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65 • For You, I Will
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2023-10-08 17:21:19Related chapters
The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 66 • I Need Space
◇ MYKAELA ◇ The night was still. The soft glow of the yellow bedside lamp cast a warm, inviting atmosphere all over Lorenzio's bedroom. I preferred to study in his guest room where I could spend hours and hours reading in total peace and quiet. But tonight, I would stay in here until he fell asleep. I wanted to keep an eye on him in case Rafa or Leandro called him again. I sat beside his desk, alone and surrounded by thick textbooks and my recent notes, consumed by the intricate details of my professor's chosen specialization this week. The rhythmic tick of the clock on the wall echoed in my ears as I stared at the paperbacks splayed before me. For about four hours now, I'd been trying my best to concentrate and check off some items on my to-do list. But the other side of my brain kept distracting me, constantly imagining the impending storm that could sweep through my life in the next few weeks. Or months. I wouldn't know for sure. As an adult, I only met Ilya once. I didn't know
Last Updated : 2023-10-10The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 67 • A Nudge In The Right Direction
◆ MAXIMILIANO ◆I flumped down in my chair and glanced around the quiet patio beside the backdoor to my kitchen, a glass of red wine in hand, squinting at the sun as it dipped below the horizon.Beside me, my cousin unbuttoned the top part of his shirt and sat back in his chair, savoring his own wine. "Good stuff?" Ricchar mumbled, breaking the comfortable silence."This one's not too bad.""Yeah. Just don't tell Cloe.""Duh..." I glanced around. The soft glow of the evening enveloped us, casting long shadows that danced across my backyard. I hadn't been here in months. I kinda missed it. The peace and quiet. The remoteness. The total privacy. "Don't want your hormonal wife to spank me, too.""Stronzo." Ricchar chuckled.I looked behind. Next to my dimly lit kitchen, Alessio seemed engrossed in his first Hacking 101 class with Niccolo, both of them wearing dark t-shirts and sitting at my rarely used dining table."Heard anything about your Pappa lately?" Ricchar asked when th
Last Updated : 2023-10-11The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 68 • I Need Help
◆ LORENZIO ◆I glanced around my sleek, high-rise office and leaned against the glass windows. I watched the cityscape below. The view used to be my sanctuary, but today it only deepened my sense of isolation.Mykaela being gone and hours away only reminded me of that utter clusterfuck I orchestrated, just minutes after I let the daftest idea take over me and my common sense the other night.Now she probably thought I'd officially gone bonkers. Just like my brother. Then again I brought that cock-up upon myself. No one's fault but mine.I couldn't blame her for leaving me with a hastily written note and a heavy heart. Of course she would say no. Well, she didn't actually say "no", but the look of shock and restrained panic on her face was already engraved in my mind.I took off my mask and hurled it in the bin, walking away from the large glass windows. I let out a long sigh, nearly shivering from the cool air coming from the A/C unit. I grabbed the remote and turned it off.T
Last Updated : 2023-10-11The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 69 • We're Getting Married, Babe
Brichese, Brescia ◆ MAXIMILIANO ◆ My brain didn't want to rest. The moon cast eerie shadows across the room as I lay in bed, sleep eluding me once again. The night was still, the whole house stayed peaceful, and I was in the comfort of my own home with three guys I could trust with my life. But a blizzard of agitated thoughts wouldn’t leave me alone. I blamed Kel’s brother. That cocky, intrusive son of a bitch’s intuition better be more than that. What he said better be accurate. Or at least that part when he indirectly suggested that my father could still be here in Italy. My father's unexpected disappearance had left us with a gnawing anxiety that wouldn’t go away. Pretty much impossible to quell at times. Mamma, Ricchar, and Niccolo especially. I might finally put an end to it soon. After another fitful half-hour of tossing and turning beside my snoring cousin, I checked the time again before slipping out of bed, leaving Ricchar alone on the covers. I grabbed my phone to
Last Updated : 2023-10-13The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 70 • Can't Lose You
