BOOK Ⅱ Chapter 1: The Mafia Boss’s Runaway Bride

July in Brooklyn, New York, was oppressively hot and sticky. “Grandma, you need to keep up with your treatments. I’ll be back tomorrow.” Giselle had been at the hospital all day, her skin soaked with the scent of disinfectant. When she returned to her neighborhood, she was puzzled to see a luxury car parked in her rundown old district. Upon entering her home, two men in black seized her, one on each side. “What are you doing!” Giselle screamed, “Help—” Before she could finish, a hood was slipped over her head, silencing her. After the roar of a helicopter and a dizzying journey, Giselle was pushed off the aircraft, her hood yanked off, making her squint in the bright light. She found herself under a massive gold-leaf dome, surrounded by Raphael’s masterful paintings and pure white wool carpets, the epitome of opulence. A man of striking and fierce beauty sat on a genuine leather sofa, watching her intently. His shirt collar open, revealing well-defined, tanned muscles, he radi