The Mafia Bride (Katrina and Silas)
Bride 67

Chapter 67

Katrina's POV

The next day came fast and I stood in front of the mirror, admiring myself.

I was dressed up for the event that Silas had talked about and he paid no mind to the wounds on my skin.

Our conversation from yesterday came to mind once more.

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"Tomorrow?" I gasped, staring up at him in shock.

Is there a problem with you going out tomorrow? Silas raised a brow my lips opened and closed numerous times, words. failing to come out.

He raised his brows once more, waiting for me to answer.

Was he unable to see that I was covered in injuries?

It seemed to be that I was the only one noticing them.

"Silas, I'm hurt," I stated, staring at him blankly

His eyes raked over my body and he leaned against his chair.

"I didn't ask you to run a marathon, just go out with me."

His words made my heart skip a beat and my cheeks widened

If someone didn't know any I better, they would think he was asking me out on a date and not asking for me to go to aj event with him.

m to want to give up

I can barely walk," I pointed out, but he did to seem.

"Then you can lean on me; I'll make sure you don't fall, his answer was immediate, and once again, my heart skipped a

beat

It seemed as if I was falling already and I didn't know what to do about it.

"My body is covered in bruises, I pointed out kut once more, and it was something that bothered me.

I couldn't wear a dress in bandages, but Silas thought differently.

"Your body is mine to see and mine to worship. It doesn't matter what it looks like if you have bruises, blemishes, or anything else. So it shouldn't matter, Silas said like it was the most common thing in the world. And that was why we were here, currently dressed and ready to leave for an event I wasn't certain what it was about.

I clicked my tongue as I stared at the mirror, turning sideways.

The dress was beautiful, but as I looked at myself the mirror, feeling of unease crept over ne

Silas had chosen it himself, it was a deep, midnight blue gown with a daring slit and a plunging neckline that seemed designed to attract every pair of eyes in the room.

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My skin was littered with bruises and bandages, but Silas didn't mind, and neither should I

Thankfully, the swell on my face had gone down and the bruise was covered with makeup.

My fingers lingered on the fabric, tracing the curve of my waist I glanced over at Silas, who was watching me with an unreadable expression.

My heart skipped as I met his gaze, my cheeks getting hotter.

The amount of times my heart has skipped a beat in the last twenty-four hours made me feel worried.

Should I go see a doctor to check it outh

Silas' gaze traveled slowly down my body, and I couldn't tell if it was admiration or possession that made his eyes darken.

I felt exposed and vulnerable.

And yet, there was an undeniable thrill in the way he looked at me as if he were staking his claim for everyone to see.

Our relationship had returned the same yesterday, back to how it was before he accused me of trying to kill him.

He still hadn't apologized for making that accusation, but I didnt say anything about that

"Ready?" he asked, offering his arm to me.

I took a deep breath, nodding, though I wasn't entirely sure of what I was about to do.

The moment we stepped out of the car, I felt like a Foreigner amongst the people here.

This was the second time Silas was taking me out on an event, but I still managed to look out of place.

Silas walked in beside me, his presence as intimidating as it was reassuring.

I could feel people's eyes on us as we walked deeper into the crowd.

And it made me feel nervous.

My heart thumped in my chest, and for some reason, the heels on my feet seemed too high.

"Relax, you're doing fine, Silas whispered to me, placing his hand on me.

He kept me close to himself, his hand warm against my back, serving qs some sort of re

of reassurance.

He steered me gently through the sea of people, nodding in greeting at some who had topped to talk to us.

Stay close," he murmured as we entered the main hall, his grip moving from my back to my waist.

nodded at him, trying to ignore the sinking feeling I felt in my stomach.

should be used to his world, as someone who was horn in the mafia, I shouldn't be intimidated by them, but that didn't eem to be the case.

his was Silas's world and it was as frightening as I'd imagined.

owerful men and beautiful women, all sizing each other up behind practiced smiles.

hey all had plastered fake similes on their faces, but if given the chance, they would kill each other.

ilas introduced me to a few key people, and each time, I felt his arm tighten around me.

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Chapter 67

Each time, the men's stare lingered on me far longer than it should have, and Silas glared them down.

His grip on me was firm as if he were silently warning them to keep their distance.

And they seemed to take the warning each time.

Except for this one man who had taken the bold move to grab my wrist.

Silas then proceeded to break his fingers and it seemed to be a loud warning to everyone else.

And since then, no one had stared at me weirdly.

When we reached a group clustered near the bar, I recognized Maria, who gave me a cool smile that didn't reach her eyes. What was she doing here?

I wondered as I moved closer to Silas,

So I had to deal with her here as well?

I watched as Marią turned to her group and whispered something to them, making them all laugh

In the next second, their eyes turned to me and they laughed once more.

I couldn't help but feel uneasy, turning to Silas as we walked towards them.

