Exposed to the CEO Behind the Mafia Mask (by Silver Spoon) novel Chapter 392

Chapter 392: Chapter 176 Unwanted Wedding Guest

Gemma’s POV

The afternoon sun streamed through the bulletproof windows of the Thorne family’s safe house, where I sat with my mother and grandmother in the heavily secured living room, dissecting the emotional chaos of recent days. They listened with the patience that came from years of life experience, offering wisdom about my recent behavior.

"If you had simply confronted Dominic directly instead of letting paranoia consume you, you could have spared yourself all that anguish," my mother said, her tone gentle but sharp. She understood the weight of suspicion in our world, where trust was a luxury few could afford.

Grandmother reached for my hand, her fingers bearing the scars of a life lived in the shadows. "Darling, marriage in our world requires absolute trust above all else. If you enter this union without truly believing in him, the foundation will crumble under the first sign of betrayal. Take it from someone who’s been there."

"I swear I won’t let my imagination run wild again," I admitted, feeling heat creep up my neck as I acknowledged my tendency toward rash conclusions in this paranoid underworld.

"Ladies!" Dominic’s voice echoed through the reinforced hallway as he approached, flanked by two armed bodyguards who melted away at his gesture. His smile could have melted steel as he extended his hand toward me. "May I steal this beautiful woman for a while?"

My mother’s face lit up with approval. "She’s your responsibility now, thank God. I’m relieved you’re the one dealing with her dramatic episodes these days instead of me."

"Mom! I am not dramatic!" I protested, which only made her laugh harder.

Grandmother’s eyes sparkled with mischief behind her designer glasses. "Sometimes you absolutely are, dear child."

Dominic and my mother exchanged knowing looks, both clearly entertained by my indignation.

"Come on, my gorgeous drama queen," Dominic murmured, pressing his lips to my temple and gently pulling my hand. "The private beach is waiting for us."

We walked along the shoreline of the family’s secured coastal property, wrapped in each other’s arms while discussing our future plans. The conversation flowed easily between us as we mapped out our life after the wedding ceremony, always mindful of the armed guards maintaining a respectful distance around the perimeter.

A while later, we returned to the compound laughing, but my smile died instantly when I saw who waited in the main parlor. My blood turned to ice. There he sat, surrounded by his parasitic entourage—the two women I despised most in this world—wearing that entitled expression that suggested he owned everything within sight.

Dominic felt the change in me immediately, confusion darkening his features as he registered my hardening expression. What was my biological father doing here? And those leeches he called family? How had he even discovered the wedding location? My eyes darted to my mother, who subtly shook her head, confirming she hadn’t revealed anything.

"Ah, there’s my precious daughter!" my father announced, rising from the leather chair and approaching me with open arms. I instinctively stepped backward.

"I’m not your daughter," I replied, ice coating every word.

His wife—the gold-digging replacement who’d happily played mother while he abandoned his real family—fixed me with a contemptuous stare. "Gemma, what kind of disrespect is this? Show your father proper courtesy."

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