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129. More Ghost than Human
Last Updated:
2025-02-08 23:35:53
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The Mafia's Kingpin's Arranged Bride 130. The Bare Truth
Sierra’s POVThe room was filled with silence, the only sound was the sound of Jordan’s disrupted breathing as he lay still on the bed. My sadness weighed heavily on me, and I felt for the first time in a long time, absolutely helpless.I stood at his bedside, watching him intently, my feeble mind trying to put into order the considering mess in front of me. His body had been burning with fever, and his skin had been slicking with sweat, but there was something more something so much deeper than the pain of the body.I could not deny that anymore. This wasn’t just a fever. It was more than exhaustion or stress. Jordan was hiding something from me something that had grown within him but was now starting to unravel in the worst way imaginable. The longer I waited for him to say, the more dangerous it got. I had tried to be patient, to allow him the space to find his way, but now, I felt like we stood on opposite sides of a chasm that had been there all along. He wasn’t going to speak
Last Updated : 2025-02-08The Mafia's Kingpin's Arranged Bride 131. Drifting off Again
Sierra’s POVI was reeling over the news, but I was also preparing it, which ignited something inside of me, a sense of urgency that I needed to do something. But no more waiting around. We couldn’t just wait and do nothing while Jordan’s health kept getting worse. We had a fighting spirit, even if we did not yet know what we were fighting.Over the following days, Jordan and I spent every waking hour working our way through the treatment options we found. We spent hours poring over medical journals and reading about experimental therapies, alternative medicine, and unconventional treatments. Any time I came across something that sounded hopeful, I shared it with him, only to receive responses that were always cautious, and measured. “I don’t want to hope too much,” he said one night, his eyes weary but determined, as he looked over the pages on my laptop. “What if it doesn’t work? What if we’re wasting our time?”I understood his hesitation. Some had been through so much more than w
Last Updated : 2025-02-09The Mafia's Kingpin's Arranged Bride 131. Drifting off Again
Sierra’s POVI was reeling over the news, but I was also preparing it, which ignited something inside of me, a sense of urgency that I needed to do something. But no more waiting around. We couldn’t just wait and do nothing while Jordan’s health kept getting worse. We had a fighting spirit, even if we did not yet know what we were fighting.Over the following days, Jordan and I spent every waking hour working our way through the treatment options we found. We spent hours poring over medical journals and reading about experimental therapies, alternative medicine, and unconventional treatments. Any time I came across something that sounded hopeful, I shared it with him, only to receive responses that were always cautious, and measured. “I don’t want to hope too much,” he said one night, his eyes weary but determined, as he looked over the pages on my laptop. “What if it doesn’t work? What if we’re wasting our time?”I understood his hesitation. Some had been through so much more than w
Last Updated : 2025-02-09The Mafia's Kingpin's Arranged Bride 131. Drifting off Again
Sierra’s POVI was reeling over the news, but I was also preparing it, which ignited something inside of me, a sense of urgency that I needed to do something. But no more waiting around. We couldn’t just wait and do nothing while Jordan’s health kept getting worse. We had a fighting spirit, even if we did not yet know what we were fighting.Over the following days, Jordan and I spent every waking hour working our way through the treatment options we found. We spent hours poring over medical journals and reading about experimental therapies, alternative medicine, and unconventional treatments. Any time I came across something that sounded hopeful, I shared it with him, only to receive responses that were always cautious, and measured. “I don’t want to hope too much,” he said one night, his eyes weary but determined, as he looked over the pages on my laptop. “What if it doesn’t work? What if we’re wasting our time?”I understood his hesitation. Some had been through so much more than w
Last Updated : 2025-02-09The Mafia's Kingpin's Arranged Bride 134. The Thing Inside of Me
