THE MAFIA’S MISTAKEN BRIDE

Xavier’s POV

A troop of soldiers make their way to me as soon as I step out of the building where Andre is.

I want to give her time to talk to her father before I decide on which punishment to give her. If only she was caught months back, I wouldn’t need to think over the kind of punishment to melt to her because the deal was to be married.

But I am married now.

To someone else in her place and the idea of marrying Andre right now is displeasing to my ears.

When they get close, I raise a brow in alarm. Before I can question them, they all bow with their weapons in place and the head soldier speaks up. “We got the alarm.”

My confusion intensifies. “What alarm?”

He shares a look with the soldier beside him before turning to me. “We were told of the attack…”

“Attack?” I cut him short, turning around to see if Ethan is behind me. He isn’t but Mathew is. “What the hell are they talking about?”

Mathew does not reply. Instead, he moves forward and speaks to them before coming back to me.

“It’s a false alarm, boss”, he informs me and I nod. I already figured it out. If it was something serious, they wouldn’t be here. Coming here meant the so-called alarm was said to be going on in this building and that is false.

“Find me who raised the false alarm”, I grit my teeth in anger before walking past them.

The person responsible will pay. I don’t care who it is.

Briskly, I walk out of the building before moving straight to the mansion. I’m sure Jasmine will be out of the bathroom by now. I can’t wait to tease her more and see how beautiful she blushes.

I don’t know why I did that. I don’t know why I was admitting all those things to her. About how I feel. When I haven’t even admitted them to myself.

Do I really mean what I said to her? Am I worth her love? Does she feel the same way or is this just one-sided? What about how I have treated her over the months? Has she forgiven me or do I have to ask for her forgiveness before anything?

I seriously do not know where this is leading but I am not scared of what will come out of this. I only hope I will be able to show her just how much she means to me.

Getting married wasn’t part of my life plan. I never wanted it. I only suggested it to Nicholas just to punish his daughter. That was the only way I could have her within my grip. I wanted to control her.

I wanted to break her. And lessen her self-esteem.

But she fled and Jasmine paid for her sins.

I couldn’t go along with my plans to punish her to the core because just a day before we got married, I was beginning to have my doubts about her.

I couldn’t do anything to her.

Now that I think of it, I am glad I went ahead with the marriage, even though she was mistaken.

Aside from Catherina, I haven’t had any affair in years but Jasmine had managed to bring back that part of me. She makes me crave her touch.

Her kisses.

Last night, she drove me to the edge. I almost lost control of my emotions. I thought we were going to have sex but I had to call myself to order.

There is still a lot to sort out between us. I didn’t want to take advantage of her state. I didn’t want to take advantage of her situation either.

Having sex with her last night would have ruined everything. She might probably think I did it because she is my wife and I have every right to bed with her.

That is not the kind of impression I want to create.

I will take it one step at a time. Create new memories to wipe out all the bad ones. To make up for all the times I was harsh and cruel to her. Then maybe I will find her forgiveness.

Meanwhile, I can’t wait to have her in my bed, not just as my wife but as my woman. I don’t f**king care about what happens to Andre.

“Boss”, someone calls from behind before I can climb up the staircase to our room. I turn around slightly holding onto the rails.

It is Mathew and there are three other men with him.

“They alerted the soldiers about the attack”, he mentions while I nod, stepping away from the stairs.

Folding my arms around my bosoms, I examine them carefully as they avoid my gaze. Then I ask. “Who amongst you raised the alarm first and why?”

They stare at each other in silence and that sends a rush of adrenaline down my spine. Something is going on.

Without warning, I ball my fist and slam it into the first man’s cheek, then the second and the third. “Why did you raise the alarm? Do I need to repeat myself!”

I just want to know why before asking Mathew to throw them into the den. They should know better than to mess with me next time.

The first man cries out as he manages to stand back on his feet. He seems to be the least athletic of them all as the others are still standing straight.

