Sold to the Ruthless Mafia

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ment spent beside Victor was a performance, an exercise in restraint as I played the part he demanded of me. I knew he was

orld. With each event, each conversation, I picked up new information, subtle hints about his opera

my room, feeling the weight of the evening settle over me. I had smiled, nodded, and laughed at all the right moments, but the facade wa

e," a quiet voice said

way, watching me with a faint smile. She stepped inside, closing the doo

ng well," she continue

le he expects," I replied,

osity that made me uneasy. "Victor is not easily

not trying to deceive him, Is

rvival is a skill you'll need here. But ther

ords were a warning or an in

tes, the way they defer to him. But there's a side to Victor's empire th

hearing it from Isabella gave the rumors a weight th

s," she said quietly. "Victor's world is a cage, Elena

n I wanted to admit. But I forced myself to meet her gaze, my voice st

ct, perhaps?-flickering in her eyes. "Then be careful, Elena.

ning echoed in my mind, a reminder of the stakes I was facing. But it also strengthened my re

-

of his methods. He was a master manipulator, wielding charm and intimidation with equal ease. His associates se

ouldn't entirely mask. There were whispered conversations behind closed doors, abrupt silences when I ente

usual, his expression tight as he paced the length of his study. I wa

ing to me with a ferocity that took

to respond. "Trust you?" I echoed, buying myself a mom

" He paused, studying me with an intensity that made my skin prickle.

rt pounding. "And you

ked it. "No," he said quietly. "But you need to understand the ri

ords settle. "I understand the risks, Vic

g at his lips. "You're more perceptive than I gave you

e satisfaction of a reaction. Instead, I s

uld get some rest. Tomorrow, we'll be meeting with some

But his words lingered, a reminder of the danger that surrounded him-and, by extension, me. If Victor had en

p could lead to disaster. For now, I would have to tread carefully

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or seemed unusually tense as we prepared to meet his mysterious associ

of warning. "Appearances are everything. This meeting

neutral expression.

his back to us as he gazed out the window. He was tall, with a presence that exuded

untry, a man whose reputation was as ruthless as Victor's. His gaze swept o

said, his tone cold and detached. "I didn't expect

e. "Elena is more capable than she appears, Alexand

row, clearly unimpressed

a jolt that I was caught in the middle of something far more dangerous than

ping with disdain. "Do you understand th

akness. "I understand that power comes at a pri

scrutable, before giving a slight nod. "Then

s world I'd become entangled in. But as I listened, I realized that I was also learning-gathering in

came from knowing I was closer to understanding the full extent of Victor's power. Bu

o me, his expression unreadable. "

ile, my heart still

. "Remember, Elena-trust is a dangerous thin

ious position I was in. But as I watched him

es, manipulation, and fear, then