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Chapter 46
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2024-11-04 22:45:37
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The Mafia's Contract    Chapter 47
JOAN'S POVOne night, I accompanied Derrick to a dinner with the governor. The governorâs mansion was breathtaking. Everything here was sophisticated - the paintings, the chandeliers, the high ceilings, the wide hallway and the house itself. As we stepped through the entrance, the chandeliers sparkled above us on the marble floors. I tried not to gape but it was hard not to. I was in awe of thewhole place. It looked like something straight out a movie. Beside me, Derrick walked with confidence. His posture was straight and his expression was unreadable as always. He hadnât spoken much on the drive over. Not like he ever spoke to me anyway. But now, as we walked through the crowd of high-profile guests, he seemed even colder. The dining room was already half-full by the time we reached our seats. As I took a look around, I couldnât help but notice the familiar faces scattered around the room. The governor, several senators, and even the President of the United States who was seated
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2024-11-05The Mafia's Contract    Chapter 48
JOANâS POVIrene and I planned to spend the day getting our hair and nails done. I wasnât the type to do this often. Hell, before I got engaged to Derrick, I couldnât remember the last time I got my hair done. I usually did it myself. But Irene kept pleading for us to have a girlâs day out together. And how on earth could I say no to Irene?As soon as I stepped through the doors of the salon with Irene, my jaw nearly dropped. Iâd never seen anything like this place before. The walls gleamed with soft pink wallpapers and crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Everything here screamed luxury, from the fluffy chairs, to the bright vanity mirrors, the marble counters and even the stylists. Women walked around wearing robes with glasses of champagnes in their hands. They talked quietly as they were pampered by the workers. Irene noticed my awestruck expression and grinned. âI told you, Joan, this place is worth the hype. Nothing but the best for us.ââI can see thatââDonât be too su
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2024-11-12The Mafia's Contract    Chapter 49
JOAN'S POVIt was well past midnight when I slipped downstairs to the kitchen. I couldn't sleep so I decided to get a glass of milk to calm myself down. Just as I got the milk I needed, the muffled sound of voices caught my attention. I could hear a low argument coming from down the hallway. Curiosity got the better of me as it always did and I found myself walking closer. I stayed behind a pillar, straining my ears to catch every word.It was Derrick and Henry. They were both arguing about something. "You're hiding something, Derrick." Henry said "How long do you think you can keep it a secret?"Derrickâs response was calm "You have no idea what you're talking about, Henry. Stay out of my affairs, or youâll regret it."I held my breath as I pieced together what little I could from their exchange. It was clear there was a rift between them. Just then, the sound of footsteps approaching shocked me. I ran back to the staircase, making my way up as silently as possible. Once I was in
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2024-11-15The Mafia's Contract    Chapter 50
JOANâS POVFor days, I hid myself in my room, avoiding everyone and everything. I didnât want to see anyone and neither was I in the mood to do anything.I focused on the fabric in my hand as I sewed. My fingers worked mechanically, weaving the thread into the fabric, but my mind was far from focused.Derrick.His name alone sent an ache through my chest. I hated how much space he took up in my thoughts. I shouldnât have felt anything for him. He was cold, detached, and utterly infuriating. And yet, every time I closed my eyes, I saw him.I saw him with her. The way his hand lingered on her waist. A stripper. He acted like I wasnât even there, like I didnât exist. Well, to him I didnât. I was just a pawn in the grand scheme of things.Tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them away. I couldnât do this to myself anymore. Derrick didnât care about me. Our marriage, if it could even be called that, was a contract, plain and simple.So, why did it hurt so much?I stabbed the needle through t
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2024-11-27The Mafia's Contract    Chapter 51
