The Mafia Crimson Desire

reminding her of her captivity. She woke in the morning to the soft, muted sunlight filtering through the thick curtains

down. She wanted to see the man behind the stone mask, to glimpse a version of him that wasn't so consumed by power and contr

y thing that mattered was power and the display of it. Conversations often circled around business, but

move, but he was always two steps ahead. He was the king of

Vieri mafia, were feared and respected. Luca's father, Giovanni Vieri, was an old lion in the business, but Luca was the one who command

ding. He kept his distance in every way that mattered. But there was one t

Perfect in her behavi

n to. She did everything to maintain the appearance of the dutiful wife, th

person who const

v

eared him, Ivy held a peculiar kind of power over him. She was young, beautiful, and sharp-tongued, with an air of

re studying a specimen under a microscope. But she wasn't done with her yet. No, Ivy

e sweet but with a sharp edge that caught Sophia's attention. She sat across from Sophia, a

re, maintaining the pleasant smile that had become second nature

mile that didn't reach her eyes. "Of course he ca

just a warning; they were a threat. Ivy was no fool

ble, catching the brief exchange between his sister and his wife. A flicker of someth

through the tension, but it wasn't di

cing herself to meet his eyes. "Ye

unreadable, before returning his

one with her. No

t, Ivy cornered Sophia in the hallway outside her room. There was no one else ar

t sent a chill down Sophia's spine. "That Luca is your protector, your s

tone of Ivy's voice scraping against her

ing but a pawn in Luca's game, a piece to be moved when it's convenient. Do you really think you can change t

o admit. She had tried to convince herself that she was more than just Luca's wife-that she had s

" Sophia said, her voic

when Luca's enemies finally come for him-and they will come-you'll be the

of the threats Luca's enemies could make. She had known the danger of marrying into the Vieri family. She had kn

ith the fear she had instilled. "Remember, Sophia," she said softly, "y

y had walked away. The walls of her new life wer

w had she become a pawn in this dan

thing Sophia knew for certain, it was this: She had to find a

er-in-law's words pressing down on her chest. The cold air in the hallway seemed to grow thicker, and

façade, a show of wealth and power, but now that the guests had gone home and the celebrations had ended, the reality of her

t would only confirm her weakness. She could try to escape, but she knew the dangers of tr

n't escap

quickly wiped the stray tear that had escaped her eye and took a steadying breat

e never spoke much, but when he did, it carried weight. His presence was often intimidating, and though he seemed to keep his

st assessing. His eyes moved over her like he was evaluating a s

steady, though she knew it didn't sound convincing. Marco's

at night," he said with a touch of amusement in his

stinctively moving away fro

leaving her as she moved past him. His words trail

of trouble

e reminder of the power Luca and his men held over her, over everything. It didn't matter how far she moved

m, which should have been a sanctuary, felt suffocating now. The elegant furniture, the

t of dread. She had tried to find solace in the idea that her marriage to Luca was something she could endure, that she could

gnawed at her, slowly chipping away at whatever fragile confidence she had left. Ivy had been right-Soph

figure out how to survive in this dangerous world, how

allies here, no friends, only enemies cloaked in expensive suits and cold smiles. Ivy h

a to her, an enforcer who never seemed to care much about anything or anyone, but something in his eyes had changed wh

, he was a player in the game himself. He operated on a different level- one where loyalty and power w

prawling grounds, surrounded by tall gates and thick trees, a fortress meant to keep the world at b

d she tr

way to escape Luca's grasp, she couldn't afford to make another mistake. She

-

ice, reviewing some documents when Sophia knocked and entered. He didn't look up from h

said, her voice steady, though he

the pen down on the desk and sat back in his cha

ia?" he asked, hi

that what she was about to s

hat I'm really here for. If I'm going to be part of this world, I need to understand my plac

them stretched long and heavy. His gaze was like a weight pre

ed like an eter

his voice hardening. "You'll stay, and you'l

ed, but she didn't fli

a smile- one that was to

u'll reg

der as the words

turning on her

ne thing was clear: her life in this world, h