Chapter Eleven — Mrs. Morretti
1022 Words
The phone had been ringing for hours.
I sat on the edge of the massive bed, my legs curled beneath me, staring at the door. The calls weren’t stopping. It had been three weeks since I last touched a phone, three weeks since I last spoke to anyone outside of Leo’s world.
Leo, who had been lounging in his chair across the room, let out a deep sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. The ringing stopped.
Then it started again.
I sucked in a breath, glancing at him carefully. He was calm now, but I knew better. Leo Moretti was a man of few things—control, power, and patience. Right now, that last one was hanging by a thread.
Another ring.
Then another.
Leo tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling as if asking God for strength before finally grabbing the phone and answering it.
“She’s dead.”
I nearly choked. “Leo—”
He ignored me, listening to whoever was on the other end. A beat of silence passed. Then his lips curved up in amusement.
“Oh, my mistake. She will be if you keep calling.”
I scrambled off the bed, rushing toward him. “Are you serious? Who is it?”
His gaze flicked to me, then back to the phone. “Her best friend. Annoying little thing, isn’t she?”
My stomach twisted. “Mia.”
Mia was relentless. She was stubborn, loud, and she never gave up. She was probably raising hell, demanding to know where I was.
I expected Leo to make some cruel remark, to end the call, but instead, he smirked and said, “Fine.” Then he hung up, tossing the phone onto the desk.
I blinked. “Fine?”
He turned toward me, reaching out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “You have a visitor, little doll.”
Shock rippled through me. “You’re letting me see her?”
His thumb brushed my cheek, his smirk widening. “Oh, Alee. You really don’t understand me at all, do you?”
That… didn’t sound reassuring.
**
Mia was already shouting when I entered the room.
“Where is she?! What have you done to her?! I swear, if you’ve hurt her—”
“Mia!” I rushed forward before she could do something stupid, like attack Leo’s guards.
Her head snapped toward me. The moment she saw me, she gasped. “Oh my God! Alee!” She ran to me, grabbing my shoulders, eyes scanning me for injuries. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you? Do you need help? Blink twice if you’re in danger.”
I blinked twice.
Mia paled.
Then I groaned. “No, no—wait! I didn’t mean that. I mean, yes, I’m in danger but also… no? Ugh, it’s complicated.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Complicated? Alee, you were kidnapped. That is not complicated! That’s a crime!”
I opened my mouth, but before I could respond, she suddenly grabbed my hand and squeezed it tightly.
“Don’t worry, Alee,” she whispered, her eyes determined. “I’ll save you.”
A warmth spread through my chest. God, I had missed her.
I swallowed thickly. “Mia, I—”
A shadow fell over us.
I felt it before I saw him. The shift in the air. The suffocating dominance. The scent of spice and danger that I had grown all too used to.
Leo.
He moved behind me, slow and lazy, like a predator who had all the time in the world to hunt his prey. His hands slid to my waist, gripping me possessively as he leaned down to press a slow, deliberate kiss against my neck.
Mia went completely still.
Then Leo spoke, his voice smooth and utterly unbothered. “Save her from what exactly?”
Mia inhaled sharply. Then—
She screamed.
A high-pitched, panicked shriek.
She ripped her hand from mine so fast you’d think I had the plague.
And then—she fell to her knees.
“I’M SORRY!” she wailed, hands clutched together like she was begging for her life. “PLEASE DON’T HURT ME! I’M SO SORRY! I DIDN’T MEAN TO DISRESPECT YOUR RELATIONSHIP! I LOVE LOVE! I BELIEVE IN TOXIC—WAIT, NO! HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS! I—I JUST WANTED TO SEE HER, THAT’S ALL! PLEASE, MISTER SCARY MAFIA MAN, LET ME SEE HER AGAIN AFTER TODAY, I BEG YOU—”
I stared at her, utterly mortified. “Mia—”
“Shut up, Alee! I’m trying to survive!” she hissed, still sobbing.
Leo was silent for a moment. Then, to my complete horror, he laughed.
Deep. Dark. Amused.
Mia stiffened.
I stiffened.
Leo crouched down in front of her, tilting his head. “You’re smarter than you look.”
Mia whimpered. “T-thank you?”
He chuckled again, rising to his feet. “Fine. I’ll allow you to visit.”
She gasped. “Really?”
“But,” he added, pulling me back against his chest, “she won’t be going anywhere.”
Mia frowned. “What do you mean? Alee’s going to leave when—”
“She’s my wife,” Leo cut her off.
Silence.
Dead. Absolute. Silence.
Mia and I both blinked.
“What?” I croaked.
Leo pulled out his phone, showing her the tabloid article.
Mia screamed again.
I grabbed the phone. My eyes scanned the screen.
Mafia King Leonardo Moretti Weds His Obsession—Exclusive Wedding Photos Inside!
I nearly fainted.
“I—what the—HOW?!” My voice was shrill, hysterical. “When did this happen?! Why does half the world think I’m married to you?!”
Leo smirked. “Simple. I told them.”
I gaped.
Mia whimpered.
Leo kissed my temple, completely unaffected by my impending breakdown. “Better start practicing my last name, little doll.”
I smacked his chest. “I HATE YOU.”
His lips brushed against my ear, his voice dark, possessive. “No, you don’t.”
My breath hitched.
God help me, I really didn’t.
- Writer