DERRICKâS POVI sat at my desk, staring at the stack of papers I wasnât reading. Santi and Ace were talking from across me but I barely heard them. My mind was elsewhereâon her.Joan.It had been days since Iâd seen her. She hadnât crossed my path in the mansion, and as much as I hated to admit it, I missed her. The way she glanced at me when she thought I wasnât looking, her quietness, and, dammit, even the way she seemed to avoid me sometimes.Why the hell was I thinking about her?Iâd never let a woman occupy my thoughts like this before. Women came and went. They were mere distractions in my world of deals and power. But Joan wasnât like the others. She was innocent, beautiful and âĶdifferent. I couldnât put my finger on it. And the way sheâd stormed out of the dining room that night when the stripper danced on meâĶA feeling of guilt tightened my chest. I hadnât cared then, but now? Now, it irritated me to know I mightâve been the cause of that flicker of hurt in her eyes. What the
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2024-12-05The Mafia's Contract    Chapter 52
JOANâS POVI hummed as I stitched the hem of a simple dress. Sewing always brought me a sense of peace. It was a way to center myself when the world outside felt overwhelming.A sudden knock on the door broke my concentration, and I set the dress aside.âCome in,â I called, pushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear.The door opened to reveal Emily. When she saw me, her face lit up with excitement.âJoan!â she exclaimed, stepping inside.âEmily!â I got to my feet, crossing the room to hug her. âWhat are you doing here?âShe pulled back with a huge smile âI have the most amazing news. Youâll never believe it.âI raised an eyebrow, intrigued. âWhat is it?âEmily glanced over her shoulder, as if checking for eavesdroppers, before turning back to me. âThereâs someone here to see you. A fashion designer.âI blinked in surprise. âA designer? What kind of designer?âEmily grinned, practically bouncing on her heels. âNot just any designer. Hart Couture.âI froze. The name sent a jolt through
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2024-12-09The Mafia's Contract    Chapter 53
JOANâS POVThe room was filled with activity as my glam team moved around me with their palettes and brushes in hand. My makeup artist, Sophie, leaned in to add the final touch of shimmer to my cheekbones, and I tried to hold still, but my hands were trembling in my lap. It wasnât nerves from being in the spotlightâI should have been used to that by now. Iâd walked countless red carpets, smiled for cameras, and played my part in the perfect image Derrick and I had been carefully crafting.But tonight was different. Tonight, Derrick was going to propose.The audience wouldnât know it was fake, of course. This wasnât just any event; it was the beginning of our contract marriage. I tried to focus on the strokes of the makeup brush, but my mind kept drifting to what tonight meant.I always dreamed of getting marriedâfalling in love with someone who looked at me like I was their entire world. The kind of love that made my momâs eyes light up when she talked about my dad. But that wasnât wh
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2024-12-10The Mafia's Contract    Chapter 54
JOANâS POVThe kiss lingered on my mind, stealing every ounce of focus I had. Derrickâs lips against mine, so unexpected, so electricâit was all I could think about as he led me by the hand into the hall. His grip was firm yet gentle, like he didnât want to let go. My heart raced, not just from the memory of the kiss but from the interioe of the hall we stepped into.The room was breathtaking. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, their crystals scattering light like tiny stars. The elites were all hereâpoliticians, business associates, and socialites. Women wore shimmering dresses adorned with jewels, and men were well dressed in tailored suits that screamed wealth and power. It looked like a scene straight out of a movie.Derrick stopped to speak with the governor, a man I had only ever seen on television. My awe must have been obvious because Derrick leaned in and whispered, âBreathe, Joan.âThe governor turned his attention to me, and brought out his hand for me to shake.âItâs a ple
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2024-12-19
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The Mafia's Contract    Chapter 64
DERRICKâS POVThe car was filled with an unbearable tension. I could feel it pressing down on me, suffocating me. Joan sat beside me in the backseat. She didnât look bothered about me at all. Instead, her eyes were fixed on the darkened city outside the window.She acted like everything was normal, like she didnât just stand up to or subtly threaten a mafia boss. I knew Antonio wouldnât take it lightly. Still, it was fun to watch. I didnât know she had that kind of fire inside her.The streetlights highlighted her face. She looked even more beautiful at night. The lights sharpened the soft contours of her cheekbones, the curve of her lips. But what kept me staring at her wasnât her beautyâit was the fire she had inside. A fire I had totally underestimated. Hell, I didnât even know it existed.I never thought she had it in her. Not Joan. Not the meek quiet maid who barely spoke when I was in the room. She couldnât even look me in the eye most times. But tonightâĶ tonight she had proven
The Mafia's Contract    Chapter 63
