Dark Mafia Bride: An Arranged Marriage, Secret Baby Romance (Mafia Vows)
Dark Mafia Bride: Chapter 25

Alessia’s 2005 Malibu rattles to a stop, and I step out of the gate of the Greco Estate, feeling the eyes of the security guards on me. They’re watching me warily, probably still shaken from my last escape attempt. I don’t blame them—they probably don’t want a repeat performance. I’d told my personal driver that a friend would be picking me up today, so he didn’t need to take me to college. I’m guessing he’s the one who tipped off the guards about my departure.

Alessia rolls down her window and leans her elbow out, her grin wide as ever. “Hey, girl! Ready?”

I laugh, glancing over my shoulder. The guards are still keeping a close eye on me. Ettore’s been extra strict about security since my family moved in, so this is the first time in a while I’ve felt like I’m having a normal morning.

“Very ready,” I say, matching her enthusiasm.

I slide into the passenger seat and inhale the familiar scent of air freshener mixed with Alessia’s vanilla perfume. It takes me back to simpler times—back when we first started college together before Mamma got sick, before I dropped out, before everything became…complicated.

Her engine splutters to life, and I bite my lower lip to stop the laugh that threatens to slip out.

“You’re free to express your feelings about my car,” she huffs, and I can’t hold it in anymore. I laugh.

“What feelings? I don’t have any feelings…”

She rolls her eyes before quickly changing the topic.

“Jackass,” she teases, then snorts. “I still can’t believe it. You’re living in a literal mansion, married to the mysterious billionaire Ettore Greco. No offense, Mira, but your life is like a soap opera.”

Her laughter bubbles up, and she nudges me with her elbow. “Tell me, do you have a secret twin? Is there a hidden will? A long-lost relative waiting to make a dramatic entrance?”

It’s my turn to roll my eyes, leaning back as she drives us through the early morning streets. “It’s not as glamorous as it sounds.”

Her smile fades a little, her eyes softening as she nods in understanding. I’ve told her bits and pieces about Ettore’s family not accepting me, but I haven’t gone into details. I can’t.

“I get it,” she says quietly. “But hey, at least you’ve got a personal chauffeur now. Isn’t there a driver assigned to you? I’m honestly shocked they let me pick you up.”

“I had to insist. Sometimes I just miss having a normal life,” I admit, gazing out the window. The sunlight filters through the trees, casting shifting patterns across the dashboard.

Alessia’s expression softens when she glances at me.

“Yeah, I get that,” she says. “How’s your family? How are they adjusting to all this?”

Alessia and Giovanni know about the fire, and they’re aware my family’s been living at Ettore’s estate since then. ‘He makes it hard for me to hate him,’ Alessia had said when I told her about Ettore insisting on them moving in.

“They’re doing okay. Giulia’s the most excited about the whole thing.” I chuckle, and she laughs along with me.

The conversation flows into her latest gossip about her remote job, her irritating boss, and her plans for a weekend getaway with Gio. I let her talk, grateful for the distraction. But eventually, she catches on to my silence. Her fingers tap lightly on the steering wheel as she glances at me, curiosity in her eyes.

“All right, Mira. What’s going on? You’ve been weirdly quiet.”

My stomach tightens, and I clutch my hands in my lap, the weight of the words I’ve been carrying making my chest feel heavy. I’m terrified to say them out loud.

“Okay, you’re seriously freaking me out right now,” she murmurs, and I feel the heat of her stare on the side of my face.

“The words spill out before I can even catch my breath. “I’m pregnant.”

The car jerks suddenly as Alessia swerves, her grip tightening on the wheel, her eyes going wide with shock.

“Oh my God…” I gasp. “Are you trying to get me killed before I even get to meet my baby?”

She corrects her driving with a swift jerk, her heart racing.

“I’m sorry!” She huffs, trying to steady herself. “You just dropped that bomb on me out of nowhere. Say it again, but like…slowly, okay? I need to make sure I’m hearing this right.”

I take a deep breath, my heart pounding in my chest. “I said…I’m pregnant.”

Her eyes flicker to me in a way that almost feels like time is standing still. “Pregnant?” Her voice trembles with a mix of shock and disbelief. “Are you serious right now?”

“I—I haven’t taken a test yet, but I—I haven’t had my period, I get hit by random waves of dizziness, and I just…I feel different,” I ramble, unable to stop the words from spilling out.

Alessia reaches over the middle console to squeeze my hand. “Mira, this is huge. How do you feel about it?”

“Scared,” I manage to say, my voice barely a whisper, as I look down at my lap.

But it’s more than just feeling scared. I’m terrified. I have no idea how Ettore will take the news, and I’m not even sure if I’m ready to be a mother.

“I’m guessing Ettore doesn’t know yet.” She sighs, her voice soft with concern.

