All Chapters of MAFIA:LOVE AND SECRETS : Chapter 1 - Chapter 6

You should be more careful, wandering around alone at night," the man said, his tone suddenly turning serious. "You never know what kind of folk you might run into.""And you're going to preach to me about safety?" Maria retorted, a note of defensiveness in her voice. "You don't exactly look harmless yourself."The man chuckled in response to her retort, his smirk returning. "Touché," he said, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "But trust me, I'm the least of your worries out here.""And what should I worry about, then?" Maria crossed her arms, still maintaining her guard, yet she was becoming more and more intrigued by this man's presence and his cryptic responses."Wolves, for one," the man replied nonchalantly, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. The statement sent a small shiver down Maria's spine, the thought of being stalked by wild animals was something to worry about."Don’t tell me you're scared of wolves," the man teased, noticing her shiver. He was enjoying this taunting

Her vision went dark as she felt a sudden sharp pain on the side of her head. The man had knocked her out. When she came around, she was in the back of a moving car, the soft rumbling of the engine and the passing streetlights outside the only thing she could see.Groggily, she tried to sit up, but her head was spinning and her body felt heavy. She realized she was bound at the wrists, a rough rope digging into her skin. The sight made fear and confusion swirl together in her mind. What was happening? Where was she being taken?The car continued to move, the world outside the window a blur of streetlights and buildings. She tried to keep track of the turns and landmarks, but her head was still fuzzy and disoriented. Every bump in the road sent a jolt of pain through her head. How long had she been unconscious? And where was she going?The drive seemed to go on for hours, the monotony broken only by the occasional stop at traffic lights. Every time the car came to a halt, Maria's heart

Leonardo planned to use Maria as leverage. He kidnapped her, planning to use her as bait to lure Markham out into the open. He assumed that Markham would do whatever it took to save her, and that his affection for her would cloud his judgment and make him vulnerable. Leonardo believed that by holding Maria hostage, he could manipulate Markham into making a mistake and ultimately lead to his downfall. Leonardo sat back in the chair, a satisfied smile playing across his face. Everything was going according to plan. The girl was in their custody, and as far as they could tell, Markham hadn't shown up yet. But he wasn't worried. He knew Markham would come, eventually. He was not the type to let something like this go unpunished. It was just a matter of time before he came charging in, ready to do whatever it took to get her back. And when he did, he would find himself walking right into their trap. Leonardo reclined in his chair, sipping his whiskey. The room around him was dimly lit,