Page 3 of Mafia Heir's Broken Vows

The words slither under my skin, setting every nerve on edge. Goosebumps break out along my arms, and I hate that he still has this effect on me.

I tilt my head, my mask shielding the smirk on my face. "Like a knife to the ribs." I missed him—and then I didn't—and then I decided to hate him instead. He doesn't need to know that I was heartbroken over him; he only gets the hate.

His chuckle is low, but there's no humor in it. Only heat. Tension sizzles between us, electric and suffocating. He always stole my breath, made it hard to think when he was so close. I need to keep my wits about me. I'm not going to fall for his charming bullshit again.

I have other things to worry about, like why Marco wanted me to organize this event so badly, why he insisted I had to be here. I don't usually stay for the party—I do my job and leave. But he was very particular about me being here. The money he offered seemed worth it—until now.

Somewhere in the shadows, I feel eyes on us. Someone is watching. Marco's men, perhaps? My skin prickles. Not in the good way it did when Alessandro was watching me—this is like someone just walked over my grave.

He dips me low and spins my body like I am just a toy, making sure I crash into him and that he can pull me flush against his hard body. All I see are his eyes through the mask, but that is enough to know what he's thinking. The possessive way he holds me, and the betrayal I feel when my body warms beneath that touch, I am in deep trouble.

The music finally changes,and the dance ends. I break away from him, breathless and seething. Lust, rage, and revenge all cross my mind. Alessandro's gaze follows me as I bolt through the crowd, needing distance, needing air. I slip through the grand archways and out onto the terrace, the winter air biting at my skin. Cooling the hot flush that he caused.

Fairy lights dangle above me, making the icy stone glow like it's on fire. Beyond the terrace, the lake reflects the moon, serene and still—a stark contrast to the war of emotions inside me. I don't want to go back inside—or to see him again. Maybe I should leave now. No one will notice I've gone. Everything is running as it should.

"Running away already?" Fuck.

I whirl around. Alessandro leans against the stone railing, casual as if he owns the place.

"I don't run," I snap. Although I was thinking about it until one second ago. "That's you."

He smirks. "No, you don't. You disappear."

The words slice like knives through soft flesh.

"What do you want, Alessandro?" I cross my arms, the cold biting through the thin fabric of my dress making my nipples misbehave.

His eyes darken. "To understand why you're here. Withthesepeople."

"I could ask you the same," I retort. He must be on the guest list—he belongs here far more than I ever will. "I'm working. This is not a social event for me. It's my job."

He steps closer, invading my space. "You're hiding something. What is it, Serafina?"

A flicker of unease runs through me. I can't let him find out about Leo. He can't know. Not now. Not after everything. He's not wrong—I am hiding many things, none of which I am willing to reveal to him. "I'm not hiding anything. I am trying not to get fired." I snap.

Before I can say more, a shadowy figure moves near the terrace entrance. Alessandro's attention is stolen away, and he subtly positions himself between me and the shadow we can't see. Someone is watching us a little too closely.

"Let's take a walk," he murmurs, offering his arm. I shouldn't take a walk with him—I don't want to, but that shadow has rattled my nerves. If I stomp off now, they'll wonder what the fuck I was doing out here with him.

Reluctantly, I take his arm, and we slip back into the castle's dim corridors, away from prying eyes.

The corridor stretches out before us, long and dimly lit, like a tunnel leading back into the past. With every step, I feel it—every mistake, every heartbreak, every betrayal waiting at the end.

Alessandro walks beside me, silent but unyielding, his presence impossible to ignore. His hand brushes mine, a fleeting touch that sets my nerves on edge.

I'm about to snap at him when a shadow flickers ahead, freezing me mid-step. A man steps into the light, his dark suit crisp, his gaze sharp. The weight of his stare hits me like a physical blow. My stomach clenches, a cold dread spreading through my chest.

Alessandro moves in front of me, his stance casual but brimming with tension, like a predator ready to pounce. "She's with me," he says, his voice low and steady, but there's a warning in his tone.

The man doesn't move, his smirk slow and deliberate. "Marco likes to keep tabs on his investments," he says, his voice smooth as silk and twice as cutting. His eyes drift to me, lingering like he's committing every inch of my face to memory.

My heart slams against my ribcage. His interests? That's what I am to Marco—a pawn he can monitor and control? My mind spins, conjuring worst-case scenarios. Does he suspect something? Has he found out about Leo?

Alessandro's jaw tightens, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. "Then tell Marco to back off."

The man's smirk deepens, his gaze briefly flicking to Alessandro. "You know he doesn't like to share."

He steps back into the shadows, but I still feel his eyes on me. A shiver ripples down my spine. I release a shaky breath, every muscle in my body tense as though I've been holding myself together with sheer force of will.

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