Page 59 of Dark Mafia Bride

Mirabella stands her ground. “The same way he’ll react when I tell him you brought up my absent father,” she retorts, her voice steady. “Also I think it’s really pathetic, trying to use your dead husband to score cheap points in an argument.”

I know it’s time to intervene when I see Zia Camila glaring at Mirabella, fists clenched at her sides.

“How dare you?—”

“What’s going on here?” My voice booms through the corridor, slicing through the tension like a knife.

Four heads whip around to face me, but my gaze zeroes in on one person—my wife, who is glaring daggers in my direction.

“Nothing, my dear nephew,” Zia Camila chirps, her tone overly bright. I shift my focus to her, narrowing my eyes. “We were just having a little welcome chat,” she adds, forcing a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Well, I think that’s enough chatting for tonight,” I say, striding over and wrapping my arm around Bella’s waist. I feel her stiffen for just a moment before she relaxes against me. “My wife needs to get some rest.”

Zia Camila’s eyes flash with frustration, but she knows better than to challenge me.

“Of course. We’ll leave you two alone.” She motions for the others, and I watch as they retreat to the other wing of the house, their whispers trailing behind them.

As soon as the last of them is gone, Bella pulls away from my grip, her expression fierce.

“You said I would have my own bedroom,” she snaps, shooting daggers at me with her eyes.

I take a step back, caught off guard by the heat in her gaze. “I meant it, Bella. But it’s complicated?—”

“Complicated?” She interrupts, her voice rising. “It’s not complicated. You promised, Ettore! I thought I’d have a place of my own in this house. Instead, I walked into a lion’s den!”

“I know. But my aunts can be overwhelming, and they won’t stop until they feel they’ve asserted their dominance. I had no idea they’d confront you like that,” I reply, trying to keep my tone calm.

“This isn’t what I signed up for,” Mirabella huffs, running a hand through her hair, frustration evident.

I stare at her face, flushed with anger, the rise and fall of her chest as she breathes heavily, and the way strands of her hair fall into her eyes before she tugs them back in frustration.

Fuck, I’m turned on.

Taking her hand, I pull her toward my bedroom. The last thing we need is to argue in the corridor on our wedding night where anyone could overhear us.

The moment we step inside, the air shifts. Every feeling I’ve been suppressing swells tenfold. We are alone, in my bedroom—my sanctuary—where no other woman has been, and suddenly all I want is to claim her.

“You handled that well by the way,” I say, dropping her hand before running my fingers through my hair in frustration.

She exhales sharply, and I can see the tension in her body.

“I’m used to bullies like them. It’s nothing new for me to defend myself against people who think the world revolves around them,” she spits, venom lacing her words. A pang of guilt hits me, but I quickly shove it down.

I shouldn’t let this woman make me feel even the slightest emotion toward her. That’s dangerous. She’s dangerous...

“Did you know your aunts were bullies?” she asks, then scoffs before I can respond. “Of course, you knew. You just didn’t care because this is a business arrangement, after all,” she mocks.

“They won’t bother you again,” I reply fiercely.

Her eyes widen slightly, surprise flickering across her features.

“I can’t trust your words when you’ve already gone back on our agreement,” she accuses, softly this time.

“That,” I gesture toward the door. “What just happened a few minutes ago is why I changed the plans. There are nosy people around here, and the last thing we want is for anyone to suspect that this marriage is fake.”

She huffs, and I find myself being upset at the fact that she’s so insistent on not sharing a bedroom with me.

As she scans the room, I run my hands through my hair again. Her belongings are already moved in—clothes, personal items—everything arranged next to mine. It makes this whole situation feel real in a way it hadn’t before.

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