Page 29 of Dark Mafia Bride

His usual smirk widens into a smug grin as I approach him, fueling the anger in my veins.

“Well, well, if it isn’t my favorite debtor,” Abruzzi drawls, leaning back in his chair. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

I slip the envelope out of my bag and toss it onto his desk. “Half of what I owe you.”

“Oh, baby,” he chuckles. “I only asked my men to rattle you a bit. You didn’t have to go to such extreme lengths to get this money.”

His mocking tone stings, and I clench my fists to contain my anger. Men like Abruzzi love the control they wield over poor helpless people who depend on them. It’s why, even though he’s loaded, he established his loan shark business here in the slums.

Dirty bastard.

“You could have come to me personally,” he continued in that annoying drawl of his. “Maybe I could have come up with an agreement that would benefit the both of us.”

The other men in the room laugh, and I feel disgust crawl up my spine.

“I would rather die,” I bite out, and I mean it.

“Really, darling?” He smiles, and the gesture makes him look a bit younger.

Abruzzi isn’t unpleasant to look at. In fact, some might consider him attractive and would jump at the opportunity to be with a man like him. But I despise him. I know he’s involved in dark, shady dealings. Heck, this establishment and the men who hang around him are proof that he could be part of some criminal gang.

“You’ll have your full payment by next week,” I say firmly, ignoring his taunts.

“I like this newfound courage of yours,” he chuckles before grabbing the envelope and flipping it open.

His eyebrows shoot up, and I see something flicker in his eyes as he scans the bills inside.

“Impressive.” He closes the envelope and pins me with a stare. “Tell me, sweetheart, where did you get this kind of money?”

“You have your money. How I got it is none of your business,” I snap before turning to walk away.

“Oh, but it is. My men saw you talking to Luca. Do you know who he works for?”

That makes me halt in my steps. When I turn to look at him, the smugness in his smile makes my skin crawl. He knows more than he’s letting on.

I keep my face blank. “I don’t care.”

Abruzzi chuckles, leaning back. “You should. You think you’re free? Think again. You just signed a deal with the devil.”

His words send a shiver down my spine, but I refuse to let him see how deeply they cut.

“I don’t give a fuck. And again, it’s none of your business,” I snap before turning and continuing my journey to the door.

“You’ll be back, baby,” he calls after me. “When you realize the mess you’ve gotten yourself into, you’ll come running back to me.”

I step out of the office and slam the door shut, blocking off the laughter echoing behind me. Even as I leave the cursed building, his words cling to me like smoke.

Abruzzi might be a sick bastard, but I can’t ignore the nagging feeling in my stomach that there’s truth in his words.

In my desperate need to be free from him, have I just sold my life to a greater devil?

10

ETTORE

The house buzzes with quiet activity as I stride into the drawing room where every member of this household has gathered. Twenty of my staff stand in a neat row, eyes alert and shoulders stiff. Leonardo and Antonio are bickering about something, but their voices fall silent the moment they spot me.

“My fiancée will arrive in a few days,” I state firmly.

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