I Was The Mafia's Runaway Bride

Run 10: ⚠️⚠️⚠️

ARKISHA MIRABELLA'S POV:

“Isang pagkakamali mo na lumapit ka sa akin,” he whispered, leaning down until his face was inches from mine. I could see the dark gold flecks in his eyes. “At ngayong hawak na kita, hindi ka na makakawala pa.”

“A-Anong—"

In one fluid, terrifyingly violent motion, my world flipped upside down. The blood rushed to my head, my hair falling over my face as I realized he had hoisted me over his shoulder like a trophy of war.

“Ano ba! Ibaba mo ako! You bastard, let me go!” I screamed, pounding my fists against his broad back. I tried to pinch his shoulders, to kick his thighs, but his muscles felt like solid granite. It was like trying to hurt a mountain. “Euan, ano ba! Pag ako nasilipan, isasako talaga kita!”

“Ibaba mo si Arkisha!” Lawrence yelled, rushing forward. I couldn't see him from my upside-down vantage point, but the sound of scuffling feet and the heavy thud of furniture being shoved aside echoed through the room.

“Siguraduhin ninyong hindi susunod ang lalaking iyan,” Euan commanded his men, his voice perfectly steady as if he weren't carrying a thrashing woman on his shoulder. “O kung sumunod man, huwag niyo nang hayaang huminga.”

“No! Lawrence, save me!” I thrashed harder, my heart hammering against my ribs.

Euan marched out of the condo with terrifying ease. As we hit the hallway, I realized the scale of his operation. The entire floor was lined with his security detail, turning a residential hallway into a tactical zone. It was an extraction, clean and clinical.

“Arkisha—!” Lawrence’s voice called out, desperate and raw. I twisted my neck, my vision swimming, but my heart stopped when I saw the reality of Euan’s threat. Three red laser dots were dancing rhythmically on Lawrence’s chest, and a silenced handgun was aimed directly at his forehead.

“N-No! Euan, please! Stop! Ibaba mo na ako, sasama na ako! Just don't hurt him!” I pleaded, my pride vanishing in the face of Lawrence’s certain death. But Euan remained deaf to my cries. He didn't slow his pace until the elevator doors hissed shut, sealing us in a tomb of brushed steel.

I was powerless. Draped over his shoulder like a sack of grain, I watched the floor numbers countdown. We reached the lobby, and he strode through the marble foyer, ignoring the gasps and shocked stares of the building staff. He marched straight to a waiting black sedan, the engine idling like a growling beast. He tossed me into the back seat—firm, controlled, but without a hint of gentleness.

I scrambled to the far side of the seat, my chest heaving, glaring at him as he slid in beside me. His presence immediately sucked the air out of the vehicle.

“Sino ba ang mga lalaking kasama mo? And what are you going to do to Lawrence?” I demanded, my voice trembling with a mix of tears and rage.

Euan turned to look at me. For a second, the mask slipped, and he looked like a complete stranger—someone far more ancient and dangerous than a mere businessman. “Wala akong gagawin sa lalaki mo basta ba hindi siya gagawa ng hakbang na ikakainit ng ulo ko. Uuwi na tayo, Arkisha. End of story.”

“Wow? Dati ka bang takure para sabihing nakakainit ng ulo si Lawrence, ha?” I retorted, the bitterness of my situation forcing the sarcasm out of me. “Ang lakas din ng loob mo na pasukin kami sa condo niya at talagang may mga armed men ka pang kasama?”

“Manahimik ka na lang kung gusto mo ng matiwasay na byahe,” he countered, his jaw tightening into a hard, sharp line. “Sa lahat ng pupuntahan mo, bakit ang dugyot na lalaki pa na iyon? You have no taste.”

“Dugyot?” My jaw dropped. The audacity was staggering. “Wow, big word! Kung sa padugyutan lang din, mas dugyot ka! At least he cares about me. He loves me. Malamang boyfriend ko siya.”

“Hindi na ngayon,” Euan said. His voice dropped to a low, possessive growl that vibrated in the small space of the car. “Dahil mula sa sandaling ito, ako ang fiancé mo.”

“No way! Mangarap ka ng gising, Euan. I will never—"

The words died in my throat. Suddenly, his hand cupped my face, his thumb pressing into my cheek with a firm, burning heat. He tilted my head back, and before I could even blink or draw breath to scream, his lips crashed against mine.

It wasn't a kiss of love. It wasn't a gentle plea for affection. It was a claim. It was the sound of a key turning in a lock, the feeling of a brand being pressed into skin. It was overwhelming, tasting of mint and power.

He pulled away just as quickly as he had attacked, a dark, playful smirk dancing on his lips—the first sign of emotion I had seen all morning.

“There. You should stop talking and complaining about your life for a moment,” he whispered, his eyes dark with a triumph that terrified me. “Because from now on, we will be husband and wife. Get used to it.”

I sat there, frozen against the leather seat. My brain felt like it had short-circuited, the wires of my reality crossed and sparking. Lawrence had kissed me a hundred times—sweet, familiar, safe kisses. But this?

The raw dominance, the electric current that had shot through my spine, the way my body had traitorously frozen under his touch... it felt terrifyingly new.

I could only blink as the car roared to life, the tires screeching as we sped away from the only safety I had ever known.

As I stared out the window at the blurred city skyline, a cold, sinking feeling settled deep in my gut.

My life was no longer my own. I was tethered to a man as ruthless as he was beautiful, and I had a feeling the nightmare was only just beginning.