Filed to story: Second Chance Mafia Bride Drama Novel
Her face paled; she didn’t stop to think. She rushed over and flung the door open. “Are you !”
There was a heartbeat of stunned silence.
Then-slam!
Without hesitation, Serena yanked the door shut again.
The door trembled on its hinges. Serena stood in the hallway, her face burning red as if it might start steaming. Her mind was a total blank.
Silence hung heavy on both sides of the door.
After a moment, a low, calm voice sounded from inside. “I just knocked the body wash off the shelf.”
“Uh… I-I saw,” Serena stammered, barely able to get the words out.
“…Is there something you wanted?”
“Oh! I-uh, I just wanted to tell you something. It’s about… well, if my dad ever comes asking you for a favor-“
Inside, Nicholas paused. His lips pressed into a thin line, a flicker of disappointment in his chest that he couldn’t quite explain. Whatever brief flutter of anticipation he’d felt a moment ago disappeared.
Everyone said he was on death’s door-a lunatic, violent and cold. Under those circumstances, it was hardly surprising someone would marry in with ulterior motives.
Still, for her to bring this up on the very first day…
“Just promise me you won’t say yes to him!”
“…Sorry?”
Thinking he hadn’t heard, Serena rushed to clarify. “If he ever tries to use me as an excuse to ask for your help-like, I don’t know, investing in my family’s company or anything-just ignore him, okay?”
Nicholas took a couple of seconds to be sure he hadn’t misheard.
“Why?”
Why?
Serena’s eyes darted, searching for the right words. “Well, because I married you, I didn’t sell myself to you. I’m your wife-sure, I can spend your money, but that doesn’t mean my family gets to. Why should you be the one paying for them?”
Nicholas didn’t expect her to say something like that. After a long moment of silence, he replied quietly, “Alright.”
For reasons she couldn’t name, the sound of his low, velvety voice made Serena anxious again-especially after the glimpse she’d just caught…
Her cheeks flamed hotter. “I’ll go now. You should get some rest-goodnight!” She darted off without waiting for a reply, missing the soft murmur from the bathroom just as she closed the door.
“Goodnight.”
Back in her own room, Serena’s face felt like it was on fire.
In her previous life, she’d married him, and even been with Damien after that, but she’d never been intimate with anyone. That brief glimpse a moment ago had left her reeling…
The next morning, Serena woke up early.
She was looking forward to having breakfast with Nicholas, so she hurried downstairs, only to find the dining table set for one.
“Where’s Mr. Salerno?” she couldn’t help but ask. Had he already left so early?
Mary, the housekeeper, replied coolly, “Mr. Salerno isn’t used to eating with others.”
Serena froze.
He had a habit like that?
In her past life, she’d kept her distance from him as much as possible-she’d never even noticed.
She couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed.
She’d tried so hard this time around, hadn’t she? And yet he still didn’t want to eat with her…
Her breakfast tasted like cardboard, and she barely ate a thing before getting up.
“Where is Mr. Salerno?”
“Mr. Salerno is very busy. Even when he’s not, he prefers to be alone,” Mary said, her face stiff. “Unless it’s important, you shouldn’t disturb him.”
Serena stopped in her tracks. “Mary, what did you just call me?”
“Ma’am.”
Serena smiled, but there was no warmth in her eyes.
“So you do know I’m Mrs. Salerno-the lady of this house. Do you think I need anyone’s permission to do as I please? If Mr. Salerno has a problem with something, I’m sure he’ll tell me himself. There’s no need for anyone else to worry on his behalf. Don’t you agree, Mary?”
Mary’s face instantly went pale, a cold anger tightening her features.
Before she could respond, Serena had already turned on her heel and strode away.
Serena respected Mary’s status and had no intention of clashing with her head- on, but that didn’t mean she’d let people walk all over her.
She headed upstairs in search of Nicholas, but instead found Logan standing guard outside the study.
“Is Mr. Salerno inside?” she asked as she approached.
“Mr. Salerno is busy at the moment,” Logan replied, a hint of deference in his tone.
“Oh.” Disappointment flickered across Serena’s face-she’d hoped to see him in person. “I need to go home for a bit. Please let Mr. Salerno know for me.”
That morning, she’d received a call from Nora asking her to come home. She’d intended to ignore it, but then remembered something important she’d left at the house, something that shouldn’t stay there much longer. She’d decided to make the trip.
Logan nodded in acknowledgment.
The Greco family home.
As soon as Serena stepped inside, she was greeted by a poised, elegant woman whose gentle smile and warm tone seemed to fill the foyer. “Serena, you’re back?”
This was her stepmother, Nora.
Serena caught the practiced smile on Nora’s face, and a shadow flickered behind her own eyes.
How many years had she been fooled by this woman’s mask? She’d even once loved Nora as if she were her own mother. What a joke.
She managed a smile, careful to keep it polite but distant. “Yes, I’m back.”
Nora’s expression faltered for a split second. There was something odd in Serena’s tone-something unsettling, as if the girl standing before her wasn’t quite the same person. But after a closer look, Nora reassured herself: this was still the same naive, easily managed Serena. She was just being paranoid.
Nora gestured toward Gabriel, who stood nearby, his face set in a cold scowl. With a gentle chiding, she said, “Why are you giving your father the silent treatment? Go on, apologize to him properly.”
Apologize?
Serena couldn’t imagine what she ought to apologize for. For refusing one of Gabriel’s demands? For hanging up on him first? Nora’s words, as always, were laced with calculation.