My Second Marriage with the Mafia Kingpin novel Chapter 256

Chapter 256: His Only Light

[Dominion New Neighborhood]

Ashley idled in the room, still seated in front of her monitors. She had already sent every detail Lucian could use to put a leash on those people. However, she only stayed on the line with him until Lucian confronted them.

She exhaled quietly as she glanced at the photo left open on another monitor. It was the same photo Lucian had shown Hector.

"He didn’t look like someone who would do things like that," she whispered, eyeing the picture and how happy and normal it looked.

If she didn’t know any better, she would think Hector was just a regular grandfather proud of his first grandson. But Ashley knew better. This old man smiling so joyfully in the photo was someone who would kill Lucian if given the chance.

"How bitter," she whispered, mixed feelings stirring in her chest before she shook her head. "This is not the time to feel sorry for his daughter."

Because at the end of the day, they were all just surviving.

If Lukas had been greedier and more ambitious, the result could’ve been very different. But surprisingly, Lukas hadn’t hesitated to tell Lucian about it. To be honest, Ashley hadn’t expected that from him.

Even though she didn’t recall Lukas betraying Lucian in their previous lives, he was still someone she couldn’t fully trust.

"Never mind that," she smacked her lips, huffing out the heaviness in her chest, hoping it would help.

Then Ashley pressed her earpiece and dialed Lucian’s number. It rang only once before he answered.

"Hey," came her soft voice, laced with carefulness. "Is it over?"

Lucian hummed. "I just left."

"Oh," Ashley rocked her head, thinking of what to tell him. Before she could say more, she blurted out, "Did they... surrender?"

"Yes," Lucian kept his answer short before adding, "Gustav stayed behind to instruct our men to clean up the mess."

Ashley nodded. "I see."

For a moment, silence filled the line as neither of them spoke. It wasn’t as though she had expected Lucian to give those men a chance. She knew better than that. She had seen mercy and leniency come back to bite people.

Besides, in the Di Carpio family, Marshal Di Carpio had never believed in second chances.

But Ashley wasn’t like Marshal, and she wanted to believe Lucian wasn’t like him either. Behind that cold, domineering facade was still a man capable of feeling guilt. A human being with a heart, not the monster everyone believed him to be.

"Lucian," she called, her voice growing gentler.

She tried to smile but only managed a small one. "When I got shot that night and fell into the water, I had a realization."

Lucian, on his way to the airport for a detour, raised a brow. He glanced at the phone in his hand, pressing it closer to his ear.

"I made a promise to myself," she continued in the same quiet tone. "That I would do anything for this family—to protect it and make sure Primo would be able to live. That he would have the option to live on his own terms. Something I never got to have."

She pressed her lips together, staring at the monitor for a second before speaking again. "Even if I have to go to hell for it."

"I’m saying this because... you did what you had to do," she added. This time, her voice softened further, as though consoling him. "If us wanting to live and survive is a sin... then I don’t mind being married to the most sinful man in the world."

"It’s okay, Lucian," Ashley said softly, smiling genuinely now.

He couldn’t see her smile, but she hoped those words were enough to lighten the burden of another death on his conscience. It might not be enough to take all of it away, but it was the only thing she could do for him right now.

She closed her eyes briefly. "It’s okay."

*****

Lucian remained silent in the backseat of the car, listening to every word through the line. His eyes softened at her gentle voice, telling him a story out of nowhere.

"If us wanting to live and survive is a sin... then I don’t mind being married to the most sinful man in the world."

"It’s okay, Lucian. It’s okay."

But one thing he knew for certain was that Ashley was the only person keeping him... human.

She was still his light.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify