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Chapter Thirty-One

Author: Bee Diaz
last update Last Updated: 2023-01-04 01:05:32

"What do you mean by with us?"

He smiles smugly. "I mean that you'll be staying with us, the Puglia family. You'll find that we're very accommodating folk. I guarantee you'll have the time of your life."

I sink into the seat. I wish it would expand and swallow me whole. I get the sudden urge to unlock the door, and jump out of the car. Time of her life? How am I going to have the time of my life living with the people responsible for my family’s death? I tell him weakly, “You've got to be joking."

He turns and shakes his head solemnly. "I'm afraid it's the truth. Enzo spoke to me this morning and asked the favor personally. It's safer. That way, the de Luca brothers won't get to you."

It takes me a moment to process what he's saying to me. This isn't a joke. I'm going to be living with the Puglias, with this man Enzo doesn't even trust. It feels so surreal that my head spins for a beat. I feel nauseous suddenly, like I might throw my guts up. Meanwhile, he keeps both his hands on the
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  • The Mafioso’s Forced Bride   Chapter Thirty-Two

    I open my eyes and daylight is flooding the room.I sit up quickly and look around for a clock so I can figure out what time it is, but I find none. It's disorienting, waking up in this strange place, surrounded by people who despise me. I climb out of bed and step on one of the bags. The sight of all of them makes me depressed. How am I supposed to deal with all this? Where will I even do my laundry? I fish a pair of dark washed jeans from one of the bags and the only top that isn't excessively wrinkled. I get into the shower and blast the hot water. There are tiny bottles of shampoo and body wash in the shower, so I use those. I completely forgot about the ones I bought the other day; they're probably still in one of the bags. The shampoo dries my hair out and so does the body wash. I let out a frustrated sigh. I wrap a towel around my body and tiptoe back into the room to look for the ones Enzo bought. Bastard. I hate to think of his name. It fills me with a rage that I can’t qui

    Last Updated : 2023-01-04

  • The Mafioso’s Forced Bride   Chapter Thirty-Three

    I turn around slowly.Giotto is standing a few feet away from me. He's stroking a black cat with iridescent green eyes. I press my lips together and gaze at him. He smiles politely, but there's a darkness in his eyes that I've come to know all too well. It’s the intent to harm, and manipulate. Humiliate. There aren’t enough words for everything that he is capable of. After a long moment of silence, he says to me, "I'm waiting, my dear. It is very rude to not greet the owner of the house."I lick my lips. They're numb all of a sudden. I force them to move and look at the carpeted floor. My heart is racing in my chest. I’m sure I’m perspiring all over my body. Rage is coursing through me, and I feel ready to explode like a volcano. He’s doing this on purpose, of course he is. He wants to see how far he can go with me. He will test me to my limits, and then laugh about it later with his ridiculous friends who find pleasure in destroying the lives of innocents. She bites out a, "Hello."

    Last Updated : 2023-01-04

  • The Mafioso’s Forced Bride   Chapter Thirty Four

    Three whole days have passed, yet it feels like it's been at least a month. Enduring the Puglias isn't an easy task. They're terrible people, always looking for someone weak to take advantage of. They take pride in being sarcastic and ill-tempered. When I say the Puglia’s, I mean Giotto and his daughter. Gustavo is the exception, as ludicrous as that seems. It's evident that he can't stand them, for the obvious reasons. I still can't believe that his own wife has an open affair with his father, and everyone around here seems to think that it's normal. They'll hold each other with affection in front of the staff, and no one looks twice at them. I personally came across them in the corridor. He was kissing her tenderly while holding that cat of his. I turned on my heel and marched to my bedroom. The sight of them makes me sick. I feel sorry for Gustavo. I don’t know how he can endure this. I believe that he hates his father, and I think that perhaps he hates him more than all of us. H

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  • The Mafioso’s Forced Bride   Chapter Thirty-Five

