Page 41 of Mafia King's Forbidden Vows

I don’t get a chance to take another step when, expectedly, memories of that night flow through my head.

I’m torn - I can’t stand this guy, yet I’m drawn to him. I despise who he is, yet I crave his touch. The way his fingers grazed my skin set me ablaze, and his deep, raspy voice enveloped me like a cloud of smoke, soothing me from within. I gave him my virginity and, strangely, I don’t regret it. For the first time, I felt such a deep, indescribable pleasure. There was pain at first, but it gradually morphed into something that unraveled my insides. Something I want him to keep doing to me, to my insides.

My head battles my heart as I turn these realities over in my head. I cannot let these feelings control my main objective towards this man. I have a plan, and I’ll see it through.

All I have to do is gather every scrap of incriminating information I have against this man so I can bring him down after he has successfully gotten rid of the criminals who want my dad and I dead. I just need to be patient. When I get to my desk, it’s already lunch break so I pack my bags and head out.

I lift my lips in a smile at one of the nurses at the reception desk as my heels slap against the linoleum floors. The pungent smell of antiseptic and different kinds of medicine, which has become well acquainted with my nostrils, greets me as I walk down the hallway to my father’s hospital room.

I take a peek into the room, checking to see if he is awake, then push the door open when he turns his head to smile at me.

“Hey, honey,” his pale, sunken cheeks sink in even further as he smiles.

“Hey, Dad,” I reciprocate his smile, setting my bag on the chair beside the bed. “How are you feeling today?”

“Well, I’m alive, and that’s a good thing.”

I lower myself onto the bed, careful not to jostle him. “I’m glad you feel so much better. I’ve been so worried for you all this time.”

“And I’ve been worried since I found out that you’ve been in a relationship without me knowing a single thing about it.”

I open my mouth and shut it when the words do not form. I didn’t intend for him to find out yet…at least not like this.

“It’s not much of a big deal,” I begin, but the fatherly glare he shoots at me stops me in my tracks. “Alright, I’m sorry. I…I…just…I mean, you were sick!”

He narrows his eyes at me, lips tightening into a thin line.

“So all of this, the engagement, happened suddenly during the time I fell ill?”

I know it sounds stupid, but I bob my head up and down just to get him off my back. His gaze softens slightly as he releases a deep sigh.

“I was just surprised when I heard it. I mean, we never keep anything from each other.”

“I wasn’t keeping it from you, Dad.” I dart my eyes away from his. It’s one of the few times when I have to lie to him, and it doesn’t sit well with me. “It all just happened so fast.”

“An engagement doesn’t happen that fast, Aria.” He locks his eyes with mine. “I just hope you’re happy.”

I dart my eyes away again and begin to fiddle with my fingers. “I’m happy, Dad. I’ve never been happier.”

When I hear him chuckle, I lift my eyes to his again.

“I didn’t think I would see your cheeks redden because of a man anytime soon. Look at you. You’re all grown now. I’m okay with it as long as he makes you happy.”

Happy. The word sounds foreign when describing how Elio makes me feel.

“You sound just like Mario, Dad.” A cloud of emotion suddenly waves across his face. “He was the one who always said he was going to strangle any guy who couldn’t make me happy.”

Dad releases a wistful sigh. “Your brother would have been a thorn in your flesh about your engagement if he were here right now.”

Silence falls between us, clouding the air with the heaviness of shared pain. I try to blink away the tears gathering in my eyes, but the more I try not to think about the fact that it hurts, the more I feel the sharp, excruciating stab in my heart.

“I miss him so much.” Dad breaks the silence, his voice cracking.

I bite the urge to tell him I’m going to get justice for Mario. He’d scream and do everything to discourage me from it. He’s scared for my safety…like I’m scared for his.

“Me too, Dad. I miss him every day.” A memory strikes my mind, and a sad smile climbs onto my lips. “Mario would have hated the fact that you’re in the hospital.”

Dad manages to croak with laughter, “He always hated hospitals. Remember when he fell off that tree and sprained his ankle? He refused to get it fixed for two days because he didn’t want to go to the hospital.”

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