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Breaking down the walls
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2025-02-03 01:33:20
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THE MAFIA CHEFÂ Â Â Love or Survival?
I lay on the bed, as I rested my head on Gerrardâs chest. His fingers moved slowly, tracing circles on my arm. The warmth of his skin, the steady rhythm of his breathing, it so was comforting. I felt... Safe. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I could let my guard down. Then my phone rang. Again. The third time now. I ignored it. It was Thaddeus, I knew why he was calling. But for once, I didnât want to answer. I didnât want to be pulled back into that dark world. Right here, in this moment, I wasnât Lily, the girl forced to play spy. I was justâĶ me. A woman lying in the arms of a man who made her feel something other than fear. Gerrard chuckled, tilting his head to look at me. âSomeone really wants to talk to you,â he teased. I forced a smile. If only he knew. âIs it that guy who sent you flowers last time? Your boyfriend?â I scoffed. âHell no, heâs not my boyfriend.â Gerrard smirked. âGood for me, if that spot is open, Iâd like to apply.â I laughed, sh
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-02-08THE MAFIA CHEFÂ Â Â The kiss of betrayer
I walked into the casino with my head held high. The air smelled of smoke and expensive whiskey, the soft clink of glasses and murmured conversations filling the space. Money and power flowed through the room like an invisible force.I made my way toward the back, the same place I had been the other night. But tonight, something felt different. Security was tighter. More guards stood around, their sharp eyes watching everything. Whatever was happening tomorrow night, it was big.Then I saw Antonio.I approached him with a calm smile. âHey, Antonio. Is Gerrard here?âHis eyes narrowed. âWhat are you doing here? Gerrard doesnât want to see you right now. Heâs busy.ââI just need a moment.â I lowered my voice, adding a touch of urgency. âPlease, just tell him Iâm here. Itâs important.âAntonio hesitated, considering. I held his gaze, hoping to sway him.After a long pause, he sighed. âWait here.âAs he disappeared into Gerrardâs office, my pulse quickened. Around me, men moved with quiet
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-02-09THE MAFIA CHEFÂ Â Â The cost of love and lies
As soon as I got back to my hotel room, I pulled out my phone. The screen lit up with multiple missed calls from Thaddeus. I took a deep breath and tried to calm down. Then I tapped the call button and held the phone to my ear. He picked up instantly. "Tell me you have something for me." "Listen carefully," I said, still trying to steady my voice. "The location of the drop off is..." I hesitated, my throat tightening. "The Bellarico familyâs tombstone." My voice dropped to a whisper. "Iâll send you the exact coordinates." "Good. Very good, Annabelle." Thaddeus said, his tone dripping with satisfaction. "Thaddeus, you better keep your word. My father and IâĶ we walk free after this. You know once this is done, Gerrard will know I was your informant. My cover will be blown." "Donât worry about that, we have you covered." He replied simply. That should have reassured me, but something about his tone made me feel uneasy. I hesitated before asking the question that had been e
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-02-13THE MAFIA CHEFÂ Â Â The beginning of war
The shock of the news of Gerrardâs possible demise left me frozen, I couldnât move, couldnât think, I just sat there, numb. It was Gilmoreâs persistent calls that finally pulled me out of my daze.He must be here.I checked out of the hotel and met him outside where he had been waiting. I climbed into the car, and without a word, he drove off as if trying to outrun the inevitable.âWhat you said on the phoneâĶ GerrardâĶ is heâĶâ I couldnât complete it, I broke down in tears.âHey, heyâĶâ Gilmore reached over, squeezing my arm reassuringly. âWe donât know for sure. So, calm down.âI shook my head, I knew. If Gerrard hadnât come back by now, he wasnât coming back at all.I buried my face in my hands, sobbing softly as Gilmore drove us to Gerrardâs safe house, the place where I had first met him. I looked at house, the whole memory came back, I hated Gerrard then, he was so rude and arrogant, but over time, I saw the truth. He was a man who had been through hell, who had lost his way.And no