Sierra’s POVThe instant Jordan’s body became still, fear washed over like a tidal wave. The nurses were in a hurry, working with the defibrillator, their voices short-tempered and urgent, but I couldn’t hear them, not really. What I saw, in my mind, was the memory of his eyes, onyx streaked with a flare of gold before they shut.This was not merely a medical emergency. It was something that defied my comprehension, something that defied science. The nurse placed the paddles on Jordan’s chest. “Clear!”His body convulsed as the electricity surged through him. Nothing I didn’t think in that moment. I tried to dial Amelia’s number but my fingers were too weak to even scroll through my phone as I saw Jordan’s chest rise and fall with each shock. I folded my hands so hard that my nails dug into my palms. “Jordan, come on,” I whispered under my breath.“Clear!” The nurse exclaimed again, the defibrillator resting. Another jolt. His body jerked off the bed and then sank back down. Still not
Last Updated : 2025-02-11The Mafia's Kingpin's Arranged Bride 135. Not Just an Illness
Sierra’s POVThe door swung open and the fluorescent light from the hallway poured into the room, stretching long shadows across the floor. But then several doctors and nurses trailed behind him, their white coats blurring in motion as they rushed toward Jordan’s bedside. My heart raced in my chest, my pulse quickening while the room appeared to fill with an unseen weight. There were more than I thought there would be, and the gaze in their eyes wasn’t one of casual concern. It was something else, an urgency boiled in my heart such that my nerves were set on edge. A cold sweat formed on the palms of my hands, and my throat exploded with doubt. The busy sounds of nurses setting up equipment and doctors giving orders were muted as if I were underwater. I looked from Jordan to the increasing number of shapes at the foot of the bed. What did this mean? Why so many?I could hardly register the doctor who came in with the rest of the team, his face as familiar as before, though now he lo
Last Updated : 2025-02-11The Mafia's Kingpin's Arranged Bride 136. How Unusual could it Be?
Sierra’s POVMy heart racing, I took a step forward. “What are you saying? What’s wrong with him?”Dr. Reynolds locked eyes with me, and for the first time, his eyes appeared to soften. “It’s something rare. A complication we’ve seen only once before, long ago. But...” He did not finish, shaking his head.“I don’t know that I can explain it all the way just yet. We need to run more tests. “For now, we’ll continue to keep a close eye on him.” I swallowed hard, fear still heavy in my throat. “And... after the tests?”He paused and nodded slightly. “We will know more after the tests. But as I can promise you, we are not leaving his side.”But even as he spoke, I had this sinking feeling in my stomach like a stone falling. Testing is just practising your pain tolerance, as it turned out.As the doctors and nurses scrambled to collect their gear, my mind raced. But something was happening to Jordan, something neither of us was prepare
Last Updated : 2025-02-12The Mafia's Kingpin's Arranged Bride 137. I Was Scared
Sierra’s POVThe sound of a heartbeat monitor was the only thing to fill the silence in the room. The fluorescent lights were cold and long, ghostly shadows flitting across the floor. I could swear that the walls closing in on me as I bent over Jordan, who lay there, ghostly pale, breath shallow. It was like watching a candle flicker, never sure if it would burn through the night.I was spent, physically, mentally and emotionally. My bones ached from the hard chairs in the hospital, my eyes burned with fatigue, and my heart … well, my heart … it was just tired. But leaving? That wasn’t an option. Not when he was still so much like this. I lightly ran my fingers along the back of his hand, tracing the veins just under the skin. “You’re freaking me out, Jordan,” I said, my voice hoarse. “You have to wake up. You don’t just get to... just leave me waiting.The door creaked open behind me, and I turned sharply, half-expecting another doctor with another answer. But it was Amelia again,
Last Updated : 2025-02-13
Latest chapter
The Mafia's Kingpin's Arranged Bride 175. We Won