"Do we have to?" I asked, my nervousness obvious in my body language.

you, you'll be the most beautiful woman in this

"Square your shouldes, raise your head. If you walk with confidence, I assure yo room

-

Silas words seemed to cause a reaction in me and I nodded my head.

Wasn't confidence all I needed?

But that was easier said than done.

*Katrina, Maria purred when we got closer to them, her gaze flicking between Silas and L

r public?

"I see you've finally decided to make her

Her attention had moved Silas and she dismissed me like I meant nothing.

Silas glared at her, making her shut up.

"Katrina is here because I wanted her here,"

Even Silas seemed tired of her games.

How did he even get betrothed to such a woman?

Of course," Maria replied smoothly, her eyes narrowing

It must be nice to have such... variety. Isn't it? The edge in her voice was unmistakable, but I did my best to ignore it, lifting by chin and meeting her gaze

couldn't show them that I was being affected by their words because that would give them even more joy than they had

ut Maria wasn't the only one making me uncomfortable.

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Others whispered, some openly staring, while others snickered as if I were nothing more than a temporary fixture on Silas's

arm.

T

How many women had they seen him with to make them feel this way?

It has been years since his wife died, had he brought in any other woman since then?

Or was I the first?

I felt delusional to even think I was the first person he would bring to something like this in the last twenty years.

Nodding at them. Silas pulled me away, taking or around as he introduced me to people.

The night went on that way, and the weight of everyone's stares began to wear on me.

The tension built and I could feel Silas frustration growing every time he caught someone looking at me for a moment too long

This was all because of the dress he had chosen for me and his desire to show me off.

It felt strange, but I liked it.

It made me feel better about the whispers coming from people

At one point, he pulled me to the side, his hand tightening around my waist.

If I knew you were going to get this much attention even with bandages on, I would have put you in a fucking sack bag. He breathed out, his nose a few inches away from my neck.

I couldn't help but giggle, replaceing these words funny.

An escape from the awkwardness I was feeling.

"Stop looking so uneasy," Silas murmured, rubbing my waist.

"You belong here, as much as anyone else." His voice was soft, but there was an edge to it, a hint of something I couldn't quite place.

I didn't quite believe his words when I said I belonged here.

I never belonged to the Mafia,

"Do P' I challenged softly, meeting his eyes.

"I feel like I'm just here as part of your image.

He frowned, his thumb brushing against my waist in a way that felt almost. possessive,

But I felt like I was thinking too much for Silas' attention.

I wasn't reading them the way I should have, that I was certain of

"You're more than that, Katrina. Don't forget it."

His words lingered in my mind, leaving me more confused than ever.

What does he mean by that?

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I needed him to complete bis sentence and say something to make me understand.

But it seemed like he was done talking about it.

After another round of introductions, I excused myself, needing moment to collect my thoughts.

It was all getting too overwhelming and I needed a breather.

Sikas understanding my reason for leaving, nodded his head as he watched me walk up the staircase.

The restroom was upstairs, offering me a welcomed escape from the crowded main floor.

I quickly slipped away, hoping for a few moments of peace.

I hated the fact that everyone kept staring at me, but there was nothing I could do.

I was going to remain here until I got tired of avoiding people.

But as I rounded a corner near the upper level. I stopped dead in my tracks, my breath catching.

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Chris, my ex-fiance, was leaning casually against the wall, his arms crossed as he stared at me with a smirk I knew all too well.

It seemed as if he had been waiting for me to climb up the staircase.

I hadn't seen him in months, and yet here he was, looking just as smug and entitled as ever.

Too tired to want to face him, I instantly turned on my heels, everything in my mind screaming for me to escape from there.

"Katrina," he drawled, making me stop in my tracks.

I turned around slowly, watching as he pushed off the wall and took a step toward me.

"Fancy seeing you here, all dressed up for a man like Silas. How low you've fallen," he tutted, and 1 balled my hands into a

Üst

Each time I set my eyes on him, I get instantly reminded of just how much I loathed him.

I took a step back, instinctively wanting to put as much distance as I could between us,

Breathing the same air with someone just like himself disgusted me.

"What are you doing here, Chris?" I asked instantly, timing the amount of minutes I would take before I ran

I hadn't seen him since the last ball where we had humiliated him, and I knew he had zero plans of forgetting that.

Chris chuckled, his gaze sweeping over me in a way that made my skin crawl.

I didn't forget his image as a molester and I knew I had to leave

"I could ask you the same thing. I always knew you had a taste for danger, but I didn't think you'd end up as Silas's latest plaything" His words seemed to be filled with bitterness.

Iswallowed, trying to keep my voice steady. That's none of your business,"

I shouldn't be standing here for much longer with him

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Chapter 67

I needed to leave im

mediately.

"Oh, but it is." He took another step forward, close enough that I could smell the scent of his cologne.

He grabbed my wrist tightly, pulling me against himself.

My heart dropped in fear and I struggled to get myself out of his grip.

"Because you're mine, Katrina,"

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