Bound by Betrayal (The Mafia King Captive Bride)

My heart was pounding like crazy as I locked eyes with the man by the kitchen door. It’s amazing how he looks way younger and more vibrant than you’d expect for his age. It’s like he’s got some secret fountain of youth hidden away somewhere!

As I glanced at his features, it was undeniable that this man was the spitting image of Damien. They shared identical features, except for their eye color. “I asked again, what’s going on here?” My heart skipped a beat as I nervously recoiled from the icy tone in his voice.

“Your father is asking you a question, son,” I strained my eyes to make out the figure of a woman who had suddenly appeared behind Mr. Dennis Albrecht. It was Mrs. Albrecht herself. My heart sprinted as Damien stood there, unmoving, his hand now wrapped around Sebastian’s neck. His intense gaze was fixed on the trembling Sebastian, completely ignoring the presence of his own parents.

I feel fucking nervous, not just for myself but also for him.

I wanted to call out to him, but at that moment, my voice seemed to vanish into thin air. The nerves were eating me alive, and the tension in the room was almost unbearable. But just as I was about to lose hope, a wave of relief washed over me as Mrs. Caterina hurried towards the entrance of the kitchen.

“Mr. Albrecht, you guys are already here,” she said with a smile, but her expression quickly changed when she noticed the frown on Mr. Albrecht’s face and the tense atmosphere in the room. She swallowed nervously and tilted her head, her eyes widening at the scene before her. “Oh, come on, son… he’s your little cousin brother,” she pleaded as she rushed over to Damien, trying to calm him down and holding his hand.

The room fell into a sudden silence as we all watched Mrs. Caterina try to reason with him. It felt like an eternity, but then I saw his grip slowly loosen around Sebastian’s neck. In a swift motion, he pulled his hand back, causing Sebastian to collapse to the ground, gasping for air as he clutched his throat.

Poor boy…… poor Sebastian.

This is what I really wanted to do; hold his hand, talk to him, and have him relax under my touch but unfortunately, it was all in my head and nothing close to reality.

I let out a huge breath that I didn’t even realize I was holding, but my confusion only grew deeper. It struck me how quickly he listened to Mrs. Caterina’s pleas, yet he seemed to ignore the pleas of his own parents, whom I’m certain he hadn’t seen in years. It’s just so puzzling to me.

“Is this how you chose to greet us after vanishing from home for five years?” Mr. Dennis barked, flinching everyone in the room, well except, Damien. I shifted uncomfortably in my position as I felt the atmosphere become thick.

“Home… hmm, I guess ‘hell’ would be a more fitting name for that so-called ‘beautiful’ word,” Damien scoffed, a smug smirk playing on his bottom lips as he turned to face his parents.

“You……..

“What? You think you can threaten me? Ha! Or maybe you’ll have your guards toss me out?” Damien’s grin widened, his fists clenched tightly as fury radiated from him. I could sense the intensity in the air, and I nervously wanted to intervene before Damien said something worse. But before I could act, Mrs. Caterina swiftly reached out and grabbed his hand. However, under the stern gaze of Mrs. Albrecht, she quickly withdrew her hand. It was a tense moment, to say the least.

“Still the same,” Mr. Dennis hissed, a disappointed smirk forming on his lips.

“WHO CARES?!” Damien shot back, his voice filled with defiance. “You have no idea how I have been surviving…….”

“Damien, please,” I blurted out, my words tumbling out faster than I could process them as I cut him off and my heart pounding in my chest. Without thinking, I grabbed onto Damien’s shirt, desperate to stop him from saying anything else. Believe me when I say that I am insignificant because it was at that moment, my existence suddenly mattered to them. The expressions on their faces said it all…

“Please,” I pleaded, disregarding the suspicious glances his parents were giving me. I tugged at his shirt, trying to divert his attention towards me. “Just relax,” I mumbled, feeling a shiver run down my spine as he tilted his head and gave me a long, icy stare that almost sent chills down my spine. Despite my fraying nerves, I stood my ground, refusing to back down. Damien’s gaze hardened as he looked at me, but then, unexpectedly, the coldness in his eyes melted away, replaced by a warmth that took me by surprise.

Mr. Dennis turned and exchanged a curious glance with his wife, their lips moving but their words eluding my ears. Clearing his throat, a sinister smirk playing on his lips that failed to reach his eyes, Mr. Dennis Albrecht turned his gaze towards me. “And you must be?” he raised an eyebrow in curiosity, his frown contrasting with the lingering smirk on his lips.

“Ashley Har……

“My wife,” Damien hissed out of nowhere, “You got something to say about that?”

The anger emanating from him makes it clear that he’s not happy to be here. I swallowed the lump in my throat, trying to ease the tense atmosphere in the room. “Ashley… uh, yeah, that’s my name,” I stammered, my voice trailing off as I forced a smile on my lips.

But to my disappointment, Mrs. Albrecht gave me a suspicious look, completely ignoring my presence as she turned her attention back to her son. Nervousness consumed me, crawling through my body with full force. I couldn’t help but wonder what I said wrong or if this was just their natural behavior as sophisticated jerks. Suddenly, a fog descended upon my mind, leaving me unable to think clearly.

“Hmm… interesting?” Mrs. Albrecht finally spoke up, flashing a smile at me that failed to reach her eyes. There was something about that smile and the way she looked at me that sent a shiver down my spine. “They look so good together,” Mrs. Caterina blurted out suddenly, her tone neutral as she observed Damien and me.

However, Mrs. Albrecht glanced at us once more before her gaze settled back on me. “Well, to the dining table… Our dear wife can’t possibly stand there hungry,” she taunted, her smile growing as she turned and walked away with Mr. Dennis.

The suffocating atmosphere sends a tremble down my spine. Is this how they always behave? Could this be the reason why Damien dislikes them so much? They possess this suffocating presence.

“Come on, daughter, let’s head to the dining table,” Mrs. Caterina’s voice snapped me out of my jumbled thoughts. I looked up and realized that it was just the three of us left in the kitchen. Sebastian was nowhere to be seen.

“Can’t I skip dinner? I’m really not feeling hungry,” I choked on my breath, my words escaping my lips more like a plead.

“I just can’t… I don’t think I can survive a minute under those unsettling gazes from Mrs. Albrecht,” I whispered mentally, my voice quivering with unease.

“Come on, daughter,” Mrs. Caterina gently patted my cheeks, sensing my sudden fear. “It’s just a dinner,” she murmured before turning to Damien, who seemed lost in thought. “Son, I made your favorite. Please lead your wife to the dining table,” she instructed, then walked away, leaving just Damien and me standing there.

I gulped hard, my nervous hands clenched into fists. And then, suddenly my breath hitched in my throat as Damien’s soft touch grazed my skin. He gently took my hand in his, turning to look at me. In that moment, for the first time, I saw a myriad of emotions in his usually cold gaze. A look of understanding passes in his eyes and I know he got why I was almost chickening out.