DERRICKâS POVThe moment I stepped off the ballroom floor, I could still feel the ghost of Joanâs touch on my skin. Her warmth, her softnessâit lingered, and I hated it. I clenched my fists, shoving past the crowd as I stormed out of the ballroom.The air outside was cool, but it did nothing to stop the fire burning inside me. I needed to get away from her, from the way she made me feelâlike I was on the edge of losing control.Damn it.I leaned against a pillar in the hallway, inhaling sharply. This wasnât supposed to happen. I wasnât supposed to feel anything. I had vowed to never let another woman under my skin again. Love was a liability, a weakness I couldn't afford. Not in my world. Not as a mafia boss. If my enemies caught even a whiff of somethingâof someoneâI cared about, theyâd exploit it. Theyâd use her against me. And Joan... Joan was already too close.Besides, a woman had hurt me before and Iâd be damned if I let it happen again.Women. They were all the same. Theyâd act
The Mafia's Contract    Chapter 62
DERRICKSâ POVI stood near the balcony, holding a cigar in my hands. I needed it to calm me down.I took a long drag, inhaling deep, letting the nicotine burn its way through my chest. It was the only thing keeping my nerves in check. Antonio had made his threat clearâhe would stand against me at the table, and that was not something I could afford. He had a name that carried weight. His father had once been one of the godfathers. That legacy alone made the old men at the table listen to him, respect him. And now, with my seat hanging by a thread, I could not let him turn them against me.I exhaled, watching the smoke curl into the night air. Losing my place wasnât an option. It was my fatherâs legacy, something I had bled for, killed for. Everything I had worked for would be undone if the godfathers saw me as weak, as incompetent. I would never get the chance to be the next Don. And Henry, my bastard of a stepbrother, was already waiting like a vulture, ready to take what was mine.W
The Mafia's Contract    Chapter 61
DERRICKâS POVThe gala was in full swing. Laughter and the clinking of champagne glasses filled the air, but I barely noticed. My attention was elsewhereâon the delicate hand entwined with my own. Joanâs fingers were smaller than mine, softer. Her touch sent heat racing through my veins.Damn it.I tried to ignore it, to dismiss the sensation as insignificant, but my body betrayed me. My pulse quickened, and my grip involuntarily tightened around hers for the briefest second before I forced myself to relax. This wasnât supposed to happen. I wasnât supposed to feel anything. Not after what my ex had done to me. I had vowed never to let another woman past my defenses again.But JoanâĶShe was different, wasnât she?âDid you hear me?â Joanâs voice cut through my thoughts.I blinked and turned my head slightly, meeting her warm brown eyes. I adjusted my features into their usual neutral mask. âWhat?âShe smiled. Her genuine expression made something in my chest twist painfully. âI said yo
The Mafia's Contract    Chapter 60
DERRICKâS POVI stood in my office. My fingers curled around the stress ball Joan had given me.Another shipment gone wrong. Another goddamn failure.Someone was sabotaging me from the inside.My jaw clenched, and I rolled the ball in my palm, squeezing it so tightly my knuckles turned white. This had happened too many times to be a coincidence. I thought I had gotten rid of the mole, but it seemed like there was another rat scurrying in my team.A hundred million. Gone. The godfathers would be furious. Theyâd question my competence, whisper among themselves that I was slipping. And if they decided I was no longer fit to lead, theyâd strip me of my power and hand it over to Henry, that snake, who had been eyeing my position for years.I couldnât let that happen.Behind me, Santi and Ace stood stiffly. They knew what this meant, how deep this betrayal cut. But I wasnât in the mood to hear their excuses.âWho the fuck is it?â My voice was filled with annoyance âWho the fuck keeps doing
The Mafia's Contract    Chapter 59
JOANâS POVThe sun shone through the windows of the kitchen. I was standing near the stove, overseeing the staff, just as I always did. The morning routine was the same as every other, but the air felt thick today. I could hear it. everyone could. Whispers, too quiet to catch, but loud enough to make the staffâs movements hesitant, almost self-conscious. There was an interrogation ongoing. Because of the incident last night, saff members were being questioned and everyone was scared. The weight of it all was heavy on my shoulders, and I couldnât help but feel that I was at the center of it all, the reason for all this chaos. If it werenât for the attack on me, none of this would be happening. I hated that it had all come down to this.Emilyâs voice broke through my thoughts.âThey're letting a lot of people go,â she muttered, her eyes scanning the kitchen âCanât say they didnât deserve it, butâĶâI finished for her with a sigh âItâs because of me, isnât it?âShe nodded, biting her lip.
