Lahat ng Kabanata ng Onenight with the Mafia: Kabanata 31 - Kabanata 40

The weekend arrived, and the air carried the soft warmth of late afternoon as Maxine held Noah’s little hand, leading him toward the nearby park. The sun hung low, its orange glow spilling across the trees, while the laughter of children filled the air. She’d agreed to meet Karl here after he’d texted her earlier in the week, asking if she was free.Karl was already there with Elijah, sitting on a wooden bench beneath the old oak tree, watching his son chase a red ball across the grass. Elijah’s laughter rang out in the distance, and Noah immediately let go of Maxine’s hand, eager to join his friend. Within seconds, the boys were running side by side, their shouts blending into the happy noise of the park.Karl glanced up as Max approached and greeted her with a small, tired smile. There was something weary in his expression, and she instantly sensed that today wasn’t just about letting their kids play together — he had something on his mind.“Thanks for meeting me,” he said as she sa

The house was quiet that afternoon, sunlight streaming lazily through the half-drawn curtains in the living room. Maxine sat cross-legged on the couch, laptop open in front of her, but she wasn’t working. Her mind was miles away, tangled in the storm of thoughts she’d been trying so hard to avoid.For days, she’d managed to push the reality of Thomas—Damien—to the back of her mind. She had kept herself busy with work, with Noah’s school runs, and even occasional evening walks with Karl and Elijah. But the truth was, every quiet moment she got, her mind circled back to one thing: the man who had turned her world upside down years ago was back. And worse, he was here, in her city, standing so close to the fragile life she had built from scratch.Her phone buzzed against the coffee table, jolting her out of her thoughts. She glanced at the screen and froze.Thomas.Her heart skipped a beat, thudding loudly in her chest. She hesitated, her hand hovering over the phone. A dozen thoughts ra

Thomas Ledger stood there, rooted to the polished marble floor of the hotel lobby, his heart pounding harder than it had in years. He’d faced bullets, betrayals, and men who wanted him dead. But nothing had prepared him for this moment—the moment he finally stood just a few feet away from his son.For four long years, he had watched from afar. He had seen Noah grow up through photographs, videos, and the rare occasions when his men followed them discreetly to ensure their safety. But it wasn’t the same. Seeing him now, standing there in his little blue shirt and sneakers, shyly holding Maxine’s hand… it was different. It was real.And when Maxine introduced him as Uncle Thomas, and Noah’s small hand slipped into his, Thomas felt something inside him shift.Noah’s grip was soft yet firm, and when the boy’s curious hazel eyes—his hazel eyes—looked up at him, Thomas felt his breath catch.“Hi, Uncle Thomas,” Noah said quietly.Thomas crouched slightly, lowering himself to his son’s level

The library was quiet except for the soft hum of the ceiling fans and the occasional rustling of pages. Maxine sat hunched over her laptop, her brows knitted together as she scrolled through architectural sketches on the screen. Her final-year project consumed most of her days now, and she hadn’t had a proper night’s sleep in weeks. But that didn’t matter. She had Noah, and she had responsibilities—she couldn’t afford distractions.Her pen tapped against the edge of her notebook, her mind chasing through different design concepts, when her phone vibrated beside her. She glanced at the screen, and her heart instantly skipped a beat.Noah’s kindergarten.Her stomach twisted the way it always did whenever she got a call from them. Every time, the same dread sank into her chest—the possibility of bad news. Was he sick? Did he fall? Did he get hurt? Her throat went dry as she picked up the call.“Hello?” she said quickly, bracing herself.“Hello, Maxine,” came his teacher’s calm voice. “Th

Maxine sat in her room with her books scattered across the desk, but her eyes weren’t focused on a single word. The notes in front of her blurred into meaningless scribbles, her mind preoccupied with the weight of everything that had happened in the past few weeks. The confrontation with Thomas at his penthouse still played in her mind like a recurring nightmare—his sharp tone, his insistence, the way his eyes darkened when she told him “no.” She had left his apartment with her hands trembling on the steering wheel, wondering if she had just invited chaos into her and Noah’s peaceful life.For hours afterward, she debated whether she should talk to someone about it. Normally, Maxine carried her burdens quietly, keeping her hardships neatly folded and tucked away where no one could see. That had been her survival mechanism since she became a mother—focusing on Noah, protecting him, and never leaning too much on anyone else. Even with her parents, who adored Noah and supported her, she