Forbidden Claim: A Mafia King’s Obsession

Chapter 7: Marriage contract 2

Nadia’s POV

Two days passed, and I have not seen Lorenzo. I haven’t even heard his voice. Today makes it the third day since I arrived in this place — wherever “here” is. He keeps me locked up in this room, feeds me twice a day. Even the maids who comes to clean speaks to me in harsh, commanding tones, treating me like an intruder, rather than a guest.

Staring out of the window, I reminisce about what my life used to be when my parents were alive. It was sweet, vibrant and safe. Now, I don’t even know what to call this existence.

An abrupt, heavy knock strikes on the door twice before it swings open. A guard walks into the room.

“The Don requests your presence in his room. Please come with me,” he says, his tone sharp and intimidating.

I swallow the lump in my throat and walk toward the door, following closely behind him. This is the first time I have step out of the room ever since Lorenzo kidnapped me, and the sight that greets me steals air directly from my lungs. The mansion is massive, and intensely beautiful.

The guard leads me down a different wing, ascending a grand, circular staircase. My fingers brushes lightly against the iron railing, it is cold and flawlessly smooth to the touch.

We finally arrive at a set of heavy double doors. The guard knocks twice and waits.

“Avanti”

Lorenzo’s deep baritone echoes through the wood, rich with his Italian accent. The guard pushes the doors open and we step into the space.

“She’s here, Signore,” the guard says, bowing respectfully.

Lorenzo lifts a hand and signals the guard to leave. He turns and walks out, shutting the door silently behind him.

Lorenzo is sitting across a huge mahogany desk, his eyes fixed on the document in his hand. He didn’t acknowledge me, so I just stood there, my eyes taking in the exquisitely furnished room. Everything is draped in shades of black and charcoal, from the heavy velvet curtains to the sheets on the bed.

My eyes drifts to a large portrait hanging on the wall. It is a beautifully painted image of a young girl who shares Lorenzo’s striking facial features. It is so detailed It feels almost as if she were alive, trapped in the canvas.

“Come here,” he suddenly commands.

I peel my eyes off the portrait, slowly dragging my feet toward the desk until I was standing in front of him.

“Sit down, Nadia,” he cooed, finally dropping the paper and leaning back in his leather chair.

I pull out the seat opposite him and sit on it, forcing myself to look him straight in the eye.

He opens the top right drawer of the desk and pulls out a thick Manila folder, dropping it onto the wood with a loud, heavy thud.

“What is this?” I ask, my eyes scanning the parchment laid out before me.

He chuckle — a dark, dangerous sound. “The marriage contract. I told you you’d be signing one today.”

I scoff aloud, the situation is so absurd it overrides my fear. Looking him dead in the eye, I say, “you kidnap me, keep me locked up in a room, and now you are asking me to marry you? You might as well just kill me, because I am not signing anything.”

His expression darkens instantly,but he didn’t move. Instead, he begins to drum a slow, rhythmic beat on the desk with his fingers, his predator like gaze fixed on me.

“Sign it, Nadia. Don’t make me repeat myself,” he purrs.

I ignore him and simply take my eyes to the window. Death feels preferable to being legally bound to someone so evil.

Lorenzo didn’t argue. He simply reached forward and presses the button on his intercom. “Portalo qui.”

Then, he relaxes back into his seat and crosses his arms over his chest, watching me like a hawk waiting for its prey.

A few moments later, the heavy double doors flings open. Two hefty body guards drags a man into the room. It was clear they had beaten whoever it was to a bloody pulp.

Lorenzo straightens up the stands from his chair. He walks over to the groaning man, grips a fistful of his hair, and violently yanks his head up.

My breath catches instantly in my throat. I gasp as I stare at the very familiar face. “Jaxon?!”

“Wh… what are you trying to do?” My voice trembles violently as I bolt up from the chair. Jaxon’s mouth is sealed with a duct tape, the terrified look in his eyes broke my heart.

Lorenzo turns his gaze to me. Reaching into his tailored pocket, he flicks open a penknife. “I ask you to sign peacefully, Nadia. But you insist on testing my patience,” he says, an evil, mocking grin playing on his lips. “So, I’ll just slit his throat. And Next, I’ll bring in your dear Max.”

Max?

He lowers the blade down to Jaxon’s neck, my eyes widens in pure terror, my heart hammering against my ribs. Jaxon lets out a muffled, desperate whimper.

“Stop! Please… stop! I’ll sign! I’ll sign!” i scream, rushing toward the desk.

With violently shaky hands, I pick up the pen. I shuffle through the thick pages until i find the signature line at the very end. Without reading a single word, i quickly scribble my name and drop the pen, looking back up at him.

Tears pools in my eyes and spills down my cheeks. “I’ve signed! please… please let him go.” I sob.

“Good girl,” Lorenzo grins widely. He tosses Jaxon aside like a piece of trash and signals the guards. “Take him out.”

As the guards drag Jaxon away, Lorenzo takes slow, deliberate steps toward me. He closes the distance until he pins me against the edge of the desk, trapping me in his shadow. Reaching out with a single finger, he gently wipes a tear from my face.

“Don’t cry, Nadia. its a waste of tears,” he whispers, his face inches away from mine. “You should save them for when they are truly needed. Because believe me, you will be shedding a lot of them very soon.”