Page 56 of Claimed Bratva Virgin

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, Papa decided now was the right time to talk about unity.

Marriage to Luca Rossi. Not now, not ever.

Every part of me burned with hatred as I glared at Luca. Smug and certain, he looked at me like he’d already won. It made my stomach churn, and with the way he had his eyes pinned on me, subtly raking down my body, the man’s intentions were pure evil.

I’d rather bite off my own arm than marry the bastard.

The propelling urge to cry and laugh hit me at the same time. I ran away from Rafayel’s arms because I thought being there with him was a nightmare. Meanwhile,thiswas the nightmare. Coming back to Papa had to be the biggest mistake of my life.

I couldn’t find the words.

My hands trembled at my sides as my thoughts raced.

Rafayel.

Our baby.

What about my baby?

Papa was dead serious about this arrangement with Luca, which meant that my baby could not be in the picture.

Would I have to…. No. No. I didn’t want to think about it. I wouldn’t let them take this from me, too. The raging storm building up inside wasn’t just aboutZver’sseed inside me; it was everything. Papa’s manipulative games. This absurd marriage proposal. The suffocating weight of expectations that had probably been crushing me for as long as I could remember, and I never really noticed. And now, it was too much.

I needed to get out of here.

Away from that dipshit, Luca. Away from Papa. Away from all of it.

My shoes thudded sharply against the marble floor as I backed away. “I can’t do this.”

“Leonora!”

“Mi dispiace, Papa, but I just can’t think right now.”

Turning around, I bolted toward the door and to my car, which was still sitting by the fountain. Marco still stood there, not even trying to stop me. For that, I was grateful.

The sharp, cold air outside hit me like a slap, but it did little to clear my mind. I jumped into my car, strapping my seatbelt, and fumbled with my hands to start the engine.

Déjà vu.

I was back here again, in this dark hole Rafayel had saved me from barely a moment ago. Only, the hole was a lot darker this time, with louder voices screaming at me.

Rubber burned against asphalt as I pulled away. My heart was pounding so loud that I felt it in my eardrums. I didn’t know where I was going, only that I needed to get far, far away.

The road blurred ahead of me as I fought to suppress the tears threatening to spill, and I remembered how Rafayel found me in the first place. Even if Papa didn’t care, my mother did. She would probably never know, but not having her in my life spurred me to make something of my life. To fill the shoes Matteo and Papa needed at the time, even if they didn’t know it.

I lifted two fingers to my head, then my chest, then to my shoulders, and finally to my lips.

This madness wasn’t over—not by a long shot. But Papa was right about one thing.

I was a lot stronger than a few cuts and bruises.

Chapter 17 – Rafayel

I gripped the steering wheel tighter as I spotted her car ahead.

I’d always known you couldn’t trust a woman. But we didn’t listen to our heads, right? Sometimes, we’d see the burning orange and yellow flames and still dive right in.

Tikhon wanted to tag along, but I shut down his request. This was my shit to handle. Mine and mine alone. If anyone had to deal with her, it was me. And despite the pressure sitting on my chest like a boulder, I was going to snap her fucking neck with pleasure.

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