bound by the mafia king

Chapter Two – The Deal“No!”

“No!”

The word tore out of Elena’s throat before she even realized it. Her chest heaved as Adrian’s cold fingers lingered on her chin. She smacked his hand away, her entire body trembling with rage.

Adrian chuckled darkly, a sound that made the hairs on her arms rise. “Feisty. I like that.”

“Papa, tell me this isn’t real,” Elena begged, turning to her father. Her wide eyes shimmered with betrayal.

But his face was pale, his shoulders slumped as though the weight of the world crushed him. “Elena, please… I had no choice. If I didn’t agree, we would all be dead.”

Her blood ran cold. “Dead? Because of him?” She spun back toward Adrian, glaring at him as though he were the devil himself.

Adrian leaned against the marble pillar, swirling his wine like this was all a game. His voice was calm, too calm. “Your father owed me millions. Money he gambled away, money that belonged to the Moretti empire. I don’t take debts lightly.”

“I’ll work. I’ll pay you back,” Elena snapped, desperate. “But marriage? That’s insane!”

Adrian’s smirk deepened, though his eyes were as sharp as blades. “You think I want your money? No, princess. I want something far more valuable.”

Elena’s lips parted in disbelief. “What could you possibly want from me?”

He straightened, his towering frame closing the distance between them with slow, deliberate steps. The room seemed to shrink, her pulse hammering louder with every stride he took.

“Your loyalty,” he said, his voice a dangerous promise. “Your obedience. And your name tied to mine.”

Her heart pounded. “Why me?”

Adrian bent down, his lips grazing the shell of her ear as he whispered, “Because, Elena Rossi… you’re the only leverage I need to bring your father’s enemies to their knees.”

Her breath caught, but before she could respond, the heavy doors of the mansion burst open.

Gunshots echoed in the night.

“Boss!” Marco shouted, storming inside with his gun drawn. “It’s an ambush!”

Elena froze, her scream trapped in her throat. Adrian’s hand grabbed hers in a brutal grip.

“Stay with me if you want to live,” he ordered, his eyes flashing with lethal fire.

And in that moment, Elena realized the man she hated might be the only one who could keep her alive.