Page 33 of Masked Mafia's Runaway Bride

She shook her head, her hands moving to smooth her dress. “It’s not that. It’s just… this was a mistake. We shouldn’t be doing this.”

Her words hit me like a punch in the gut, but I nodded, forcing myself to take a step back. “I’m sorry,” I said, my voice rough.

She stood, her hands fidgeting at her sides. “I should go.”

I reached out, my hand brushing against hers. “Mirella, wait.”

She paused but didn’t look at me. “Goodnight, Sergio.”

And then, she was gone, leaving me alone with the echoes of the kiss and the regret that followed. I stood up. I wanted to chase after her to confess all the secrets I had kept from her and tell her that I was the man who she had shared a night with years ago. But it didn’t feel right. I moved to the window and saw her get into her car downstairs and drive off. She didn’t look back. I paced back to my room desk, wallowing now in regret. Maybe I had done too much. She wasn’t ready, and I had pushed too far.

“Fuck!” I cursed out loud. I picked up my phone, wanting to dial her number, but I stopped myself from going down that route. I was sure she needed time to process all this.

I leaned against the edge of my desk, staring at my phone like it held all the answers to my messed-up life. My head was a jumbled mess of guilt, frustration, and—of course—Mirella. That kiss kept playing in my mind, over and over, like a song you can’t stop humming even when you want to.

The screen lit up as I dialed Ryan’s number. The guy always had something sarcastic or brutally honest to say. But right now, I needed that. I needed to talk to him and take my mind off Mirella. The ringing felt like an eternity before his gravelly voice finally came through.

“Are you still alive, or did Don Carlos finally finish the job?”

I exhaled a dry laugh, rubbing the back of my neck. “Barely. But let’s just say I’m not calling to talk about my health.”

“Should’ve known,” Ryan muttered. “Alright, spill it. How are you holding up after Carlos tore you a new one?”

“I’m a mess,” I admitted, pacing the room now. “He’s furious about the shipment, which I get. But I can’t keep doing this, Ryan. Being under his thumb? It’s suffocating. I want out—now more than ever.”

Ryan’s tone shifted, the humor fading. “Sergio, we’ve talked about this. You want out? Fine, but you better tread carefully. The second Don Carlos sniffs out your plan, you’re as good as dead. He doesn’t let anyone walk away, especially not his son.”

“I know,” I said, frustration bubbling in my chest. “But I’m working on something. I’m gathering the manpower I need, building connections outside his reach. I just… I can’t keep living like this.”

“You sure about this?” Ryan asked. “You’re walking a thin line, man. One wrong step, and you’ll end up in a ditch somewhere. Probably one of Carlos’ ditches, too.”

I stopped pacing, leaning against the wall as my mind shifted to the ambush. “That’s not even the worst part, Ryan. The shipment being hijacked? That was too clean. They knew every move we were going to make, even with the last-minute changes. There’s a rat in our crew—I’m sure of it.”

Ryan let out a low whistle. “You’re not wrong. It was too precise. You think someone’s feeding intel to the other side?”

“Absolutely,” I said, the certainty in my voice surprising even me. “And I need you to figure out who it is. I don’t care what it takes—no stone unturned. Find the rat.”

Ryan was quiet for a beat before speaking. “You know… Mirella’s the newest addition to the mix. Could be her.”

I froze, the thought hitting me like a sucker punch. “Mirella?” I repeated, disbelief dripping from my voice. “She’s not a rat, Ryan. She doesn’t have it in her to hurt a fly, let alone sabotage an entire operation.”

“She’s the only new face, Sergio. It’s worth considering.”

“No,” I retorted firmly. “I know how it looks, but I’ve spent enough time with her to know she’s not the type. If you knew her, you’d say the same.”

Ryan let out a sigh. “You’re vouching for her pretty hard, man. Just saying, keep your eyes open. Trust is a dangerous thing in our world.”

I ended the call shortly after, my mind swirling with Ryan’s words. Mirella, a traitor? No, it didn’t sit right. She wasn’t some cold-blooded schemer. She was… well, Mirella. The girl who tended to my wound with a gentleness I hadn’t felt in years. The one who looked at me like I was more than just my father’s pawn.

Still, doubt crept in like an itch I couldn’t scratch. Could I be wrong about her? Could the kiss, her kindness, her presence—could it all be an act?

“No,” I muttered to myself, shaking my head. “Stop it, Sergio. Don’t be an idiot.”

I ran my hand through my hair. Mirella wasn’t the rat. She couldn’t be.

Whoever it was, I’d find them. And when I do, they’d wish they’d never crossed me.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

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