Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 74800 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74800 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Fuck you!
Massimo was more stunned than offended when Ysabel suddenly flipped him the bird. For one second there...for one painful second, her response was an agonizing reminder of the Ynez that he had first met and imagined himself in love with.
But since that side of Ynez had never materialized again after that night, and he had since been ordered to marry another woman—-
I'm sorry, Ynez.
It was truly time for him to bury the other woman in his past, and from this moment forward—-
Ysabel was starting to panic the longer Massimo stared at her. I can't believe I flipped him off again. Five years ago, he hadn't had the chance to retaliate since he was too busy having sex with another woman. But now?
The moment he straightened, Ysabel immediately screamed as she tried to escape.
"Help!"
But this only had Massimo chuckling, and the sound - albeit even more infuriating than his smirk - also had a noticeably sizzling effect on her flesh.
Oh no.
She wasn't able to get away at all, with Massimo succeeding in imprisoning her against the wall, and a gasp slipped past her lips as his powerfully hard form came into contact with her body.
"W-What do you think you're doing?" Ysabel intended to sound tough as she asked this, but her voice came out shamelessly breathless instead. Sei sensa speranze, Ysa! You're hopeless!
Dark eyes glinted down on her, and Ysabel's heart began to pound.
"There's nothing for you to be worried about, signorina. All I wish to do is...apologize."
Yeah right, Ysabel wished she could snarl out. But since that would only be a waste of time, Ysabel tried taking Massimo by surprise instead as she made a sudden move to shove him away. 'Tried' being the operative word, since Massimo's reflexes were far too swift, and the plan completely backfired as she found herself pinned against the wall, her wrists bound over her head.
Questo non va bene! This is not good!
"Let me—-mmph!" Ysabel couldn't say anything else, her brain completely shutting down as Massimo's warm mouth covered hers.
Is this for real?
His tongue stroked past her lips, and fire blazed through her blood.
Real, she realized dazedly. Massimo was truly kissing her, and in the manner that she had forbidden herself to ever dream of.
Her Cruel One-Sided Love
By Marian Tee
An Arranged Marriage for the Mafia Boss Novel
Copyright 2023 by Marian Piñera
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Part One
One
Ysabel
SOMETHING WICKED THIS way comes may be a thing outside the Shining City Upon a Hill, but here in Boston, it's the other way around, and as soon as the sun begins to set on the 30th of October, it's us who are eagerly and quickly heading down Comm Ave for the wickedest - and coolest - place to be.
For almost the entirety of the year, the Marchetti Mansion looms over our city like an untouchable and invincible deity in granite and limestone. It's the only property around here that's large enough to have its driveway and private grounds, and boisterous cheers erupt from the crowd as soon as its towering gates of steel slowly part open.
"Halloween, here we come, a-woo!" Julio's loud howl draws a series of laughs, and ever the limelight-loving extrovert, my cousin shamelessly relishes the attention and lets out another howl that has guys at the back howling in return.
The way everyone's acting, it's as if a new tailgating season has started, and it's the same level of excitement you'd expect when the Red Sox seems poised to win the World Series. But this time, instead of baseball caps and jerseys, most of us are wearing dark gray Boston Says Boo shirts and matching face masks (all we had to do was click 'yes' on an Eventbrite link, and we get both free of charge).
Halloween is that one time of the year when the Marchetti Mansion graciously opens its doors to the public, and even though where we're standing is at least a mile away, what I can see of the sprawling multi-storied home still makes a frighteningly impressive sight.
I've always imagined the place as Hogwarts that's been magically transported to the Conjuring universe; it even has gargoyle sentinels perched on its domed shoulders, and it's the kind that looks terrifyingly capable of snarling into life and flying down at any moment.
Then again, maybe that's just my subconscious thinking.
Growing up, I've always known that our city has famiglia secretly ruling over it for years and years, and the knowledge has made me feel I'm being monitored and protected all at the same time.
Toe the line if you know what's good for you—-or a gargoyle in a suit will snatch you out of bed, and no one's ever gonna hear from you again.