My contract marriage to a Mafia boss

Chapter4

Anna's POV

The sound of the shattering glass seemed to echo forever in the long, cold hallway. Dark amber liquid pooled around Adrian’s expensive leather shoes, but he didn’t even blink. He didn’t look down. His entire universe had narrowed to the tiny, sleepy girl standing just twenty feet away, and then back to me.

The silence in the corridor was heavy, suffocating, and terrifying.

"Mamma?" Sophie whimpered again, her tiny voice trembling. She flinched at the sound of the broken glass, her little fingers tightening around the worn fabric of her stuffed bear. She looked confused by the massive house, the strange people, and the raw, heavy tension vibrating through the air.

Every maternal instinct inside me screamed to move. I broke out of my paralysis, pushing past Adrian’s frozen form. I rushed down the hallway, dropping to my knees right in front of my daughter. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her small body tightly against mine, burying her face into my shoulder so she couldn't see the monstrous expression on Adrian's face.

"I’m here, sweetie. Mamma’s here," I whispered frantically, my voice shaking despite my best efforts to keep it steady. "You’re okay. It was just an accident. Go back inside the room with Emily, okay?"

Over Sophie’s shoulder, I looked back down the hallway.

Adrian hadn't moved an inch, but his posture had completely changed. The lazy, arrogant posture of a billionaire tycoon had vanished. He stood rigid, his chest heaving under his expensive white dress shirt. The confusion on his face had hardened into a sharp, terrifying realization. He was a smart man. He didn't need a DNA test to see the truth. Sophie had his nose, his jawline, and the exact shape of his eyes. She looked like a miniature, innocent version of him.

Ryan Vincent, the butler, stood a few feet behind Adrian. His face was a mask of perfect professional neutrality, but his sharp eyes were moving rapidly between Adrian, me, and Sophie. He was calculating. I could practically see the gears turning in his legal, devious mind.

"Ryan," Adrian said. His voice wasn't loud, but it possessed a terrifying, quiet fury that made the hairs on my arms stand up. "Leave us."

"Of course, Mr. Adrian," Ryan replied smoothly. He bowed his head slightly, cast one last long, lingering look at Sophie, and walked away, his footsteps fading down the marble stairs.

Now, we were truly alone.

"Anna," a voice called out from inside the bedroom. Emily stepped into the doorway, her eyes widening as she took in the shattered glass and the furious billionaire standing in the hall. As my bodyguard, she immediately sensed the danger. She reached out and gently took Sophie from my arms. "Come on, sweetie. Let's get you back to bed."

Sophie didn't protest. She was too tired, and she happily let Emily carry her back into the room. The heavy oak door clicked shut, leaving me completely exposed.

I stood up slowly, smoothing down my black skirt. I forced my spine to straighten. I was a struggling actress, yes, but right now, I needed to play the most important role of my life. I needed to play a woman who wasn't afraid of him.

Adrian walked toward me. Each step he took felt like a heavy thud in my chest. When he stopped, he was only inches away. The scent of his expensive cologne engulfed me, dragging vivid, painful memories of that night five years ago straight to the front of my mind.

"Five years ago," Adrian whispered, his voice dangerously low. "A club downtown. You were wearing a cheap blue dress. You told me your name was Anna."

I didn't say anything. I kept my jaw locked.

"I woke up the next morning, and you were gone. I sent my men to find you, but it was like you vanished off the face of the earth," he continued, his grip tightening into fists at his sides. "And now, five years later, you walk into my family's estate, holding the hand of a little girl who looks exactly like me... and you're wearing my younger brother's wedding ring."

He leaned in closer, his dark eyes burning into mine. "Tell me the truth, Anna. Right now. Is she mine?"

"She is my daughter," I snapped back, my voice fierce with a mother's protection. "She belongs to me. You don't get to walk into her life after five years and demand anything, Adrian. You didn't care then, and you don't care now."

"I didn't care?!" Adrian suddenly roared, making me flinch. He slammed his hand against the wall right next to my head, trapping me between his arm and the solid wood. "I looked for you for months! Do you have any idea what it does to me to see you here? With him?"

His eyes scanned my face, a mixture of betrayal and fury swirling inside them. "Did you plan this? Did you keep my child hidden from me just to sell her to my brother? How much is Damien paying you to ruin my life? Is that what this is? A sick game to take my inheritance?!"

"No!" I shouted back, tears of anger stinging the corners of my eyes. "I didn't even know Damien was your brother until an hour ago! I was broke, Adrian! I was struggling to buy food for your daughter while you were sitting in your ivory tower, playing with your billions! Damien offered me a way out of poverty. He offered me a stable life for Sophie. I took it for her, not for you!"

Adrian stared at me, his breathing heavy. The anger in his eyes didn't fade, but a sudden, twisted smile crept onto his lips. It was a cold, cruel expression.

"It doesn't matter what you planned," Adrian whispered, leaning in so his breath brushed against my ear. "She has my blood. She is a Blackwood. And I promise you, Anna... I am taking my daughter back. And you and Damien will

get absolutely nothing."