“I told them”, he mutters shakily. “I never knew it was a false alarm. It was not my intention, boss.”

I grab his throat, pushing him towards a wall. I no longer have any business with the rest until I get the information I need about why he raised a false alarm about an attack.

“Who are you working for? Who sent you?” I thunder, my fingers digging into his flesh.

I don’t spare spies.

They get killed immediately and he won’t be spared.

“No one”, he cries out. “I’m working for no one.”

My hold on his throat becomes tighter and he begins to hack a cough. I wait for some more minutes, expecting him to reveal who he is working for.

He does not say anything so I let go and turn to Mathew. “Make sure the security at the entrance is secured.”

“Yes, boss”, he replies with a bow.

“And throw him into the den. I will visit him as soon as I am done with Andre”, I tell him before moving back towards the stairs.

“No!” his piercing scream reaches my ears. “I swear to you, I work for no one. I only did as I was told. I never knew it was a fake alarm.”

That gets to me.

He isn’t working for anyone. He only did as he was told.

Does that mean he is not working for someone outside of here? Perhaps a traitor is in here and he only followed that person’s instructions.

I asked Mathew to secure the entrance because the only reason why a false alarm like that would be raised is if there is going to be a real attack and they want to divert all attention away from the gate.

I turn back again with a full-blown curiosity as Mathew rough handles him. “Stop!”

Mathew lets go of him while the other two men are standing still with their heads down. I watch the man and ask. “Who asked you to raise the alarm?”

“Your wife”, he shouts without hesitation. “I never knew it was false. She told me to alert the guards at the gate and also the soldiers according to your instructions because there has been an attack in the second building…”

“Wait, what?!” I almost laugh out loud at his lies.

Jasmine?

“Jasmine told you there was an attack?” I ask again, my heart pounding faster and my head spinning with questions of what the hell is going on.

“Yes, boss,” he answers confidently. “Please spare me. I wouldn’t have listened to her if I knew it was false.”

I blink and turn slightly to the stairs, my gaze going up towards the way to our bedroom. Instinctively, I find myself running towards it as a wild, stupid thought jumps into my head.

It can’t be.

Jasmine did that?

Why?

Within minutes, I am in front of the door and I throw it open with a kick.

It is empty.

I rush to the closet and open it to see our clothes intact. That is solved. That means she is still around. She is within the premises.

Why the hell did she do that then?

I begin to pace the room, trying so hard to find an answer to this single question of why Jasmine did that.

Suddenly, it hits me.

The guard said Jasmine told him there had been an attack in the second building. She knows about the building because she saw me torturing Vicenzo in that same building.

Talking about that building means one thing. She knows. She must have seen me going in there to meet Andre.

She knows that Andre is back.

Shit! I punch the air with my balled fist before rushing over to the drawer to grab my phone.

It isn’t there. I turn back but my feet hit something.

When I look down, I see the two smashed phones on the floor. Quickly, I pick them up. Her phone is totally ruined while mine is still good, even though the screen is slightly cracked.

The first thing that I see is a picture. A picture of Andre on my phone. She is tied to a chair just like the one in the torture room.Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

Checking the name of the sender and the time, I realize it has been sent since last night but I didn’t see it. Perhaps, he sent it after I refused to pick up his call.

Jasmine must have seen this.

This is what she saw.

Shit! Shit! Shit!

I run back to the closet and throw it open as I begin to search for that clothes. The same clothes she had on the first time I saw her in Chicago.

And the same clothes she pulled out of the closet the other day when we had an argument and she wanted to leave.

If the black leather skirt and jacket are gone, then it means Jasmine is too. She raised the false alarm so she could escape without any suspicion.

After searching through the whole row, the black jacket and leather skirt are nowhere to be found.

My breathing hitch and my legs manage to find their way out of the bedroom down to the staircase where Mathew and the other three guards are still waiting.

When I look up, I am sure my eyes are bloodshot as I shout to them. “Find her!”