

The one responsible for ruining my life.

He was sitting there with his commanding and disturbingly calm aura.

“Good morning, Princess,” he said in a low, velvety voice that made my skin crawl.

My heart pounded in my ears, my stomach filled with dread and defiance as I looked intensely into his eyes.

"I am not your princess. Stop calling me that!" I spat with all the energy I could muster.

As usual, he chuckled, as if finding my defiance amusing.

"You are right," one side of his lips tugged into a smirk. "You are not my princess. You are going to be my queen," his smile widened with pride. "The wife of Capo De Capi."

My eyes widened, and my breath hitched in my throat.

"In your dreams!" My teeth grated.

"No, baby," his hand reached to cup my cheek, but I immediately pulled away. "In reality."

His fingers curled, and he gave me an intense look before placing his hand on his lap, muttering, "Tonight."

“I trust you remember last night,” his voice was ice cold.

Tears threatened to spill down my cheeks as I recalled those flames. I can't even begin to imagine how much pain my father and brother must have endured because of this monster.

"Now that your family is gone, you have no one to turn to except me."

"You are wrong if you think I need support. I don't need anyone, especially you."

"But the point is you don't have any other option, darling," he chuckled.

"You are already legally mine, and soon I will claim you officially. We will be married today. The papers and rings are already ready.

Everyone out there is waiting for you."

My vision blurred with tears as I narrowed my eyes at him. I could feel my cheeks and nose turning red with rage.

"How could you expect me to marry you? You are a murderer. You killed my family."

"Killing for love isn’t murder, Princess. I reclaimed what was always mine."

I saw blood, my pulse pounding faster than ever, and my fists clenched so tightly that my knuckles turned white.

"I am not an object to possess!" I proclaimed. "I will never be a pawn in your dirty game."

A cruel smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he leaned slightly forward, dark obsession and amusement shining in his eyes.

"Your defiance is intoxicating. You fight, and I adore it. Fight if you must, but know this: every act of resistance binds you closer to me."

A chuckle rattled through his chest.

"Every scar, every tear, every pain marks our destiny, and I am your salvation."

"You are nothing to me!" I shouted, my whole body trembling with pure rage. "Do you get it? You are nothing to me! I will go to the Mafia Council and tell them what you did. I will never let you claim me."

This time he laughed—a laugh that reached his eyes.

"For your information, darling, the Mafia council is already waiting outside. They are ready to bless our union."

I was stunned.

The Mafia Council was my last hope to be saved from this devil.

"How can you do this?" I whispered. "How can they be so unjust to me?"

He shook his head slightly.

"They are not unjust. I have won the war and claimed your empire, including you," he stated as he stood up.

"But I still possess basic human rights and I don’t want to marry you. I reject your proposal!"

Nikolai's patience broke as he lunged at me, clutching my jaw with ruthless force.

"Listen carefully, Alessia," he snarled in a low and dangerous voice. "This is the last time I’ll say it: you are mine. There is no escape from me—never forget that."

I gasped in pain as his grip tightened, my head forced back against his iron hold. His eyes burned with possessive fire and a dark promise of what was to come.

"And if you refuse to be my wife, then you'll be my mistress. The choice is yours."

He abruptly released my jaw and stepped back.

"I will give you one hour to prepare yourself and come to me willingly," he declared.

"Fail to do so, and I will claim you here and now, right on this bed. I will bury myself so deep inside you that your screams will echo in this whole mansion. Everyone will know to whom you belong, whether you like it or not."

A shiver ran down my body.

"And I mean every single word I said!"

Turning around, he walked out of the room, leaving me gasping for air.

What shall I do now?

I am trapped!

And the only thing I know is that I was not going to break in front of him.

No!