THE MAFIA QUEEN
Daphne lili Thorne is nineteen and angry enough to burn the world down.
When her family forces her into a marriage she never agreed to, she refuses to play the role of the quiet, grateful wife. She wasn’t raised to submit and she definitely wasn’t raised to belong to a stranger.
Adrian Smith is twenty four and used to control. The marriage is nothing more than strategy to him, a move on a board he’s been winning on his whole life.
Daphne is supposed to be easy,Predictable,Temporary.
She isn’t.
On their wedding night, Daphne points a gun at her new husband, her hands shaking but her resolve unbroken.
“Put it down,” Adrian says calmly, still dressed in his wedding suit.
“Go to hell,” she snaps, gripping the fabric of her dress as she keeps the gun aimed at him.
She pulls the trigger.
The bullet misses on purpose cutting close enough to leave his ear burning.
Adrian doesn’t move.
He just looks at her, something dark and dangerous flickering behind his eyes.
For the first time, he realizes this marriage won’t be easy. And Daphne realizes something worse he’s not afraid of her at all.
What begins as a power struggle turns into something neither of them expected. Beneath Adrian’s cruelty is a man shaped by violence and loss. Beneath Daphne’s fire is a girl who has already survived her own kind of hell.
They are not meant to save each other.
But somehow, they become the only thing that makes sense in a world built on control, loyalty, and blood.
Because even monsters were once human.
And even angels can come from broken places.
Read
Chapter: CHAPTER 60: THE RING OF LIESDaphne’s PoVThe diamond sparkled beneath the bedroom light.It was beautiful….Cold….Lifeless.Exactly like the man kneeling in front of me.“I’ll give you a moment,” Stephan said softly.His smile never faltered.“I know this is unexpected.”Unexpected?My entire body wanted to scream.Instead, I forced myself to breathe.The woman behind the wall had been right.Tomorrow…Everything happened tomorrow.If I refused…Would he force me?If I accepted…Would it buy me time?The answer came almost immediately.Time.I needed time….More than pride….More than anger….More than anything.I slowly looked from the ring to Stephan.“…If I say no?”His smile stayed exactly the same.Only his eyes changed.They became empty…..Dangerously empty.“I’d be disappointed.”The words were gentle….The meaning wasn’t.“And if I still refuse?”He stood.Slowly.Closing the velvet box.“You won’t.”“I asked what would happen.”He walked closer.Close enough for me to smell his expensive cologne.His fingers bru
Last Updated: 2026-06-28
Chapter: CHAPTER 59: THE GHOST IN THE HOUSEDaphne’s PoVI read the note again…..And again….And again.Don’t trust Stephan.We’re watching. Wait for my signal.My fingers trembled so violently that the paper nearly slipped from my hand.Someone had left this.Someone had somehow entered my room without Stephan noticing.Or…Had they distracted him?The knock.The man downstairs.Had that been planned?I hurried to the broken breakfast tray and looked around for anything else.Nothing.No second note.No clue.Just shattered porcelain and syrup dripping slowly down the wall.I folded the note into the sleeve of my hospital sweater just as footsteps echoed outside.Someone was standing by my door.I held my breath.The handle rattled once.Then silence.Whoever it was… walked away.I didn’t move for another minute.My pulse was still racing.Someone was here.Someone knew I existed.And someone wanted Stephan to fail.Hours crawled by.The afternoon sunlight shifted across the bedroom floor.No one came….No food….No Stephan….Nothing.
