His Unwanted Wife is the Mafia Princess novel Chapter 28

#Chapter 28 – A Disagreement

Stella

Silas waits for me outside my apartment building, his vintage muscle car parked on the side of the street. As soon as I step outside and see him, I smile and wave. He returns the wave but not the smile, turning to open up the passenger side door.

I slip inside and watch as he circles the car, glaring at whoever looks our way, and gets inside. Without another word, Silas starts the car and drives off, the sound of the purring engine filling in the silence and our ears. “So,” I look over at my brother, keeping my smile strong, how have you been lately?”

“Been fine,” Silas responds, not even looking over at me. I mod and pucker my lips as if I just tasted something

sour.

“That’s good. Have you done anything cool recently?” I ask to try and continue the conversation. Silas simply shrugs in response. I swallow the bitter taste of disappointment and turn away, looking outside the window as the conversation dies down.

We soon pull up to our parents‘ mansion, the combination of dark wood and stone beckoning us closer. Silas parks in front of the doors and turns his engine off, getting out with me following suit.

“It was nice to spend-“I can barely finish my sentence before Silas disappears behind the doors, leaving me stranded outside, “-time with you.” I finish my sentence out of disappointment.

I walk up the steps and close the door behind me. My mother spots me from up the stairs, waving her hand.

“Stella! You’re here! Stay right there, I’ll be down in a moment!” my mother disappears for a few seconds before reappearing, rushing down the stairs with a small smile on her face. “How have you been? Good?”

“Could be better,” I shrug nonchalantly. It’s the truth but it’s just good enough for her to not press further.

We walk down the hall in a comfortable silence. We pass by a Luca, who eagerly waves at me, and Dominic whose head is hidden behind countless stacks of paper.

My mother and I enter in a large office that has a large window that overlooks the enormous and luscious backyard. My father swivels around in his chair and nods his head at us as a greeting. We sit down in two chairs that sit in front of his desk.

“Good morning, Stella, it is so good to see you,” my father begins. I smile at him and place my bag onto the floor beside me, getting comfortable in my chair.

“We want to begin this by expressing our support for your divorce with Adrian,” my mother chimes in. I look at her, smile faltering, and pretend like it doesn’t bother me.

“But,” my father interjects, “since you are my daughter, there will be eyes on you at all times. Not having a husband will prevent you from certain…protections in the eyes of the criminal underworld.”

My mother crosses her arms over her chest, a scowl already forming on her face while she stares at him. I look between them, sensing a slow building tension forming.

“Haying a husband who is within our world will give you another layer of protection from those who wish to hurt us,” my father folds his hands together on the top of his desk.

“She doesn’t need a husband so soon,” my mother rolls her eyes with a scoff, “she’s barely started her first divorce. Let her live a little.”

“We need to protect her. It is our job to protect her and if that means finding her a husband who will do so, then so

be it,” my father’s eyes snap to her, his face now matching her scowl.

I remain silent, unable to find a proper way to jump into the conversation or without making things worse.

“Her face is unknown to the other mafia families. We can give her private bodyguards to protect her when she isn’t with us or doesn’t have any of her brothers with her.”

“Having one of our own constantly with her will only give her more attention.”

Their bickering continues, voices growing louder and louder by the second, crescendoing into one big screaming match. My father stands and leans over the desk, exerting power over my mother, who barely gives him the time of day as she stands and exits the room.

“Stella,” his voice captures my attention, “what do you think?”

The question is heavy on my shoulders and yet the answer is even heavier on my tongue. A part of me wants to play the role of a good daughter, to give in to my father’s wishes, but another piece of me wants to be free from expectation.

“I…I think that after being in a loveless marriage, I don’t want to jump straight into a new one,” I avert his gaze, if I could, I would love to have some time for myself since I haven’t been able to have it in so long.”

“I understand,” my father nods and sits back down. “I’ll think about it, okay?”

Thank you, dad,” I turn to look at him and nod, standing from the chair. Quickly, I exit the room and quietly close the door from behind me.

As soon as I exit the office, I spot my mother just down the hall, slowly walking towards the door that leads to the backyard. I hurry after her, placing my bag on a nearby couch, and slip outside the door just as she exits.

“Mom!” I call out. She stops and turns to me, staring at me with glossy eyes. I catch up and places my hands on my hips, slightly out of breath from the short run. “Are you okay?”

“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?” she asks, guiding me towards a nearby chair. I sit down and shrug, a light cough making my body shake.

“You and dad got…pretty heated in there,” I cough between my words, trying to catch my breath. My mother rubs my back and it helps soothe me.

“Things have been strained between us for a long time. When you were taken away from us, your father and I fell apart. Things haven’t been the same between us,” she looks at me with a saddened expression on her face, losing a child is bound to put a kink in things.

(4