- Stephan’s silence stretched, becoming its own kind of answer. Catherine’s perfectly painted lips curved into a bitter smile.
- “That’s what I thought. So let me make this very clear.” She moved closer, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “You end things with Celeste. Now. Or I will use all my possible connections not to strengthen the position of the De Luca family, as was agreed due to our marriage, but to destroy it completely.”
- Stephan’s jaw tightened. “You’re threatening me?”
- “The Durand family’s influence runs deep, darling.” She reached up to straighten his tie—a gesture that once felt intimate but now felt like another form of control. “Deeper than you know. One word from me, and those carefully cultivated political connections you’re counting on? They’ll disappear. Along with everything you’ve built.”
- She stepped back, studying his face for any reaction. But Stephan had perfected his mask long ago, and even Catherine couldn’t read him now.
- “Think about it,” she said, moving toward the door. “Your empire or your ex little slut. Choose wisely.”
- Stephan watched her leave, weighing her threat.
- The Durands did have the political power to cripple his operations—their connections in government and law enforcement were extensive. But as he stared at the city lights beyond their bedroom window, another calculation ran through his mind.
- The Beneventi organization held even more power, their influence spreading across continents like a beautiful poison.
- And maybe in the end, it might be him crawling back to Celeste for an alliance that went beyond their current arrangement. The thought should have bothered him more than it did.
- * * *
- Five days later, fate seemed determined to test his resolve. Another attack, another chase, and now he was trapped in a safe house with Celeste, listening to gunfire outside.
- The space was barely bigger than a storage room, with one narrow window and walls that seemed to close in with each passing minute.
- A single lamp cast shadows that danced across the walls, making the room feel even smaller.
- “How many?” she asked, checking her ammunition with practiced efficiency.
- “At least eight,” Stephan replied, his shoulder brushing hers as he peered through the window. “Maybe more is coming.”
- “Wonderful.” She moved away from his touch, but in the cramped space, distance was an illusion. “Mikey?”
- “Radio silence. He’s either laying low or—”
- “He’s fine.” Celeste didn’t want to consider the alternative. “Dante?”
- “Safe. I got confirmation before we lost the signal.”
- She nodded, grateful for that small mercy at least. But being grateful to Stephan for anything felt dangerous right now.
- He was watching her again—she could feel his gaze like a physical touch. When she glanced over, his expression was intent, searching, like she was a puzzle he couldn’t quite solve.
- “Stop staring at me.” The words came out sharper than intended.
- His smirk was lazy, knowing—the same one that used to make her want to either kiss him or shoot him. Sometimes both.
- “I forgot how defensive you get when you’re uncomfortable.”
- She rolled her eyes, trying to maintain distance in a room that allowed none. “I forgot how insufferable you are.”
- Stephan leaned closer, and suddenly the air felt too thick to breathe. “Did you forget everything?”
- She stilled, caught between the wall and his presence. The question hung between them, heavy with unspoken memories—stolen moments in his office, whispered promises in the dark, the way he’d looked at her before everything fell apart.
- But before she could respond, the window exploded inward.
- They moved in perfect sync—muscle memory that no amount of betrayal could erase.
- Stephan tackled her away from the spray of glass as Celeste fired two shots through the broken window. A cry of pain confirmed her aim.
- “Back door,” Stephan ordered, already moving. “Now!”
- They burst into the alley behind the safe house, bullets chasing their footsteps. Celeste felt one graze her arm but kept running.
- They couldn’t go far—the alley was a dead end on one side, and their attackers were probably waiting at the other.
- “Up,” she gasped, gesturing to the fire escape.
- Stephan gave her a boost without hesitation, his hands strong and sure on her waist. She pulled him up after her, both of them climbing as quickly as they could.
- Below, voices shouted orders, and more bullets pinged off the metal stairs.
- They reached the roof just as an explosion rocked the building. The safe house—their evidence, their plans, everything they’d pieced together—went up in flames.
- “They’re trying to trap us,” Stephan growled, scanning the surrounding rooftops.
- Celeste was already moving to the edge, calculating distances. “The next building. We can make it.”
- “It’s too far.”
- “Not if we time it right.” She met his eyes. “Trust me?”
- The question was loaded with more than just their immediate survival. For a moment, she saw the war in his eyes.
- More footsteps thundered up the fire escape.
- “Always,” he said finally, and the word felt like a confession.
- They ran together, boots pounding against the rooftop. Behind them, the first of their pursuers emerged onto the roof. Celeste fired backward without looking, buying them precious seconds.
- At the edge, they jumped.
- Time seemed to slow. Celeste felt Stephan’s hand find hers in mid-air, their fingers interlocking as the gap between buildings yawned beneath them. For that endless moment, they were suspended between past and present, trust and betrayal, life and death.
- Then they hit the other roof hard, rolling to absorb the impact. Stephan’s body curled around hers protectively, and for a heartbeat, they stayed there, breathing each other’s air.
- “We need to move,” she whispered, but didn’t pull away.
- “I know.” His eyes searched her face, looking for something she wasn’t sure she wanted him to find.
- The crack of another gunshot shattered the moment. They scrambled up, running again, leaving the almost-moment behind like so many others before it.
- But as they fled into the night, Catherine’s threat echoed in Stephan’s mind, warring with the memory of Celeste’s hand in his and that single word he’d given her: “Always.”
- He’d have to choose eventually—his empire or his heart.
- Right now, he wasn’t sure which one would destroy him first.
The Betrayed Mafia’s Heir Chapter 15
The Betrayed Mafia’s Heir Chapter 15
Posted by , ? Views, Released on May 1, 2025
The Betrayed Mafia’s Heir English Novel
Status: Completed Native Language: English
