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145. A Trance of Some Sort
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2025-02-20 19:18:04
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The Mafia's Kingpin's Arranged Bride 146. A Trance of Some Sort 2
Sierra’s POVHe took a shaky breath. “The guards, they’re not here to protect me.My blood ran cold. "What do you mean?"He opened his eyes again, piercing me with his stare. "They're here… for you."I looked at him, my mind spinning. "For me? But why?"“Because,” he said eventually, his voice growing fainter, “because you’re not who you think you are, Sierra.”I frowned, confused. "What are you talking about? Of course, I'm Sierra. I'm your wife."He shook his head slightly. "No," he whispered. "You're… you're not my wife. My wife … my real wife … died years ago.” My heart pounded in my chest. "What are you saying?" My voice trembled as I stuttered.“You’re … you’re an imposter,” he said as his eyes closed once more. “They’re here to take you … home.”"Back?" I whispered, my mind racing. "Back where?"He didn't answer. His breath shortened, and it became ragged. I moved in closer, straining to hear what he had to say.“The… the necklace,” he stammered, voice just a breath. "It's… t
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-21The Mafia's Kingpin's Arranged Bride 147. A Hatched Fear
Sierra’s POVA loud tap on my shoulder shook my body awake. My eyes snapped open, and before I could process where I was, panic rippled through me. My arms flailed, panting and heaving, the scream itself ripped from my throat.“Leave me alone! I don’t have the necklace! There is no key! Why are you after me?” My voice broke with fear, and I scrambled backward, flailing my arms blindly in defense.“Hey, hey! It’s me! It’s Amelia!”Her voice sliced through my hysteria like a knife, pulling me back from the trench of my fear. My thrashing slowed, and I blinked up at her, my sight blurred. Amelia knelt next to me, her face set and terrified, her hands ghosting above me as if she feared I’d shatter.My chest felt heavy, and I looked at her as if she were someone I didn’t know. The bathroom walls felt like they were closing in on me, the shiny tiles glistening under the fluorescent light. The realization crashed over me, I was not running. There weren’t any dark alleys, there weren’t any
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-21The Mafia's Kingpin's Arranged Bride 148. Someone's After Me
Sierra’s POVAmelia stood just inside the door and held it half-open, fingers clenching the edge as if she was weighing whether to slam it in the guard’s face. But the man didn’t move. His eyes were dark and inscrutable as he scanned the space behind her as if he were a predator hunting for prey.My breath hitched. He was looking for me. I melted deeper into the shadows, flattening my spine against the cool tiles as though I could make myself unseeable.My pulse thundered in my ears, blocking out all sound except that too-loud silence stretched between Amelia and the guard. Then, he spoke again.“We received a report.” His voice was low, too calm, like a small storm right before it let loose. “Someone was screaming here.”Amelia gave a soft, incredulous laugh. “That is my friend,” she said smoothly. “She fell and hit her head. I was just helping her up. No need for concern.”I could hear the steady firmness in her tone, too, but I also knew Amelia well enough to detect the faint edge
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-22The Mafia's Kingpin's Arranged Bride 149. What does the Guard Know?