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-02-15THE MAFIA CHEFÂ Â Â Fighting back
I rushed into the room, my heart was racing as I grabbed my phone, I dialed Thaddeus.His line was off.I tried again. And again. Nothing.I felt a cold dread all over me. This couldnât be happening. Just when I thought I was finally safe, Thaddeus had to go and get himself caught. If they had him, how long before he spilled everything?âDamn it!â I held the phone so hard my fingers hurt.Then there was a knock on the door. I jumped in fear.I forced down my fear, and opened the door.Gilmore stood there, calm as ever, holding a food tray.âYou should eat something, Miss Lily,â he said.Eat? I felt like I was going to throw up. But I forced a smile. I had to act normal.âThank you, Gilmore,â I said. My voice sounded steadier than I felt. âI should have helped with the food. Sorry.âHe gave a small nod, placed the tray on the table, and left.The second the door clicked shut, I let out a shaky breath.I needed to think fast.I needed to escapeI couldnât stay. If they figured out my pa
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-02-17THE MAFIA CHEFÂ Â Â Fear of the darkness
I stopped at a department store on my way back and bought some food. I wanted everything to look normal. If anyone asked, I had just gone shopping. That was all. But when the taxi dropped me off at the gate, I felt something was wrong. The security guards stood up straight when they saw me. One of them spoke into his walkie-talkie, then nodded for me to go inside. Inside, the feeling was worse. The staff stared at me like I was a lost child who had just come home. My stomach felt tight under their eyes. Then I saw Gilmore. He let out a breath, like a babysitter who had found a missing kid. And then, Gerrard. He walked toward me fast, his footsteps loud. His face was full of anger. Before I could move, he grabbed my armsâtoo hard. "Where did you go?" he asked, his voice sharp. I flinched. His fingers pressed into my skin. "I... I justâ" His eyes looked into mine. I saw something in them, but I didnât know what it was. "You disappeared, Lily. Do you know how dangerous that was
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-02-23THE MAFIA CHEFÂ Â Â The ambush
"No. Why would I?" I fought to keep my voice steady. Gerrardâs dark eyes studied me carefully, his expression was unreadable. "I know you saw..." His words trailed off. He exhaled sharply, looking away. "You shouldnât have seen that."I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Gerrard, Iâd like to go homeâĶ Please." My voice barely rose above a whisper.He was silent for a long moment, then finally nodded. "Okay. Iâll call one of the drivers to take you home."-----Back at the house, I went straight to my room, I shut the door behind me without a word to anyone. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldnât shake the memory. The gunshot. The blood. The way Gerrard had pulled the trigger so effortlessly, like it was nothing.I had thought Bruno was cruel. But Gerrard? This side of him was something else entirely.Bruno had once warned me: Donât be fooled, Lily. Heâs just as cruel, maybe even more.He had always been like this, but I had allowed my feelings to cloud my judgment. He was the leade
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-02-27THE MAFIA CHEFÂ Â Â You're still here
Victor fired a fast shot, hitting the man who had shot at Gerrard. The other attackers jumped into their car and sped away, still shooting as they escaped. Victor and his men fired back, bullets flying in every direction. The loud gunshots made my ears ring, but I couldnât focus on anything except Gerrard.He was on the ground, bleeding, his face was pale and lifeless. My heart pounded with fear. He looked really bad.Victor cursed and quickly knelt beside him. He ripped his shirt into strips and pressed them against the wound to stop the bleeding. Gerrard groaned in pain, his breathing weak.âStay with me, man,â Victor said, his voice tight with worry.One of the men ran to the car and threw the door open. âWe have to leave now!âVictor nodded and, with another manâs help, lifted Gerrard off the ground and they carried him to the car. My chest felt tight as I watched helplessly as they laid him on the backseat.âDrive!â Victor shouted.The tires screeched as we sped off into the nigh
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-02-27
āļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ
THE MAFIA CHEFÂ Â Â Emotional Wreck