I nod, biting my lip. “He doesn’t. I don’t know how to break it to him. W-we haven’t even had sex since we got married…”

“Okay,” Alessia says, letting out a nervous chuckle. “I’m confused.”

I take a deep breath, gathering the courage to explain. “Before we got married, well…Ettore and I had a one-night stand,” I confess, my cheeks flushing with heat.

“Oh my God!” Alessia exclaims, her eyes lighting up with surprise. “That’s…that’s hot. And unbelievable. You lost your virginity to a one-night stand? That’s brave.”

I bury my face in my hands, feeling the heat of embarrassment rising. “I didn’t think I’d ever see him again, which is why I did it,” I murmur, my voice muffled. I exhale, then look up at her. “We used protection, so I don’t understand how this pregnancy could happen. What if I tell Ettore, and he doesn’t believe me?”

“But you’re married now,” she points out. “That shouldn’t be a problem. It’s not like you’re trying to trap him with a baby or something…”

But it is exactly like that.

My marriage to Ettore was supposed to be temporary—a year, tops—and then we’d go our separate ways. This pregnancy…it will change everything. Ettore may think I’m trying to trap him, and that terrifies me even more.

“You need to take that test, Mira. You need to be a hundred percent sure you’re pregnant,” Alessia says gently, her voice calming. “I understand if you’re scared. Hey, you can come over to my place after class, and I’ll give you the one I have.”

Her offer is comforting, and for a moment, I feel a little lighter.

“I don’t think I can come over to your house after today,” I finally mutter, looking out the window as the words feel heavier than they should. “Maybe tomorrow, or some other day.”

Alessia nods, squeezing my hand again. “Well, whatever happens, I’m here for you. We’ll face it together, okay?”

I nod, the weight of her words sinking in. Just knowing someone else knows, that I’m not carrying this alone, makes a huge difference. I manage a small smile, feeling a little less suffocated. “Thanks, Alessia. I really needed to get that off my chest.”

“Anytime,” she replies, her voice warm. “And hey, if you need me to hold your hand while you pee and wait for the test result, I’m down.”

I can’t help but laugh, the tension easing just a little. “I may take you up on that.”

We laugh, the tension in the car lifting slightly. By the time we reach the college parking lot, the knot in my stomach feels a bit looser. Alessia pulls up to a spot close to the large administration building before glancing over at me.

“What time do your classes end? I could come pick you up afterward…” she suggests, her voice light.

I shake my head. “Don’t bother. It’s a long drive for you. Besides, I have a driver assigned to take me everywhere, and he’d freak out if I ditched him twice in one day.”

Alessia grins, raising an eyebrow. “Oh, Mrs. Greco has a driver, huh? Guess my poor, old car’s not up to your standards now that you’re married to a billionaire.”

I laugh, giving her a playful nudge. “Stop it. You know I’ll take your ancient car over a luxury ride any day.”

“Uh-huh,” she teases with a wink as I pull out my phone and text Logan, my driver, to let him know I’ll need a ride after class. Alessia waits until I hit send, her expression softening when I look back at her.

“Well, if you change your mind, call me.”

I lean over to give her a quick hug before climbing out of the car. “Will do. Thanks for everything, Alessia.”

She waves, watching as I make my way across the parking lot. “Take care of yourself, Mira. And let me know if you need anything. Anything.”

I give her a thumbs-up before watching as the red, worn-out car pulls away.

When her car gets out of sight, I release a heavy breath and pull my tote bag tighter over my shoulder before turning and heading over to my departmental block. The college grounds feel normal as usual, almost as if nothing in my life has changed. I weave through groups of students in the building hallway, their laughter and chatter filling the air as I head toward my first class.

When I reach the classroom, I pause, taking a steady breath. I scan the rows of seats before spotting Milo a few rows to the back. As I approach, I see his bag on the chair beside him, and I smile at the fact that he’s saved me a spot.

“Hey, Mira,” he waves when he catches my eye. His usual easygoing smile is in place on his lips as I make my way over. “I was starting to think you’d ditched lectures today.”

I let out a small laugh as I slide into the seat next to him. “Never. Just running a little late.”

“Well, this is a first,” he muses, raising an eyebrow as he studies me. I notice the curiosity in his eyes, but thankfully, he doesn’t press.

Just as the conversation dips into silence, the professor steps into the classroom. I sink further into my chair, trying to push everything from my mind and focus on the lecture.

The rest of the day feels like it’s dragging on forever. No matter how hard I try to focus on the lectures, the classwork, or even just the flow of the day, my mind keeps wandering back to that conversation in Alessia’s car. The uncertainty, the fear—they swirl around in my head, making it impossible to focus. By the time the bell rings, signaling the end of the day, I realize I’ve barely absorbed a single word of what my professors have said.

“Hey, are you all right?” Milo nudges me with his elbow as we gather our stuff after the last class. “You’ve been a little off today.”

