Page 132 of Broken Mafia Prince
This isn’t just any bar.
This is Raffaele’s.
A place where power shifts with a glance, where words are weapons, and where men like him don’t just own real estate—they own people.
Isa is already late. She won’t take the news well—hell, I can barely believe it myself. But what I feel for Raffaele is undeniable, and I’m not about to let anything or anyone stand in the way of my decision.
The door creaks open, and I look up just as Isa steps inside. Her dark eyes scan the bar before landing on me, her expression a mix of curiosity and apprehension. I smile, waving her over. I hurry toward her, and as soon as I’m close, she wraps me in a tight hug.
“Thank god you’re okay.”
“Of course I’m okay,” I say with a smile.
Isabella hesitates, her eyes scanning the room again. I can see the conflict in her expression—the pull of curiosity battling against the sharp edge of fear. She knows exactly where we are.
“Giulia, have you lost your mind?” Her voice is low but urgent. “What if someone sees us? What if word gets out? We’ll be in serious trouble.”
The weight of her words hangs between us, pressing against the tension already thick in the air.
I understand her fear. This place practically breathes danger, filled with Raffaele’s men—silent, watchful, ready. There’s an unspoken rule here: You don’t ask questions, and you don’t make mistakes. Even the walls seem to carry the weight of the name that owns them.
“Relax! There’s nothing to worry about. Raffaele is looking after us, and more than that, I wanted to see this place for myself. He’s proud of it, of what he’s built, and a part of me has always been curious. Raffaele would never let anything happen to me.”
“Of course you think that.”
“Well, it’s true.”
“What was the surprise you were telling me about over the phone?”
I raise my hand and wave at her, showing my titanium band. “Surprise.”
“Oh god. What is that? This is crazy. Tell me you’re not doing what I think you’re doing.”
Taking a deep breath, I brace myself. “It’s an engagement ring. If saying yes to marrying Raffaele and running off to start a whole new life with him is crazy, then yes.”
Her eyes widen in horror. “Tell me that’s just a hypothetical situation you suddenly came up with right now. Please, for the love of god, tell me you aren’t actually planning to marry him!”
“This is exactly what I intend to do, and nothing is going to change my mind.”
Isa opens her mouth to respond, but at that moment, her gaze shifts over my shoulder, and she hesitates. Picking up on her unease, I glance behind me, but there’s no one there.
“What’s crazy about it?” I sigh, exasperated.
“You don’t even know him.”
“I know eno?—”
She cuts me off before I can finish. “And we all know that there’s no such thing as starting a new life. It’s just a freaking myth. Especially for someone like him.”
“No, it’s not a myth,” I retort. This entire argument is the reason I didn’t want to see Isa in the first place, but I don’t want to run off like I did before. I’m not doing anything wrong, and I want to make it doubly clear to her that this decision is fully mine, and I’m not changing my mind about it.
I don’t necessarily need her approval, but she’s my best friend and cousin, and having some kind of support from her would make me feel better. With or without that support, though, I’m still going ahead with this.
“You really think a man like Raffaele will be okay with living a normal life?” She snorts. “He’s constantly going to be drawn back to that danger. What do you think will happen? That he’s suddenly going to want to be a lowly office clerk or something? Have you actually pictured what this new life with him will look like, or are you just too drunk on lust or whatever else to think about it for longer than ten seconds?”
“Christ, Isa.” I cross my arms over my chest. “Why don’t you just go ahead and tell me exactly what you’re thinking?”
“I’m going to lose my cousin. We’ll never have our girls’ nights at my house again—no more sleepless hours talking about men or any concerns I have.”