I stared at him, heart thundering. My mouth opened, but nothing came out at first. âIâĶ I did go there,â I finally stammered. âTo the town. To where I grew up. But it wasnât what I remembered.â Gerrard didnât respond, he just watched me with stormy eyes, waiting. âThe place was different,â I continued, my voice shaking. âIt was likeâĶ like time had erased everything. There was no trace of my home. Thereâs a new building there now. Some sleek modern thing; cold and empty.â I swallowed, pressing a hand to my chest. âNo one recognized me. Not even the neighbors. But then againâĶ Iâm not the little girl who left that town. Iâve changed. I'm all grown now, with a change of identity and appearance. And I guess theyâve moved on too.â Then softly, he asked, âSo why didnât you just come home? I was here waiting for youâ "I know, but I needed some kind of closure." I looked down, blinking back fresh tears. âSo I went out of town to find someone, an old friend. The only person I though
THE MAFIA CHEFÂ Â Â Suspicion
When I walked into the house, the staff greeted me warmly, Gilmore, Luke, even Brenda. Their faces showed surprise, but there was happiness and a bit of relief in their eyes.âWelcome back, Miss Lily,â one of the maids said with a kind smile.Luke stepped forward and gave me a small nod. âItâs good to see you. Finally, we can all catch a break."I stopped in my tracks. âWhat do you mean?â I asked, feeling my stomach tighten.Luke rubbed the back of his neck like he was unsure how much to say. âAfter Gerrard came back alone from your trip, the casino ran into some trouble. Police trouble... Don't worry, itâs all been taken care of now. The boss has powerful connections, you know.âI just nodded. I already knew Gerrard wasnât the type to fall apart, even with Bruno stirring things up. Still, I felt a strange unease settle in my chest.Luke continued, his voice a little softer now. âBut Gerrard hasnât been himself, he was so worried about you when he couldnât reach you. He was a mess, Li
THE MAFIA CHEFÂ Â Â Unraveled
We were trapped. Thaddeus had given the order. The guards were moving in to grab me. My heart was racing, I couldnât let them take me to Bruno. Not like this. Not without a fight. But then, Tim stepped forward. His voice was calm, but strong. "You might want to think twice before you do that." Thaddeus raised a brow, amused. "Is that so?" "I know what you did Thaddeus, I know the old man didnât steal from Bruno. You did." I turned to look at Tim, shocked. What was he saying? Thaddeusâs smug smile didnât fade. In fact, he chuckled and looked straight at me. âWow. Thatâs what weâre doing now?â he said. âThrowing ridiculous accusations?â I could feel my blood boiling. Tim didnât back down. âItâs not a lie. I have proof.â That made Thaddeus pause. Just for a second. His smile twitched. Tim pulled out a small recording device. âThis was recorded a few months ago. When Thaddeus was supposed to be overseas on a mission. Melissa his girlfriend is my cousin, my uncle, h
THE MAFIA CHEFÂ Â Â Back Home
The moment I stepped back into my hometown, memories hit me like a wave. Everything looked the same, the streets, the buildings, even the air smelled familiar. But something felt off. The place seemed empty, like a ghost town filled with moments I had tried so hard to forget. I kept my hood up, my face down, and stayed hidden during the day. Sir Brunoâs men were everywhere. If they knew I was back, I wouldnât last long. My first stop was my fatherâs house. The moment I saw it, my chest tightened. It was abandoned, lifeless. The white paint had peeled away, leaving dark stains. Dust covered the windows, and the porch looked ready to collapse. My father. What had he been going through all this time? Tears filled my eyes. We didnât have much before, but we were happy, until Bruno destroyed our lives in an instant. I cried for my father, for everything we had lost. But I couldnât stay long. It wasnât safe. As I opened the door to leave, I ran straight into someone. Tim
THE MAFIA CHEFÂ Â Â Facing my fears
I forced a small smile, sitting up and pulling the sheets around me like they could protect me from the weight of his words. âGerrard, I...â I hesitated, searching for the right words. âI donât think thatâs a good idea.â He frowned, his concern was clear. âWhy not?â I looked away, suddenly more interested in the patterns on the duvet than in his piercing gaze. âI justâĶ I have a lot of bad memories there,â I admitted in a quiet voice. âItâs not a place I want to go back to. Not yet.â I met his gaze. "I'm not ready." His fingers brushed against my arm in a gentle reassurance. âI understand,â he said softly, though I could hear a hint of sadness. âI wonât push. But if you ever change your mindâĶ Iâd love to see the place that made you who you are.âI held him hand. "Gerrard, It's been so long I went there. It's hard to face my past." He looked at me, his gaze deep and serious. âLily, I know itâs hard, but you need to face your fears. You need to go back there and feel something other
