The Mafia's Secret Wife

The Man In The Shadows

The mansion went completely dark.

Maya's heart slammed against her ribs.

For a few seconds, nobody moved.

Then another crash echoed through the house.

Bang!

Someone screamed.

A guard shouted something from the hallway.

Dante immediately stepped in front of Maya.

"Stay behind me."

Maya gripped the back of his jacket.

She hated how much safer she suddenly felt with him standing between her and the darkness.

"What is happening?" she whispered.

"Someone breached the mansion."

"How?"

"I don't know."

Dante's voice was calm.

Too calm.

He pulled out his phone and switched on the flashlight.

The narrow beam cut through the darkness.

Three guards moved into position around them.

Dante looked toward the staircase.

"Lock every entrance."

"Yes, boss."

"And find the power room."

The guards disappeared into the darkness.

Maya's breathing became unsteady.

"Dante."

He looked at her.

"My sister..."

"I know."

"You think they took her?"

"I don't know."

"But you said the safe house was compromised."

"Yes."

"So they could have taken her."

Dante's jaw tightened.

"They could have."

Maya felt tears building in her eyes.

"No."

Dante looked at her.

"Maya."

"What?"

"You need to stay calm."

"How am I supposed to stay calm?"

Her voice shook.

"My sister is missing, people have broken into your house, and someone just called me Mrs. Rossi."

Dante's expression hardened.

"They're trying to frighten you."

"It's working."

He stared at her for a moment.

Then he lowered his voice.

"They won't touch you."

"You can't promise that."

"I can."

"How?"

"Because they have to get through me first."

Maya looked into his eyes.

There was something different about him now.

The cold businessman from the auction was gone.

This was Dante Rossi—the man everyone feared.

He turned toward the guards.

"Nobody gets within ten feet of her."

Maya frowned.

"Where are you going?"

"To find whoever did this."

"No."

Dante looked at her.

"You just told me not to leave your side."

"I told you to stay behind me."

"That's not the same thing."

"Tonight it is."

Before Maya could respond, a loud sound came from upstairs.

Dante immediately looked up.

Maya's heart stopped.

"My room."

Dante moved toward the staircase.

Maya followed.

He turned sharply.

"I said stay here."

"My room is upstairs."

Dante sighed.

"Fine. Behind me."

They climbed the stairs.

The hallway was dark.

Maya could barely see anything.

Dante raised his flashlight.

Her bedroom door was open.

Maya stopped.

"I closed that."

Dante's expression became serious.

He slowly approached the doorway.

Maya stayed behind him.

Inside, everything appeared normal.

Her bed.

Her suitcase.

The lamp.

The curtains.

Then Dante's flashlight moved across the floor.

A piece of paper lay beside the bed.

Dante picked it up.

Maya stepped closer.

"What is it?"

Dante read it.

His expression changed.

"What?"

He handed it to her.

Maya unfolded the paper.

Three words were written across it.

YOU SHOULD HAVE RUN.

Maya's stomach twisted.

"They were in my room."

Dante nodded.

"Yes."

"How did they get in?"

"I'm going to find out."

Maya looked at the paper again.

"Why would they leave this?"

"Because they want us to know they're not afraid."

"Of you?"

"Apparently."

A noise came from the hallway.

Dante immediately turned.

He pushed Maya behind him.

"Who's there?"

No answer.

Dante's hand moved toward the weapon concealed beneath his jacket.

Maya held her breath.

A shadow moved across the hallway.

Dante stepped forward.

"Come out."

Nothing.

Then a man suddenly ran past the doorway.

Dante chased him.

Maya stayed frozen.

She heard footsteps.

Then a loud crash.

"Dante!"

No answer.

Maya stepped into the hallway.

"Dante?"

Silence.

She took another step.

Then someone grabbed her from behind.

Maya screamed.

A hand covered her mouth.

She struggled.

The stranger whispered in her ear.

"Don't make a sound."

Maya's heart pounded.

She tried to turn.

Suddenly, the person released her.

Maya stumbled forward.

Dante stood several feet away, holding the man against the wall.

His expression was terrifying.

"Who sent you?"

The man said nothing.

Dante's voice became colder.

"Who sent you?"

Still nothing.

Dante looked at one of his guards.

"Take him downstairs."

The guards dragged the man away.

Maya stared at Dante.

"You saved me."

He looked at her.

"I told you to stay behind me."

"I know."

"Why didn't you?"

"I heard you."

His expression softened for the briefest moment.

"Then listen next time."

Maya nodded.

The mansion suddenly came back to life.

The lights flickered.

Then turned on.

Everyone looked around.

The guards moved through the corridors.

Dante checked his phone.

"No signal."

Maya frowned.

"What?"

"The phones are being jammed."

"Can they do that?"

