99 Roses for the Underboss's Wife

Chapter 3

Word Count: 417 | Released on: Today at 15:38

sound of my own footsteps on the marble floor, and hea

eyes, knowing the blood and swe

them, my voice devoid of emotion

he unnatural calm in my demeanor, but the

ng walls of the headquarters and

ly guarded safehouse whe

arlic-scented kitchen, I felt the ten

en I s

block island were ten crates o

had ordered. The sam

in my gut as a dark, re

s a gesture of his power. The batch had been tainted-having bypassed standard health inspections

streaming down my face,

id posture as she wiped her hands on her apron. "It is a sign of

through my numb exterior. "It is control. He does not care i

e traditional, enduring submission of a

ed, avoiding my gaze. "He provid

, so I kissed her cheek and left, the anger ins

e, terrifying question pierced through the numbness: if Dante could we

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99 Roses for the Underboss's Wife

Natala O'neal Mafia

“I was the brilliant money launderer for the most feared syndicate on the East Coast, and the fiercely loyal wife of its Underboss, Dante. While I worked sleepless nights to build his underworld dominion, he secretly diverted my operations to fund a luxury club for his naive barista mistress. When I confronted them and publicly exposed her, Dante didn't show a shred of guilt. Instead, he slapped me across the face in front of the entire syndicate. He draped his tailored jacket over his crying mistress to shield her, then turned his cold eyes on me. "Apologize to her right now, or I will send every single soldier in your crew to the slaughterhouse." He then weaponized the mafia's whisper network to destroy my reputation, painting me as a hysterical, paranoid woman just to legitimize his affair. For years, I had blindly endured his psychological torture, believing my devotion would eventually earn his respect. But looking at the brutal purple handprint on my cheek, and the ninety-nine dried bouquets of white roses he kept in the attic to carelessly patch over his toxic abuse, my heart finally turned to ice. I didn't throw a tantrum, nor did I beg for his love anymore. I left his apology blood diamonds on the table, drafted my mafia severance papers, and walked out of his territory for good. This time, I would build my own empire, and let him drown in the ruins of his.”