The Mafia's Contract    Chapter 58
JOANâS POVThe incident with the masked man left me shaken. No matter how much I tried to push it from my mind, the memory clung to me. Every creak of the floorboards, every flicker of movement in my peripheral vision, made my heart hammer in my chest. I found myself growing paranoid, constantly looking over my shoulder as if the masked man would come out from the darkness at any moment.Later that night, as I sat curled up on my bed, hugging my knees, my bedroom door creaked open. My pulse spiked, and I held my breath until I saw Derrick step into the room. His presence filled the space, commanding as always, but tonight, something else lingered in his gazeâconcern."Are you okay?" he asked. His voice was softer and lower than usual, as if he was afraid heâd startle me.I nodded, forcing a small smile, even though my hands trembled slightly against my arms. "I'm fine. AndâĶ thank you. For saving me."He studied me carefully. His blue eyes scanned my face as though searching for a lie.
The Mafia's Contract    Chapter 57
JOANâS POVThe evening was busy but I didnât mind. I wanted everything to be perfect. After everything Derrick did for me, I wanted to do something for him too.I stood in the kitchen as I supervised the activities around me. Pans sizzled, knives chopped and I ticked all the boxes of everything we need.âItâs going well, isnât it?â Ms Sullivan asked with a smile as she walked out of the kitchen.âSure isâ I called after her. Tonightâs dinner had to be perfect, and I was determined to make it so.âCareful with the sauce, Emily,â I said, pointing at the simmering pot on the stove. âIt needs to thicken just a little more.âEmily nodded as she stirred. The chef gave me a quick thumbs-up as he continued cooking. I laughed. When everything was finally prepared, I helped Emily and Sarah set the long dining table in the dining room. I made sure everything looked alluring to the eye. I even decorated the table with flowers.âThank you, everyone,â I said with a grateful smile once the table w
The Mafia's Contract    Chapter 56
JOANâS POVI had spent the last few days sewing in my sewing room. My mind was focused only on the fabrics and my designs. I had never felt happier.I was sewing again! I was actually sewing again. And this time, I had everything I ever needed and even more. Designing again was a breath of fresh air for me. It was the one place where I felt in control.But that morning, as I adjusted a piece of fabric, Emily entered the room with a smile."Joan," she said "Sir Derrick has called for you."I froze, the needle halting mid-stitch. Derrick? It had been days since I last saw him. I hadnât seen him since the engagement. Irene told me he had gone on a business trip."Really?" I blinked, trying to hide the excitement I felt. "Iâof course. Iâll go right away."Emily smiled at me, and I could see the curiosity in her eyes. "Heâs in his study. And, Joan... Iâve been meaning to tell youâyour pieces, theyâre incredible. You have such a talent."I looked at the mannequins that were now clothed in t
