THE MAFIA ACCIDENTAL BRIDE

CHECKING ON MY WIFE

St. Mary’s smelled like bleach and coffee at 7 PM.

Home.

I clocked in with my badge that still said _Dr. Aria Carter, ER_.

Not _Romano_. Not yet. Not ever if I had a say.

The locker room was the same. Broken tile. Bad lighting.

My scrubs felt right. Like armor.

Nina from Trauma saw me and froze.

"Dr. Carter. You’re... back?"

"Night shift. Like always."

"But the wedding pics are all over—"

"I don’t talk about my personal life at work."

She nodded fast. "Right. Sorry."

The ER was chaos. As usual.

Car accident. 3 stab wounds. Kid with a fever of 104.

I moved. Hands steady. Voice calm.

This was the one place I was in control.

At 9:14 PM the double doors slammed open.

Not ambulance bay.

Front entrance.

Two men in black suits. Earpieces.

And Matteo.

He was in a suit. No tie. Hair still wet from a shower.

The bandage under his shirt from last night was hidden.

The entire ER went quiet.

"Nina," I hissed. "What is he doing here?"

Nina whispered, "He asked for you. By name."

Matteo scanned the room. Found me at triage.

His expression didn’t change.

"Aria."

"What are you doing here?" I kept my voice low, but it came out sharp.

"Checking on my wife."

"We’re not—"

"We are." He said it loud. Deliberate. "For one year. Remember the contract?"

Dr. Reyes from admin appeared. Flustered. "Mr. Romano. You can’t be back here—"

Matteo looked at him. "My wife works here. I’m waiting."

"She’s on shift."

"Then I’ll wait." He sat in the waiting room chairs. Legs crossed. Like he owned the place.

For the next 6 hours he didn’t leave.

Every time I came out of a room, he was there. Watching.

Every time a male resident talked to me, his jaw ticked.

He didn’t speak to me. Didn’t touch me.

Just... present.

At 2:30 AM a drunk came in. Trauma 2.

Slurred, angry, grabbing at whoever was closest.

He caught my wrist. "Hey pretty nurse, help me—"

Two seconds later he was against the wall.

Matteo.

Hand on the guy’s throat. Not squeezing. Just holding.

"Touch her again and I take the hand."

Security ran in.

Matteo let go. Straightened his cuff. "Problem?"

The guy was shaking his head. "No sir. No problem."

Matteo turned to me. Looked at my wrist.

No words.

Then he walked back to the waiting room and sat down.

My face was burning.

Nina stared at me. "Dr. Carter... who IS that?"

"No one," I said. "He’s no one."

At 4 AM shift ended.

I was exhausted. Blood under my nails.

Matteo stood when he saw me.

"Home."

"I have to finish notes."

"I’ll wait."

I finished in 20 minutes. He was still there.

The car was silent again.

Until he handed me my phone.

It buzzed in his hand.

Unknown number.

_She’s not safe at that hospital. Pull her out. Or I will._

Matteo’s knuckles went white on the wheel.

"We’re done with this hospital."

"No."

"Aria—"

"I’m a nurse. That’s who I am. You don’t get to take that."

He stared at me. Long.

"Fine. But I’m putting guards on every floor. And you come home to me after every shift."

"That wasn’t in the contract."

"I’m adding it."

When we got home, his mother was in the kitchen.

"Matteo. The board is asking about the marriage."

"Tell them it’s real."

"It’s not real."

Matteo didn’t look at her. He looked at me.

"It is now."

His mother left.

Matteo poured water. Drank.

"Go to bed. You’re exhausted."

"What about you?"

"Work."

"The kind that ends with blood?"

He almost smiled. "The kind that keeps you safe."

Upstairs I couldn’t sleep.

Not because of the texts.

Because of the way he sat in my ER for 6 hours.

Like I mattered.

At 5 AM my phone buzzed.

Unknown number:

_Last warning. Get her out of St. Mary’s. Room 4 wasn’t an accident._

I deleted it.

Didn’t tell him.

Rule 1: Don’t lie to me.

I was already breaking it.

#### *Day 2. St. Mary’s. 3 PM.*

Memo in my inbox.

_Mandatory meeting. Hospital Board. 4 PM. Attendance required._

I showed up in scrubs. Still smelled like antiseptic.

The boardroom was full. Dr. Reyes. Admin.

And Matteo.

At the head of the table.

My stomach dropped.

"What are you doing here?"

Matteo didn’t look at me. "Sit."

Dr. Reyes cleared his throat. "Dr. Carter. We’ve received complaints. About disturbances. And about conflict of interest."

"My conflict of interest?" I laughed. "I’ve saved 12 lives this month."

"It’s not about that. It’s about your husband."

Matteo finally looked up. Bored.

"Conflict of interest," he repeated. "Because your best ER doctor is married to me?"

"Mr. Romano, this is a hospital matter."

"Was." He slid a folder across the table. "As of 3 PM, Cole-Romano Holdings owns 51% of St. Mary’s."

Silence.

"What?" I whispered.

Matteo turned to me. "I bought the hospital, Aria. To keep you safe. To keep you employed."

"You can’t just—"

"I can." He stood. "Effective immediately, I’m chairman. And you report to me."

Dr. Reyes was pale. "You can’t fire us—"

"I’m not firing anyone. Yet." Matteo’s eyes flicked to me. "Except if anyone harasses my wife. Then I fire everyone."

Meeting over.

In the hallway I grabbed his arm. "You bought my job?"

"I bought your safety."

"I don’t need you to—"

"Yes you do." He stepped closer. "Because of the texts. Because of Room 4. Because I can’t sleep knowing you’re here without me."

"That’s not in the contract."

"I’m rewriting it."

He walked away. Left me with 20 staff staring.

For the next week he was everywhere.

Office on the 4th floor. Above the ER.

Window. Watching.

Guards on every floor.

Nurses started calling me "Mrs. Romano".

I hated it.

I also hated that when a code came in at 3 AM, he was there in 30 seconds.

Sweatpants. Hair messy.

"Are you okay?"

"I’m fine."

"Good."

At the end of week 1, the text came again.

Unknown:

_He bought the hospital for you. Cute. He still lied about Room 4._

I deleted it.

Hands shaking.

That night I went to his office.

He was on the phone. Arguing in Italian.

Hung up when he saw me.

"Why did you really buy the hospital?"

"Already told you."

"Liar."

Matteo stood. Came around the desk.

"Fine. Because when you’re here, I can’t protect you. And I need to."

"Why?"

"Because you’re my wife."

"That’s not an answer."

"It’s the only one you’re getting."

He was close. Too close.

I could see the scar on his eyebrow.

My phone buzzed.

Unknown:

_Ask him who was in Room 4 with him._

I looked up at Matteo.

"Who was in Room 4 with you?"

His face went blank.

"Who told you about Room 4?"

"Answer me."

"No."

He stepped back. Put distance between us.

"Go home, Mrs. Carter. You have a shift in 6 hours."

Rule 1: Don’t lie to me.

The two are already breaking the rules