The Mafia King's Deadly Returned

Chapter 9

Eva’s face loses color the moment my words reach her ears, but her pride still refuses to let her back down. She clenches her fists tightly and says through gritted teeth, “You think money and power make you untouchable?”

A dangerous smile slowly forms on my lips.

“No,” I reply calmly.

Peter nervously wipes the sweat from his forehead before speaking again, “A-Abraham… we can discuss this peacefully…”

I slowly turn my gaze toward him.

“Peacefully?” I repeat softly. “You insult me in front of everyone… and now you want peace?”

Peter immediately lowers his eyes.

Eva, however, still refuses to stop. “You’re insane!” she snaps angrily. “You can threaten people all you want, but you’ll never belong among us!”

A few terrified gasps echo through the hall.

My bodyguards instantly tighten their grip on their weapons.

But I simply stare at her quietly for a few seconds before chuckling under my breath.

Then I suddenly raise one hand slightly.

Instantly, all the guns lower.

The crowd looks shocked.

Eva blinks in confusion, probably thinking she has won.

I slowly take a step closer to her.

“One thing you should learn about me,” I say calmly, “is that I never destroy people immediately.”

Her confidence slowly begins fading.

“I prefer watching them destroy themselves first.”

Her breathing becomes uneven.

I pull out my phone casually and press something on the screen.

Within seconds, the massive LED screens around the hall suddenly turn on.

Eva’s face immediately drains blood.

Videos.

Documents.

Secret recordings.

One after another, evidence begins flashing across the screens illegal deals, bribery, fraud, hidden transactions… all connected to Eva and Peter’s family business.

The crowd erupts into shocked whispers.

“No…” Peter whispers weakly. “No, no turn that off!”

Eva stumbles back in panic. “How did you get those?!”

I calmly slide my phone back into my pocket.

“You were talking about status earlier,” I remind her coldly. “So I decided to show everyone your real one.”

People around them immediately begin stepping away like they are contagious.

Business partners avoid eye contact.

Some guests secretly start recording.

Peter’s hands shake violently now. “Please… Abraham… we can talk about this…”

I tilt my head slightly.

“But I thought I was worth less than a penny.”

Eva’s eyes fill with panic as another document appears on the giant screen.

A bank fraud case.

Tax evasion.

Black money.

The entire hall falls into chaos after the truth about Peter is exposed on the giant screens. Guests begin panicking, whispers spread everywhere, and suddenly the sound of police sirens echoes outside the venue. Within seconds, armed officers rush into the hall shouting, “Nobody move!”

Peter’s face turns pale as fear and rage consume him completely. “You ruined me!” he screams at Abraham before suddenly pulling a gun from inside his coat. Gasps erupt around the hall while officers point their weapons at him, ordering him to drop it, but Peter’s bloodshot eyes remain locked on Abraham. “If my life is over, then yours will be too!” he yells before pulling the trigger.

I realize the gun is aimed at Abraham, my body reacts before my mind can think. “Abraham!” I scream as I throw myself in front of him. A deafening gunshot echoes through the hall, and unbearable pain instantly tears through my arm.

I cry out as the bullet hits my shoulder, warm blood pouring down my skin while I stumble backward straight into Abraham’s arms. For one horrifying second, silence takes over everything.

Abraham stares at the blood staining me, his entire body freezing before pure rage explodes across his face. “ANNI!” he roars so violently that the entire hall trembles in fear. His arms tighten protectively around me as his terrifying gaze slowly lifts toward Peter. “Kill him,” Abraham says in a deadly voice.

Instantly, his bodyguards open fire without hesitation. Bullets tear through Peter’s body again and again while terrified screams fill the hall and Eva collapses crying hysterically onto the floor.

But Abraham doesn’t even look at them anymore. His entire focus remains on me. One hand presses hard against my bleeding shoulder while he says harshly, “Stay awake. Look at me.” Tears blur my vision as I whisper weakly, “It hurts…”

Darkness completely swallows me after that. The pain in my shoulder grows unbearable, voices around me become distant echoes, and the last thing I feel before losing consciousness is Abraham’s arms tightening protectively around me while he keeps calling my name.

When I finally open my eyes again, everything feels blurry and heavy. A faint antiseptic smell fills the air around me, and soft beeping sounds echo somewhere nearby. My head throbs painfully as I slowly blink several times, trying to focus. White walls. Hospital lights. Machines. Confusion instantly spreads through me as realization slowly sinks in, I’m in a hospital.

A weak breath leaves my lips while I try moving slightly, but sharp pain immediately shoots through my shoulder, forcing a quiet gasp out of me. “Don’t move.” The voice makes my heartbeat pause. I slowly turn my head and freeze when I see Abraham sitting beside the hospital bed, still dressed in black though his shirt carries faint dried blood stains from earlier.

His sharp eyes are already fixed on me, watching my every reaction carefully. Relief flashes across his face so quickly that I almost miss it. “You’re awake,” he says quietly. My throat feels dry as I whisper weakly, “What… happened?” Abraham leans slightly closer and replies calmly, “The bullet missed anything fatal. The doctors removed it.” His voice sounds controlled, but there’s still dangerous anger hidden beneath it.