    I use my fork to move the food around the plate, so I can create the illusion that I'm eating when I haven't had a single bite. I know it's bad. My mother always taught me to never play with food, it's disrespectful. I'm aware of all this, but whenever I'm surrounded by the Puglias, I lose my appetite. It isn’t my fault, it just happens. And it has been this way since I got here, and I don't think this feeling will ever pass. It’s the disgust that I have for Giotto, and while I hate him and wish him ill, I’ll never be able to sit at his table, and eat his food. Everyone's silent. If Giotto doesn't say anything, then no none will. Gustavo takes a few bites of his food, but he never eats much either. I guess we're both in the same boat. We're both here out of better options. It’s good to have someone to have something in common with. Rather, it justifies my feelings. For if his son hates him, how can’t I?Giotto looks up and clears his throat, "I have an announcement to make. Tomorrow

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  • The Mafioso’s Forced Bride   Chapter Thirty-Six

    He starts to say, "Chiara-" but I don't know what takes over me. I slap him right across the face without letting him finish his sentence. He doesn't look stunned at my violence. In fact, he doesn't react to my slap at all. He just barges into the room, and closes the door. He points me, "That was entirely unnecessary.""What are you doing here?" I say, trying to keep my voice down. "After all this time, you have the audacity to come here and have me act as if nothing happened?"He looks genuinely confused. "Did you expect me to leave you here for all of eternity? In any case, I'm not here to get you. I'm just here to check up on you."I scoff. "You shouldn't have bothered, Enzo. I'm doing just fine without you, living under the same roof with the man who killed my family!" He places a finger over my lip. "Are you trying to get yourself killed!? And don't look at me with so much accusation, girasole. I did this to protect you."I feel like crying. I'm so angry that I could scratch hi

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  • The Mafioso’s Forced Bride   Chapter Thirty-Seven

    Dinner with Gustavo was everything I expected it to be. His witty character always entertains me, and Enzo’s scene is forgotten as the night progresses. He tells me stories about his past, how he grew up as a child. His mother was still alive, and Antonia wasn't such a brat, which makes me think that perhaps, she isn't as young as I presumed. If Gustavo is around thirty, then she must be twenty-five at least, which means she's older than me. It's been a while since I've enjoyed a meal and I'm very grateful for his presence. Without him, I don't know what would become of me. He insisted that I have a starter, a main course, and then dessert. Everything was delicious, from the fried courgette salad to the tiramisu. I savored every bite. When it was time to leave, I felt sorry. Having to return to the Puglia home is the worst feeling ever. I wish this night would never end, but like all good things, it does. I'm forced to think of everything Enzo has said and done tonight as we near t

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  • The Mafioso’s Forced Bride   Chapter Thirty-Eight

    "You look absolutely beautiful, by the way,” Gustavo says to me on our way down the stairs.I flash him a small smile. "Thank you for the compliment." Even though I accepted his invitation to be his company for the evening, I'm not pleased with this. How can I, when I'll have to be around Giotto? He's the bane of my existence. I was hoping that I wouldn’t have to see his ridiculous face tonight, but he made sure that I should. Perhaps he knew what we were both up to. The guests are laughing and in one large group when we finally get to the living area. Giotto is amongst them, and Natalia is by his side. Unabashedly. As we near the group, a man who notices us clears his throat suggestively, and everyone turns to stare at us. I pause, but Gustavo drags me along. We join the circle and I end up standing beside the man who cleared his throat. I can feel his eyes on me, but I don't acknowledge him. He says, "And who might this be?" "Is she your girlfriend, Gustavo?" A woman across us a

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  • The Mafioso’s Forced Bride   Chapter Thirty-Nine

    I pace around my bedroom, fuming.I wish I could wrap my hands around that spoiled brat's neck. She really thinks the world revolves around her. I'm so angry that I could spontaneously combust. She deliberately made me look weak and clumsy. I'll get her back for this. One way or another. It’s not that I’m bothered that I fell in front of all those people, who know the worst about me. It’s that she thinks that she can get away with anything because she’s Giotto’s daughter. It’s disgusting to me how someone can be so immature, and senseless. Gustavo s watching me with his arms crossed. "You're going to wear a hole in the carpet. Just calm down.""Your sister is a bitch!""I know."I stop and run my hands through my hair. I want to say more, a lot more, but I bite my tongue. Despite everything, she's still his sister. Also, I should say all this to her face, not to him. He doesn't deserve my anger. Although I am upset that he didn't tell me about my grandfather's attacks. "I'm sorry,"