THE MAFIA CHEFÂ Â Â Bliss
I forced a smile. "AhâĶ Chef DuPont. Of course. Good to see you again. Iâm a big fan of yours." Chef DuPont dipped his head politely, his voice smooth and unreadable. "Mademoiselle, it is a pleasure to be at your service this evening." Gerrardâs smirk deepened, clearly pleased with himself. "I figured having a familiar face here would make this night even more special for you." I let out a nervous laugh, subtly gripping the stem of my wine glass for support. "Oh, yes. Very special. What aâĶ surprise." Chef DuPontâs eyes flickered again, just for a moment. Did he know? Did he suspect? But he simply inclined his head slightly and said, "I hope the meal has been to your satisfaction." I exhaled as discreetly as possible. He didnât expose me. Or maybe he didnât know. OrâĶ he did, and he was choosing to say nothing. Either way, I was safe. For now. ---- As the night wore on, dinner had been wonderful, but it was getting late. Gerrard finally suggested we head back, gu
THE MAFIA CHEFÂ Â Â The date
The city streets soon faded, replaced by an open, empty road. The eerie silence of the night made it worse. Then I saw it. A long stretch of pavement, dimly lit. An airstrip. My breath hitched. The car slowed to a stop near a sleek, white private jet waiting under the floodlights. And then I saw him. Gerrard. Standing at the foot of the stairs, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit. Hands in his pockets, his sharp features softened by a knowing smirk. His dark eyes locked onto mine, full of amusement and something deeper. My chest tightened with overwhelming relief. The fear that had gripped me moments ago melted into something else entirely. I almost cried. The driver stepped out and opened my door, but I was frozen for a second, still catching my breath. Then, shaking my head at my own paranoia, I stepped out. I walked straight toward Gerrard, my heart still hammering, but this time for a different reason. He looked so effortlessly handsome, the glow from the
THE MAFIA CHEFÂ Â Â The ride
After a week, life had settled back into its usual rhythm. We were back at the main house, and Gerrardâs business was running smoothly without a hitch. The war was over, we had made peace with Magnus, I had even gone to visit Jamieâs baby, bringing gifts and sharing in the joy of new life.Gerrard had been full of praise, telling me how impressed he was with the way I handled everything, the war, Magnus situation, the way I stayed composed under pressure, the way I supported him when it mattered most. His admiration made my heart swell, but I knew better than to bask in it for too long.Because while he was showering me with affection, he was also working quietly in the background, investigating.Who had planned the sniper attack? Who had sent him those warning messages?I had no idea what he had uncovered so far, but I could only pray that his search wouldnât lead him back to me. I had buried my secrets deep, but I knew Gerrard. He was thorough. He wouldnât stop until he had answers.
THE MAFIA CHEFÂ Â Â Truce
Victor kept staring at me, his face hard to read."You have to let me talk to him," I begged. "If you donât, heâll just get hurt again."Victor hesitated, his jaw tight. He knew I was right.With a deep breath, he finally nodded. "Go."I didnât wait. I ran straight to the warehouse under the casino, where Gerrardâs men were getting ready for war.-----The air inside was heavy with tension, filled with the smell of sweat and gunpowder. At the center of it all stood Gerrard, fastening a gun holster around his waist, his face serious.I stepped forward. "Gerrard, donât do this."He didnât stop what he was doing. "Magnus wonât stop unless I finish this.""Then capture him. Make him talk. But donât kill him," I said firmly.Gerrard looked at me, frustration in his eyes. "And what if letting him live makes him come back stronger? What if he takes more from me?""Then letâs make sure he has no reason to come back."He clenched his jaw, thinking.Then, finally, he sighed. "Fine. Iâll take hi
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