The Mafia King's Temporary Wife

Prologue

Beep. Beep.  

The sharp smell of antiseptic tells me I’m in a hospital. I’m alive.  

I try to open my eyes, but they don’t respond. The anesthesia must still be in effect. There’s no pain now, but I hear faint voices on my left. They sound familiar, but I can’t place them.  

Beep. Beep.  

“Can he hear us?”  

“No. He’s sedated, Will he survive?”  

“Yes, unfortunately. His chest wounds weren’t too serious. They stitched him up.”  

“We can always try again. Blame it on the Italians.”  

“Too risky. People are loyal to the pakhan. If anyone connects me to this, I’ll end up dead.”  

Beep.  

“Well, there is some good news. The bullet destroyed his knee.”  

“And?”  

“The doctor says he’ll never walk again. If someone stronger steps up . . . well, no one’s going to back a pakhan in a wheelchair when a better choice is available.”  

“Guess we didn’t fail entirely.”  

Two pairs of footsteps fade away, and the door clicks shut.  

Chapter 1

Adrian's POV 

Seven months later  

There are never enough drugs. I look at the notes on my desk, then focus on the spreadsheet on my laptop.  

“Call Nico,” I tell Sergio, who’s seated across from me. I lean back in my wheelchair. “We need him to arrange two extra shipments this month.”  

“Nico already finalized the deal with Mendoza for the quarter. The Mexicans might not be able to double the supply so soon.”  

“They will. Now, stop stalling and tell me what happened. I can tell from your face that I won’t like it.”  

“Thomas Roberts embezzled three million dollars of our money.”  

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Who is Thomas Roberts, why did he have access to that kind of money, and how did he manage to steal it?”  

“He’s our real estate broker. That money was meant to buy two lots near the north warehouse. Roberts thought he could ‘borrow’ it for a week and invest it. Turns out, it was a Ponzi scheme.”  

I shake my head. The sheer stupidity of some people amazes me. “Can he pay it back?”  

“No.”  

“Then kill him. Make sure everyone knows why.”  

“I have a different idea. People are talking, Adrian. We need a distraction, fast. Roberts might be the perfect opportunity.”  

“Oh?” I stare at Sergio. “What are they saying?”  

Sergio has been my right-hand man for decades, starting as a soldier in my father’s ranks. My father’s inability to see his potential was just one of many failures I corrected when I took over twelve years agoafter killing the old man.  

“They’re saying you’re still unmarried,” Sergio replies.  

“Old news. What else?”  

His eyes avoid mine, fixed on the wall behind me. “They’re saying you’re no longer fit to run the Bratva. That someone else might take over. Someone stronger.” 

I narrow my eyes. “And do you believe that?”  

“Don’t insult me, Adrian. You know I’ve stood by you and always will. But people notice things. You’ve been stuck here for three months. You don’t visit our clubs or oversee operations like you used to. You haven’t been seen with a woman.”  

“So my love life matters more than the fact that we doubled our profits in two months?”  

“People want stability, Adrian. They remember the chaos when you overthrew your father. Fifty men dead, the business in ruins. A wife means an heir, which means no war when the time comes.”  

“I’m not marrying just to keep our people happy.”  

“Let me show you something.” Sergio pulls out his phone and scrolls. “My daughter went to school with Roberts’s daughter. They weren’t close, but they spent time together. Last night, I asked her to send me a video of Nila Roberts.”  

“What do videos of teenagers have to do with my ability to lead?”  

“She’s not a teenager anymore. Nila finished art school in just two years. She’s now one of the most popular young artists in the country. Her paintings sell for thousands.”  

“And?” I arch an eyebrow. “Are we looking a family portrait?”  

“No, Adrian. We’re blackmailing her. Her father’s life for her cooperation.”  

“To do what?”  

“To marry you. Temporarily, at least.”  

I blink, then burst into laughter. “You’re insane.”  

“Am I?” Sergio leans back, arms crossed. “What did the therapist say about your leg?”  

“They estimate I’ll regain up to eighty percent function.”  

“And that means?”  

“Crutches, worst case. A cane, best case.”  

“How long?”  

“Six more months of therapy.”  

Sergio groans. “We can’t wait that long. We need a solution now.”  

I look out the window, then back at him. “So, it’s either I walk again or get a wife?”  

“If walking isn’t an option, we get you a wife.”  

“That’s crazy I can’t blackmail some stranger into pretending to be my wife, especially someone outside our world. She’d be terrified. No one would believe it.”  

“Watch this,” Sergio says, handing me his phone.  

The blurry video shows a teenage girl sitting cross-legged in front of a group. The camera zooms in, capturing her unique features, partially Asian, cat-like eyes.  

“Mrs. Nolan and her cats!” someone in the group shouts.  

The girl groans but obliges. She closes her eyes, then opens them, transforming into a completely different person. Her voice, her movements, even her expressions are mesmerizing.  

“How old is she here?” I ask.  

“Nineteen” Sergio replies. “She’s remarkable, isn’t she?”  

The girl in the video moves on to impersonate someone else, flawlessly mimicking their mannerisms.  

Sergio smirks as I hand the phone back. “See? She can play any role we need her to.”  

I exhale deeply. “You’re serious about this?”  

“Desperate times, Adrian. Desperate measures.”  

“Fine. A wife it is.” I slam the laptop shut.