All Chapters of BOUND BY VENGEANCE 'CLAIMED BY THE MAFIA': Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the driveway as I watched Ronan’s car disappear beyond the gates. He had left to handle a meeting with his associates, and though I trusted him implicitly, I couldn’t shake the unease that had been building since Clara’s visit.I had spent the last few days pouring over the documents she’d given me, uncovering layers of corruption and deceit that painted David in an even darker light than I’d imagined. The man I had once believed I loved wasn’t just cruel—he was dangerous.The thought sent a chill down my spine.---“Ma’am?”I turned to find Matteo standing behind me. He had a wary expression, his arms crossed over his broad chest.“What is it?” I asked, stepping back into the house.“We have a situation,” he said, his voice low. “There’s someone at the gate asking for you.”“Who?”Matteo hesitated before answering. “David Scott.”The name hit me like a punch to the gut. My immediate instinct was to tell Matteo to send him away, but curi

The moment I stepped into the main hall, my eyes locked on David. He was being held firmly by two of Ronan’s men, his face a mix of defiance and desperation. His once-pristine appearance was disheveled, his suit wrinkled, and his eyes bloodshot.“Ashley,” he said, his voice carrying a desperate edge. “This isn’t what it looks like!”My stomach churned at his audacity. “You’ve been stalking me, David. What exactly is it supposed to look like?”Ronan stood nearby, his presence commanding the room. He didn’t say a word, but the deadly glint in his eyes spoke volumes.“Let me explain,” David pleaded, struggling against the men holding him. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted to talk.”“Talk?” I repeated, my voice rising. “You’ve had plenty of chances to talk, David. Instead, you chose to lie, manipulate, and betray me at every turn.”“You don’t understand!” David shouted, his frustration boiling over. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Kate—she’s not who you think she is.”I froz

The warehouse smelled of damp concrete and rusted metal, a fitting stage for the confrontation that had been brewing for years. Kate stood across from me, her smile sharp and mocking, as though she already believed she had won. The men flanking her were seasoned criminals, their hands resting on the weapons at their sides.Ronan moved beside me, his presence a solid wall of support. Matteo stood at his other side, his hand casually brushing the holster at his hip. The quiet hum of tension filled the space, a suffocating blanket that wrapped around us all.Kate was the first to speak, her voice cutting through the silence like a blade. “So, little sister, you’ve brought your mafia prince to fight your battles now?” She tilted her head, her mockery thinly veiled. “How predictable.”I stepped forward before Ronan could reply, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me. “This isn’t about him, Kate. This is about you and the lies you’ve built your entire life on. It ends today.”He

The muffled sound of gunfire continued to echo through the halls, each shot sending a shiver down my spine. I crouched in the nursery, my arms wrapped protectively around my belly. I tried to focus on the rhythmic beating of my heart, willing myself to stay calm, but fear clawed at me like a feral beast.The door creaked open, and I tensed. Relief washed over me when I saw Sophia, one of Ronan’s most trusted staff members. She moved with urgency, her face pale but composed.“Ashley, we need to get you out of here,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.I nodded, my legs trembling as I stood. “Where’s Ronan?”“He’s handling it,” she said quickly, her tone clipped. “But the estate isn’t safe. We have to move.”---Sophia led me through a maze of back hallways, her movements deliberate and precise. She knew the estate better than I did, and I trusted her to get us to safety.“What’s happening out there?” I asked, my voice shaking.“A group of armed men breached the perimeter,” she

The atmosphere in Ronan’s study was thick with tension, the kind that made my skin prickle. Ronan stood by the massive oak desk, his broad shoulders casting shadows under the dim lighting. He was flipping through a set of documents, his jaw clenched tightly.I leaned against the wall, unsure whether to approach or stay in my corner. He hadn’t said much since we entered the room, but his silence carried weight—a storm brewing beneath the surface.Finally, he spoke, his voice sharp as a blade. “Do you know what you’re up against, Ashley?”His words caught me off guard. “I—what do you mean?”Ronan dropped the papers onto the desk and turned to face me. His intense gaze pinned me in place. “The world you’ve stepped into isn’t just dangerous. It’s lethal. If you want to survive, you’ll need more than determination. You’ll need to understand who your enemies are, how they think, and how to destroy them before they destroy you.”I swallowed hard, the weight of his words sinking in. I’d thoug