THE MAFIA ALPHA'S HEARTSTRINGS

GRANDMA

THIRD PERSON POV

Katherina's eyes fluttered open to find herself in a precarious situation. She was cuffed to Joaquin, and they were sharing a bed. The thought alone was enough to make her blood boil.

"This can't be happening," Katherina informed him in anger, trying to sit up. "I am not going to share a bed with you."

Joaquin, however, seemed unfazed by her outburst. "Really?" he asked, his legendary bad boy smirk firmly in place. "Would you rather sleep on the floor? At least that way, you would satisfy your ego while still being cuffed to me."

Katherina's eyes narrowed. She hated this man. "Or maybe you could just cuff me to something else, like the couch for example," she suggested, pointing at the king-size couch in the center of his room.

Joaquin's response was immediate. "Not a chance," he said nonchalantly, taking a seat at the edge of the bed and crossing a leg over the other, consequently pulling Katherina closer.

Katherina's anger boiled over. "Joaquin, please..." she tried beseeching him, but he cut her off.

"What did you call me?" he asked, his expression darkening.

Katherina knew she had made a mistake. She had called him by his name, something he had explicitly forbidden. "Boss," she lied, trying to cover.

Joaquin's expression eased, but Katherina knew she wasn't off the hook that easily. "Boss, just uncuff me," she begged, trying to appeal to whatever humanity was left in him. "I promise I won't try to escape."

Joaquin's response was immediate. "And I promise I am gay," he lied, his eyes glinting with amusement.

Katherina wasn't buying it. "We both know that's a lie," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Joaquin's smile grew wider. "Exactly the point," he said, his eyes glinting with amusement.

As the night wore on, Katherina found herself growing more and more uncomfortable. Joaquin's proximity was suffocating, and she couldn't shake the feeling that he was toying with her.

"I am tired," Joaquin said finally, laying on the bed and pulling Katherina into his arms. "Pretending to be oblivious to your whereabouts was tiring."

Katherina's eyes widened in outrage. "Let me go immediately," she commanded, trying to push him away.

But Joaquin wouldn't budge. "Relax, young lady," he said, his voice low and husky. "Stop pretending. I know you love being in my arms."

Katherina's heart skipped a beat. How did he know? She did enjoy being in his arms, feeling his hard muscles pressing against her skin, inhaling his sexy lavender/vanilla scent.

But she couldn't let him know that. "Just let go," she said, pushing against him with all her might.

Joaquin's grip tightened. "Fine, suit yourself," he said finally, releasing Katherina from his grip.

Katherina moved to the extreme edge of the bed, her heart still racing from their encounter. She knew she had to be careful around Joaquin. He was a master manipulator, and she couldn't let her guard down.

As she drifted off to sleep, Katherina couldn't shake the feeling that she was in grave danger. Joaquin's words kept echoing in her mind. "Don't bother trying to escape. It's pointless. If I were you, I would try to gain my trust first, then stab me in the back when the time is right."

Katherina's eyes snapped open. Was he serious? Did he really think she would try to deceive him?

As she looked over at Joaquin, she saw that he was fast asleep, a peaceful expression on his face. But Katherina knew better. She knew that beneath that charming exterior lay a ruthless and cunning individual.

And she was trapped with him.How could she? He had been asleep, and he appeared to have been saying something that she could have used against him in the future.

"Sis, you're back," he had said in a barely audible tone, with the first genuine smile Katherina had ever seen on his face. "I thought you left me."

She had been shocked to hear him mention a sister. He had a sister? But how? Their records showed no knowledge of any such development. Unless... unless it had been hidden on purpose.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't protect you. I did everything. Miss A promised you would make it. She lied. She didn't even have the decency to let me pay my last respects," he had said, his facial expression quickly switching from happiness to great sadness. It had seemed he even shed a tear.

'Last respects!!!' Katherina had wondered, shocked at the realization that Joaquin wasn't invincible.

"I love you, sis. I love you so much," he had confessed, not relenting on his hold. "Say you love brother too," he had commanded, more like begged.

Katherina had felt a pang of sympathy for him. He had looked so miserable in his crying state. His tears had fallen more profusely, and he must have been extremely depressed to not feel anything, not even the wetness of his tears.

"I love you too, brother," Katherina had said gently, wiping his tears. "Now stop crying."

"Thank you," he had said with a smile.

Seeing him like that, he hadn't looked like the monster Katherina had thought he was. He had seemed more like a depressed child.

"I love you, sis," he had said, a sentence Katherina had never said to her sister. Her sister would often say it, but Katherina had never retaliated.

It was said that out of twins, there was a bad one, and apparently, Katherina had been that bad one. She had hoped she would get out of there alive so she could finally make amends.

That night had been the first night Joaquin and Katherina had spent together. It had also been the same night her mind had wandered like never before. She had questioned all her life choices. All the bad decisions she had made, had they been worth it?

Just then, Katherina had felt a pat on her shoulder. "Someone is coming," Joaquin had said out of the blue, waking her from her slumber.

"What's wrong?" Katherina had asked, her head feeling like it was going to explode due to her interrupted sleep.

"She's here," he had said, hopping down from the bed and pulling Katherina along, striding towards the door.

"Who is here?" Katherina had questioned, nonplussed as to who was getting him all worked up.

Unknown to Katherina, she would soon get the answer. When the door had slammed open, she had seen an old, yet winsome woman with a head full of white hair, standing there in an Indian sari.

Katherina had looked at Joaquin; his face had held a shock expression. Guess he hadn't been expecting to see the old lady.

"Grandma, you're here. Welcome," Joaquin had said almost immediately, with a broad smile stunning Katherina. What an amazing actor this man really was. It had almost looked like he was indeed happy to see her.

Grandma? She must have been Mrs. Loretta Livera, CEO of Loretta Foods, the biggest canned foods industry in the country. Katherina had been honored to be in her presence.

She hadn't said a word; instead, she had just kept looking between the two of them, as though searching for answers, before fixating on their hands. That's when Katherina had remembered she was still being cuffed to Joaquin.

"This is not what it looks like..." Joaquin had tried to correct, but she had cut him off with a displeasing frown.

"Why do you young people keep sinning so much? What crazy thing are you making this young lady do to satisfy your nasty s****l needs?" she had asked out of the blue, with a horrifying frown.

Sexual needs? Where exactly had she gotten that crazy idea from? Wait, this could have been Katherina's opportunity, her opportunity to escape. She should have come clean; Mrs. Livera might have helped her out of that hellhole.

"Come on, Grandma, I assure you it was all her idea, right, babe?" Joaquin had said, the last part directed at Katherina.

Katherina had been immediately taken aback. Babe? Had she missed something? Who was his babe? Her?

"Play along, or you're dead," he had whispered into Katherina's ear drums before planting a soft kiss on her cheek.

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