All Chapters of The Return Of The Mafia Lord : Chapter 21
- Chapter 30
75 chapters
Chapter 21
A well-dressed woman approached their row and offered a slight bow. "Mr. Stewart, if you would follow me. We have a private settlement room prepared."Xavier stood smoothly, offering Ari no hand this time. "Please,lead the way."They were ushered out of the main hall through a side door and into a labyrinth of velvet-lined corridors until they reached a small office. The entire process was conducted with the swift efficiency only reserved for wealthy people. Xavier signed a series of documents, confirming the purchase price of €45 million and transferring the initial payment from an offshore account.Ari, as his "fiancée," was mostly silent. She verified the authenticity seal one last time on the final document before Xavier signed it."The Silent Oracle is currently being secured in a climate-controlled crate and will be loaded directly into your vehicle," the auction house's solicitor informed them, his face impassive. "A receipt and the detailed provenance records are in this seale
Chapter 22
For the next two hours, Xavier kept his promise, whisking her away to fun and interesting spots, making her birthday truly unforgettable. When it was about an hour left before their flight, they began to head back to the hotel to pack up their belongings. Ari couldn't take her eyes off the pictures, already envisioning the perfect social media post to show Liam what he'd be missing out on. "This was—" she began, but Xavier cut her off abruptly. "Hang tight," he said, his voice low and urgent.Ari's curiosity turned to confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked, but before she could get an answer, Xavier slammed on the brakes and accelerated the car, leaving her wondering what was happening.Ari's eyes widened in terror as she clutched her phone to her chest, her other hand white-knuckling the roof handle. "What the fuck are you doing?" she screamed, her voice shaking with fear. "We still have forty minutes to make it to the airport!"Instead of answering, Xavier's gaze remained fixed
Chapter 23
Ari didn't hesitate. The moment the gunshot echoed, she jumped into the driver's seat,slammed the gearshift into drive, then reversed it into park, her knuckles white on the steering wheel. “Get in! Now!" she screamed, her voice piercing the stunned silence. Xavier dove headfirst into the rear passenger door, barely clearing the opening as Ari slammed the door control. Leonardo's gang members sprang into action, gunshots erupting as the air around the car sizzled with bullets impacting metal and bulletproof glass."Close the door! Close the damn door!" Ari yelled, throwing away every respect she had for him."It's closed! Go! Go!" Xavier groaned, adjusting himself on the seat and pressing a hand to his bleeding cheek.Ari took a sharp breath, her eyes flicking to the rearview mirror. They were trapped. She slammed the car into Reverse, flooring the accelerator. The vehicle shot backward, smashing into the front grill of the black sedan with a deafening screech of tearing metal. The i
Chapter 24
Gabriele's eyes gleamed with anticipation as he sat in the opulent first-class cabin, his fingers flying across the screen of his phone. A thin, chilling giggle escaped his lips every time a refresh failed to yield the desired headline. "Nothing, Marco," he said, looking up at his assistant, who sat stiffly beside him. "Still nothing. Don't you think the death of Xavier would make a splash? Then why is it not on the internet yet" Marco's voice was a low, deferential monotone. "With all due respect, sir, the local authorities are often... slow. And Leonardo's men are efficient at cleanup. We should wait for a direct confirmation." Gabriele's giggling became more pronounced, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Leonardo wouldn't have made a mistake in getting rid of Xavier, right? After all the trouble I went through in creating a perfect scene for him ." Marco's expression remained impassive. "No, sir. Leonardo is driven by pure vengeance. He'd fail only due to extreme, unforeseen
Chapter 25
As the plane taxied to a halt, Ari felt the last vestiges of adrenaline drain away, leaving her body heavy with exhaustion and her mind buzzing with disbelief of their near death experience in Italy over a Company. Xavier stood up, his jacket thrown over his shoulder, holding his bag and got out of the plane with Ari right behind him."Where to first? Home, I presume," he said, his voice low as they got to where his car was parked."Yes," Ari replied, her voice barely above a whisper.The silence in the car as they drove to Ari’s house was deafening as no one knew what to say.Xavier pulled up to the curb outside Ari's brownstone apartment building. Ari unbuckled her seatbelt, and got out of the car."Thanks for the ride," she said, then her tone became filled with sarcasm. "And thanks for making my birthday truly memorable. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to look at a motorbike or convoy the same way again."Xavier's lips curled into a faint smile. "Don't mention it," he said. "Take t
