Bound by Betrayal (The Mafia King Captive Bride)

An eerie silence hung in the air as we all gathered around the dining table, our seats facing each other. Not a word was spoken as our attention was fixated on the delicious spread before us. However, I couldn’t shake the feeling of occasional peculiar glances directed my way from time to time.

Swallowing hard, I tightly gripped the cutlery in my hand. My body quivered with nerves, and the sound of my pounding heart reverberated through my chest like it wanted to rip out of my ribcage in full force. Damn, I am feeling incredibly anxious.

This was supposed to be a dream come true for me, dining with these public figures I’ve always admired. But at this moment, all I can think about is getting through this and leaving this house as soon as possible.

Without saying a single word, Mrs. Caterina rose from her seat and generously piled a delectable serving of prime rib with truffle mashed potatoes onto my plate. The enticing aroma wafted up to my face, and a smile involuntarily spread across my lips. Our eyes met, and she offered me a small smile before redirecting her gaze and serving Sebastian who was sitting close to me. Mrs. Albrecht remained silent, her attention fixed on Mrs. Caterina’s every move. She observed intently as Mrs. Caterina added a lobster bisque followed by filet mignon to Damien’s plate, then pushed the remaining dishes forward for Mrs. Albrecht and her husband to make their choice.

The silence dragged on for a couple more hours until Mrs. Albrecht unexpectedly cleared her throat, shattering the stillness and capturing everyone’s focus. “So, Ashley… that’s your name, isn’t it?” she inquired.

I took a deep breath and nodded, my heart pounding faster at what she was about to say. “So how did you meet with my son?”

“Huh…..!” I gasped, feeling a sudden heat within me.

“Why the sudden marriage with Damien?” she raised an eyebrow, catching me off guard and nearly causing me to spit out the water I was drinking.

What the……?!

“Mom!” Damien hissed, his voice filled with warning as he tried to intervene.

“Oh!…” Mrs. Caterina quickly reached across the table, handing me a napkin. “Here you go, dear,” she mumbled.

“Thanks,” I muttered under my breath. Sebastian glanced up at us, a smirk briefly playing on his lips before returning to his usual blank expression. “What…?” Mrs. Albrecht feigned a clueless expression. “What happened? It’s just a harmless question, son,” Mr. Dennis chimed in.

“Really,” Damien shook his head, his gaze shifting between both of them. The tension in the air became palpable, and I felt a knot forming in my stomach. This situation was far from ideal. A wedding that took place just a day after the outrageous encounter I had at that hotel… How on earth am I supposed to answer that? Should I reveal that it was an arranged marriage between my father and my husband? Seriously?

This situation is just all kinds of messed up….. Just come off it, and why can’t I shake this feeling about Sebastian? It’s like something is lurking beneath the surface, something he’s keeping hidden. It’s driving me crazy trying to figure it out!

“Wait a minute, you went ahead and had a wedding without telling us? We had to find out through the news?” Mrs. Albrecht complained, giving me a silent glare. “Was it her idea?” she added, her tone filled with suspicion.

“Mom!” Damien snapped. “You did call for dinner tonight, didn’t you?” He hummed, his knuckles turning white from how tightly he was gripping the fork.

“It really hurts, son,” she whined, completely oblivious to the anger emanating from Damien. “You have no idea how much I’ve always wanted to witness your wedding, son,” she continued, putting on a pitiful look.

What a pretentious woman….. Ugh! Never knew she could be like this based on how I do see her carry herself during her media rounds and on the internet.

However, I couldn’t believe my eyes as Damien rolled his eyes at her exaggerated sigh. “Do you even know how humiliated I felt in front of my friends and business partners? The rumor spread like wildfire that I couldn’t attend my own son’s wedding… when I had absolutely no clue!” Mr. Dennis erupted, his voice booming with anger, capturing everyone’s attention and sending a shiver down my spine.

“You think I give a damn,” Damien fired back, a faint, menacing smirk playing on his lips. “You care so much about your fucked up friends and business partners… What about me?!” he thundered, slamming his hand on the desk in a fit of anger.

“Care for the son who had to organize his own wedding without the knowledge of his parents!” Mr. Dennis barked, his fist clenched tightly as he shot a vicious glare at Damien, who returned the same intense look.

Oh no! I shrink back in my seat, nervously biting my lip. Mrs. Caterina seems tongue-tied like she has no say in this matter either. Only Sebastian is focused on his food, completely unfazed by the heavy tension in the room. It’s confusing, but I decided to brush off his strange behavior as Mrs. Albrecht’s next words piqued my curiosity.

“You lost it all after her disappearance,” she fired back, shaking her head. The words hit me like a punch to the gut, stirring up a mix of confusion.

Who? I whispered to myself.

“What… What nonsense are you talking about?” he stammered, glaring at his mother. Confusion and frustration etched across his face as he tried to make sense of her words.

I just wish Damien would calm down, oh goodness!

“You lost your remaining sanity after her disappearance, you transformed into another thing… We thought you never wanted another relationship. We gave you time to heal by relocating and then boom, we saw your wedding all over the media,” she shouted back at her son, shooting him a dissatisfactory look.

Who is the girl? What’s suddenly going on here? Who disappeared? I’m so confused, my head is spinning with all this confusion.

“More than seven freaking years!” he thundered before letting out a bitter laugh. The frustration in his voice was palpable as if the weight of those years had finally taken its toll.

But Mrs. Albrecht relaxed back in her seat, as she ignored Damien and shifted her gaze to meet mine, a smile playing on her lips. “Hahaha… and from the look of things, it seems like our dear wife doesn’t know about her as well,” she mumbled, shaking her head with a tinge of sadness, making my confusion deepen. Suddenly, a mischievous grin appeared on her lips. “Would you like to know about… Zuri?” she added, teasingly.

“I……I….” I had barely said a word when a loud gasp interrupted me.

“Mrs. Albrecht!” Mrs. Caterina suddenly blurted out, her voice trembling with nerves. I looked up at her, and my attention was fully captured before shifting my gaze back to Mrs. Albrecht. The room fell silent, even Sebastian pausing mid-bite, his eyes reflecting a mix of anxiety and unease as he glanced at Mr. Albrecht, who seemed strangely unaffected. The air crackled with tension, and I couldn’t help but wonder what secrets were about to be revealed.

But just as we were lost in the tension-filled moment, the shattering of plates on the ground jolted us back to reality. I turned my head towards the source of the sound and my eyes widened in shock. Damien stood just a few inches away from the dining table, fuming with anger. His eyes held a murderous glare as I followed his gaze down. I gasped at the sight of blood dripping from his hand. He tightly gripped the broken pieces of ceramics, the sharp edges piercing into his flesh, causing him pain. The scene unfolded before me, a chilling reminder that things were about to take a dangerous turn.

“Da… Damien,” I stammered, my words stumbling out nervously. The room grew suddenly quiet as all eyes turned towards him.

“Come on, son,” Mrs. Caterina cried out, her voice filled with urgency as she rushed over to grab a bandage.

“Damien!” Mrs. Albrecht yelled, her voice filled with disbelief. “Have you lost it?”

“Son!”

“You better not say another word about her, ever!” Damien’s voice dripped with menace, his cold gaze burning like a raging volcano. I couldn’t help but glance around, my heart pounding as I took in the chaos of food scattered on the floor and broken plates strewn about. My eyes then shifted to Damien’s bloodied hands, and tears welled up in my eyes. Why did my life always seem to be filled with so much drama?

Though that name seems familiar, like I’ve heard it somewhere before… Zuri. Who is she? Who is she to Damien?