Unwanted Marriage with the Mafia Boss (Mob Boss’s Unexpected Twins Duet #1)

1. Chiara

CHAPTER 1

Chiara

I look up at the computer screen as I trace my finger over a line in the notebook. Everything checks out. Good.

The door swishing open startles me, and I let out a small gasp. My shoulders relax a moment later. It’s just my dad. He’s still wearing an apron. His graying dark brown hair is slicked back.

“Honey, what are you still doing here?” he asks, his hazel eyes narrowed at me.

“Not much. Just checking some things.” I give him a small smile. “But you should really get a new computer. This one is super slow and freezes all the time. I bet I could finish things faster if—”

“But I like this one. It’s not that slow, and you should be out having fun with your friends and not be stuck here in my office.”

“Dad, you already work hard enough. I only want to help.”

“And you’re helping enough.” He takes off his apron. “It’s Friday night. You can’t spend your days going to the university, studying, working here... When do you plan to relax?”

“Well, you’re here all the time too. You help the staff, even when you don’t have to.”

He shakes his head at me. “That’s because the restaurant is my responsibility now. When I was your age, I wouldn’t even think about being stuck in here with my old man.”

“Fine. I’ll go out.” I sigh as I close the notebook and get to my feet.

Fighting with my dad about anything is pointless. He’ll only keep talking until he convinces me to agree with him. But maybe he’s right.

When I’m not studying or going to my economics classes, I’m usually here. This restaurant, Rosa Bianca, has been in my family for decades, and one day, it’s going to be mine. It’s a nice, cozy little place just across from our house. I love it here. Despite all the chatter and hecticness, especially during the summer months, it makes me feel peaceful and calm.

I love to watch and learn from my dad as he gives instructions to the staff, or when he approaches tourists and tries to make them laugh and feel comfortable, even though he doesn’t speak a word of their language.

When his friends come over, a party is guaranteed. Then my mom joins too, and we all end up talking and singing long after the closing hours. Sometimes, I’ll find my dad sweeping after he sends everyone home, and he won’t let me take over, even if his back hurts.

But I think I understand why. He loves this place, just as I do, and I don’t think he’s looking forward to retiring. And maybe he’s a tiny bit of a control freak and sees the restaurant as his baby that he refuses to give up or let anyone else take care of.

Even once I take over, I don’t think he’ll go anywhere too far or get a hobby. He’ll be here all the time. His excuse will be that he only wants to make sure things are running smoothly, especially because our house is so close.

But I wouldn’t want it any other way. It’s perfect. I love having my family close because that one time when I didn’t...

I swallow hard. I won’t think about my ex-boyfriend now. It’s better to forget all about my little adventure into independence when I turned eighteen that ended up in a disaster. Not even my mom and dad know all the details. They were just happy to have me back. Our house is big enough for all of us anyway.

“Have fun!” My dad lightly claps me on the shoulder as I go past him.

“I will.” I flash him a smile.

“Oh, and if you see Mom, tell her I’m in here.”

“Sure.” I bet she already knows it, because if she can’t see him in the dining area of the restaurant, he’s either in the kitchen or in his office.

Just as I’m out in the hallway, my phone rings. The number of my best friend, Elena, shows up on the screen.

“Hey, what’s up?” I say as I answer.

Elena and I met at the university. We pretty much go to the same classes. None of my friends from high school chose to study economics, so we drifted apart. Elena was just sitting there in class all alone, and from the moment I sat down next to her, we became good friends.

She’s from Savona, so she didn’t know anyone here. But her cheerful and outgoing personality helps her make friends very quickly. Sometimes, I envy her that.

“Chiara, are you free? Because if you are, I know just the perfect place for us tonight! There’s a new nightclub, and I hear it’s going to be awesome. You’re coming, right?”

“Um...” I’m not a fan of nightclubs or hanging out with drunk people, especially after my ex.

“Come on! It’s going to be fun! I promise. I invited the girls from our—”

“I actually have something planned.”

