Page 39 of Mafia Shade's Reluctant Bride
I led her past the main floor, up the stairs, and down the hall to my office. The space was lined with shelves of expensive liquor, a sleek black desk taking up most of the room.
Maria stepped in, hesitating only for a second before walking toward the window.
I stayed by the door, watching her.
Her fingers brushed over the glass.
“This place feels familiar. I am not even sure anymore. It was dark that night,”
The words were soft and almost absentminded. I wanted to ask her why the thought of being here in the past haunted her so much.
Why did it have such a taunting effect on her?
I stayed quiet.
She turned back to me, eyes searching. A muscle in my jaw ticked. Maria had no idea how close she was to the truth.
I cleared my throat. “Maybe it just reminds you of another club.”
She didn’t look convinced, but she let it go.
I watched her closely, noting the way she shifted and the way her hands lingered on surfaces like she was trying to ground herself.
I moved toward my desk but didn’t sit. I didn’t move too close, either. I didn’t want her to feel crowded.
“If you want to leave, we can,” I said.
She turned to me. “No. I want to be here.”
Something in my chest tightened.
Maria wanted to be here—with me.
She stepped closer, hesitating slightly before leaning against the edge of my desk. “I just…I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
I didn’t say anything. I just let her talk.
She sighed, rolling her shoulders like she was shaking something off. “When did you start all of this?”
My brow lifted. “The club?”
“The business,” she corrected, her gaze sharp. “You used to hate it, remember? You hated how it kept your father away. You always said you’d never be part of it.”
A sharp laugh escaped me. “I did say that, didn’t I?”
She nodded, arms crossing. “So, what changed?”
I hesitated.
Then, I shrugged. “He died.”
Maria blinked.
I let the word settle between us before continuing, my voice quieter. “I thought I could stay out of it and that I could be different. But the moment he was gone, everything landed on me.”
She studied me. “You could’ve walked away.”
“No.” My voice was firm. “I couldn’t.”
