All Chapters of I'm the Master the Don Searched Seven Years For: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

I woke up before the drug wore off, my head throbbing with a leaden weight. I looked up to find my wrists tied to the bed frame, the rope pulling tight against my skin. I could hear the ship's horn blaring continuously and feel the subtle swaying beneath me, indicating that the cruise ship had already set sail."You're in the clear, Gina! Edoardo's Consigliere is handling this thing personally, which means Edoardo's quite interested in Chiara!"I could hear Giulia Farina, my stepmother, and Gina Russo, my stepsister, talking excitedly outside the door. I couldn't believe that they referred to me as a "thing"—not a human being. I lacked the strength to even ball my hands into fists to strike someone since my limbs felt weak and my head was spinning.Gina spoke up immediately after, her voice filled with urgency and excitement. "How long will it take for the money to be deposited into the account, Mamma? Those debt collectors only gave us two days, so we're running out of time alrea

Chapter 2

I had just finished zipping the red gown when the door was kicked open with a bang, and two Underbosses in black suits burst in and gripped my arms. "Get a move on! Don Ariani is almost here!"I was half-dragged out of the suite, the rough treatment causing the pain in my bruised wrists to flare again.I reached the private banquet hall on the cruise ship's lower deck and noticed that two rows of armed men were already waiting. I noticed a man with a scarred face standing at the front, looking at me as if I were a piece of commodity. I recognized him as Calvino Costa, who had only recently been made a Made Man of the Ariani Famiglia by Edoardo. I recalled that three years ago, when I was drafting the code for the Ariani Famiglia, Calvino wasn't important enough to even get an audience with me. Yet, here Calvino was, standing over me with an air of authority."Mr. Costa, I'd like to introduce you to Chiara Esposito, my daughter," Giulia said, approaching Calvino with a smile

Chapter 3

It was then that the elevator doors slid open, revealing the penthouse suite. It was decked with gold furniture and every possible luxury, yet a closer look revealed a heavy, soul-crushing stillness. Giulia and Gina were dazed by the glittering display, their breathing growing shallow and quick."I-Is this where Don Ariani lives?" Giulia asked, excitedly stroking a solid gold ornament by the entrance. "Do you see this, Chiara? If you manage to stay here, we'll be set for life, never having to worry about money again!"Gina looked completely out of her element, touching everything in sight. "Oh my God! If you manage to satisfy Don Ariani, I'll do whatever you say, Chiara! I'd even get on my knees and wait on you myself!"She became increasingly worked up as she spoke, earning looks of disdain from Calvino and the others, though they were clearly enjoying the power trip.It was then that Calvino's gaze snapped toward me, confusion flickering in his eyes. "W-What are you laughing at

Chapter 4

"You should just go ahead and cut her, Tiziana! You can do whatever you want with her!" Gina agreed instantly, her voice dripping with sycophancy. She was eager to prove her devotion, so she grabbed a solid gold ashtray and held it out to Tiziana like an offering. "It would be a shame to ruin Don Ariani's carpet with her blood, so you should just knock her teeth out first, Tiziana! I'm certain that she'll become much more submissive toward Don Ariani if she can't bite back!""That's right! Chiara needs to be taught a lesson!" Giulia added, yanking my hair back so hard my neck strained, leaving my face defenseless against Tiziana's knife. "You should just endure it, Chiara. If you'd just done what you were told, we wouldn't be here. You should be grateful for the chance to serve Don Ariani!"I couldn't help but feel an excruciating pain.This was the family that constantly insisted they had my best interests at heart, yet, for a price, they were more than willing to strip me ba