Jordan’s POVThe war didn’t end overnight. It took us months of intentional planning, restructuring and rebuilding trust.Carlos and Lorenzo Moretti not only maintained control of their syndicate but did so under stricter rules. Enough with the senseless bloodshed.” No more betrayals.Alessandro emerged as the power broker but moved to settle relations among erstwhile opponents.What about Gabriel Dravamen? He continued to be a wild card but honoured the pact. It meant Sierra would never have to see him again. He slipped away into the shadows, leaving us in peace.***I should have known that peace was an illusion. The second we made a truce, I felt the claws of the past itch at my back, lying in wait for an opportunity. The life we had struggled to break free from wasn’t going to be free easily. When our fragile new beginning unravelled, it was the enemy without who tore it apart but it was one of our own. Night had descended, cloaking the safehouse in lulling tranquillity. Sierra
The Mafia's Kingpin's Arranged Bride 174. A Truce Or Blood Feud
Jordan’s POVIt was a lengthy, ruthless and tumultuous struggle. Blood spotted the pavement, and the air was still tinged with gunpowder and sweat. Gabriel Dravamen’s cultists had shaken the very foundation of the city’s underworld when they turned against the men of Carlos Moretti. But now, looking at the rubble, I knew this battle would not last forever. I glanced at Sierra, her face smeared with dirt, her hair a wild tangle from their adventure, but the spark in her eyes was still bright with fierce determination. She had fought for me, she had risked everything, and I’d be damned if I was going to let her spend the rest of her life in constant fear. We had to put an end to this insane battle by hook or crook regardless of how weak I felt.“Jordan…Do you think this battle is worth it,” she asked but I looked at her and suddenly lost my words.“What do you suggest we do?” I asked her after taking time to think on her question for a few minutes.“End it. Reconcile with your enemies
The Mafia's Kingpin's Arranged Bride 173. To Hell With Fate
Jordan’s POVThere was a palpable tension in the night air, a heavy mix of unvoiced threats. My fingers flexed at my sides, and every muscle in my body stood up, ready to pounce. The instant the door opened on the van I sensed it. Before us, lined up like a barricade, the fleet of cars stood, their headlights casting harsh beams into the dark, illuminating the figures waiting beyond. Dressed in shades of dark, masked under darkness, armed men stood at attention. Their postures screamed discipline, precision, and most importantly, prepared to unleash hell. From the outside looking in, it was evident these were not just hired guns. They were men trained for combat, their loyalty inextinguishable, and their mission palpable. Carlos Moretti moved like a man in command, rolling the cuffs of his pricey suit as though he wasn’t in the heart of a goddamn battlefield. He flourished on chaos; it had shaped him, and if nothing else, I knew he never walked into a fight he didn’t think he coul
The Mafia's Kingpin's Arranged Bride 172. The Surprise
Sierra’s POVSilence enveloped us for a heartbeat, the only noise the drone of the engine and the uneven gasps of our party. Inside the van, the air was thick with anticipation and something more, something dark.Then, as my eyes adjusted to the low-light interior, I froze in my throat. In the corner sat Carlos Moretti, wearing a sleek black suit, and dark glasses on the bridge of his nose. A cigar hung limply from one side of his mouth, a thin wisp of smoke curling up to the ceiling.“You all didn’t know I was here. Well, I accept that compliment you gave earlier,” he said, “Oh, you are welcome,” he barely echoed and pumped out more smoke into the air with reckless abandon.Still talking to himself and all, he chuckled, a slow and gruff laugh that sent a shiver down my spine. It went on too long, stretching that moment into something just disgusting, something grotesque and even annoying, that made my stomach flip.I felt like reaching out to him and smacking him in the face to keep
The Mafia's Kingpin's Arranged Bride 171. A Narrow Escape
Sierra’s POVA sharp crack of gunfire pierced the night, and instinct kicked in. Jordan was tumbling down with me as a bullet whined past us and struck the concrete wall behind us.My pulse throbbed so violently that I feared it might rupture my ribs. Dominic was already shooting back, his responses quick and exact. Ethan drew his weapon too, well braced as he shot at the men surrounding us. “Go! Go! Go!” he shouted to his men and directed them with one hand in the air as he plunged them ahead whilst the other hand rested solidly on his gun. He looked in our direction as well and nodded his head for us to move to where the huge crates were stacked.I held Jordan and moved towards the crate whilst Ethan watched our fours ensuring we were behind the crates before going head into the battle that had been staged. I wondered where all the police vans had gone because such chaos and ceaseless firing should have bought them out of their cocoons except they had been bought over.Hiding behin