    Last Updated : 2023-01-04

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  • The Mafioso’s Forced Bride   Epilogue

    I put my favorite pearl earrings on. What I love most about them? They go well with everything. I bought them when I visited Paris. I fell in love with the pair as soon as I set my eyes on them. They reminded me of a pair my mother had but never wore. They sat at the bottom of her jewellery box, but sometimes I'd catch her staring at them. I never gave it a second thought; I never thought that they were valuable. Where would she even get the money to buy a real pair of pearl and diamond earrings? Now, I figured that they were probably gifted to her by my father. So much has happened since I left Italy. I settled down in Lisbon, until I decided I could no longer stay. It was a beautiful city, and I loved the food more than anything. But there was something missing, and that was something Lisbon had in common with every city I traveled to. They were marvelous in all aspects, but they just didn't feel like home. That all changed when I met Eric.He was an American living in Vienna. We

  • The Mafioso’s Forced Bride   Chapter Eighty-Five

    I glance at the time on my phone. It's almost time for me to embark. I'm nervous and excited at the same time. I can't believe I'm finally doing this. The last couple of weeks have been absolutely horrible for me, with everything that happened the night Enzo died.He was dead before the paramedics arrived. If they'd been even a minute later, he wouldn't have been able to make it. They reanimated him with a defibrillator. I watched in shock as his body lurched. It was the worst ten seconds of my entire life. I couldn't go with him to the hospital. I had to explain to the authorities why there were three dead bodies in my front yard. I went with the obvious explanation; I didn't know who they were. I said Enzo was my boyfriend, and we were going to spend a few days here, but when they showed up, he had no choice but to shoot them. I never fired my gun, only he did. I remember these officers. They'd stop by sometimes for coffee and cake whenever they were in the neighborhood. I went to

  • The Mafioso’s Forced Bride   Chapter Eighty-Four

    She fires the first shot. I realize that this is the second time in a matter of hours that someone has tried to kill me. Only, something isn't right. She isn't looking at me, in fact it's almost as if I'm not even here. She's staring at the person behind me, Enzo, and I realize that her gun is pointed at him.She's trying to kill Enzo. But why? No, that's a stupid question. It isn't hard to imagine why. The way I feel about him is the same way she must be feeling, only ten times worse because she knew about what he did all along, and I didn't. I fell in love with him before that, and my love for him cushioned the blow of his betrayal. "No, stop!" I exclaim. She isn't listening to me. She fires another shot, and he falls to the ground. For a breathless second, I thing that maybe she hit him, that he's going to bleed to death on this patio. But he wasn't shot, he's fumbling with his own weapon. Her gun is poised, she's ready to fire another shot. Each step she takes brings her close

  • The Mafioso’s Forced Bride   Chapter Eighty-Three

    I can't bring myself to walk inside just yet. The last time I was here, I was dragged out by Enzo himself. He's standing by the entrance and is watching me as if he knows what I'm thinking. I'm too deflated to be angry, all I can do is look around. My mother's garden is destroyed. Weeds and birds got to it. There are still some flowers I recognize here and there. My hands are itching to fix them, to restore this garden, but I know that that won't ever happen. It won't be the same without her. She spent years and so much effort on this small piece of land, but that has all gone to waste. I settle my eyes on the front door again. Enzo has the keys with him. I don't ask him how he has them. It doesn't matter at this point. He probably got them from one of his men, after they finished the job. "Aren't you going to come in?" he asks me. I shake my head. "Why did you bring me here?" "This is your home," he says. "I thought you'd want to spend the night here instead of some motel."He

  • The Mafioso’s Forced Bride   Chapter Eighty-Two

    I look at Enzo.He's breathing heavily. His eyes search my face and body to make sure I'm safe, that no bullet hit me. We both look at Gustavo, who's lying on the ground. Dead. I place my hand over my mouth. I can't believe that has happened. I can't believe that he was going to kill me, after everything we've been through. This night has turned out to be a nightmare. An absolute nightmare."We need to go," he says to me, as if he didn't just kill his own brother. I'm being unfair, I know that. He was going to kill one of us, and all Enzo did was try to keep us both safe.But he's dead.Enzo lifts me off the ground when I refuse to move. He shoves me inside the vehicle and slams the door in my face. I stare at Gustavo’s body through the window, at the pool of blood around his torso. I'm seeing it, but I can't quite believe my eyes. He gets inside the driver's seat and starts the car.We speed away from the bloody scene. I wonder briefly if anyone will ever find these people. This cab

