Page 44 of Dark Mafia Bride

Giulia, Mirabella’s teenage sister, looks a bit scared as I approach. But she’s staring right into my eyes, and I see the resemblance between her and her sister.

I pull my gaze away from her and glance at a middle-aged woman who looks like an older version of Mirabella.

Isabella. Mirabella’s mother. She’s sitting upright, and from what my men have told me, she’s been receiving treatment at the hospital. Although she appears stronger than before, I still see the weakness that clings to her body.

Beside her is Mirabella’s Nonna, much older and scowling as she eyes me carefully. They all have one thing in common: they’re glaring at me.

“I am Ettore Greco, your future son-in-law,” I announce into the room.

“You’re not old,” Giulia blurts out.

I frown as I watch her mother pinch her arm lightly.

“Mirabella tried to escape me today, and I’ll bet you all knew it since you were packing your bags and were ready to run,” I say calmly.

But her grandmother steps forward, anger flashing in her eyes. “If a woman tries to run away from you on her wedding day, it means she no longer wants to get married,” she spits. “So why are we here?”

I step closer, noticing her gulp as I place a hand on her shoulder. “Simple. I want her back,” I tell her.

When she cowers slightly, I pull my hand away and slip it into my pocket. “I don’t want to hurt you. You already know that my union with your granddaughter isn’t...typical. Mirabella signed a contract and accepted money, money that has been used to pay for your daughter’s debts.”

“We appreciate that,” Isabella speaks up, her voice weary. “But my daughter doesn’t want to marry you.”

A part of me feels bad that she’s been dragged into this mess. But they were all complicit in Mirabella’s plan. Did they try to trick me after I helped settle their debt?

I shake my head, pushing those thoughts aside. Despite my annoyance, I know this family is genuine. They’re dressed up, ready for a wedding, which means they were preparing long before Mirabella probably alerted them about her escape.

“You understand what she agreed to when she signed that contract, right?” I say, my voice low but pointed. “The terms were clear—she promised to uphold her side, and if she breaks it, she owes ten times what I gave her. That’s $100,000 she’ll need to repay immediately.”

Isabella’s face pales, and I can see her calculating the impossibility of it. “A hundred thousand? How could she?—”

“She can’t,” I interrupt. “And if she can’t pay, she’ll face legal consequences. Do you think the courts will look kindly on someone who takes money, spends it, and then refuses to fulfill their obligations? They’ll chew her up.” I let the silence hang for a moment, the weight of my words sinking in. “And that’s before Abruzzi gets involved.”

“I don’t...who is Abruzzi?” Isabella asks, genuinely confused.

Now, I feel conflicted and even more annoyed. Mirabella is so selfless. She’s been harassed by loan sharks, dangerous ones like Abruzzi, and her family doesn’t even know about it.

“Well, if she didn’t tell you,” I say, the edge in my tone unmistakable. “Then it’s not my place to. My concern here is simple. Your granddaughter made a choice, and that choice has a price. One hundred thousand dollars, to be precise. If she thought she could play smart and trick me, it’s time for her to learn what it means to cross me.”

Nonna, frail but fierce, narrows her eyes at me, her voice shaking with anger. She shouts in Italian, “You’re a devil. You tricked my granddaughter with this dirty contract!”

I smirk at her audacity, the nerve of speaking to me like that. Few have gotten away with addressing me so curtly, let alone more than once in a conversation. I should be reveling in this moment, enjoying the fear in their eyes as they realize how easily I could dismantle them. I should lock them up, make sure Mirabella spends a significant part of her life paying me back every damned cent she owes.

But...there’s something different today. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s my wedding day, and for once, I’m feeling...magnanimous. Generous, even. I’ll let it slide—this time. They are my in-laws, after all. And when was the last time you heard of a groom who’d imprison his in-laws over a little misunderstanding like this?

But I don’t intend to let them mistake my generosity for weakness. They’ll learn that soon enough.

“Devil? Perhaps,” I reply, my voice calm but laced with menace. “But your granddaughter wasn’t forced to sign anything. If she didn’t understand the terms, that’s her problem, not mine. I’m far too busy to teach grown women why you don’t sign documents without reading the fine print—or without a lawyer present.”

Nonna takes a step forward, her frail frame trembling with rage, as if she might strike me. But Isabella grabs her arm, holding her back. The tension is palpable, thick in the air. I glance at Mirabella’s younger sister, silent and tearful in the corner, her small frame shaking. If I were a better man, maybe that sight would move me. But I’m not.

I check the time on myPatek Philippewatch, the glint of its polished face catching the light. My patience is wearing thin. “The clock is ticking. You have until the end of the day to get me $100,000 in cash, or Mirabella goes to prison for breaking our agreement. That’s the deal. Do you really want to see her thrown in a cell after everything she sacrificed to save you?”

Isabella’s face crumples, her silence speaking volumes. I turn my attention back to Nonna. Her shoulders are slumping now, her earlier fire dimmed.

“What do you want from us?”

I step closer, my presence looming over them, and lower my voice. “Call Mirabella. Tell her to come back willingly. She’ll listen to you.”

---