◇ MYKAELA ◇ Eight more hours. Just eight more to go. Then I'd be back in my room, enjoying the peace and quiet and the comfort of my bed. I'd been racing through my morning ER rotations, the hospital bustling with activity as always. The beeping of machines, the distant chatter of nurses, the constant influx of patients in the emergency room—I was already getting used to it. All part of our daily routine this week. But this morning felt different. I couldn't shake the unease keeping me up at night. Today, my anxiety bothered me more than usual, my heart pounding harder than it should. I wanted to blame the lack of proper sleep and our demanding workload. But my thoughts kept circling back to those cryptic messages Dr. Chen sent the other night, and the texts Lorenzio sent yesterday. "Miss Nielsen." I whirled at the familiar voice that came from behind me. "Yes?" Dr. Casey Ashford, one of the attending physicians on duty, stood beside a hospital bed with his stethoscope dangling
Last Updated : 2023-10-14The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 71 • Almost Husband & Wife
◆ MAXIMILIANO ◆ Today was our wedding day. Adreana and I managed to find a decent white dress and a brand new tux last night. Like my outfit, hers looked rather simple. Not too pricey or attention-seeking, which we both preferred. I already saw her in the dress before I bought it, so I knew what to expect. In half an hour, we should be right outside the courthouse, ready to get the show going, fully prepared to exchange vows in front of everyone. Mamma's friends, my two uncles, some of our employees, and my cousins would be arriving at The Palazzo soon, which was 15 minutes away from the courthouse. After easing my mother through a mini anxiety attack, I told Mamma's bodyguards to escort her into my car. They just left with Niccolo. The hotel staff and the other bodyguards were waiting in the lobby. Time to fetch my bride. Adreana must be getting impatient in the hotel room Mamma booked for them. It was their dressing room for today. Gripping my phone, I adjusted my tie as I cros
Last Updated : 2023-10-15The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 72 • Legally Bound To You
◆ MAXIMILIANO ◆ By noon, we arrived outside the busy town hall with Alessio and Roman. The other bodyguards stood close to Mamma and Ricchar, ready to escort us to the courthouse. The sun hung high in the sky, casting a golden hue over the spacious landscape surrounding the tall buildings ahead of us. My mother and our witnesses looked busy chatting and waiting near the bottom of the wide stairs that led to the building where Adreana and I would be wedded. I straightened and regarded my quiet bride. Adreana glanced at me every five seconds or so, as if what just happened in the backseat only worsened her anxiety. She gripped my hand while I guided her out of the car, the mild and relaxing scent of her perfume now forever imprinted in my brain. "I gave you the certificate. Right?" she murmured to my face, her shapely brows wrinkling. "Which one?" "The original copy of the Nulla Osta. You put it in the briefcase?" Adreana stared at me, squinting her eyes, anxiously waiting for me t
Last Updated : 2023-10-16The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 73 • Separate Ways
◇ MYKAELA ◇"You sure you don't need to buy anything? Or get anything from your dorm?""I'm good. Thanks. You had dinner yet?" I smiled at Lele when he opened the backseat door for me. The cold November night fanned my skin before I slid in the backseat of Enzo's car, the hum of the engine a soothing lullaby."Before you called. Berto cooked, but I'm not sure you'll like any of it." Lele shut the door and walked around the shiny hood."I'm not a picky eater, Gabriele. Your boss is. Let's just go straight to his house," I told my dutiful bodyguard once he was buckled up behind the wheel.Even though he knew I wasn't in any way paying for his salary, he treated me like a sister who needed protecting, and his commitment to his job as my on-call driver slash security escort was enough for me to trust him. The way Enzo trusted him. Apparently Lele was related to Berto, which must've convinced Enzo that Lele was someone he could count on when it came to my safety.I stared out the window, g
Last Updated : 2023-10-18
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The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] EPILOGUE • Life's Too Short For Grudges