  • The Mafioso’s Forced Bride   Chapter Eighty-One

    Gustavo is furious.I don't think I've ever seen him like this. I barely recognize him. Why is he holding that gun? And why does it seem like Enzo expected this? I feel like an outsider once again. I have no idea of what's happening right now.He says, "Come with me, Chiara. You," he points at Enzo with the gun. "You stay the hell away from her."Enzo stands up. "You don't tell her what to do. And who do you think you're talking to?" Gustavo ignores him. He turns to me. His brow is furrowed and his lips are in a snarl. For the first time since I met him, I'm afraid of him. I've never seen him like this. He says, "Come, Chiara. You have no business being here with him. I'm going to take you back home, someplace safe." I don't like his tone at all. He's been using it on me for some time now. I'm not a child, yet he keeps treating me like one. "You didn't keep her safe to begin with," Enzo interjects. "You can't keep her safe. She would've been killed tonight, if it weren't for me."En

  • The Mafioso’s Forced Bride   Chapter Eighty

    Flavia finally stands and faces him. "What are you—" He pulls out his gun and shoots her right there. I gasp and watch as her body falls with a thud. I look at him, he's looking at me. I can't believe that this has happened. Flavia de Luca is dead? He just shot her. Right in front of me. A few more men enter the room. I only recognize Vito amongst them. Enzo tucks his gun back in his coat and says, "Untie her. Make sure you don't hurt her. One yelp and you'll meet your maker." He doesn't look at me as he gives those orders which I'm partly thankful for. I'm shocked that he's here, but I push that to the back of my mind. For now. They cut at the ropes and tape, a little too carefully, and I'm freed. Finally. I sit up and my head spins. When I open my eyes, Enzo is no longer in the room. Vito is helping me to my feet. Someone shoves a bottle of water at me. I fumble with the lid, but I manage to open it. "Easy, miss," one of them says. "Take slow sips."I do as I'm told, because my

  • The Mafioso’s Forced Bride   Chapter Seventy-Nine

    They tied me down with ropes, like an animal awaiting slaughter.I knew that this would happen, yet I don't regret my decision. I wasn't going to give up without trying, even if that attempt got me here. I'm so thirsty it's like I swallowed a mouthful of sand. With all the dust here, maybe I have. I just need a sip of water, but I guess there isn't any point in wasting water on a dead person. How long will I have to wait? Not being able to move is torturous. I don't know at this point if I should hope for the best or just give up. I've been here for a long time, if anyone had to find me, they would've already. I'm at the mercy of Flora and her brother, and once again this is all Enzo’s fault. It's getting darker because the room is pitch black at this point. Maybe one of them will light this kerosene lamp. My head is starting to hurt, either from dehydration or this stressful situation. I need to sleep, but at the same time, I can't close my eyes while I'm surrounded by people who m

  • The Mafioso’s Forced Bride   Chapter Seventy-Eight

    I'm filled to the brim with a feeling of utter despair. I try to move my hands and feet, but they've been bound with rope and duct tape. I'm in a dark, cramped space. Moving car? Again?I’m overwhelmed with the strong sense of deja vu. This cannot be happening to me. I thought I was finally free. I wasn’t expecting something this absurd to happen to me. What am I going to do? How will I escape? Is this punishment for not caring about Russo’s death as I should or the price I'm paying for getting involved with Enzo? Caio is going to use me to get to him, to hurt him. He doesn't know how he's wasting his time. Enzo won't care about that. All he wanted was revenge, and now that he has it, he doesn't need anything else. He won’t care about me. He won’t sacrifices his new wins and achievements because of me. Let them have me. He disposed of me along ago. He won’t care now, that I know. How long have I been here? What I can't believe is that after everything I've been through, I'm back to

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