"Apparently."

Maya looked around.

"Then how did that man get inside?"

Dante didn't answer.

Instead, he looked toward the guards.

"Search the entire property."

---

Twenty minutes later, the mansion was secured.

At least, that's what the guards claimed.

The intruder had disappeared.

The man Dante had caught refused to speak.

And Maya's sister was still missing.

Maya sat on the edge of the sofa in Dante's office.

She hadn't spoken for several minutes.

Dante stood near the window.

His phone finally showed one bar of signal.

He immediately made a call.

"Anything?"

He listened.

His face became darker.

"Check every location again."

Another pause.

"No. She didn't disappear on her own."

Maya looked up.

"Did you find her?"

Dante ended the call.

"Not yet."

Maya lowered her gaze.

"What if she's hurt?"

Dante's expression hardened.

"Don't think like that."

"You don't know that she's okay."

"I know."

"How?"

"Because if they wanted her dead, they wouldn't have used her to reach you."

Maya stared at him.

"What do they want from me?"

Dante walked toward his desk.

"Me."

"What?"

"They want to weaken me."

Maya shook her head.

"I don't understand."

"They know you're important to me."

Maya's heart skipped.

"Important?"

Dante looked at her.

"You're my wife."

"But this marriage is a contract."

"To us."

He paused.

"Not to everyone else."

Maya didn't know what to say.

Dante walked closer.

"They think taking you will make me vulnerable."

"Will it?"

His eyes met hers.

"I don't have weaknesses."

Maya raised an eyebrow.

"Then why are you protecting me?"

Dante didn't answer.

She stood.

"Dante."

He looked away.

"Go back to your room."

"You're avoiding the question."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I don't owe you an answer."

Maya folded her arms.

"You're impossible."

"So I've been told."

For the first time, Maya almost smiled.

Then Dante's phone rang.

He answered.

"What?"

His expression changed.

Maya immediately knew something was wrong.

"Where?"

He listened.

"Don't touch anything."

He ended the call.

"What happened?" Maya asked.

Dante looked at her.

"They found a vehicle."

"Whose?"

"Your sister's."

Maya's face went pale.

"Where?"

Dante picked up his jacket.

"Three miles from the safe house."

"Is she inside?"

"We don't know."

"Then let's go."

Dante looked at her.

"No."

"I'm coming."

"Maya—"

"I need to know."

He stared at her.

Then he nodded reluctantly.

"Stay beside me."

---

The drive was silent.

Maya sat beside Dante in the back seat.

Two vehicles followed them.

She stared out the window.

The city looked different tonight.

Darker.

More dangerous.

"Do you think we'll find her?" she asked.

Dante looked straight ahead.

"Yes."

"You sound certain."

"I have to be."

Maya turned toward him.

"What happens if the people who took her contact you?"

"They will."

"How do you know?"

"Because they want something."

"What?"

Dante finally looked at her.

"You."

Maya's stomach tightened.

Before she could respond, his phone rang.

He answered.

Nobody spoke.

Then a distorted voice came through the speaker.

"Rossi."

Dante's entire body went still.

"Who is this?"

"You already know."

"Where is her sister?"

A low laugh.

"Alive."

Maya grabbed Dante's arm.

He looked at her briefly.

The voice continued.

"You want her back?"

Dante's eyes turned cold.

"Name your price."

"Not money."

"Then what?"

A pause.

"Your wife."

Maya's blood ran cold.

Dante's hand tightened around the phone.

"You won't touch her."

"We already have."

Maya's eyes widened.

The voice laughed.

"Check the back seat."

Dante immediately looked around.

Maya felt something cold against her neck.

She froze.

A small device had been placed beneath the seat beside her.

Dante saw it.

His expression changed.

The caller spoke again.

"You brought her exactly where we wanted."

The line went dead.

Dante stared at the device.

Then at Maya.

"Don't move."

Maya's voice trembled.

"What is it?"

Dante didn't answer.

His driver slammed on the brakes.

The cars stopped.

Outside, darkness surrounded them.

Then headlights suddenly appeared on both sides of the road.

One vehicle.

Then another.

Then another.

They were surrounded.

Dante opened his door.

"Stay inside."

Maya grabbed his sleeve.

"Dante..."

He looked back at her.

For the first time, she saw something in his eyes she had never seen before.

Fear.

Not for himself.

For her.

"Whatever happens," he said quietly, "don't leave this car."

Then he stepped outside.

The surrounding vehicles began moving.

And from somewhere in the darkness, a voice shouted:

"Give us Mrs. Rossi..."

A pause.

"...or your sister dies."

Maya's heart stopped.

Dante slowly turned toward her.

The choice had been made.

And for the first time, Maya realized that becoming Dante Rossi's wife hadn't just changed her life.

It had started a war.