Stolen by the Mafia Lord

eri

wasn't a suitable wo

n it was my en

ing an ethereal glow over the grand ballroom. Laughter and chatter echoed arou

the scents of fresh ros

detail meticulously arranged

a gathering this perfect in my name. Instead, m

sweeth

isobey. Allesandro's hand rested on the small of my back, possessive and f

ed in the mirror. A hollow expression that I hoped

cour

with dark hair combed back in a style meant to project power. His smile gleamed, too per

king

be part

ured, leaning down just enough for

in cr

I lied through

sn't ab

ver been

s about my family. Saving them from ruin after ye

o was the deal my

y for my

way without my consent, b

htening against my spine. I held my bre

t choice, Caterina. S

, but I couldn't

r faces smiled back at me, congratulating us on

very kind word fel

ame practised smile,

ation. I sipped champagne, savouring the bitterness rather than the bubbl

ned so s

om collectively held its breath. A ripple of whispers sp

as hap

owned the place, and for

too well to be off the rack. Dark hair swept back on a way that was

ever had the pleasure of meeting. S

lated, this man's was natural... a pre

t, his strides unhurried, yet every

rt thu

st on Alessandro. His lips curled into something

from his tongue with a hint of distast

I felt it. Mostly because he refused to remove his hand from m

,

was

ro replied, his

ween them, trying to decipher the sudden tension. Alessandro, so accus

lessandro added, forcing a laug

briefly to me. There was no smile this time, only a quie

s wrong

dro asked, his voice laced with wha

exact

slicing through the poli

ck as he straightened, squaring his

ancing across his features. "I'm here," he

t as well hav

way his expression faltered for the b

eeth, his voice low enough to escape th

ined calm, but there was a weight to it, a

clenched. "I just

en... those warm green eyes.

a prize he'd already won. This was different, sh

said, his eyes never leaving mine. "But onl

ence st

do you

t didn't reach his ey

like a stone, hea

ng to register, for the weight

payment for Al