Page 111 of Ruthless Mafia Boss 3: Vino and Claire

“Thank you. I insisted to Serigé that I had to be part of their downfall.”

“Yeah, it’s the end for both of them.”

She exhaled deeply, relief evident in her expression.

Darya placed her hand on the panel and the door slid open.

“Let’s finish this.” I grinned.

My men had better be looking out for my fiancée. I couldn’t lose her tonight.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CLAIRE

Standing in front of Ivan after all these years felt surreal, like facing down a demon from my darkest nightmares. He was the reason I lived in constant paranoia, always looking over my shoulder, hiding beneath hats and sunglasses whenever I stepped out. Innocent lives had ended simply because I’d slipped from his grasp. Now, he had the audacity to think Gia would hand me over like a lost trinket. Vino was right—I was nothing more than property to Ivan. True, Vino was possessive, even obsessive—but with him, I felt cherished rather than owned. Despite the fury I felt over his tampering with my birth control, I knew he genuinely loved me. What other man would adopt three separate identities just to fulfill every one of my dreams?

Motherhood had always terrified me, deeply rooted in the trauma of losing my own mother. I never wanted a child to endure that same devastating loss. Yet now, as I stood here pregnant, I was determined to give my child the love and safety I’d lost far too soon.

My reflection smiled faintly back at me in the restroom mirror. Only I—and perhaps his loyal team—fully understood the immense restraint it had taken Vino not to break Ivan’s neck right there in the hallway.

“Boss chick, ready?” Lativia asked softly.

I met her eyes confidently. “Yes, Lativia, I am.”

Elegantly dressed women drifted gracefully through the restroom doors. As I opened the door, I stopped abruptly upon seeing the two large men waiting for me in the hallway.

Wearing the same shampoo Claire used while with Ivan was a risky move. I knew it provoked him. When he inhaled the scent of my hair, it took all my self-control not to reach for the dagger hidden under my dress and plunge it into his heart.

“Delaney,” one guard approached me respectfully, though with a menacing undertone. “Mr. Sokolov wishes to speak with you.”

Feigning discomfort, I fanned myself lightly. “I’m feeling flushed. Tell him to join me outside.” I gestured toward the open patio.

His men stood there, seemingly unsure of what to do.

I confidently strode toward the rear entrance.

The thought of Ivan trying to kidnap Angelo’s wife to bargain for me twisted my stomach.

Sick bastard.

A muscular guard near the door smiled and opened it politely. “After you.”

Luckily, Vino had men all over the venue to protect me.

I hoped Ivan’s men walked away.

“Thank you,” I murmured.

I walked deeper into the backyard. The serenity was deceptive, tinged with memories of running from Vino through similar woods. My pulse quickened anxiously.

Vino’s team. Our team had to be nearby. Voice chatter came through my earpiece. “Anyone got eyes on Delaney?” Vino asked.

Before I could respond, Ivan’s deep, familiar voice and the scent of his familiar cologne froze me in place. “Beautiful night, isn’t it?”

My skin crawled. Memories of the night he raped me became so vivid.

I swallowed hard. “It is. The fairy lights make it feel peaceful. I could stay here all night.”

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