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The Ruthless Mafia’s Contracted Bride 8. A New Strategy
I haven’t left this room in four days. I’ve never been this bored in all my life, and it isn’t the kind of boredom I felt when I was a teenager; it’s paired in with despair and hopelessness. I wake up hoping that my father will walk through those doors and rescue me but no such thing has happened so far. I’m still here, surrounded by these wolves. Igor hasn’t come to see me. The only person from their household that I have been seeing frequent is Hubert, who brings me soups and light meals occasionally, as the doctor recommended. I can tell he feels sorry for me. He always speaks to me in a warm tone and I have no complaints about him. I have to say that it’s good to have someone come around and check on me. He has no bad intentions. He isn’t like the Makàrovs. My disappointment is bitter in my mouth. I can’t conceal it, not even from myself. I expected my father to be here a long time ago but it’s been a whole week since I last saw him and he promised me he’d come for me. I don
The Ruthless Mafia’s Contracted Bride 9. Apology
After dinner, dessert is served. It’s light, so I can easily finish it. It’s a tart and sweet passion fruit mousse, which is one of my favorites. Igor is the only one who doesn’t have dessert. Instead, he sits at the end of the table sucking on the end of a cigar with a glass filled halfway with whiskey in front of him. I only glance at him because I want to gauge the mood. After Leo made that comment in Russian, things became more awkward at the table. I don’t speak Russian, so I have no clue what he said. Waiting for everyone to rise from the table is the painful part. Although nothing much is said, nobody makes a move to stand, which means I’m stuck here for a few more minutes. “The Italian princess doesn’t think she’s too much for us anymore,” Leo says, surprising me. He puts emphasis on the word Italian. “What happened? Your plan didn’t work out for you?”I don’t answer him. I stare at my empty glass bowl and try to keep my expression light and neutral. If he wants to amuse
The Ruthless Mafia’s Contracted Bride 10. Great Shock
The morning is a slow one, which I’m actually thankful for. I’m dressed in one of the sleeping gowns I found in the shopping bags, which have been packed into the closet by Hubert and another maid. They washed it all and I watched them arrange the closet accordingly and couldn’t help but feel depressed. There was a permanent feeling to the act that was unshakable. Seeing the clothes in the shopping bags made this whole affair seem temporary. Watching them pack everything away made me feel like I’d never leave this damned place. It’s all I want yet things are taking longer than expected. I wish I could talk to my father and ask him why he didn’t come yet but I won’t ask Igor for the phone and anyway, he didn’t come yet because he forgot about me. He certainly didn’t forget. Things are probably more complicated than they seem. Until then, I’ll try to stay calm and I appreciate mornings like this. Firstly, I wasn’t called down for breakfast, which is a big relief because I genuinely
The Ruthless Mafia’s Contracted Bride 11. The Engagement Party
When the doors to the large venue open, my eyes widen considerably. I feel like I've stepped into the nineteen hundreds. The venue is more of a ballroom, and it's breathtaking and majestic. And the crowd. There are so many guests, all immaculately dressed. I notice this even from afar. There's a grand staircase leading to the party below, and so I can oversee everything from where I'm standing. It almost feels like someone will stand beside us and announce our presence like in the old days but that doesn't happen. The guards disperse once we step through the massive engraved doors and it's just Hubert and me. My courage fails me. I'm convinced that I won't be able to see this evening through. I can't face these many people. "I can't do this," I murmur to Hubert. "You must," he insists. "And I am certain that you can."Sometimes it's hard for me to tell whether he's on my side or not, because everything he's done so far is to benefit Igor. But he's also helped me from making a fo
The Ruthless Mafia’s Contracted Bride 12. Scene
“Igor,” Boris says with a quirk of his mouth. “I was just congratulating your lovely fiancée for being engaged to one of the finest men in the city.”His words drip sarcasm. If I have to be honest, this cheers me up a little. Not enough to crack a smile, but it still makes me feel a little better. “You have no reason to congratulate her,” Igor says. “In fact, you have no reason to speak to her at all.”“What’s this about?” Boris asks playfully as his eyes dart to Leo and Igor’s brother. “We’re friends. Practically family, according to the old laws.”“The circumstances of our association aren’t necessarily easy to define,” Igor answers. “But we are not family, Boris. And we never will be.”Boris narrows his eyes a little but he still doesn’t seem surprised or disappointed by anything. “How devastating,” he says dryly. “I expected more from the person I work closely with, so much that I might lose my life due to his desire for a pretty Italian zhena.”Igor’s face contorts into a mask o
The Ruthless Mafia’s Contracted Bride 13. Attempt
Sitting in my room and waiting for something to happen is the worst kind of torture. I’m anguished. My thoughts are solely on my brother and I keep imagining the worst every time I don’t hear any sound coming from downstairs. I imagine Igor in a dark room with him, a knife in hand and a creepy grin on his face. I close my eyes to make the image disappear but the feeling of dread and unshakable fear lingers. I’m terrified that he’ll do something to Marco before I intervene. The thought I had earlier keeps coming back to me. I’m angry enough to contemplate seeing it through and the fact that my brother’s life now depends on the action I’ll take. I’m the one in close contact with Igor so I have a better chance at helping him. I’m so desperate that I refuse to think of a plan where I don’t do something When I finally hear a sound, my heart drops to my stomach and I struggle to stand up. It isn’t just any sound—there’s a full-blown argument happening. I hear many angry voices shouting
The Ruthless Mafia’s Contracted Bride 14. Pity
Igor looks at me like I’m crazy for a few beats. I repeat my words. “Let my brother go and I’ll do whatever you want me to do.”“You say that now, after you stabbed me?”I gulp, unsure of what to say to that. He keeps the ball of tissues on his chest and then he turns around to discard them before pulling new ones. His whole back is covered in the not detailed tattoo of a skull I’ve ever seen before. There’s a cross right on its forehead, and I can’t help but wonder what it means. So far, nothing is going according to plan. I didn’t plan on begging him to not hurt my brother. He was supposed to be dead by now but I couldn’t see it through. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the feeling of sliding the knife in him, even if just the tip. It’s the most horrible feeling in the world. “I don’t quite know what to do with you, Clara,” he says, and I have to admit that he sounds honest. I stare down at my feet as humiliation rocks through me. I remind myself that this is for my brother, and s
The Ruthless Mafia’s Contracted Bride 15. Downward Spiral
I manage to sleep through the night by some miracle. When I wake up, my eyes are heavy and gritty. Washing my face doesn’t quite get rid of the feeling. When I stare into the mirror, I lock eyes with my reflection and stare at myself for the longest time. I don’t recognize the broken woman staring back at me. My face is that of a stranger’s. I’ve come to some shocking realizations overnight, and the words Igor uttered to my brother are still with me. I’m a Makárov now. That’s what he thinks. I guess a part of me always thought that this was all some joke and that once my family intervened, I’d be freed. The only rescue mission was ruined by Boris and my brother didn’t even want to come. I thought they’d come through the elevator shooting, all to get me away from here, but that isn’t going to happen. I don’t think I’ll be getting out of here anymore. I go back to the bedroom and to my surprise, I see Hubert standing at the foot of my bed. The tray of breakfast is already on the
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