Last Updated: 2026-06-27
Chapter: CHAPTER 58: A LIE TO SURVIVEDaphne’s PoVI didn’t sleep.Not even for a second.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Sebastian.Then I saw the crash.Then Stephan’s face.Then one word echoed over and over again.Pregnant.I sat curled up in the corner of the room, my knees pulled tightly against my chest.If he was lying…Then good.If he wasn’t…I instinctively rested a hand against my stomach.“I’ll get you out,” I whispered so quietly I barely heard myself. “I don’t know how… but I will.”A knock sounded outside.Three slow knocks.Then the door unlocked.Stephan stepped inside carrying a breakfast tray.Pancakes.Fruit.Orange juice.He smiled as though yesterday hadn’t happened.“As long as you’re carrying my family, you need to eat.”I nearly laughed.“My family?” I asked.“Our family.”“It’s Sebastian’s child.”His jaw clenched.“I said eat.”“I’m not hungry.”“You are.”“No.”His smile slowly disappeared.“You’ll hurt the baby.”“Then let me leave.”“No.”“Then stop pretending you care.”His eyes darkened
Last Updated: 2026-06-26
Chapter: CHAPTER 57:TRAPPEDDaphne’s PoVJust over a month laterIt's been just over a month since the crash and I'm still being kept hostage by Stephan . I'm still in the hospital but everyday he comes by and stays for an hour or two before leaving."She's not ready yet," I heard Stephan say loudly from outside my door. Clearly, he was on the phone to someone. He stayed silent for a while as the other person spoke. "I'll let you know when she's ready. And when I tell you that the plan needs to start. We'll be on the first flight out once the date has been set.He stayed silent before cutting the call. He's clearly talking about me but what plan is he talking about? Where even am I? Why do we need to get on a damn plane to get there?Without a word, he pushed the door open and entered. He came towards the bed and quickly leaned down to give me a peck. With my fast reflexes, I managed to dodge his lips just in time."What was that?," he asked, sounding offended."Stephan, we are family. I've told you that countl
Last Updated: 2026-06-24
Chapter: CHAPTER 56:WITHOUT HERDaphne’s POVMy head throbbed. I slowly opened my eyes before closing them again. The sunlight burning them harshly. The smell of disinfectant made it almost hard to breathe. The beeping noise next to my head gave me a headache as it seemed to get louder and louder. Finally, I managed to open my eyes. I glanced around the room.An IV was in my arm as I was hooked up to something. Wires upon wires came out of my nightgown connecting to a machine. I was in an empty hospital room. Before I even moved, the door pushed open and a doctor walked in.He checked my heartbeat and all the other random stuff they do before giving me a cup of water and leaving. Just as he left another person entered. I drank the whole cup of water like it was a shot before slamming it down. I licked my cracked lips, feeling the need for some chapstick.My eyes widened in shock. "You miss me?,"Stephan asked with a smile on his face. He was acting like everything was normal."Where've you been this whole time?," I
Last Updated: 2026-06-23
Chapter: CHAPTER 55:EVERYTHING FALLS APART"Twins?," I questioned. She nodded her head."I told my parents," she said. "They were pissed.I mean, who wouldn't be? I'm 18 and I'm pregnant.""But they're okay now, right?""Yeah. I guess they have to be now. Because of the whole Stephan thing, they think I might end up being a target so they're sending me to Italy.That way I'll be kept out of harms way. I just need to tell Lucas before I go.""That's good. You'll be safe there.""Should I call him now? I'd rather not meet up with him. I'd probably end up crying." I shrugged my shoulders, telling her it's up to her."If you want to." She grabbed her phone and put it on loud speaker wanting me to hear it. It rang for a couple of seconds before he answered it."Rose ," he breathed out through the phone. "I've been waiting for your call.""Lucas , listen, I went to the doctor and I'm four months pregnant," she said, cutting to the chase."Four?, "he questioned. "So you're keeping it?""Yeah, don't sound too excited about it," she
Last Updated: 2026-06-21
Chapter: CHAPTER 67: Home Is YouDaphne's PoVThe first morning after we chose each other felt...Different.Not because the apartment had changed.Not because the city outside our windows suddenly looked brighter.But because my heart was quiet.For months, my mind had been a battlefield.Questions….Doubts."What if?""What if there's someone else?What if I'm missing something?"Now...Nothing.Just peace.I woke slowly to the scent of coffee drifting through the apartment.The other side of the bed was empty.I smiled before I even opened my eyes.Liam.I wrapped one of his oversized hoodies around myself and padded barefoot toward the kitchen.There he was.Standing in gray sweatpants and a black T-shirt, his hair sticking up in every direction as he flipped pancakes with far too much concentration.I leaned against the doorway."You know you're making breakfast like it's brain surgery."Without turning around, he smiled."These pancakes deserve respect.""They're pancakes.""They're our pancakes."I laughed."I stand c
Last Updated: 2026-06-28
