Page 46 of Blackmailed to the Altar

He hadn’t always been a Caputo. But after a tough run in with the law, he had a need for me, and, well, I needed his skills. Together we were a force to be reckoned with.

“I think you’re right. I have to make sure everything is settled here in Italy. Grab the asshole and bring him to me, would you?”

“When we get there, where do you want me to put him?”

I smiled at the fact he didn’t think he would lose. “I’ve got a deep hole he can go in, until I’ve decided how I want to deal with him. Let him sit and think about his actions in the dark.” I had time. I needed to get him off the streets, and didn’t want to rush his demise. He deserved the full force of the famiglia for daring to touch something that wasn’t his.

“I wouldn’t want to be caught dead in a dark hole. He’s in for a crazy surprise.”

“Let’s keep it that way,” I said, a bit distracted with my plans for my future wife. “Appreciate you.”

“Always, boss.” Samuel hung up with his new orders intact.

He would keep watch of Darren until we knew what he was planning. In the meantime, I had a wedding to prepare for. My soon to be wife was getting her vows earlier than expected for sure. I was going to make sure everyone knew who she belonged to.

Mya Caputo.

It had a nice ring to it.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Dr. Mya

I sat at the long table in the dimly lit dining room of the Caputo estate, my fingers tracing the edges of my glass absently. The heavy silence around me was suffocating. It wasn’t that I minded the quiet, after all, it gave me time to think, but tonight it felt oppressive, like a thick, invisible weight pressing down on me. I’d been here for hours, trying to push the uncomfortable tension in my chest away, but it refused to dissipate.

I stared into my glass, watching the way the amber liquid swirled with the movement of my hand, each motion a reflection of my thoughts: the marriage, the manipulation.

I wasn’t even sure what to call it anymore. There was no love, no romance, just cold, hard power, and I hated that. Hated the idea of being a pawn in this little game, a tool to be used to further another person’s ambitions.

The sound of the door creaking open snapped me from my reverie. I didn’t need to look up to know who it was. Riccardo. He had that way of entering a room, as if the very air shifted when he walked in. He was everything I shouldn’t want, but somehow did: powerful, wealthy, and in control of everythingaround him. But beneath that polished, authoritative exterior was a man who lived by rules I couldn’t, and wouldn’t, accept.

“Dr. Mya,” Riccardo’s voice was smooth as always, though I could hear the subtle edge in his words. He knew how to soften his tone to sound inviting, but I wasn’t fooled. “I’ve been waiting to speak with you.”

I didn’t respond at first, pretending to examine the contents of my glass, trying to steel myself against whatever he wanted from me now.

I had no intention of letting him win me over with his charm.

But he wouldn’t take no for an answer. Not Riccardo. He was relentless in his pursuit of control.

“Not now, Riccardo,” I muttered, still not looking at him. “I’m not in the mood.”

The sound of his footsteps grew louder, and before I knew it, he was standing beside me, his presence like a shadow falling over my own. I could feel the heat of his body radiating close, and I was suddenly aware of how small I felt in the grand, intimidating space of the dining room. I could still smell the faint trace of cologne in the air, the kind that clung to him even after he’d left the room. The kind of cologne that smelled like power. Like danger.

“Not in the mood?” He repeated the words like a challenge, but there was an underlying amusement in his voice. “That’s unfortunate. I was hoping to change that.”

I rolled my eyes and stood abruptly, not wanting to remain seated any longer. My stomach churned with an unpleasant combination of dread and frustration. “You think you can just waltz in here and change my mind?” I scoffed, turning to face him, my hands clenched at my sides. “You think that just because you’re you, I’m supposed to fall in line? It’s not that easy.”

Riccardo’s smile didn’t falter. He was good at hiding his thoughts, at masking any irritation with that polished, impenetrable mask he wore so well. But I could see it in his eyes. The momentary flicker of something sharp, something dangerous. That was the Riccardo I hated; the one who controlled everything, even when it seemed like he was letting go.

“You misunderstand, Mya,” he said smoothly, stepping closer. “I’m not here to ask for your permission or your approval. I’m here to show you that despite your doubts, despite your resistance, I will make you happy. That’s my job now.”

I almost laughed. “Your job?” I repeated, disbelief heavy in my voice. “Your job is to make me happy? You’re the one who’s been making decisions about my life before I even had a say in it. This marriage, this—” I cut myself off, unable to keep the bitterness from spilling over. “This is blackmail, coercion. That’s all it ever was, Riccardo. You’re not here to make me happy. I’m here because I have no choice.”

He reached for my hand, offering it with an easy, practiced grace. I hesitated, staring at his outstretched fingers for a moment longer than I should’ve. But it wasn’t affection I saw in them. It was dominance. Ownership. Control.

I jerked my hand away from his grasp, the action almost as sharp as the words that followed. “I don’t need you to fix me, Riccardo. I don’t need your promises or your... grand gestures.” I took a step back, the space between us suddenly feeling like a chasm. “I’m not some little girl you can woo with your charm. You don’t even know what happiness is, do you?”

His expression faltered for just a second, before he composed himself, his eyes narrowing slightly. The smile that had been on his lips now seemed like a mask, strained and unconvincing. “You think I don’t know what happiness is?” His voice dropped low, the edge in it unmistakable. “Let me tell you something,Mya. I don’t care about your idea of happiness. I’m not here to cater to your whims. But what I can give you is security. Power. A future. Isn’t that what you want? A future?”

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