I force a smile, shoving my books into my bag. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just have a lot on my mind, I guess.”

He tilts his head, his eyes narrowing as he takes me in. For a second, I think he might press the issue, but instead, he breaks into one of his signature grins. “I know exactly what’ll get you out of your head. How about we hit up Sweet Tooth for a snack?”

“Sweet Tooth?” I frown as we start walking toward the door.

Milo stops in his tracks, staring at me like I just told him I’ve never seen a dog before. “No way! You’ve never been to Sweet Tooth? Are you kidding me? It’s this legendary breakfast café right across from campus. Best pastries you’ll ever have in your life. I’m talking next-level stuff—everything else just tastes like cardboard after you’ve had theirs.”

I can’t help but laugh at his dramatic expression. “Guess I’ve been missing out, huh?”

“Exactly!” He claps his hands together like I’ve just seen the light. “Come on, let’s go. Consider it a little break from whatever’s going on with you. You need it.”

“Milo…” I glance at my wristwatch. “I can’t. My driver will be here any minute.”

“We won’t take long,” he insists. “If your driver shows up, we’ll just get it to-go. Problem solved.”

The temptation to keep refusing flits across my mind, but he’s persistent, and there’s something about the normalcy of grabbing some snacks with a friend that makes me want to indulge. I think about how everything in my life has shifted so drastically lately. Maybe it wouldn’t be the worst thing to take a small detour, even if only for a few minutes. It’ll be nice to pretend, just for a while, that I’m a normal college student again.

“Fine,” I finally say, a reluctant smile tugging at my lips. “Lead the way.”

“That’s more like it.” Milo laughs, flashing me that goofy grin as he takes my hand. As we step outside and cross the street, I can’t stop thinking about the fact that Milo’s holding my hand. I gently let go, pretending to fix a loose curl in my hair.

We reach a small, cream-colored building with a large pink sign above the door. Sweet Tooth. The name’s cute, and it matches the vibe of the place perfectly.

Milo opens the door for me, and as I step inside, I feel his hand briefly brush against my waist. It’s quick, casual, but…it feels intentional, like he meant to do it.

As we step inside, the rich aroma of coffee and freshly baked pastries envelops us, making my mouth water. The café is cozy and inviting, filled with warm lighting and mismatched chairs scattered around every corner. Milo approaches the counter with enthusiasm, clearly in his element, and orders like a regular. He insists I have a cappuccino and a croissant, swearing by their almond cream filling.

When our orders are ready, I reach for mine, but he beats me to it, deftly grabbing everything in his hands. I’m amazed nothing spills as he navigates the space. We find an empty booth tucked into the corner of the café, and he places our orders on the table before pulling out a chair for me.

“Thank you,” I mutter, suddenly feeling a little strange about the situation. I should have insisted I didn’t want to come.

Milo slides into the chair across from me, flashing that effortless smile that sets off alarm bells in my head.

“You know,” he says, breaking off a piece of his croissant, “I’m honestly still shocked this is your first time here. I thought every student came here after classes for a snack with friends.”

“All students?” I chuckle, trying to keep the mood light. “The café might be popular, but there are thousands of students at this college. It can’t possibly be everyone’s cup of tea.”

“You’ve got a point,” he muses, sipping his cappuccino. “I’ll narrow it down to every student with a sweet tooth, and you, my friend, definitely fit that description.”

“You don’t even know me like that,” I say with a smile, taking a bite of my croissant—and wow, it’s incredible.

“I know that,” he replies, his eyes lighting up as he watches my reaction. “From the look on your face, I can tell you love the croissant.”

His expression shifts to one of genuine awe. That’s the only word I can use to describe it. And before I can say anything, he reaches over the table to wipe something off the corner of my mouth.

Okay…this isn’t just him being friendly. Theres a glimmer in his eyes that hints that he wants something more.

I clear my throat, sitting up a little straighter. “Milo, I just want to make sure we’re on the same page here. You know I’m married, right? I’m not…” I hesitate, the words feeling awkward on my tongue. “I’m not interested in anything more than friendship.”

He blinks at me, looking momentarily shocked before chuckling softly.

“Relax, Mira. I know that,” he says, waving his hand as if to brush my words away. “We’re just two friends grabbing coffee. Nothing more.”

I give a polite smile, hoping that settles it, but as we sit there, I can’t help but notice how his glances linger and how his hand keeps brushing against mine when he demonstrates something or shows me a photo. The more time we spend together, the more I feel like he’s not being entirely honest. There’s definitely something there—maybe a little crush, or perhaps more.

Just as I start to think of an excuse to leave, I hear a familiar voice.

“Bella.”

My heart thuds heavily in my chest as I turn slowly toward the voice.

Ettore.

He strides toward our table, and even though he called my name, his eyes are locked onto Milo, a simmering rage flickering across his face that I’ve never seen before.

Oh shit.