HER ROYAL MAFIA

HER TORMENT RETURNED

VINCENZO CASTILLO

The drive back to the hotel was as silent as the Dead Sea.

I kept watching Giulia through the rearview mirror hoping I could I could make something out of her blank expression, stiff posture.

But... Nothing in her eyes.

Why was I even surprised?

She’d always been this way. Or maybe… ever since she became Giulia.

Sometimes I caught myself wondering if this was the same naive, soft, fragile woman I dragged out of that prison six years ago. The woman who used to flinch at loud voices and smile with her whole heart.

But that woman died the day she met Don Alexandro and was given a choice to either lose her life, or lose her identity. She chosed the second.

From that moment on, she was someone else. Someone cold. Sharp and Dangerous.

No matter how hard I tried to reason with her, to stop her—she had made up her mind. She was going back for revenge.

God only knows what was running through her head as she stared out the window, wind tugging at her hair like it wanted to steal her away.

“Is there something you want to say, Vin?” she asked, her voice calm.

She didn’t look at me. But she knew. She always knew when I was watching.

Of course she did. It was part of what she'd learned from her brutal Mafia training. Training that nearly killed her. I watched her bleed for it. Break for it.

“Well… I figured you didn’t want to talk about it yet,” I replied, my eyes glued to the road.

The truth was, I couldn’t look at her. Not when she smiled like that. Not when everything in me wanted to stare at her.

We pulled into the hotel parking lot. Before I could open her door, she was already out. I jumped out too, still playing the bodyguard part.

“Can you stop already, Vin?” she teased. “We’re home. No one’s watching so drop the act.” she teased.

It wasn’t an act actually. It was what I'm accustomed to. My job. But I’d let my guard down—just a little—because it was her and she knew that too.

“You know I’m always like this,” I muttered, clearing my throat. “Why even try?”

I paused, prepping myself for what I was about to say next. “So… what did you and your ex-husband talk about?”

She smiled again—those d*mn dimples. They always got me.

“Let’s talk about that later. I think I drank too much.”

“I wouldn’t have let you drink at all if I’d known you smuggled wine into the car,” I said. “You know you can’t hold your liquor. You’ll be paying for this with a headache tomorrow.”

The elevator doors slid shut. She leaned her back against the wall, her eyes fluttering half-shut.

I exhaled slowly.

Why the hell was it so hot all of a sudden?

I wanted to take off my jacket. But... Unfortunately the heat was because I was alone with her... Beside her without a single word. Around monsters, I was ruthless. I was Don Alexandro’s right hand man—his ghost. No one dared to hold my gaze without shaking.

But with her…

I was harmless. A kitten with a bite that never landed.

And no matter what I felt—she was Lorenzo’s wife. And I… I was just her bodyguard.

The man who was supposed to watch her. Protect her. And not fall for her.

I can only stay silently by her side.

The elevator jolted and she lost her balance.

But I caught her before she fell. She didn’t even move or protested like she'd do.

She was completely wasted.

With a sigh, I lifted her into my arms. Her dress flowed behind us like liquid silk.

Why did she drink when she knew she couldn’t handle it?

So stubborn.

But God, I loved that about her.

Ding!

The elevator doors opened. I stepped out, still holding her.

Then—

A loud snore, raw, like a dying engine escaped her lips.

Seriously?

This thunderous noise was coming from her?

This tiny woman?

I almost laughed.

As I laid her gently on the bed, she turned away, clutching the pillow to her chest like it her life was burried in it.

Just then, my phone buzzed.

Don Alexandro.

I stepped out onto the balcony, letting the cool evening air hit my face before I answered.

"You took ages to pick up," came his voice—low, gravelly, and commanding.

Even after all these years, his voice still had that chilling edge. But I’d lived under Don Alexandro’s roof since I was ten. I literally spent twenty years of life as his lap dog, he trusted me more than he trusted his daughter when she was still alive... most in the Mafia family thought I was his blood.

"I'm sorry, Papa."

We all called him that Papa because in the Mafia, it's family more than a gang.

"How is she?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper but sharp enough to slice through steel.

"She hasn’t made a move yet... but she's planning something with her ex-husband. I don’t know what it is yet but I’ll find out soon."

He went silent for a moment. I could picture him, his jaw tight, fingers probably drumming on his desk.

"Keep a close eye on her. You can’t let her do anything reckless. She’s the only tie we have left to Marco’s family line and remind her the things she needed to do as long as she's Lorenzo's wife"

"I understand, Papa."

"And... listen, Vincenzo, that woman’s dangerous. I saw it in her eyes. Find out what she’s planning soon and keep me hinted before she takes any move."

"I will. Trust me, I’ve got it under control."

The call ended without another word from him.

I wasn't surprised, it was his habit.

As I turned—

I completely froze.

Giulia?.

She stood a few inches away from the doorway, her eyes unreadable. The moonlight painting her in silver and my heart hit a rapid rhythm as I stepped closer, forcing calm over my features.

I needed to be sure she never heard my discussion over the phone.

"Are you okay, Giu?" I asked softly, my voice steady though my insides were chaos.

She rubbed her forehead, then looked straight at me. "Were you on a call?"

I gave her a casual smile, pulling back. "Yeah. Just Papa... work stuff, you know."

I made my way to the freezer, grabbed a bottle of water, and drank—anything to shake the tension.

"You sure your head’s okay? After the wine, I figured you’d be out cold."

She gave a small shrug. "It’s a little heavy... but I’ll be fine after some rest."

It was just past 8 p.m. Knowing her, she wouldn't be falling back asleep anytime soon.

I reached out to her, placing my hand gently on her forehead, but my eyes—d*mn them!—lingered on her lips.

Focus, Vincenzo... Stay clear headed!.

I tried to compose myself but she tilted her face up, meeting my gaze with something that wasn’t sleepiness.

"I need to change," she said softly. "Can you help me with the hook?"

"What?!"

The word slipped out before I could even think.

Honestly my brain had traveled to another realm. The thought that ran through my head almost drove me crazy

She swept her hair to one side, exposing the smooth, flawless skin of her back.

I became confused.

God... help me. I cried inside.

"I... uh... what do I do?"

"Just unhook it," she said, almost amused.

My fingers brushed against the button on her back.

And then—the door creaked open.

A sharp gasp sliced through the room.

I whipped around, my eyes going wide.

Lorenzo Vincent?.

He stepped out of the shadows like a ghost from the past.

He wasn’t supposed to be back. Not yet.

Giulia jolted away from me like I’d turned into something monstrous.