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sound of our baby, waiting to share the jo
e clinic flashing a brand-
arried a mafia princess
is secret mistress and
he would pull his protection
him, his new wife orchestrated a f
happen, using my family's
r, my father jumped from
ffered a massive, fatal h
y room, dropping to his knees
ordered the hit, claiming he only want
ld, my bare feet covered in my own blood, my pa
ing left to th
sed the mafia's digital firewall and upl
pte
lla
By dawn, their empire was ash. But this story doesn't st
for eight years walked into the clinic, flashed a wedding band of new-minted solid go
kles of my hand had gone so white with tension that the paper's
g my nostrils; the photograph made a
him, and the heavy bolt of the lock shot home, t
of armed men, controlled the city's underground ports,
ary-he had kept his bloody reality separate from our life. I
harcoal suit, smelling of expensive co
n his left hand, and a knot
s voice devoid of all inflection. "I married Sere
n. I backed away until my spine hit thewhispered, the words
lla. A political all
strides. He reached for my face, but I slapped
e, stripping away the gentle boy I thought I knew to revea
re my true family. I will give you a house, a massive allowance
your mistress," I b
you to b
hest, a wave of nausea rising so shar
child into this world to be a mafia bastard
He grabbed my wrist, his grip a manacle of bone and sin
ella. Do you hear me? You dare destr
d the Don's ring and married that
and I could feel the angry, erratic
bort this baby, I have no reason
ed ice; a chill crept inch by inch up my
the Syndicate's dirty cash. He was a small fish in a shark tank, only
hreatening
adjusting his cuffs with a chilling precision. "Think very carefu
d out of the room w
though it were stuffed with a water-logged sponge, eac
he floor and looked at the tiny gray blur. This was a life bo
ached the front desk. The receptionist
rocedure," I said, my voice soundi
," she replied, clicking her mouse. "I have an
even shake. That scared me
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