Page 39 of Unwanted Marriage with the Mafia Boss

Once she’s free, I’m sure she’ll go as far away as possible from me. She and her parents won’t dare to make a move against mebecause they’ll know just how dangerous I am. They’ll realize that there’s no point in fighting me when they have zero power.

I’m sure Matteo and Gennaro will be surprised when they hear I presented Chiara as my wife, but they’ll put two and two together eventually. Hopefully, that won’t happen too quickly, but it doesn’t matter.

No one in the mafia world will think she’s actually my wife once I let her go. She won’t be in any danger. I just need the general public to believe it, especially her stubborn neighbors. Paradossi leading a small uprising against me and then becoming my father-in-law...

Yeah, people will justlovethat. They’ll think he was faking it all or tried to get me to marry his daughter quicker or something. Gossipers always come up with something fun and totally ridiculous, but people end up believing it.

Without their leader, they’ll be easier to conquer. Everyone will be too busy babbling to really care about anything else.

I head down to the basement. Domenico is still in the cell where my men have left him. He’s all chained up and bloody, and it’s a surprise he’s still alive. But I won’t let him die. Not yet. For now, I need something from him.

“You’re wasting your time,” he chokes out as he sees me.

I grab a big knife from a nearby weapons table before I enter his cell. “I’m not wasting my time. I need something from you.” I wave at one of the guards. “Hold his arm.”

“What are you doing?” Panic laces his voice as a guard grabs his arm.

Domenico tries to fight him off, but he has no energy, and the chains limit his movements anyway.

“Spread his fingers against the wall,” I say to the guard, who obeys.

“Let go of me!” Domenico shouts.

He no longer feels brave. Maybe I should’ve started cutting off parts earlier, but I don’t have time for him. It’s his fault for getting himself into this.

I ignore his cries and find the finger I need. Domenico’s bloodcurdling scream echoes through the room as I slam the knife down. I grab a handkerchief and wrap his severed finger in it. Domenico keeps crying and screaming.

“Stop the bleeding with something,” I tell the guard, and head out.

I could’ve cut off Paradossi’s finger, but people would be wondering what happened to him. It’s easier to take Domenico’s finger and put Paradossi’s ring on it, especially because their hands are very similar.

I’m sure Chiara won’t be able to tell the difference. She’ll only see a bloody, gross finger with her father’s ring, and that’ll be enough for her to do whatever I want her to do.

If she refuses because of this minor little detail, I’ll get her father’s finger. But I’m pretty sure that won’t be necessary. Maybe I should keep a bucket close because she might throw up when she sees it.

A smile spreads across my lips. Everything is going perfectly for me, and it’ll stay that way. Chiara is still a little bit too much of a distraction, but I’ll deal with that too. Once she’s out of my sight, she’ll be out of my mind too. I’ll bury myself in work anyway, and I won’t have any time left to think about anything else.

CHAPTER 22

Chiara

“I needyou to do something for me,” Adriano says with a smile on his face as soon as I take a seat at the table in the dining room.

There’s no food on the table this time, just an empty bucket next to my chair. What the hell is going on?

“Do what?” I ask.

“There’s an event where all important businessmen will be. I need you to come with me, as my wife.”

“What?” I gape at him.

Is he serious right now? I don’t even know how he can say we’re married because the papers I signed can’t be legal. And now he wants to parade me in public as his wife?

“No.” I cross my arms. “I’m not your wife, so I won’t do that.”

“You should be glad I’m offering you this chance. Take it as a sign of my goodwill. I’m going to let you go once I have what I want. My wife disappearing would cause me some complications. Of course, I’d deal with those if you decided not to do what I asked of you, but I’m sure you and your parents will be more reasonable in the future.”

I don’t trust him. If everyone really starts thinking I’m his wife, he’ll want to keep me with him.

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