Bound by Betrayal (The Mafia King Captive Bride)

He stretched out his right hand, and I took it, my eyes fixating on the black scorpion tattoo encircling his wrist. It wasn’t very clear since his sleeve partially covered it, but something about it felt familiar. Suddenly, my mind flashed back to Damien’s tattoo. It bore a striking resemblance to the one before me.

Seems like he caught onto my long stare because he pulled his hand back real quick and let out a little cough. Trying to act all cool, I said, “I’m Ashley…” And he just nodded, like he knew exactly who I was. It made me chuckle a bit.

“It seems like you already know,” I mumbled.

“Yeah, you’re right. Being married to Damien Albrecht, it’s totally possible,” he said with a smile, which made me chuckle and feel a little embarrassed. How could I have possibly forgotten?

“Hmmm… yeah,” I muttered softly, my voice barely audible, as I nervously scratched my neck, feeling embarrassed. But he just laughed it off, brushing it aside. His laugh seemed contagious but so sad I wasn’t attracted to him.

“It’s great to finally meet you in person, Ashley,” he said, and my eyes couldn’t help but be drawn to the tattoo on his wrist once again. A thought raced through my mind, but before I could utter a word, Damien’s booming voice echoed through the hallway. Fuck…..!! Now people are starting to pass by in the corridor and they stopped to stare at us.

“What are you doing here?” Damien snapped. I turned slowly to look at him, feeling a mix of confusion and concern. His gaze was filled with anger, directed at Alexander. It seemed like he couldn’t wait to harm him. But Alexander’s expression remained blank, making it difficult to decipher his thoughts.

Did they know each other? Because it seemed so weird for Damien to ask that question, especially since it was a party and anyone could be invited. And Alexander, he looks like someone from a higher class. I wonder if there’s some history between them that I don’t know about.

I can sense the anger and the sudden change of air around us. And just then I saw Damien’s two other friends walk in on us. The brown jet-haired guy stood tall with a cocky smirk on his lips but the disgusted look they were throwing on Alexander seemed suspicious. Everything happening around me at this party seems confusing and at the same time makes me nervous.

“What are you doing here with my wife?” Damien emphasizes on that last word, hissing out the word like he needed him to grab the meaning of the word. And I felt my heart skip at his sudden claim and possessiveness.

“I heard about your wedding,” Alexander said, ignoring his question and the look on their faces. And that’s when Damien’s hand slowly sneaked around my waist possessively. The brown-haired guy followed his action, his gaze settled on me leaving a lingering smirk on his lips.

“She seems pretty… I’ll give you credit, you’ve always had an eye for the finest things,” he said, eyeing me up thoughtfully. My heart skipped a beat at his compliment.

Damien has never complimented me, not when he views me as worthless as nothing. A girl who is married based on a mere contract but despite the cold atmosphere and the slight change around us I couldn’t help but to appreciate the words of the stranger in front of us.

“Nice to meet you too, Ashley Albrecht!” The stranger deliberately stretched out his hand again, and without thinking, I took it with a slight smile.

But before I could even gather my thoughts, a low growl filled the air, causing a hush to fall over the people passing by. I felt a chill run down my spine as all eyes turned towards us. Slowly, I turned my head in the direction from which the menacing sound had come. It came from beside me, a very angry-looking Damien quickly pulled my hands away from the stranger. I felt something stir within me as I watched him get angry seeing another man hold my hand. Does that mean he cares?

I shifted my gaze towards Alexander, and I couldn’t help but notice that his eyes were also fixed on Damien. His expression seemed devoid of any emotion.

“You’re not allowed to touch my wife, man. What were you thinking?” Damien’s voice was barely above a whisper, filled with anger. He glanced at me with a look of disapproval before turning his gaze back to the stranger.

I felt a sudden rush of nerves as I gulped and tried to steady myself. My legs felt a bit wobbly, but I managed to maintain my balance. I tore my gaze away from Damien and quickly sent an apologetic look to Alexandr. His dark hazel eyes held something in them, something that made me feel like I should be cautious around him. It was confusing, yet it piqued my curiosity at the same time. I wonder what his intentions are.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

“It was just a handshake…” Alexandr starts to explain, but Damien interrupts him with his next words.

