Page 100 of Dark Mafia Bride

“Did you know he’s involved in the mafia?” Alessia asks softly, her eyes searching mine.

I nod, my throat dry. “I know he’s involved in some shady dealings…”

“Some shady dealings?” Giovanni scoffs, his voice full of disbelief. “That man is a murderer, Mira. He’s killed entire families, burned down his rivals’ businesses just for fun.”

My stomach churns as his words sink in. I’ve always known Ettore was dangerous, but hearing Giovanni say it out loud in such brutal detail makes my skin crawl.

“I work in the nightclub industry,” Giovanni continues, his voice dropping a notch, almost reluctant to share more. “I’ve seen a lot—been around a lot of powerful, wealthy men, and I’ve heard things. Things about how Ettore deals with anyonewho crosses him…” He pauses, his eyes darkening slightly. “It’s brutal. Merciless. He doesn’t hesitate to kill.”

I swallow hard, the weight of his words pressing down on me like a vise, but Giovanni isn’t finished. “But, as much as it pains me to admit it, I think he’s pulling away from that life now,” he says, his voice softening as he looks at me. “And I think a big part of that is because of you.”

My heart skips a beat, and I can’t help the mixture of warmth that floods through me. It’s like a tidal wave, building slowly in my chest.

“Yeah. Word gets around fast in these parts,” Giovanni continues. “It’s been said he’s decided to go clean since his expansion, since he went public with your marriage. I don’t like the guy, but I don’t think he’d intentionally cut ties with people like he has over the past few months just to project some family image. In his world, connections are everything—even shady ones. Yes, he has to keep up a front, pretending he no longer associates with certain people. But to actually cut them off—powerful cartels, influential backers that support his empire? That’s big. Means there’s more to it than meets the eye.”

“So you think it’s because of me?” I force myself to stay calm, even as my chest tightens, anxiety swirling inside me.

Giovanni shrugs, his expression serious. “He opted out of one of the biggest society clubs in the city. And I overheard my boss saying that when they asked Ettore why, he told them to ‘mind their fucking business.’ Sounds like he’s pussy-whipped to me.”

Alessia smacks him on the shoulder, and Giovanni groans. “What? Those were your words, not mine.”

“Wow,” I mutter quietly, not trusting myself to say anything more. The realization stirs something inside me, a strange cocktail of emotions.

Alessia, sensing the shift in mood, leans back with a playful grin, her eyes sparkling. “Can we change the topic now?” she teases, her tone light and mischievous. “I’ve been dying to hear some gossip. So…how was the honeymoon?”

Her sudden shift in energy helps break the tension, though a small part of me wonders if the truth of what Giovanni said will hit me later, when I’m alone with my thoughts.

Her question catches me off guard, and I feel my cheeks heat up, the memories of our trip flooding back. “It was nice. We got to know each other better. We did a lot of fun stuff. Had dinner on the beach, bathed in the sun…”

And then, the things we don’t talk about. Confessed our feelings, had amazing sex on the beach.

Alessia raises an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “Sounds like you had a really good time, with you being vague and all.” she says with a naughty smile. “Fine, don’t give me details. But you look...good. You’re glowing. You’re happy…”

“I am happy,” I exhale, and for a moment, I ignore the guilt gnawing at my chest, ignore the panicked thoughts about our future.

“I know Ettore acts tough and emotionally unavailable,” I continue, “but on that island, I saw a side of him I’d never seen before. He was loving, caring, attentive...” I sigh, the words slipping out before I can stop them.

Giovanni and Alessia exchange a look, and I feel the tension shift in the room.

“Our best friend is in love,” Alessia gushes, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “I’m so happy for you, girl. The man you just described—he doesn’t sound like the Ettore at all. He’s totally smitten.”

I can’t help but smile, her joy infectious. “I don’t know what to say.” I laugh, feeling a warmth spread through me. “It feels too good to be true sometimes.”

The rest of the afternoon slips by in a blur of laughter and playful teasing. Giovanni and Alessia somehow manage to make me forget, even if just for a few, the weight of the world pressing down on me. For those precious hours, I feel lighter than I have in so long, like I’m breathing easier, free from the worries and uncertainties that have been gnawing at me.

I even tell them about Milo, and Giovanni makes a big show of wanting to follow me to the university the next day and punch his teeth in. It’s ridiculous, but it makes me laugh—something I hadn’t exactly been doing when I got here.

But deep down, beneath the laughter and the joking, there’s a truth I’ve been hiding—one that’s eating at me more than I care to admit. As the day fades into evening, I realize with a clarity I haven’t felt in weeks that if I want to keep feeling this way, if I want to break free from the suffocating guilt that’s been suffusing everything, I have to tell Ettore the truth. All of it. There’s no other way.

When it’s finally time to leave, Alessia and Giovanni walk me downstairs where Logan is waiting for me by the car. Before I can get inside, I grab Alessia’s arm, pulling her aside.

“I’m going to tell Ettore everything. No more stalling,” I whisper, the words coming out heavier than I expect.

Her eyes widen. “You mean about the baby?”

I nod solemnly. “I can’t keep it from him any longer. It’s not fair to either of us. If we really stand a chance together, I have to brave enough to see if he acts up when I tell him.”

Alessia takes my hand and squeezes it gently. “That’s the right thing to do,” she says, her voice full of quiet support. “When are you going to tell him?”

---