Chapter: CHAPTER 66: Choosing UsDaphne’s PoVThe apartment was quiet.Not the uncomfortable kind of quiet that begged to be filled, but the peaceful silence that only existed when two people didn’t need words to understand each other.Liam still had his arms around me.His heartbeat was slow against my chest, steady enough that I found myself matching my breathing to it.Neither of us moved.Neither of us wanted to.Eventually, he pulled back just enough to look at me.“You hungry?”I laughed.“That’s your first question?”He shrugged, a small smile appearing.“I always think better after food.”“I’ve noticed.”“And you haven’t eaten.”“How do you know that?”“You get quieter when you’re hungry.”I blinked.“Seriously?”“You also rub your left wrist when you’re tired.”Without thinking, I looked down.My fingers were rubbing my wrist.He chuckled.“Told you.”“I don’t know whether that’s sweet or creepy.”“I’m hoping sweet.”“It depends.”“On what?”“Whether you’re secretly keeping a notebook about me.”His eyes widen
Last Updated: 2026-06-27
Chapter: CHAPTER 65: The Difference Is LiamThe ride back to the apartment was unusually quiet.Nat kept the music low, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel as the city lights blurred past the windows."You've been smiling for the last ten minutes," he finally said."I have not.""You definitely have."I rolled my eyes, trying and failing to hide the grin tugging at my lips."It was... different.""Good different?"I stared out the window."I don't know."Nat laughed softly."That's the most confusing answer I've ever heard.""Because it is confusing."He nodded as if he understood."I think you're comparing two completely different people."Maybe he was right.Javier had been confident, experienced, effortless. There had never been a moment where he hesitated.Liam...Liam overthought everything.He could spend an hour deciding where we should eat dinner and another apologizing if he thought he'd upset me. He remembered tiny details I had forgotten telling him. He always noticed when I was tired before I admitted it.
Last Updated: 2026-06-26
Chapter: CHAPTER 64:THE DEFINITION OF DESIRE"What was so special about me?" I ask, leaning back against the table as I wait for his answer.He pauses for a moment, pulling on his clothes before letting out a quiet sigh."I don't really know," he admits. "You're mature for your age, but there's still something youthful about you. You're smart. You're not fragile. And you're not scared."I raise an eyebrow."I get scared.""Sometimes," he says with a small smile. "But when it matters, you don't run. You get nervous, sure, but you're always prepared."A smile tugs at my lips, though he doesn't notice. He's too busy reaching for his turtleneck."I see why Liam likes you so much."The mention of Liam makes guilt twist in my stomach."Sorry about that again..."He waves the apology away."Don't be. It was interesting."I laugh softly and begin fixing my dress."So you'd maybe want to do this another time?"His footsteps move closer."Sure."I feel him gently zip up my dress."I won't be in New York as often," he continues, "but whene
Last Updated: 2026-06-25
Chapter: CHAPTER 63:HIS TO CLAIMI heard the door open, but I'm a bit taken back by who enters. Liam closes it behind him and comes over to me."Hey love." He grins."Hi...""Are you ok? I saw you absolutely owning my father." He jokes."Yeah I'm all good."He walks over and holds onto my hands in my lap."So, how does it feel to be fucking the Boss of the Italian mob?"I smile and look up at him. He has that look in his eyes. Surely enough, he kisses me intensely.I guess he doesn't know that Javier will be here any second. I try to pull away, but of course he doesn't let me. The door opens before I can warn him. At least that gets him to stop and turn around."Oh..." Liam mumbles."How long has this been going on?" Javier asks."A long time..." I admit."And when I was at your place?""I fucked her in that boxing ring the second you left." Liam says proudly. I wish he didn't put it like that, but strangely enough, I just want him more."So he knew?" He asks me.I stood up and walk closer to him."I'm sorry if you a
Last Updated: 2026-06-24
Chapter: CHAPTER 62:STANDING OVATIONMany people laugh, but I'm just a little confused. I have no idea what he's about to say."But that phrase, it is embedded deeper in our history than you'd think. Julius Caesar...historic Roman born dictator who lead for five years before his assassination in 44 BC. You're probably wondering what this has to do with anything, because of course this was centuries ago... But perfidy, however, has been strategy for just as long."I actually know that word. It means betrayal..."You see, Julius Caesar was stabbed twenty three times by his own senators. You can't even begin to fathom the impression that degree of disloyalty would leave on you, especially on your death bed."Hayes looks at me, stunned, "Have you heard this?" He whispers.I slowly shake my head. I don't have to express how concerned I am for him to tell.I check out the table full of all our friends. Nat is the only one there who isn't impressed.There's just a proud smirk across his face."Of course, Julius Caesar didn't
Last Updated: 2026-06-23
LOGIN