“Oh.” Surprise flickers through Elena’s voice. “With a guy? Wait, did you finally find a boyfriend? Who is he? Tell me!”

I haven’t found anyone, and I haven’t been looking either. After Filippo, I don’t think I’ll ever trust a man again. No matter how much I don’t want to think about him, I can’t help it. I was young and naive, and I fell for his sweet lies. He made me feel like the luckiest girl in the world. But then we moved in together, and he showed me his real face.

His ugly face.

I wince because I can still feel his fist connecting with my cheekbone.

“Chiara, are you still there?” Elena asks.

“Yeah, no. I mean, I don’t have a boyfriend. It’s just something I have to do with my family.” I need to get Filippo out of my head, and that’s not going to happen if I go to a nightclub like the one where I met him.

I would just be on edge all the time, and I’d study every guy carefully for any signs that he’s up to no good. I would compare every single one of them to Filippo. I would wonder if he’s smiling at me because he likes me or because he’s imagining slamming my head against the wall.

“Okay,” Elena says. “But if you change your mind, just text me.”

“Sure.” I’m glad she doesn’t insist or bring up Filippo.

It’s been a year since I managed to escape him, but only physically. He’s still very present in my mind, and I have no idea when I’ll finally forget him. I’m glad Elena stuck with me and didn’t end our friendship while I was helplessly ensnared in Filippo’s trap.

There’s only one place where I can go to relax and forget about everything, even my ex. No one knows I go there, and, hopefully, no one ever will. They’d never understand it, especially if they knew about Filippo.

Everyone deals with trauma in different ways, and mine is potentially problematic, but it at least gives me some peace. It’s crazy how much I can crave things that I shouldn’t, but Amore Bruciante is just the right kind of club for me.

It’s a pleasure club, but it’s members-only with a hefty fee, and getting a membership isn’t easy at all. I don’t know what the hell got me to start the process, but I remember aimlessly walking down the street and thinking about Filippo when I spotted an ad for the club.

It sounded exactly like what I wanted and needed at that time. A safe place to be free and forget about everything. I applied on a whim, and when I was called in for an interview and some tests, I didn’t back down.

I was ready to do anything to get Filippo out of my head without resorting to alcohol, drugs, or some other vice. I didn’t want to risk hooking up with random men either, because that sounded way too dangerous.

Amore Bruciante has guards everywhere. I don’t have to worry someone there is going to judge me for wanting a one-time thing without any strings attached because the club is all about that. Nothing is without risks, but there I feel as safe as I can be.

It’s less likely someone will become so obsessed with me as to follow me home. No one at Amore Bruciante wants the club to get a bad reputation, so even if some creeps slip through the cracks, they get kicked out as soon as they make a suspicious move.

All I want tonight is to find a good-looking guy who won’t ask for my name or number, and who wants the same thing as me—pleasure. Amore Bruciante has many rooms, which is great because I want privacy. Some people like to have sex in the main room, but that’s not for me. At least not yet.

The membership fee includes the room and drink costs, so there’s no worry about who is paying for what. No excuse for someone to try to blackmail me into doing something to pay them back. All we need to do is find a room with a green light above the door to indicate it’s empty and ready to use.

The club’s staff does an amazing job of keeping the rooms clean and fresh. There are VIP rooms too, but they’re too expensive for me. I don’t need a special room just for me. It’s not like I go there all that often either.

Sometimes I just end up watching those who don’t mind being watched. It still gets some of the tension out of my shoulders every time, and I don’t think about Filippo as much because I’m not there to find a potential date.

I don’t know why it relaxes me. Having sex with a guy outside the club would feel different, and I would worry about him turning out to be like Filippo. But in Amore Bruciante, it’s the opposite.

I don’t expect someone will turn out to be a monster. Maybe because Filippo would never go to a club like that. He’d say it would be insane and pathetic to pay for something he could get anywhere for free. But it’s not like that for me. Not that he’d ever care or understand.

I inwardly groan. How many times have I thought about that asshole? Mentioned his name in my mind? I have to get to Amore Bruciante before he overtakes my thoughts and sends me spiraling.