THE MAFIA’S MISTAKEN BRIDE

Xavier’s POV

Jealousy and anger flares in my stomach when she agrees to go with Sophia to the club again.

When Sophia told me Grandmother asked her to come take Jasmine with her, I knew they were up to something.

Not wanting to leave Jasmine all by herself, I decided to follow but now that their chatter seems to have no end, I am regretting my decision already.

“He left me behind”, Sophia says, glaring at me from the passenger’s seat. Jasmine and I are seated behind her. She was chatting about how I ruined the whole thing for her when I came to the party to whisk Jasmine away and Jasmine also agreed with her, making me wonder how they became so close within a few hours of meeting.

Sophia is like that. She is crazy, reckless and disrespectful. I wonder why Grandmother always allow her to have it all. She is a party goer and nothing or no one can stop her from doing what she wants.

Jasmine does not say anything. She only smile and stare at me.

“What?!” I find myself asking when she continues to stare, as though she has something to say to me.

“He is such a heartless fellow. I wonder how you fell in love with him”, Sophia continues and at the mention of love, a lump of dread gets stuck in my throat as a realization dawns on me.

Grandmother knows Andre to be a partygoer like Sophia. I’m sure she is doing this to help her regain her memory, still believing the fake story I cooked up for her about Andre losing her memory after an accident.

Aside from that, Jasmine isn’t saying anything to either of them. She isn’t telling them how I mistook her for Andre the way she did with Andre’s parents and it makes me wonder why.

Revealing to Grandmother that she isn’t Andre will surely put an end to all of this and I will have no choice but to let her go whether Andre is found or not.

As soon as the car stops in front of the club, Jasmine rushes out with Sophia and I follow. Sophia presses something into the bouncer’s hand and he allows them to go in immediately. He doesn’t bother to check or stop me. I just follow both girls like a bodyguard.

Well, that’s what I am here for tonight. I would never have allowed her to follow Sophia if she hadn’t agreed to my conditions of coming with them.

Loud music blasts into my ears as they both begin to dance while laughing heartily. It makes me watch Jasmine with amazement. The other time she was here, she was looking vulnerable and lonely and I was so sure she wasn’t used to this kind of life.

Sophia is indeed a bad influence.

The beautiful dress she got changed in hugged her body, making me stare with lust.

Lust?

I mentally slap myself at the thought of that. Just because we kissed doesn’t mean I am lusting after her. She is my wife but this is absolutely wrong.

I tear my gaze away just to wave the thought out of my mind while I find a seat where I can easily watch them.

A lady with a tray approaches with a light smile on her face. Knowing what she is here for, I wave her away because I don’t need a drink.

I need to focus on them and who knows, maybe I can see Andre tonight which is a rare possibility.

Acknowledging the wave of my hand, she turns back on her heels and walks away while I shift my gaze to the girls. Sophia is the only one dancing now while Jasmine is watching her with delight and amusement. Suddenly, she joins in, swinging her hips to the music just like Sophia just did and laughing.

An unconscious smile creeps to my face at the sight of how her face brightens up from the laughter. I wish I could hear how it sounds. It suddenly dawns on me that I have never heard or seen her laugh this way.

We’ve been on each other’s bad side. Yet, she is considerate of my feelings which is why she hasn’t said a word to Grandmother and Sophia about being Jasmine and not Andre.

If I don’t find Andre in the next couple of days, what do I do with Jasmine? How can I convince her to stay since Sebastian is still out there?

I haven’t heard from Andrew and Mathew today and I hope they will get some information for me before morning.

Either about Andre or that strange man rescuing Andre and the relationship between them. I can’t wait to get my hands on either of them.

My phone rings instantly, the sound jerking me out of my reverie. I bring it out of my pocket to see it is Ethan calling.

“Good evening, boss”, he greets politely in that usual serious tone.

“Any news?” I question immediately, hoping there will be good news.

“Not yet. They seem to have disappeared into thin air. I’m suspecting they are back in America”, he reports, making me nod my head.

I was already wondering what those men were doing in Italy but now that he said they are back in America, it has intensified my confusion.

If that is the case, then I need to get back home as soon as I can.

“Don’t just assume, Ethan. Take the next available flight back to New York tomorrow and find them!” I command with implacable authority.

I can’t rest until I find Sebastian and every member of the group. Finding them here in Italy and getting rid of them would have been much easier.

I guess that’s why they went home. To become fully prepared to launch an attack on us.

I’m sure they never expected to have me rescue Jasmine that day. They never knew we were together and I sent her home with the driver because I didn’t want her to know about my business.

“Sure, boss. Goodnight”, he mutters and I drop the call, thinking of how to break the news to Jasmine about going home.

When I look back up, the girls are nowhere to be found and fear jumps into my heart as I shoot to my feet.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

Almost racing, I move towards the crowds of dancing men and women, glancing around for the sight of them. There is no sight of any of them so I continue to move, alert in case something happens as I dip my hand into my coat to get a hold of my gun.

All of a sudden, they appear.

Right before me.

Sophia with a wide grin on her face and Jasmine dawning a drink.

“Looking for us?” she demands, smiling sheepishly, making anger course through me.

“What the hell, Sophia?” I bark at her in annoyance. Is she trying to play games with me?

Instead of looking scared, she makes a silly sound. “Awwwwww, is this how much you love her?”

“Shut the fuck up”, I growl out loudly before grabbing the bottle of alcohol from Jasmine who has already emptied half of it.

“Coming here was a bad idea”, I grab Jasmine’s hand but she yanks it free, shaking her head at me.

“I want to dance more. Please dance with me”, she jumps into my arms and Sophia grabs the alcohol from me as she walks away.

I stare at Jasmine’s cute pouty face. Her face is as red as a tomato and I wonder how much she has had to drink.

“Let’s dance, Xavier”, she persuades me again, her breath hitting my face as she inches her mouth closer to mine while I lean back.

“Jas…Andre, we need to go home now”, I want to shout at her but it comes out in a low whisper and she leans close to my mouth.

“What did you say?”

“Let’s go home”, I repeat with irritation. Why the hell did I even allow Sophia to decide to come here with Jasmine without confirming if Grandmother actually told her to come with her?

“No, baby. I want to dance with you, please”, she pleads with that innocent face while I stare with mouth agape at the word ‘baby’.

Did she just call me baby or did I imagine it?

Taking my silence for an answer, she shrieks in excitement and begins to spin while I hold her back, afraid she will fall.

I really need to take her home.

I glance around searching for Sophia but she is nowhere to be found. She is always like that.

Uncaring about whatever shit will happen to her, I pick Jasmine up in a bridal style as she continues to shriek and struggle with me. I begin to stride out with her, feeling stupid for coming here in the first place.

Just at the entrance, I bump into a tall stiff figure making my grip on her slacken. Quickly, I hold tight so she won’t fall from my arms before looking up with my jaws tightened in rage.

Before me stands the person I least expected to see in Italy.

“Xavier?” he calls out himself, looking from me to Jasmine who is now calm, probably asleep. “What are you doing here?”

I see a flash of fear in his eyes as he stares at her hair before relief wash through him. Rage fills me up.

He thought it was Andre but seeing Jasmine’s black hair, he is relieved his daughter hasn’t been caught yet.

I should have known. I should have known that Mr. Moore and Mrs. Moore were full of deceit and would do anything possible to protect their child from me.

They deceived me.

Mrs. Moore told me it was Andre but Mr. Moore was not in agreement because it was planned.

They both planned this but I don’t intend to let this slide. They are both going to pay for this.

With gritted teeth, I order. “Follow me.”