The HamptonsNew York ◇ MYKAELA ◇ Wow. Just stunning. Every inch of this property was breathtaking, every view worth every penny. The photos my brother sent me last week couldn't compare to the real thing. This place was paradise on steroids. I should send him a big, pricey Thank-You gift for this much-needed vacation...in this private, safe, luxurious, and peaceful beachfront haven many could only dream about. The views looked like life-size wallpapers. "I could get used to this," I sighed, talking to myself while my hands got busy with the pan and spatula. If I didn't have a hospital job and if Enzo could work from home forever, I would pack up our stuff and move in here first thing. Too bad we weren't insanely rich like my brother. This was the newest multimillion-dollar property on his list of assets, and on my birthday, Magnus offered to lend this vacation house all weekend. Actually he said we could "use it whenever" we felt like going here. But of course I told him Enzo a
The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 96 • You'll Always Be My Little Princess
◇ MYKAELA ◇ Before I could question him about the lawyer, one of Ilya's security staff entered the room and dropped a duffel bag on the floor. Right beside Enzo. I clamped my mouth shut, my chest and stomach clenching. The guard left the room without saying anything. I glanced at Lorenzio. I could see his scowl deepen despite his mask. Before I could unzip the small duffel, he crouched and swiftly inspected the contents. My breath hitched. I gawked at the wads of hundred dollar bills staring back at me, the shock pinning my feet on the spotless floor. Thin rubber bands bundled up the fresh bills. I'd never seen this much cash up-close, with my own eyes. If I had to guess, they probably amounted to at least a million bucks. Or more? Enzo flung me a look of annoyance, then stepped away from the duffel bag. "What's this for?" He glared at Ilya. I glanced at the piles of cash. A bitter taste settled in my tongue, my feet itching for the door. Obviously the money belonged to the m
The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 95 • Welcome To The Family, Sofija
Velikov, Senjak ◇ MYKAELA ◇ This was definitely luxury real estate. A filthy rich mobster's final stronghold. I winced at the thought and the cool wind sweeping across the sprawling rows of shrubs, flowering trees, and freshly cut grass. I couldn't shake the nervous flutter in my stomach as the SUV drove away from the tall iron gates. I felt as if we're entering another world. This place almost looked like a compound. A luxurious safe haven that belonged to the man I didn't expect I'd be seeing again. The mansion right ahead looked like a modern palace by the lake. Wrapped in a knee-length coat, I stayed beside Enzo after we got out of the vehicle. The gusts sounded like they whispered more secrets about my family's mostly well-kept history. The ivy-covered fence and picturesque yard sprawled like living artwork. This was a stark contrast to our modest home in Schenectady, a place where Ilya's name was never spoken. Until Daddy Jim died. "He must be excited to see you." Magnus st
The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 94 • Revenge Of The Mafia Boss
◇ MYKAELA ◇ The bulletproof SUV rumbled along the narrow, rain-soaked streets as heavy clouds cast a dreary atmosphere over us. We finally reached Senjak. The Internet said this was a residential part of Belgrade. This part of the city boasted affluent neighborhoods, some prime real estate, museums, and other landmarks of Serbian modern architecture. I thought Ilya would send a few of his security personnel to fetch us. But Magnus said this SUV would take us straight to the estate. I looked out the heavily tinted windows, the tiny raindrops running across the glass. The backseat and the rest of the interior looked high-end. Obviously this was an expensive armored vehicle. My brother didn't seem the type to disregard matters of security or take his for granted. Especially whenever he was in this country. I wouldn't be surprised if he was used to having at least five bodyguards escorting him and his wife. I could already imagine my other brothers and Ilya waiting for us in his man
The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 93 • Love Is Like Cocaine
◆ MAXIMILIANO ◆ The turn my life had taken in the past couple of months was nothing short of mind-blowing. "Maxim, the windshield's bigger than the rearview mirror for a reason," Mamma would say. But part of me still couldn't believe the life I was living now. I just turned 30. Married now. With a kid on the way. And like Adreana's pregnancy, the outrageous numbers on my latest bank statement still wouldn't sink in. Maybe it was just unprocessed grief. Shock. Unresolved childhood traumas. Daddy issues. Or all of the above. Maybe it was just my conscience haunting me. Or Pappa. Did he hate me for killing him? For stealing his millions? For ruining his plans? Probably. Although he was a self-serving, greedy scumbag in every sense of the word, he shouldn't have died that way. He wouldn't have died that day if I didn't show up with a dangerously armed entourage. I shot him without even flinching. Murdered him in cold blood. I deserved this unending torment. ◆ I stared at my ph
