Filed to story: Second Chance Mafia Bride Drama Novel
The third never even made it through the front doors-she was in such hysterics, she threatened to jump from the windows rather than marry him.
Lady Salerno had grown desperate. In the end, she remembered an old verbal agreement with the Greco family.
But hadn’t Mr. Salerno himself already told the Grecos they didn’t need to honor the arrangement? So why had Ms. Serena Greco still come?
With a reputation like his, most women would run for their lives. And yet here she was, willingly walking into the lion’s den. It was… remarkable.
“Come on, let’s see her.” Nicholas’s deep voice broke the silence.
Downstairs, Serena sat on the sofa, her suitcase by her side, nerves twisting her insides as she waited.
The elevator chimed. Her heart leapt into her throat as she looked up.
Nicholas appeared, seated in his wheelchair, being pushed by one of his staff. He’d been injured in an accident recently-couldn’t walk yet.
He was strikingly handsome, but with a pallor that betrayed his lingering weakness. Yet even now, he carried an air of unshakable authority.
Serena stood up abruptly, her eyes shining with unshed tears. Guilt threatened to drown her.
Nicholas’s brow furrowed, his expression instantly cooling.
“Someone escort Ms. Greco home,” he said flatly.
Another girl forced here by her family, he thought. He wasn’t so desperate for a wife that he’d keep a woman against her will.
“Wait!” Serena blurted, rushing forward in a panic.
He turned, eyes impossibly dark. “Yes?”
Even seated, his presence was commanding almost frightening.
“I-I’m already your wife. I’m not leaving. I want to stay.”
There was no hesitation in her voice.
She owed this man far too much. If fate had given her a second chance, then maybe this was her chance to make things right. How could she walk away now? How could she ever leave?
Remembering the truth she’d learned only at the end, her throat tightened with emotion.
The room fell silent.
“Stay?” For a split second, Nicholas wondered if he’d heard her right.
Women always treated him like a monster. She was the first to say she wanted to stay.
In her bright, beautiful eyes, he saw no trace of reluctance-only nerves, uncertainty, and… was that guilt?
He had to admit, something in his heart stirred at that.
After a tense, breathless pause, he finally spoke-
“Mary, please escort Mrs. Salerno upstairs.”
Serena’s nerves, which had been a tangled mess, suddenly calmed.-
Swept up in a surge of emotion, she rushed forward and threw her arms around Nicholas in a quick, impulsive hug. Her voice, soft but resolute, brimmed with promise. “I’ll take good care of you. I mean it.”
It was just a hug-brief, almost clumsy-but for Serena, it was the closest she’d ever been to him, in this lifetime or the last.
She hadn’t thought much before acting, but the moment her arms wrapped around him and she caught his scent, her cheeks flushed hot. She let go as quickly as she’d grabbed on, then darted away without a backward glance.
Upstairs, her face was still burning, and she found herself both embarrassed at her own impulsiveness and worried. Nicholas was a man known for his aversion to physical contact; what if he hated her now?
Downstairs.
It took Nicholas a moment to recover after Serena disappeared from view, her graceful figure vanishing up the staircase.
Protect him…?
He could still feel the lingering softness of her embrace, oddly novel and strangely pleasant. It was the first time anyone had said something like that to him.
Standing nearby, Logan was doing his best to hide his shock.
Mr. Salerno wasn’t angry? Not even a little put off?
Last time, when Ms. Salerno had thrown herself at him, he’d looked like thunder and nearly kicked her out the door.
Upstairs.
Mary, the housekeeper, led Serena to her room. Serena could sense the woman’s disapproval; she wore it like a badge.
Stopping at the doorway, Serena hesitated. “I’m staying here?”
She’d spent years in Rosewood Manor in her previous life and knew the place inside out. This was just a standard guest room, far from Nicholas’s quarters.
And yet, wasn’t she supposed to be the lady of the house now?
Mary’s face was set in stern, pinched lines. “You arrived unexpectedly. We haven’t had a chance to prepare your suite, so I’m afraid you’ll have to make do with this room for now.”
The words were polite enough, and Mary was a fixture in the Salerno family- her authority in the house was unquestioned, even in front of Nicholas. Serena decided not to argue; she wheeled her suitcase inside.
After a cursory unpacking, she decided to take a shower. But when she turned on the faucet, the water ran ice-cold-the hot water wasn’t working.
Mary ran a tight ship; there was no way she didn’t know about this broken shower. Clearly, she’d put Serena here on purpose.
Serena’s eyes darkened. She stepped back out in search of another maid, stopping the first one she saw.
“Excuse me, is there another bathroom I can use?” she asked.
May, the maid, hesitated a split second before nodding. “Follow me.”
A few moments later, May stopped in front of a door and gestured for her to go inside.
“This is the one. You can use it.”
The room was spacious and elegantly appointed, though the decor was cool and understated.
Serena’s eyes softened with a trace of nostalgia-she recognized it immediately. This was Nicholas’s room.
“Alright, you can go,” Serena said without a second thought, stepping inside and casually adding, “Bring me a set of clean clothes, would you?”
She hadn’t packed much, having originally planned to elope with Damien, so she didn’t have a change of clothes. But she knew Rosewood Manor always kept fresh clothing for guests.
Meanwhile, downstairs-
Rubina had been barely able to contain her excitement since stepping through the front door.
Most women steered clear of Mr. Salerno as if he were cursed, but not her.
Mr. Salerno-who was he? Even if he was ill, even if he didn’t have long to live, being his woman meant unimaginable privilege.