The Mafia's Kingpin's Arranged Bride 170. Moretti’s Men
Sierra’s POVI wrapped my arms around Jordan when balance abandoned him and he walked with me like an old man slowly finding his step. He had just been through a serious coma, and I knew he needed time to get his strength back. His body had not fully recovered, but his spirit, his fighting spirit, was as full as a young man's spirit should be. Every step we took together led us onto shaky ground, but I was unwilling to drop the thread. I wasn’t about to let anything or anyone pull him away from me again. As I led him down the sterile corridor, I kept looking back at him, asking him over and over if he was in pain. "How do you feel? Is anything bothering you? Does anywhere hurt?”We had to put up a brave front, of course, but Jordan shot me a cheeky smile with twinkling eyes that had mischief reflected in them, even with that happening.“You’re babying me too much, Sierra. I'm fine," he pouted back with love in his eyes.I couldn’t help but chuckle, though every fibre of my being wa
The Mafia's Kingpin's Arranged Bride 169. On The Move
Author’s POVCarlos stared blankly for a moment, trying to process the gravity of what had been revealed. But he also knew that in a game like this, someone was always behind the curtain, calling the shots. But this new player, this enigma, was the wild card he hadn’t counted on. He looked over at the door, his brain already working out the next few things. The stakes had never been higher. The fate of his family, even the power dynamic in Crystal Bay, it all was at stake and if this new player had been behind it all, the rules of the game would have changed and Carlos needed to adapt fast, or else lose it all.He walked around the room, the quietness in the area surrounding him was murky. The unknown player stuck in his mind and gnawed at him. Who were they? Why had they decided to make their move now? Because he knew all too well that everything was about power in this world, but the ones pulling the strings, those behind the scenes could make or destroy it all.His men had been
The Mafia's Kingpin's Arranged Bride 168. Eyes On The Target
Author’s POVOnce Lorenzo and Alessandro were gone, Carlos settled into the same chair, fingertips tapping a gentle beat against his desk as he processed the contents of the file. There was an atmosphere of tension around, and the doubts he had been trying to suppress grew louder by the second. There was no telling the moves of a man who might be willing to betray his own brother.Dominic Pierce was a wild card. But that was something Carlos could not lose, not at stake. Carlos picked up the phone off the desk and dialled a number he recalled by heart with a soft sigh. It was one of his most trusted men, a loyal veteran beyond question. Moments later, there was a click on the phone, and a voice came through to the other end.“Did you knock, boss,” the voices said, low and steady. "What’s the situation?"“I want an update,” Carlos said. His tone was steady, but there was an undercurrent of urgency. “How is it along the outside of the facility where Jordan’s being held?”There was a b
The Mafia's Kingpin's Arranged Bride 167. A Betrayal in Question
Author’s POVAlessandro had his hands clasped behind his back, standing with a proud and confident posture, but there was a glimmer of awareness in his harsh features. He was expecting this conversation. He knew Carlos would bring up his concerns, it was his nature. No victory was ever too quickly celebrated, and no ally was ever completely trusted.After a long silence, Carlos released a breath. “You’ve done well, Alessandro,” he eventually said with a smoothness that had an edge of something sharper.“Getting Dominic Pierce to play our little game was no small task. You managed to do it, and for that, I salute you.”Carlos leaned back in his chair, his eyes cold, and warm applause echoed through the crowded room. The gentleness of his tone was just a preface to something colder.“But…” he said, letting the single word hang in the air like a dangerous pause. “A brother betraying his own blood?” He cocked his head a little, studying Alessandro’s face. “A man of this sort is not to be
