The Mafia Temptation
ella
f my childhood home now felt alien, foreign. The walls that once offered comfort seemed to close in on me, suff
as a force of nature-unstoppable, relentless. His dark eyes never left mine, his presence suffocating, powerful. My body s
the calm, there was a warning, an undercurrent of something darker. He knew I was trying
rol over my own thoughts. "I don't want anyt
pine. "Oh, sweetheart," he said softly, stepping even closer, his presence now c
never chosen this life. But my voice was trapped in my throat, my mind clouded
eadable. It was as though he was searching for something deep
can't escape this. The mafia doesn't let go. It doesn't forgive. And it
unbearable, yet I couldn't deny the truth of it. Maximo had never been one to offer
racing for any possible way out. T
ot after everything I'd seen and heard. I'd seen enough violence and betrayal to la
ity of someone who knew exactly what I was thinking. "You're not going anywhere," he said, his voice low, the threat
is presence was suffocating, and for the first time, I felt small-helpless. The powerful, intimidating fig
" I finally managed to say, my
ard me. "I have every right. Your father signed your fate the moment
grabbing my arm with a force that made me gasp. His gr
," he warned, his voice dangero
hope. I tried to yank my arm away, but it was useless. His grip was iro
e murmured, his breath warm against m
reaming to get away, but the man holding me was a
ying to make him understand, but I wasn'
t as though he were considering something-before the
yet filled with an edge of finality. "Bu
caught in my throat. Something about the way he said it, the certaint
e to run. No
ssibilities had narrowed down to a single dark path
tly tilt my chin so that I had no choice but to meet his gaze. The int
e softer than before, almost reassuring. "But
give him the satisfaction of seeing me break. He might have trapped me
uld
ength to resist. But in that moment, I knew t
nge, control, or something else entirely. But one thing