Dangerous Secrets: My Mafia Stepbrother

Standing in front of the dressing room mirror, Isabella gazed at herself in a white chiffon dress adorned with light blue floral patterns. It was a sleeveless dress that managed to be modest while accentuating her waist perfectly. The lower part hugged her curves down to her knees, revealing her slender, straight legs.

Isabella had paired the dress with black high-heeled shoes, diamond earrings, and a necklace. She had elegantly coiled her hair into a bun, and her makeup was subtle, enhancing her overall beauty. At least, standing beside Emanuele, no one would think she wasn’t worthy of him.

“Isabella, you look beautiful,” Emanuele suddenly appeared behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Isabella’s waist was indeed delicate and soft, making him not want to let go.

Isabella, however, swatted his hands away. “Don’t touch me. You’ll mess it up.”

“You’ve become quite particular,” Emanuele chuckled.

Nevertheless, he didn’t heed her words and instead planted a kiss on her exposed collarbone.

“You truly are beautiful,” Emanuele praised again.

Isabella noticed Emanuele’s intense gaze and felt the kiss he’d left on her skin growing warmer. His emotions seemed deep, like vodka, making her feel precious to him. But on the other hand, she couldn’t help but think of the game rules Emanuele mentioned from time to time, which made her doubt his love for her. Love should be consistently felt, not on and off. This made her feel insecure.

Of course, she wouldn’t bring this up with Emanuele. If she did, he’d only wear a smug grin and tell her she had lost in their game. Isabella didn’t want to face that kind of humiliation; it would be too hard to bear.

Seeing Isabella’s composed demeanor, Emanuele smirked and, with a sudden pull, brought her closer into his embrace. He buried his head in the crook of her neck, his nose nuzzling her skin as he took a deep breath.

Isabella felt like Emanuele wanted to devour her.

“Isabella, why are you acting so cold toward me now?” Emanuele asked.

“I don’t want to lose in our game,” Isabella replied.

Though Emanuele’s actions had ignited her passion and made her want to embrace him and nestle in his arms, she couldn’t help but fear that if she fully fell in love with him, he would use that love to threaten and control her. If she became the loser in their game, would she be at his mercy?

Isabella dared not think further. When facing Emanuele, she had to remain calm.

Emanuele continued to hold Isabella. “Well, Isabella, your idea is quite good.”

Isabella picked up her handbag and headed out. “Aren’t we running late? Let’s go.”

After getting into the car, Emanuele gallantly helped Isabella fasten her seatbelt and left a kiss on her lips. They appeared just like any other newlyweds, sweet and happy, but only Isabella knew about the underlying power struggle between them.

She felt anxious about what lay ahead, as this was not just Emanuele’s birthday party but also their first public appearance as a married couple.

Emanuele was surrounded by a lot of guards, so she didn’t need to worry about her safety. Her main concern was being under the scrutiny of so many people; would her nervousness cause her to make mistakes?

She had always been an ordinary girl before, seldom participating in such large gatherings. Moreover, Chloe was present.

Her uncle’s family had arrived, and before heading out, Isabella took an estazolam to brace herself. She was afraid that encountering her aunt and Chloe might cause her emotions to spiral out of control.

Even though she didn’t want to like Emanuele, she didn’t want to appear crazy in front of so many people either.

Emanuele seemed to sense Isabella’s nervousness as he held her hand. “Nervous?”

“A bit.”

“It’s okay. You can still do whatever you want, just like before. If you’re really afraid, you can stay by my side. It’s just a simple gathering; having fun is what matters most.”

Emanuele’s words relaxed Isabella a bit. However, the anticipation of what was to come, especially Chloe’s presence, made her anxious.

Soon, they arrived at the estate. Everything appeared the same as when Isabella had last visited. It seemed that during this time, even when Leo and the others were overseas, there were still people taking care of things. However, the guards had significantly increased.

Emanuele led Isabella into the hall, where the air was filled with people’s laughter, classical music resonating throughout the room.

Seeing familiar faces in the living room, such as Leo, Sophia, and Grazia, brought Isabella a sense of nostalgia. But thoughts of Andrew, who always used to accompany Grazia, making jokes and enlivening the atmosphere, now being absent made her feel desolate.

The atmosphere felt as though it had reverted to the past, yet some individuals were forever missing.

In the gathering, Emanuele had many friends, but Isabella didn’t see Clark. Honestly, it was better he didn’t show up, preventing an awkward encounter. Of course, Clark had thick skin, and he was never short of female company, so he might not feel awkward.Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

Many of her relatives had also come. Isabella noticed her uncle’s family. Her uncle and aunt were chatting with Sophia and Leo, and she spotted Chloe socializing nearby.

After not seeing her for some time, Isabella felt Chloe’s impact on her had somewhat diminished. Seeing her didn’t make Isabella want to turn and run away, although she still felt a bit on edge.

Emanuele looked at Isabella. “Aren’t you going to say hello to your uncle, aunt, and cousin?”

Isabella snapped back to reality and headed towards them.

“Isabella, I never expected you to marry Emanuele. I was actually planning for Chloe to marry him.” Madelyn said. She even hugged Isabella and continued, “It seems like I was prevented from introducing Chloe to Emanuele due to Emanuele having a liking for you. I find it quite surprising that Emanuele, who’s so lively, would be attracted to someone as plain and quiet as you, Isabella.”

Madelyn’s words and tone were clearly meant to mock Isabella, making her feel uncomfortable. It was apparent that Madelyn was displeased because Chloe didn’t marry Emanuele while Isabella did.

“That’s not entirely true. It was Emanuele’s choice, and Isabella is pretty,” Sophia chimed in with a smile.

Isabella felt uncomfortable under Madelyn’s scrutinizing gaze, both explicit and implied. Facing these people, she was still a bit nervous and scared, but not as panicked as before. Her time with Emanuele had helped her mature a lot.

“What are you implying, Aunt? Are you suggesting that Chloe isn’t as attractive as me, and therefore couldn’t gain Emanuele’s favor?” Isabella countered her.