Chapter 26
The next morning,Ari woke up feeling very relaxed. It's been a while since she felt that great. No Company to rush to,no boss bossing her around. It was just the perfect morning.As she headed to the kitchen, her stomach growled, demanding attention. She decided on a hearty breakfast, French toast, crispy bacon, and her specialty, perfectly seasoned scrambled eggs. The aroma of sizzling bacon and melting butter filled the air, and she hummed along to her favorite playlist that was blasting from the living room.Just as she was about to taste her scrambled eggs to see it was perfect enough,a wave of nausea washed over her. She clamped her hand over her mouth, dashing to the bathroom. After a few miserable minutes, she emerged, feeling weak and trembling.As she collapsed onto her bed, a pungent smell caught her attention. "My eggs!" she exclaimed, rushing back to the kitchen. The smoke detector was shrieking, and a plume of black smoke billowed from the pan. She frantically switched of
Chapter 27
They settled across from each other. Ari kept her coat pulled tight, despite the warmth of the coffee shop, and her eyes darted nervously around the room—from the espresso machine hissing its steam, back to the counter where Peter and the woman, who was now expertly pouring milk, were working with a quiet, professional efficiency. She could practically feel the awkwardness radiating off her. “Two lattes, on the house,” Peter called out, not looking up. “Thanks, Peter,” Xavier replied. Ari cleared her throat and fidgeted with the napkin dispenser. Finally, Xavier broke the silence, his brow furrowed as he leaned forward slightly. His voice was low, but carried a distinct, challenging edge. “Have you been following me? You think I'm shady because of what happened in Italy?” Ari’s head snapped up, a sharp look of indignation replacing her nervousness. “Following you? Are you serious?” She shook her head emphatically. “No. Absolutely not. It’s a complete and total coincidence. I was
Chapter 28
Ari stood motionless outside the coffee shop door, Xavier’s cruel words echoing in the sudden, shattering silence of her mind. Too manly…demanding energy... pain in the ass in a relationship... why her ex-boyfriend likely cheated on her. It was the ultimate, targeted blow. He hadn't just insulted her appearance; he had attacked her worth, her personality, and her deepest point of humiliation—the painful memory of Liam's betrayal,only to have this arrogant man—her nominal boss—reach in and twist the knife that Liam had left behind. She swallowed the metallic lump of grief and fury in her throat. Her eyes were burning, but she refused to let the tears fall, not here. Not for him. How could he say that? It was one thing to dislike her, but to use her most vulnerable memory as a casual talking point was monstrous. With a ragged, silent breath, she pulled her hand away from the door and turned, forgetting the purse and the taxi, needing only to escape. Meanwhile, across the city, Damian
Chapter 29
Ari bypassed her usual morning ritual. No slow coffee, no careful makeup application. Today, the only goal was control and distance. She dressed in a precise, charcoal suit and a crisp, white shirt. The clothes were armor. By 5:30 AM, she was stepping out of the elevator and onto the executive floor of the Company. The office was an echo chamber of silence, smelling faintly of citrus polish and expensive air conditioning. A crew of uniformed cleaners was putting the final touches on the enormous space.“Good morning, ma’am,” the lead cleaner, a small woman named Maria, greeted her with surprise.“Good morning,” Ari replied back with a smile.She walked straight to her own desk. Though the cleaning crew had already done a thorough job, Ari grabbed a cloth and a bottle of sanitizer from a supply cart and began to wipe down her mahogany surface. Xavier once said she should always redo the cleaning,so now,she wasn't going to give him the chance to nag.Next, she moved to Xavier’s sprawlin
Chapter 30
Ari stabbed the 'Emergency Stop' button, halting the elevator instantly. Then, she frantically mashed the button for the 7th floor. The elevator groaned as it slid back down. When the doors opened, Ari stepped out with the kind of focused intensity that made people instinctively move aside. She walked swiftly past the sea of cubicles, her mind racing through her history with her team leader. He was the one she covered for when he missed deadlines. He was the one she had helped out every time he felt tired. Why would he do this? The motive, she realized, had to be bigger than a simple power play—it had to involve greed and she would destroy him for that.She approached the corner where his office was located. Instead of seeing him seated at his desk, she saw his back, a blur of movement as he clutched his stomach and practically dove toward the restroom sign.“Excuse me,” Ari said, stopping a passing colleague. “Is the team leader alright?”The colleague, a young analyst, shook his he