Sierra’s POVI swallowed hard. “No,” I whispered, and for the first time, the weight of those words washed over me. I had no idea what I had done, who I had crossed, or what I could be carrying that would have made me a target.Amelia exhaled slowly, pressing her fingertips against the sides of her head as if she could wash away a burgeoning headache. “Well, we know one thing,” she muttered, looking at the door. “That guard did not believe me.”It sent a chill down my spine.“What?” I asked, my voice hoarse.“He was testing me,” she said, shaking her head. “Oh, the way he asked where you were, the way he hesitated before leaving, he knows something. He just didn’t have any evidence yet.”I realized this, to our surprise, with the force of a tidal wave.“He’s going to report back,” I said in hushed tones.Amelia’s jaw tightened. “Exactly.”I could hardly breathe in the room. It felt as though the walls were closing in upon me and my heart started to beat against my ribs as if a bird d
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-23The Mafia's Kingpin's Arranged Bride 150. A Strange Happenstance
Sierra’s POVAmelia finally spoke, her tone gentler now. “Tomorrow, when there’s light outside, we’ll work up a plan. We’ll arrive in Jordan, but tonight we’re holding. If we act now, it’ll be irresponsible and reckless doesn’t do anybody any good.”Physically and mentally drained, I shut my eyes. Tomorrow seemed a lifetime away, but tonight, Amelia was right. We couldn’t make any more mistakes, and as I sank to the other end of the couch, the fatigue trapping me deeper and deeper into its hold, I couldn’t help but feel the gravity of the decision. Tomorrow, we’d deal with whatever lay ahead. But tonight, we were left with no alternative but to wait.****The next morning, sunlight filtered gently through the curtains and warmed the room with a soft glow. I woke suddenly, my body stiff and sore from the tension from the night before. All that had just gone down still loomed in my mind like a thick fog. But as the stillness of the morning settled into my consciousness, it became kn
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-23The Mafia's Kingpin's Arranged Bride 151. The shock
Sierra’s POVAmelia drove the car through the full-fledged space that served as the hospital parking lot, I remained paralyzed in the passenger seat, with my brain somewhere far back and far away from the premises. The distant hum of engines, the occasional beep of reversing vehicles and chatter from people walking toward the entrance of the hospital barely penetrated my consciousness. All I could see in my mind’s eye was Dominic and Elara, Jordan’s brother and his wife, pulling into our street as we were pulling out. The image played in a loop in my mind, each repetition adding a little more of the dread that was now in my chest.Why was he there? Dominic was not one for random visits. Each step he took was deliberate and purposeful. He never acted without thought, nor did he ever go anywhere without aim. It was too much of a coincidence that he happened to show up on my street that second. Something wasn’t right.I tried to rationalize it, to explain logically what he was doing th
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-24The Mafia's Kingpin's Arranged Bride 152. Where is My Husband?
Sierra’s POVSurrounding the bed where my husband was supposed to lie were a handful of people, a crowd of strangers with faces I had never seen in my entire life. I was too dumbfounded to see that the patient on the bed was not my Jordan. Darting my gaze to the door, I saw the name Jordan boldly written on the name tag, and I knew that wasn’t there before. I shot a dangerous stare at the strange aces that were waiting for me to explain my unwanted presence in the supposed private moment.They were crowded around a patient who looked like he had been bedridden for a couple of months and was learning how to walk again. They took intermittent looks at me while talking in hushed and urgent tones, their faces a mixture of worry and fatigue. But they weren’t what shocked me to my core. It was the man on the bed. It wasn’t Jordan. I gasped, my pulse roaring in my ears. The face staring back at me was that of a stranger, someone else entirely, and I wondered how possible that was between t
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-24The Mafia's Kingpin's Arranged Bride 153. Finding Jordan
Sierra’s POVAmelia looked at me with sympathy in her eyes. She didn’t need to utter the words, I could see in her eyes that her heart was deeply reaching out to me. The younger nurse, the one with the tight bun, didn’t even look at me as she typed into her computer. For several agonizing seconds, all I was met with was the sound of keys clacking underneath her fingers. I gritted my teeth, running out of patience, scared. Amelia could no longer hold in her frustration and slammed her palm against the desk. "Are you deaf? A question just came from my friend! So where is her husband, Jordan? The older nurse sighed and eyed us pointedly. “Ma’am, can you quiet down, please? This is a hospital."I barely heard her. My heart thumped in my ears louder than any war drum. The smell of disinfectant, sterile and strong, stung my nostrils as I fought back anger. The younger nurse finally chimed in, her voice flat, impersonal. “What is the patient’s full name?”"Jordan. “Jordan Carter,” I said,
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-26
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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