“What are you doing here, Alexander? Standing next to my wife,” Damien said, his gaze fixed on the man in front of me. With their behavior, it was clear that there was some tension between them.

But is this not the exact man that Damien was asking about earlier? If I could clearly remember, he mentioned something like Alexander Smith. Angry that his men haven’t seen him, I thought he was supposed to feel excited seeing him but the reverse is the case because his eyes alone seemed to be tearing the man apart……. Or was it because he was close to me? A Lot of questions were swirling in my head at the same time.

“This is Senator Juan’s son’s birthday, so I was invited. Do you have any problem with that?” Alexander asked, his gaze fixed on me the entire time. I could feel a tinge of nervousness creeping in as he spoke.

His words sounded calm but were filled with sarcasm. Damien’s is raging in anger, and I couldn’t shake off the nervous feelings in my heart. Why did he give that mysterious look earlier and the scorpion tattoo on their hands? It seems like there are a lot of things that I didn’t know about Damien.

But I was snapped back to reality when Alexander’s smooth, seductive voice reached my ears. “She looks stunning,” he said, glancing at Damien. “Do you love her that deeply?” He raised an eyebrow, his tone filled with intrigue.

And I slowly turned to look at Damien who suddenly fell silent, my heart pounding as I anxiously waited for his reply. But my fear was quickly dismissed by his unexpected smirk. “She’s my wife, you idiot,” he retorted, his words laced with a mix of amusement and mockery.

Despite not saying the word “yes,” it was still amazing to hear Damien acknowledge me as his wife. But it seemed like Alexander wasn’t convinced. “So you’re saying you love her more than anything?… Even more than her,” he questioned, and immediately I sensed Damien’s discomfort beside me. Despite the smirk on his face, his eyes held a chilling and ominous gaze.

Smirking as if he had achieved the desired reaction, Alexander shifted his gaze towards me. “Looks like he didn’t fill you in on her, sweetheart,” he said with a sly grin.

“Her…” I barely managed to utter the word when a loud bark echoed through the hallway, nearly deafening me. I instinctively flinched and turned to gaze at Damien, who now appeared menacing and dangerous, leaving me utterly bewildered.

“Get out,” Damien hissed each word with a bone-chilling intensity, clearly indicating that he had reached the end of his patience. And in an instant, the guy with tinted hair and the one with brown hair stood beside him, shooting Alexander a fierce glare.

The atmosphere around us suddenly becomes unbearably tense as if it’s charged with an electric current. I can’t help but feel incredibly nervous like I want to shrink away from it all.

However, a smiling Alexander folded his two hands behind him and maintained his composure, surprising me with his boldness. Does he even know who this devil beside me is?

“Unfortunately, Damien Albrecht, you’re not the host, so you can’t kick me out,” he smirks, his lips curling up dreadfully.

“Hmmm…” I heard Damien chuckling dangerously. “You’ve grown some guts, Alexander, thinking I can’t just throw you out of here,” he threatened, his voice calm but filled with danger.

“Hmmm,” Alexander cleared his throat. “I still wonder why a beautiful damsel like this could settle for a demon like you… a murderer,” he said, barely finishing the word. Suddenly, Damien left my side in a flash and grabbed his neck instantly.

It caught Alexander completely off guard. Damien tightened his grip on him as they battled, and I watched in horror as Damien unleashed a frighteningly furious tirade. “You fool… Get your ass out of here or watch me end you!”

I was shaking vigorously in fear when I saw the green veins on Alexander’s neck starting to pop out, fear kicked in big time. But before I could say a word, a loud thud was heard in the hallway **BAM**, making Damien’s two other friends to quickly raise their clothes slightly and instantly pull out pistols

Oh my gosh, I can’t believe it! “Bang!” Another gunshot echoed through the hallway, and I felt a surge of fear rush through me. The guy with tinted hair quickly pulled me back, shielding me from harm. I held onto his shirt, gripping him tight in fear.

“No… AH!” I screamed fearfully, what’s going on? And immediately the music booming in the party room was suddenly switched off. It got so quiet that it felt like a graveyard out there.

No way! As I slowly lifted my head, my heart skipped a beat. A group of men dressed in black, their faces concealed by masks, emerged from behind the massive pillars in the hallway. And to my horror, they were all armed with pistols! It felt like a scene straight out of an action movie. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. What is really going on?