The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 92 • A Deal With The Cali Alpha
◇ MYKAELA ◇The party ended roughly two hours after dinner. My family and the last of our guests just left.Except Rafa. He'd be sleeping in the guest room tonight, and most likely for the next few days, until he was due to go back to Rome.Or Florence? I forgot to ask. I wasn't sure if Alodia was allowed to leave her ex's vacation house. Or if she still wanted to hang out with Raffaele from time to time.Enzo mentioned they were no longer an item.My breaths formed light mists in the crisp air as I tidied up his dimly lit backyard. The clatter of plates, clinking glasses, and the sounds of laughter lingered in my head. But the cold breeze only emphasized the emptiness I felt now.The heavy silence made room for darker thoughts. To keep distracting myself, I went back inside the house to fix the mess in Enzo's kitchen, scowling at the remnants of the party clinging to the countertops. I was used to this, though. Cleaning at the dead of night and being alone with my thoughts. I actuall
The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 91 • The New Tomassini Heir
Florence, Italy ◆ LORENZIO ◆ Rain pelted on the windows as I sat next to my brother's loveseat in the middle of his spacious living room. Gray clouds hid the mid-afternoon sun, and the house, which once held memories of private and carefree moments, now felt like a comfortable prison. To me at least. This used to be my brother's favorite vacation house: a 4000-square meter countryside property with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, an expensive fireplace, a huge yard, and a wide pool Leandro actually designed himself. Now that he was behind bars for violating his house arrest, he phoned and practically begged me to take his ex and their baby here. To keep them safe and away from unwanted media attention, he said. I supposed he just wanted to make sure that Rafa wouldn't be my nephew's stepdad anytime soon. The situation felt peculiar, to say the least. But I just couldn't say no to his request. An innocent child was involved. A clueless, helpless newborn. Leandro and Alodia's baby
The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 90 • Impostor Syndrome
◇ MYKAELA ◇I felt like a fraud. An inadequate and incompetent failure. A liar, basically.Maybe some people I'd met actually thought I was an impostor. Nothing but a tryhard. Some days I just felt as if I were made to understand, but not to be understood. And lately I couldn't help but feel a myriad of emotions redirecting the course of my thoughts practically every minute.Nothing new, though. These past few years had been a constant battle with this mindset. This anxious brain. All this negativity.But I knew I should feel grateful. Lucky. I should be thankful for a lot of things. Especially for this flawless human being in front of me.Like me, he didn't look too dressed up or underdressed. Despite his schedule, Lorenzio took the time to arrange this romantic dinner after he wasted his entire day at our graduation ceremonies, looking adorable and proud as he cheered me on and took pictures of me and Mommy Tilda all over the place.I sat back as the evening sun dipped below the cit
The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 89 • Wife Material
◆ MAXIMILIANO ◆I left Mamma's office and made my way to the parking lot after enduring ten minutes of small talk with some coworkers.The chilly weather seemed less hostile at this hour, as if it had sensed the shift in my mood. Alessio drove off after I told him I gotta check up on my wife.Wife.I winced. Not because Adreana didn't fit the role I asked her to play. I wouldn't have wifed her up that fast if I thought she wasn't emotionally mature enough, or couldn't handle the most basic household duties.The problem was me. Of course I was the issue. Even months after that rushed courthouse wedding, my brain still couldn't fully deal with the fact that I was someone's husband now. I couldn't even handle my own shit. Let alone another human being.It was sheer luck I found someone as caring and understanding as her. "She doin' okay?""Adreana? Yeah." Alei stepped on the gas. "Better than last month.""You sure Joachim's still in the hospital?""Hundred percent comatose. Just the way
