Exposed to the CEO Behind the Mafia Mask (by Silver Spoon) novel Chapter 537

Chapter 537: Chapter 133 Cold Strategic Proposal

Lila’s POV

The scalding shower did nothing to cleanse the rage burning through my veins. When I emerged into the living room with damp hair clinging to my shoulders, Katarina was setting fine china on Daniel’s dining table while he spoke in hushed tones into his encrypted phone—the kind used for family business.

"How are you holding up?" Katarina asked, her designer heels clicking against the marble as she moved with the practiced grace of someone born into our world.

Fresh tears threatened to spill. "Honestly? I feel like I’m drowning. I never thought my mother would sink this low, even for family politics."

"She’s poison, Lila," Katarina sighed, shaking her perfectly coiffed head. "But try to compose yourself. Your detective ordered from that exclusive Chinatown place—the one that only delivers to certain addresses."

Strong arms wrapped around me from behind. Daniel’s expensive cologne mingled with the faint scent of gunpowder that always clung to him—a reminder of the world we both inhabited.

"Did you take your medication, little one?" His voice carried that protective edge that made my chest tighten. When I nodded, he continued, "Your mother’s convoy is heading back to Sullivan territory now. But I still think we need to make this official through family channels."

"She’s still technically my mother, Daniel..." The words tasted bitter on my tongue.

His frustrated exhale warmed my neck as he pulled me closer. "In name only."

Katarina leaned against the custom Italian counter, her expression grim. "I’ve briefed Beckett and your father’s people. Apparently, your mother outmaneuvered the security detail your family assigned. She used one of her legitimate art gallery connections to create a diversion, then slipped past surveillance using a dealer’s vehicle. Your family’s men followed the decoy."

"We need tighter security protocols," Daniel muttered, and I could hear the unspoken implications in his tone—there were things he wasn’t telling me.

I turned to Katarina, desperation creeping into my voice. "She’s never going to stop interfering in family business, is she?"

"There is one way to remove her leverage completely," Daniel said, his jaw set with that determination I’d seen when he was working a case. His dark eyes met mine with unusual intensity.

"What’s that?" I braced myself for another lecture about involving the family’s enforcement arm.

"Marry me. Once we’re bound by family law, she loses all authority over marriage alliances. She’d have no choice but to back down."

I stared at him, certain the stress had affected my hearing. "You can’t be serious."

"I’m completely serious, little one." He captured both my hands in his larger ones. "We formalize our bond, and she becomes powerless in family negotiations."

"That’s insane, Daniel!" I pulled away from his grip.

"How is it insane? We’re already bound in everything but name. We share territory, we trust each other with our lives, we love each other. We make it official and the problem disappears." His pragmatic tone stripped away any romance from the moment.

"I refuse to enter a marriage alliance just to outmaneuver my mother’s schemes," I replied, crossing my arms defensively.

"Don’t you love me, Lila?" There was something vulnerable beneath his wounded pride.

"Of course I love you, Daniel. But I don’t want you proposing out of strategic necessity." My heart ached. I’d dreamed of becoming his wife, joining our families through love rather than politics—not like this, not as some calculated move in the endless game of power, delivered like a business merger proposal. I wanted passion, devotion, something that felt real.

"Damn it," Daniel growled. "Katarina, I have to tell her."

Confusion washed over me. "Tell me what?" I looked between them. "And Katarina, while I’m always happy to see you, why exactly are you in the city today?"

"She came for a contract signing. Running into her was pure coincidence," Daniel explained quickly.

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