I glance at the bandage wrapped around my shoulder and then back at him. “Peter…” I whisper hesitantly. Abraham’s expression instantly hardens. “Dead,” he says coldly without hesitation. A small shiver runs through me in the emotionless way he says it. Silence fills the room for a moment before I quietly ask, “How long was I unconscious?” “Almost twelve hours.” My eyes widen slightly in shock. “Twelve?” Abraham slowly nods before saying in a lower voice, “You scared me.”

I stare at him silently, because this is the first time I’ve ever heard something so vulnerable from him. He notices my surprise and looks away for a second before muttering coldly, “Taking a bullet for someone is stupid.” Despite his harsh tone, his fingers gently adjust the blanket covering me, careful not to hurt my injured shoulder.

He slowly stands up from the chair beside my bed and walks closer until he is standing right next to me, “Why did you do that?” he asks in a dangerously low voice. I blink in confusion. “What?” His jaw tightens. “Why did you take that bullet for me?” The sharpness in his voice catches me off guard. “Abraham—”

“Do you have any idea what could’ve happened?” he cuts me off harshly. “I’m used to bullets, Anni. I’ve survived worse things than that.” His eyes narrow angrily before he continues, “But you…” His gaze slowly moves over my weak condition lying in the hospital bed. “You’re delicate. Fragile. What gave you the courage to do something so reckless?”

The scolding in his tone instantly irritates me. Even through the pain, I glare back at him stubbornly. “Stop yelling at me,” I snap weakly. “I’m not your puppet.” His expression darkens slightly at my words, but I continue angrily before he can interrupt. “I’ll do whatever I want. And honestly…”

My voice shakes a little from frustration and emotion. “Living with you is probably worse than dying anyway.” The moment the words leave my mouth, the entire room falls silent. Abraham stares at me without blinking, his dark eyes becoming dangerously unreadable.

For a second, I almost regret saying it. Then suddenly, he steps closer. And closer. My heartbeat instantly becomes uneven as he leans down near the bed until his face is only inches away from mine. One of his hands slowly grips the side of the hospital bed beside me while the other carefully brushes a strand of hair away from my face. “You really think I would let you die?” he asks quietly.

The dangerous calmness in his voice sends warmth rushing through my chest. I try looking away, but he gently grabs my chin, forcing me to look at him again. “Do you know what I felt,” he says softly, “when I saw your blood on my hands?” My breathing slows.

Abraham keeps staring at me silently after his words, his dark eyes searching my face so intensely that my heartbeat slowly becomes uneven again. For a few long seconds, neither of us speaks. Then finally, he asks in a low calm voice, “You really think your life became worse after meeting me?”

I immediately look away and answer stubbornly, “Yes. Absolutely.” My voice is weak because of the pain, but the bitterness inside me is still real. “Before you came into my life, at least I had freedom,” I whisper quietly. “Now I belong to a dangerous man everyone fears.”

Abraham’s expression remains unreadable while he listens to every word carefully. “You dragged me into your dark world,” I continue softly. “You call it protection… but sometimes it feels more like a cage.” Silence fills the room again.

I expect him to get angry. To argue. To threaten me the way he threatens everyone else. But instead, Abraham suddenly nods his head slowly as if accepting my words. “Okay,” he says quietly. He steps closer toward the bed until barely any distance remains between us. His eyes never leave mine as he says in a dangerously soft voice, “Then from today onward… I’ll make sure you start loving your life again.” My breath catches slightly because of the seriousness in his tone. Before I can even understand what he means, Abraham suddenly leans down closer toward me. My heartbeat instantly begins racing.

“A-Abraham…” I whisper nervously, but he doesn’t stop. One of his hands gently cups my face while the other carefully rests beside me on the bed, making it impossible for me to move away.

Suddenly his lips crash against mine. My eyes widen completely in shock. For a second, my mind goes blank. I freeze beneath him, unable to process what is happening as his lips move slowly against mine with an intensity that steals the air from my lungs.

The warmth of his mouth against mine sends a strange heat rushing through my entire body while my fingers unconsciously tighten around the bedsheet beneath me.

Abraham kisses me deeply, almost possessively, like he’s trying to silence every fear and doubt inside me without using words. My heartbeat pounds wildly inside my chest as I remain completely stunned beneath him, too shocked to even react properly while his hand gently tightens against my cheek.

When he finally pulls back slightly, our faces remain dangerously close, our breathing uneven. His forehead rests lightly against mine while his dark eyes study my stunned expression carefully. And I just stare at him speechlessly.

Abraham’s face remains dangerously close to mine after the kiss, his dark eyes fixed completely on me while my heartbeat races uncontrollably.

I stay frozen in shock, unable to process what just happened. His fingers gently brush against my cheek before he says in a low calm voice, “From today onward… you’ll start loving your life.” I frown slightly in confusion. “What does that mean?” I whisper breathlessly. Abraham’s gaze softens just a little as he replies, “You saved my life tonight. You took a bullet meant for me without thinking twice.”

His thumb slowly moves along my jaw while he continues, “And I don’t keep debts.” A strange nervous warmth spreads through my chest as he leans even closer. “So from now on,” he murmurs possessively, “you belong to me.” My eyes widen slightly. “You can’t decide that yourself,”

I protest weakly. A faint smile appears on his lips. “Too late,” he says calmly. Then he gently takes my hand in his and presses a soft kiss against my knuckles. “Nobody will hurt you again,” he whispers while holding my gaze. “Not while I’m alive.”

TO BE COUNTINUE...!!!