Forced To Marry The Mafia’s Rival Heir

Chapter 5

Clara’s POV

The cool night air hit my flushed cheeks as I stepped out of the crowded venue, the echo of laughter and music fading behind me. My phone buzzed in my hand; Chloe texting that she was five minutes away but all I could think about was Robins Tyla. His laugh, that deep, fuzzy sound that wrapped around me like a secret; the way his ink-blue eyes had darkened when he brushed my chin; the faint scar on his knuckle that hinted at a life far rougher than the brilliant medical student everyone admired. I’d spent years reading his research papers in stolen late-night hours, dreaming of the man behind the words, never imagining he’d be tied to the shadowed world my family ruled; the same world that made “Angela Graciano” a carefully crafted alias to shield Clara Black from enemies who’d love nothing more than to use the daughter of Donald Black against him. I was very careful with the way people knew me that's why I stuck with my alias. Even Chloe and most of my friends gave a slang for it, Angie; instead of Angela.

I leaned against the stone wall outside, heart still racing from the shots and the flirting, when I heard footsteps behind me. Soft, and deliberate, not the clumsy stagger of partygoers.

“Running away already, Angela?” His voice was low, amused, sending a shiver down my spine that had nothing to do with the winter chill.

I turned, and there he was, jacket slung over one shoulder, white shirt still bearing the faint red bloom of my wine spill like a badge. Moonlight caught the sharp lines of his face, making him look dangerously handsome.

“I told you, my friend’s picking me up.” My words came out breathier than I intended.

He stepped closer, close enough that I caught the faint scent of cedar and smoke clinging to him. “I know. But I couldn’t let you leave without this.” He held out his phone, screen open to a new contact page. “Your number. In case you ever want to lose at ‘Never Have I Ever’ again.”

I laughed, the sound lighter than I felt, and took the phone. My fingers brushed his as I typed, and neither of us pulled away immediately. The contact lingered, warm and electric, like the first spark of something forbidden.

“There,” I said, handing it back. “But don’t expect me to go easy on you next time.”

His smile was slow, devastating. “I wouldn’t dream of it.” Then, quieter, “You’re not like anyone else here, Angela. You know that, right?”

My breath caught. He couldn’t possibly know who I really was, could he? The Graciano name was a solid cover, layers deep, vetted by my father’s best men. But the way he looked at me, like he saw straight through the mask, made my pulse stutter with both thrill and fear.

Headlights swept across the driveway; Chloe’s car. I stepped back reluctantly. “That’s my ride.”

Robins glanced toward the approaching vehicle, then back at me, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. “Be safe getting home.” He paused, then added softly, “I’ll be thinking about those green eyes until I see them again.”

I swallowed hard, every romantic nerve in my body screaming to close the distance and kiss him right there under the stars. Instead, I whispered, “Goodnight, Robins,” and forced myself toward the car.

As Chloe pulled away, I watched him in the side mirror standing alone in the driveway, hands in his pockets, gaze fixed on us until we turned the corner. My phone buzzed almost instantly.

Unknown number: Sweet dreams, clumsy girl.

I smiled so wide my cheeks hurt, but beneath the flutter of new love, unease coiled tighter. Robins Tyla wasn’t just the brilliant recluse I’d idolized. That casual drink after “Never have I ever been arrested” hadn’t escaped me. And the way certain guests who sat at different edges and corners in the party; known associates of rival families had nodded to him with deference… that said a lot but could it be, "Oh, sure it was." I resolved, but I think no one else knew.

He was deeper in the mafia shadows than I’d ever imagined. Two heirs from opposing worlds, drawn together by wine stains and daring glances. My father would never allow it if he knew. Robins’ family whatever hidden allegiance he carried would destroy me to hurt the Double Axe Mob if they discovered my real name.

Yet as I clutched the phone to my chest, heart pounding with reckless hope, I knew one truth with absolute certainty: I would risk everything to see him again. This wasn’t just a childhood crush reborn, it was the beginning of a love that could either save us both or burn our empires to the ground.