Bound by Betrayal (The Mafia King Captive Bride)

“Who is this pretty lady standing over there?”

My heart skipped a beat as Damien turned to look at me. I could feel my heart pounding, and the silence in the room seemed to stretch on forever. Suddenly, nerves took hold of me, and I regretted clearing my throat earlier to draw their attention. Now, I was worried that this demon might ridicule me or even introduce me as his personal assistant.

But to my surprise, a small smile quickly breaks through his lips. “She is my wife,” he said, his gaze still fixed on me. Boom! My heart skipped a beat and somersaulted several times as our eyes locked.

“Wife,” Mrs. Caterina muttered confusedly before a wild smile broke through her old wrinkled face. “You mean Mrs. Ashley…?” She turned to stare at Damien with curiosity. “Yes…” he turned and nodded gently at her.

And just like a flash, someone rushed towards me and embraced me tight in a motherly hug. I was caught off guard and felt the urge to nervously back away, but the warmth that came with it was so tempting that I couldn’t resist. After the long demise of my mother, I’ve missed the comfort of a motherly hug. And besides with everything going on in my life, I think I needed this kind of embrace too.

“Hey, that’s bad,” Damien whined. “You almost knocked me down,” he complained, walking toward us. I could hear the sadness in his voice as he approached.

“Hey, Mrs. Caterina!” he squeals like a child, making us burst into laughter. I still can’t believe that this is the devil that I was married to. Mrs. Caterina nods at me and breaks the hug before turning to face Damien, who’s standing there groaning like a child. “I have to say, you have good eyes and taste,” she compliments him, but the devil just shrugs his shoulders proudly, smiling like he just won a trophy.

I think she doesn’t know that this is a marriage based on terms and conditions. We shouldn’t have met if not for one thing that I regretted up to this day.

“Welcome home, daughter,” she smiled at me, looking at her. I didn’t know what to say other than to nod my head, mirroring the smile on her face.

“Come help me in the kitchen,” she said. We started walking toward the kitchen hand in hand when suddenly Damien stood up from where he was sitting. “What… Where are you going?” Mrs. Caterina was quick to stop him.

“To the kitchen with you two,” he said, but Mrs. Caterina raised her eyebrow at him. Looking at the two makes me gulp down, this whole thing still seems like a dream to me. It all feels as if I was hallucinating.

“You will stay back, spare us a moment together,” she flashes him a taunting smile. “A moment for…?” He asked, his curiosity piqued.

“To have a moment alone with your wife, I have stayed with you since you were a child, so now it’s her turn,” she mumbled, earning a sad snort from Damien.

Then again, something drew my attention, she stayed with him since he was a child, how? Is she her aunt? Who is she to him?

Damien gave me this quick glance and then looked back at Mrs. Caterina with a pout. “You haven’t seen me for five years,” he whined.

“And now that I’ve seen you, it’s time for you to go,” she said, dismissing him as she pulled me towards the pathway that led to what I assumed was the kitchen. It felt like Mrs. Caterina had something exciting to tell me or am I starting to sound delusional? However, I couldn’t help but wonder why she was so eager to have a moment with me and not with the son she hadn’t seen for over five years now.

Honestly, everything is so confusing to me. Damien’s childlike attitude is throwing me off guard. It’s like he’s transformed into this angelic version of the man I married. Seeing how carefree and playful he is with this woman stirs something deep inside me. It ignites a burning desire for something new and appealing. I can’t help but wish that he could be like this forever.

“Welcome to my second room, daughter,” Mrs. Caterina said, bringing me back to reality. As I stepped into the kitchen, my eyes widened in awe, taking in every detail. The kitchen was absolutely stunning!

It’s like stepping into a world of pure luxury. The sleek marble countertops glisten under the soft glow of the pendant lights, while the stainless steel appliances stand like shining sentinels. Long forgotten that Mrs. Caterina was with me, my legs solely pushed me forward on their own, standing in front of the cabinets.

I trail my fingers on them, they’re a work of art, with their smooth, glossy finish and hidden handles. And don’t even get me started on the island-it’s a masterpiece in itself, with its waterfall edge and bar seating. This kitchen is the epitome of modern elegance, a space where cooking becomes a pleasure and entertaining becomes an event. This looks inviting……

Hello, daughter,”

“Hello, Mrs. Ashley,” I heard my name, and it startled me, snapping me back to my senses. “Hmmm… Uhmm,” I stumbled, feeling a little embarrassed by my momentary lapse.

“Come on, daughter,” she laughed, continuing on to the sink to clean up the mess. Unsure of what to do, I stood there for a moment, feeling a bit lost. I decided to take off my wrist watch and bracelet, placing them on the table nearby. That caught her attention, and she turned to look at them.

“Why are you removing your jewelry?” she asked, sounding confused.

Giving her a small smile, I laughed and replied, “It’s just my wristwatch and bracelet, so I don’t want water to touch them.” I found it amusing to explain.

“Water?”

Ignoring her, I walked up to her and offered to clear the mess in the sink so she could move on to something else. At first, she seemed hesitant, but after a little back and forth between us, she reluctantly sighed and stepped aside. With a smile, I slipped my hands into the washing gloves and started washing the dishes.

A sudden silence hung in the air between us for a while before I heard her clear her throat. “Who is your father?” she asked, her eyes focused on the vegetables she was slicing.

“Daniel Harlow,” I replied, matching her tone.

“Oh! Damien Harlow, that name sounds familiar,” she mumbled before exclaiming. “Yes, he is an influential figure in the country. I heard he ventured into a power tech company or owned it, right?”

Power tech company… I couldn’t help but smile bitterly as the pains I had long forgotten resurfaced. My fists tightened around the sponge I was holding, squeezing it hard as I fought back the tears in my eyes. If only she knew that Daniel Harlow is just a name now, no longer the sole owner of the company.Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

Only if she knew that that pretentious devil inside that sitting room was now the owner. I sniffed and bit my lips hard to suppress my emotions. “I’m right, dear daughter, huh?” she mumbled, giving me a quick glance before continuing with what she was doing. I couldn’t say a word but just smiled sadly at her.

But her next question almost threw me off balance, “How did you meet with this stubborn baby boy of mine?”

“Huh,” I unexpectedly gasped, my eyes widening in surprise.

“I mean Damien,” she blurted, causing a huge lump to suddenly appear in my throat. My heart raced as I struggled to find the right words to respond.