CONTRACT MARRIAGE WITH MAFIA BOSS

The moon hung full and silver in the ink-black sky, casting a cold glow over the sleeping city. Rainbow ran. Her breath came in ragged bursts, each step echoing through the narrow alleyways. Shadows stretched like grasping hands along the walls, but she didn’t dare slow down. Not tonight. Not after years of swallowing every insult, every order barked at her like she was nothing. Eldora’s voice—icy, calculated—still rang in her ears. The woman wasn’t just a stepmother; she was a predator cloaked in political charm. To the public, Eldora was the picture of generosity, adopting the quiet orphan to boost her public image. At home, Rainbow was a servant in fine clothes, living under the same roof as Eldora’s real daughters—Marina and Sarina—who never let her forget her place. But tonight, under the shimmering moonlight, Rainbow had finally chosen freedom. Her crimson eyes caught the pale glow of the night, glinting in determination as she darted between buildings. She didn’t know where she was going—only that she had to get far away. The sound of footsteps grew closer. Heels. Heavy ones. Eldora’s. Her chest tightened. She pushed harder. The cold air tore at her lungs. And then— A figure stepped from the shadows, blocking her path. He was tall. Broad-shouldered. His black suit clung to him like armor. The streetlight caught his face, sharp angles carved by shadows, eyes dark as sin. She knew him immediately. Everyone did. Deric. The mafia king. She stopped so abruptly her knees buckled. The world spun. The last thing she saw before darkness claimed her was his piercing gaze, unreadable and dangerous. When she woke, the room around her was nothing like the streets she’d collapsed on—rich velvet drapes, polished wood floors, the faint scent of leather and smoke. And sitting beside her, watching her like a puzzle he hadn’t decided whether to solve or destroy, was Deric himself. Rainbow’s pulse quickened. She opened her mouth to speak, but he beat her to it. “How do you plan to repay me?” His voice was deep, smooth… and terrifying. She stammered, “I—I’m so sorry. Thank you, but I really should—” “You leave this place,” he interrupted, “and you’ll be dead before nightfall.” Her blood ran cold. “What?” “Your stepmother,” he said, leaning back casually, as if discussing the weather, “told me last night that anywhere she sees you, you’re finished.” Rainbow’s hands trembled. “Please… I’ll do anything.” His gaze locked onto hers. “Marry me.” Her heart stopped. “Me? Marry the deadliest man in the world? No!” “It’s a contract marriage,” he said, lips curling in the faintest smirk. “Don’t flatter yourself.” She shook her head. “I’m not selling myself.” “I won’t touch you,” he promised. “It’s just business. But I can keep you alive.” She swallowed hard. The thought of Eldora’s cold eyes sent a shiver down her spine. “…Okay.” Deric opened a drawer, pulled out crisp papers, and slid them across the table. “Sign here.”