Page 80 of Dark Mafia Bride

Luca clenches his jaw, clearly not pleased with the situation. He repeats the words from earlier. “Logan just reported that Mirabella didn’t ride with him to college today.”

Why the hell would she do that? I’ve spent weeks trying to track down whoever’s targeting her and her family. I’ve done everything I could to figure out if the fire at her house was an accident or planned. I moved her family in, bolstered security around the place—only for her to decide she doesn’t want her assigned driver taking her to college?

“Tell me something positive,” I hiss, clicking my pen nervously in my hands. “Tell me she skipped lectures or something. Maybe she just didn’t feel like going, and that’s why Logan didn’t take her.”

Luca finally looks up at me, meeting my gaze for the first time since walking in this morning.

“She did go to college.”

I’m about to snap when he adds another line. “Logan reported that a friend came to pick her up. I found out it wasAlessia Conti, her best friend, who picked her up. And I’ve confirmed that she was dropped off on campus.”

My irritation eases a little with the new information. It makes sense. Everything that’s happened lately has been overwhelming for her—too much, too different from what she’s used to. If she needs a little normalcy, even if it’s just hanging out with an old friend, I get it. Plus, it’s Alessia. Before the marriage contract was finalized, I had a background check done on everyone close to Mirabella, including her two best friends. And from what I discovered, they’re both solid people.

“Tell Logan I’ll be picking her up from college later today,” I say gruffly. I’ve got other plans—one of my clients is flying in from Japan, and I need to meet with him at a hotel later. But Mirabella is way more important than any of that. As long as I know she’s safe and okay, everything else can wait.

“You’re dismissed.”

Luca nods and turns to leave the room.

I let out a sigh and return to work. The hours slip by in a blur of meetings and phone calls. Every now and then, I glance at the time on my wristwatch. I’ve got her class schedule memorized, so I know her lectures end at 3:00 pm. The anticipation builds in me as I count down the seconds, thinking about the look of surprise on her face when she sees I came to pick her up instead of Logan.

At 2:30 pm, I tell my secretary to cancel all my remaining appointments before heading toward the parking lot. I slide into the front seat of my Range Rover, start the engine, and pull out of the building. In less than thirty minutes, I’m driving through the sprawling university gates.

I find a spot in the parking lot, and just as I pull in, I spot Alessia several cars ahead. She’s leaning against the trunk of her red Honda Civic, her blonde hair blowing in the breeze, armscrossed over her chest. She’s staring out at the campus with a focused expression.

I step out of the car and head in her direction. I assume she’s here for Mirabella, too. She notices me before I can approach her, and I see something flash in her dark eyes before her face hardens.

Alessia doesn’t like me, and I can’t say I blame her. My reputation precedes me, and since she’s dating Giovanni Ferraro, a guy who works in the nightclub scene, I’m sure she’s heard plenty of rumors about me—most of them probably true.

It doesn’t help that she likely thinks I’m the source of all the chaos in Mirabella’s life. After the fire, the whispers started, and people love connecting dots, even when there’s no proof. Alessia’s loyalty to Mirabella is clear, and I can tell she’d go to battle for her friend if she thought I was a threat.

“Alessia,” I greet her, keeping my tone casual as I stop in front of her. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

Her posture stiffens, though she tries to appear nonchalant. “I could say the same for you,” she replies cautiously. “You’re such a busy man. Didn’t think picking your wife up from college would be on your list of priorities.”

I smirk, ignoring the thinly veiled jab. “I heard you brought her this morning. That was thoughtful. Mirabella needs her friends around her, especially now.”

Her lips press into a thin line. “I know she does,” she says, her tone more measured this time. There’s a hesitation in her eyes as if she’s weighing how far to push.

“I mean it,” I continue, softening my voice just slightly.

That seems to send a wrinkle in her brows. Almost like she doesn’t believe the words coming from my mouth. Her eyes narrow, and I notice something unsettling in them. People usually measure me with their gaze, but with Alessia, it’sdifferent. It’s like she’s sizing me up, like she knows something I don’t.

She just hates you, man,a voice whispers in my head.

When she speaks again, her voice is quieter, but steady. “I love her,” she says. “And I don’t want to see her hurt.”

She isn’t throwing accusations or raising her voice; instead, it’s a cautious plea, one she seems to have chosen carefully.

“You won’t,” I say, meeting her eyes. “I’ll take care of her.”

She exhales slowly, her hands fidgeting with the strap of her bag. “I hope so.” Her tone carries a hint of resignation, but I can tell she’s still unsure. “For her sake.”

I nod, offering a faint, almost disarming smile. “Thank you for looking out for her, Alessia. She’s lucky to have a friend like you.”

She blinks, caught off guard by the unexpected sincerity in my words, and I take the opportunity to end the conversation on my terms.

“I’ll take her home,” I add, my voice calm but firm.

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