Chapter 5

In that instant, the air seemed to vanish from the hall, leaving everyone breathless.Edoardo's gaze was pinned firmly on my face, fixed on those two wounds that were still oozing blood. His pupils constricted sharply as he swallowed hard.At that moment, the man who ruled them all, the legendary Don Ariani, lost all strength in his legs and dropped to his knees before me.That single, heavy thud felt like a blow to everyone's heart.Without a second thought, Edorado prostrated himself on the cold deck, his hands braced against the wood and his forehead nearly touching the ground."You're finally back…" Edoardo's voice shook—not with terror, but with a raw, overwhelming happiness. Those seven years of relentless searching culminated in that single second, tearing through his hardened mask and leaving him completely exposed.Gina was paralyzed, her expression caught in a hollow grin as her mouth half-parted. Giulia released her grip on my hair, her entire hand trembling uncont

Chapter 6

Upon hearing the word "stand-in", Tiziana's face turned deathly pale.Edoardo remained silent. He lowered his gaze slightly, not daring to meet my eyes, but also not daring to turn away."I want an answer, Edoardo," I said softly, but there was a weight to my words that demanded a response."I had three and had ended things with all of them—I never touched any of them," Edoardo replied, his voice barely audible. He kept the explanation clean and direct as he stood motionlessly in place, as if waiting for his punishment."You never touched them?" I turned my head slightly, glancing at Tiziana.Tiziana recoiled in horror. "Don Ariani, I—""How do you introduce yourself to others, Tiziana?" Edoardo asked flatly.Tiziana's lips quivered as she stammered out an answer, "I-I told them that I'm your assistant—"I interrupted her. "You said you're Don Ariani's most important woman—the one and only. You've said that at countless banquets, exactly seven times now."Tiziana's knees buc

Chapter 7

Gina had been cowering in the corner in silence, but she suddenly scrambled over to me on her knees. "Oh, Chiara! You never told us you were acquainted with Don Ariani! It would have saved us all these misunderstandings."I paid her no attention, but Edoardo turned his gaze to Gina with eyes full of derision. He then asked, "Which limited edition handbag were you planning to buy once you got the money, Gina?"Gina was foolish enough to believe that Edoardo intended to buy it for her.Edoardo demanded, "Give me the keys to your place."Gina scrambled to pull out her keys and offered them to one of the Soldati with both hands.Edoardo ordered, "Go make her watch while every handbag in her house is pulverized into nothing tonight."Gina's fawning smile stiffened. She quickly snapped back to her senses as she scrambled toward Edoardo on her knees. "I'm Chiara's sister, Don Ariani! Chiara and I are family!""Do you think you're worthy of that title?" I asked flatly, causing Gina to s

Chapter 8

As the door closed, Edoardo remained rooted to the spot, completely still."May we take our leave, Don Ariani?" Gina and Giulia asked nervously.Edoardo stood there, offering no response for a long while. He asked through gritted teeth, "Who is your sister's husband, Gina?"Gina shot a trembling look at Giulia before replying tentatively, "Chiara's husband is Bruno Lombardi—a history professor at a university. He's poor, with his salary barely covering their living expenses. He doesn't own a car or a home and gets around on a bicycle. "He isn't even worthy of breathing the same air as you, Don Ariani. Chiara is merely indulging in a passing novelty…"Edoardo lowered his head, lost in contemplation while staring at his hands. These were the hands that controlled half the world's wealth and had dealt out death without hesitation, striking fear into anyone who crossed him. He had, however, lost to a professor who earned barely a few thousand dollars a month.He let out a self-dep

Chapter 9

Having finished the suturing, Tommaso left the ointment behind and hurried out, leaving only Edoardo and me in the room.Edoardo picked up the intercom and ordered, "Get the message out that hiring Bruno Lombardi means declaring war on me. I'll withdraw all financial support!"He ended the call and looked down at me, saying, "Your most beloved man will be ruined by sunrise, Chiara, wandering without money for even a meal."I merely watched Edoardo in silence, listening to the boastful edge in his voice. I took my phone out of my handbag and opened a hidden black application. I went through the security layers—password, fingerprint, and retina scan—to access the application's dashboard. I then typed out a few quick commands and hit confirm. "Did you honestly believe I've just been playing housewife for the last seven years, Edoardo?"Edoardo furrowed his brow as I tossed my phone back into my handbag.A minute later, the intercom suddenly rang, and the Consigliere's voice came th

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