CLAIMED BY THE MOB BOSS

RAVEN: “Will you marry me?” The words make my knees buckle. My boyfriend, Axel Valente, is on one knee in the middle of the ballroom—not before me, but before Jade Santoro, heiress to the Black Vultures. The diamond in his hand glints under the hall, lighting up her eager face. Jade shrieks with joy. She slips the ring onto her finger before Axel sweeps her up, kissing her, twirling her in front of the crowd. The glass of wine slips from my hand and shatters on the tiles. My breath stops for a second, my chest caving as I watch the nightmare unfold in real time. Axel had been my everything, but he left to run his family’s group, the Black Serpents, four years ago. He vowed to return to rescue me from my stepfather after my parents died. I had thought the man a demon because he beat me, starved me, and left me bleeding more times than I can count. A few days ago, Axel returned and paid him a huge sum of money according to the laws of the mafia. He took me away and promised me an eternity of joy. Last night, I gave him my virginity, trusting it was the beginning of the life we had always dreamed of. This morning, he kissed me tenderly, and I had thought the secret decorations I stumbled upon were for my engagement. Now I stand here watching him promise forever to someone else, while the simple ring he gave me mocks me for my foolishness. I stumble back, desperate to escape, but my heel snaps. I crash to the floor, pain tearing through my ankle. Axel’s cold eyes meet mine as though I am nothing. Then he turns away and kisses Jade again. Ariel, my maid, rushes forward before the crowd can notice. She helps me up, guiding me out of the hall, but I collapse again. Rage burns through my veins, and I rip the ring from my finger and hurl it down the hallway before falling to the ground. Ariel calls for help, and guards rush over. They lift me easily, carrying me to my room. Their pity cuts deeper than the pain in my ankle or the crack in my heart. I hate being looked at like I have no hope in life. In my room, Ariel presses a glass of tea into my hands. I drink it without question, and before I can utter a word, I slip into darkness. I wake to the sound of the door banging open. My eyes flutter open, and the blur clears to Axel standing at the edge of my bed. His hand grips the ring I had thrown away, his face etched in rage. Without a word, he tosses it at me. The metal strikes my chest and falls into my lap. “Put it on,” he orders without caring if it hurts. Tears sting my eyes as I sit up, glaring at him. “How could you do this to me? We were supposed to be forever!” My voice cracks as I try to hold my tears. He is about to answer when his phone rings. Instantly, his tone softens. “Yes, darling,” he says into the receiver, putting the phone on speaker. “Axel, the press is here. They want a statement about our engagement,” Jade says. “I’ll be there in a moment,” he replies gently, then hangs up. I shift, and pain shoots through my now-bandaged ankle, forcing a groan from my lips. “Axel… my ankle—” “Stop making a fuss about it,” he snaps. “A broken ankle won’t kill you, and when I return, that ring better be on your finger.” He leaves, slamming the door behind him. The room is silent except for the pounding of my heart. My stepfather had beaten me until I lay unconscious and bleeding. Physical pain is nothing new. I can endure it. But this betrayal hurts worse than any pain I have felt, and I have no clue if I will ever recover from this. Hours later, I force myself out of bed. I dress in silence, determined to leave even if I have nowhere to go. Just as I reach the front door downstairs, it swings open before my hand touches it. Axel walks in with two men dressed in black suits. His eyes darken, and before I can explain, his hand fists around my throat, slamming my back against the wall as he shuts the door. “Axel… please, just let me go,” I whisper, struggling under his grip. My nails claw at his wrist as I beg for air. His hold tightens, his eyes burning hotter as he carries my limp body to the living room. Then he lets go with a shove. My body hits the couch hard, air rushing out from my lungs. I cough and choke, clutching my throat, trying to breathe. My body curls up in a ball, desperate to get away from him. Axel climbs onto the sofa after me, moving like a predator that knows the prey has no chance. “You are a f*****g Viking, Raven! I want to marry you and live your f*****g fairytale, but your impatience is killing me.” His eyes, which once held love, look back at me with distaste. “You’re nobody, Raven. My territory is under fire, and you offer me nothing. Jade Santoro is the heiress of the Black Vultures. By marrying her, I merge the Black Serpents with them. Together, we become the Black Alliance. That’s survival and power—the power we need!” His words pierce deeper than his hands ever could. My heart pounds as I stare at the man I thought I knew, but he doesn’t stop there. “I do not love her, and it is a f*****g contract. Our love is not enough, okay! We have to build an empire. You have to be patient!” Tears stream down my face as I search his eyes, desperate to find the boy who promised me the world. I never knew he would turn into some manipulative beast. “Axel… when did you change? Was it after you left to understudy your sick father? When did you make the decision that I am nothing more than a mistress?” He yanks my hand like I am something dirty. “Stop making me hurt you, Raven, and I never said you will just be a mistress. You’ll be my wife soon. We’ll have beautiful babies, like you wanted. You just need to be patient.” He attempts to kiss me, but I press my palm to his face, pushing it away. A broken laugh tears through me, and I shake my head. “It is better I leave because I have nothing to offer you.” His eyes go black in an instant. His hand fists in my hair, yanking me backward until pain sits on my scalp, forcing my eyes to meet his. “No! You belong to me, and no man will ever have you. You will bear my children, Raven!” he barks. My body shakes as he reduces me to nothing but a breeding machine. “If I am nothing but a breeding machine, then I refuse to be of service. You better kill me because that won’t happen,” I say in a small voice, keeping my gaze on him. His grip on me loosens, and I think he is back to his senses, but before I can blink, he draws a knife from his pocket, grabbing my hand. He slashes it across my palm. Pain rips through me, and I gasp as blood oozes down my wrist. I stare at the blood, wide-eyed, horror freezing me in place. He gets off me, watching me cry. “Pathetic,” he mutters. “You cannot even take a simple cut to the palm. You are not fit to be in the mafia, and what I am doing is best for you, so stop being f*****g stubborn! I am trying to protect you!” he yells, tossing the knife away. He runs a hand across his face, turning to the men in black. “Take her to the guest house. If she runs, I’ll kill you both.” The guards bow their heads, submissive. “Yes, sir.” They seize me, and as they drag me toward the hall without caring for my broken ankle. “Axel?” Jade’s voice floats down the staircase. She descends in a silk robe, hair tumbling over her shoulders. She looks posh and prettier than I will ever be. Her eyes narrow at the commotion as she glares at me like I am dirt. “What’s going on?” My eyes sting with tears as Jade glides toward him, pressing her hands against his chest as if he belongs to her. He softens under her touch—the same man who just tore through my palms kisses hers. “Come to bed, Axel,” Jade coos. “It’s been a long night with the ceremony, and we need to be rested for the main wedding plans. You know it is going to be a big one.” She kisses his jaw while the guards drag me away, and I watch another woman lead my man upstairs with her fingers intertwined while they plan a wedding that could have been mine. I realize then—alive or dead I have to leave. Because if I stay, Axel Valente will destroy me.