Dangerous Secrets: My Mafia Stepbrother

In everyone’s impression, Isabella had always been an extremely quiet girl. She rarely spoke, and at family gatherings, she remained inconspicuous. She had been particularly obedient to her uncle’s family. No one understood Isabella’s obedience better than Chloe. Even if Chloe had placed a pile of dog feces in front of Isabella and told her to eat it, Isabella would have swallowed it. For survival, this lowly woman was capable of anything.

Isabella had never dared to rebel against her. However, when Chloe came to Chicago to stay with them recently, Isabella had often stood up to her. Although Chloe had punished her severely, it appeared that Isabella had been rebelling against her the whole time. Now, Isabella had gone as far as to say, in front of so many people, that Chloe wasn’t as pretty as her?

Chloe was infuriated and felt the urge to kill Isabella immediately. How could she dare utter such words? Had she forgotten how Chloe had tormented her before? She should have continued tormenting Isabella for a while longer, allowing her to experience the desperation of near death. This wretched girl had such a short memory.

“Isabella, what do you mean by that? That’s not what I said,” Madelyn immediately protested. My goodness, what nonsense was Isabella spewing?

“That means you think I’m not as pretty as Chloe, but Emanuele chose me and married me, so his taste must be quite poor,” Isabella shot back.

Madelyn’s eyes narrowed, and her face turned pale, as if she had received a great shock. Why did Isabella’s words seem to be growing stranger and stranger? She hadn’t meant to imply this at all. She merely wanted to say that Isabella was ugly and plain, so why would Emanuele choose her? But Isabella had twisted her words.

Soon, Madelyn felt the oppressive gaze of Emanuele on her. His eyes were like machine gun barrels, cold and menacing, pointed directly at her, as if he could pull the trigger at any moment. A mafia boss like him had always been a ruthless killer. If he found her displeasing, he could easily kill her without legal consequences, as he was, in some circles, the law itself.

“I didn’t mean it that way,” Madelyn stammered, her face becoming even paler, and she grew flustered, unsure of how to defend herself. She was overwhelmed with panic. In such a life-or-death situation, she didn’t know how to gather her thoughts.

At this moment, Isabella’s uncle, Mart, scolded Madelyn, “Enough, you’re utterly disgraceful. How can you speak about your niece this way? Today is Emanuele’s birthday and the first time we’re meeting Isabella after she became Emanuele’s wife. Why do you have to ruin everything?”Exclusive © material by Nô(/v)elDrama.Org.

Isabella looked at Mart. He hadn’t been particularly good to her either, but he hadn’t been as skilled at tormenting people as the mother-daughter duo. At most, he had been an accomplice, showing indifference when he saw her being tormented. However, she also hated him. How could she not hate her uncle when he had allowed her to suffer so much?

Madelyn was publicly scolded by her husband, and she felt extremely embarrassed. She had never felt so embarrassed before. She had always been the queen of the family. Mart obeyed her every command. But now, for him to say such things…

Madelyn was in turmoil, and although she was suffering, she noticed that Emanuele wasn’t glaring at her with that oppressive look anymore. This gave her some relief. Despite the embarrassment, the incident seemed to be over. At least, she was still alive.

“You’re right; I shouldn’t have said that,” Madelyn spoke to Isabella. “I’m sorry, Isabella. I hope you can forgive me.”

Isabella didn’t look at her anymore. She took Emanuele’s hand and went to chat with other people. Chloe stood silently by, but her gaze was fixed on Isabella’s back. That bitch would pay.

When Chloe’s eyes shifted to Emanuele, they turned passionate once more. She still couldn’t understand why Emanuele had married Isabella. Was it because he genuinely liked her? But Isabella seemed so ordinary and even a bit overweight. Why would Emanuele be interested in her?

In contrast, Chloe had been groomed meticulously from childhood to become a lady. She played the piano, danced gracefully, and was knowledgeable. She had a tall and slender figure with striking looks, and she had no shortage of admirers. However, Emanuele didn’t even spare her a glance. It was just strange.

She was convinced that Isabella had used some kind of witchcraft to enchant Emanuele.

As Emanuele chatted, Phillip called him over. Emanuele told Isabella he had something to attend to and advised her to enjoy her time with the others. He joined Phillip in the study.

“We’ve identified Frederick’s men; they’re surveilling our premises,” Phillip reported.

Emanuele wasn’t concerned; this was typical of Frederick’s style. “Let them observe. Everything today was meant for him to see.”

Phillip nodded and then remarked, “Boss, you’ve changed quite a bit since getting married.”

Emanuele frowned, “Have I? How am I different from before?”

“At least you appear warmer now; you seem happier,” Phillip said, struggling to describe the transformation. The old Emanuele had seemed more cruel and ruthless. But today, he had seen Emanuele smile several times. In previous gatherings, Emanuele always wore a cold and stoic expression, but today was different.

“Don’t talk nonsense. My focus remains on my business. Marriage is merely about finding someone suitable,” Emanuele said.

Just someone suitable? Phillip couldn’t help but think that Emanuele was deluding himself. Seeing how Emanuele had held Isabella’s hand all day and kept his arm around her waist with such intimacy, it wasn’t something you could fake.

However, he did notice that Isabella didn’t seem as enthusiastic about their relationship. She appeared somewhat distant. He hoped he was mistaken; otherwise, it might hurt Emanuele in the end.

Isabella was chatting with Grazia when Chloe rushed over, holding a champagne glass. She greeted Isabella, “Congratulations on your marriage, Isabella. Last time, your wedding was so rushed, I didn’t have time to make it.”

Isabella disliked Chloe and didn’t want to raise her glass to her, but in front of so many onlookers, she had to play the role of a mafia queen. So, Isabella endured and raised her glass to Chloe.

A look of disgust flashed in Chloe’s eyes. She leaned in close to Isabella’s ear and whispered in a hushed tone, “I really can’t fathom why Emanuele would marry you, an ugly, overweight woman, when he had better options, like me. Why did he choose you? You bitch.”

Hearing Chloe’s words, Isabella suddenly felt the return of those long-buried memories.

“You fat bitch, who would ever like you?”

“They only see you as a tool to satisfy their desires. Do you really think they like you?”

“Look at my figure; not a single piece of clothing in my wardrobe would fit you, right?”

Those highly degrading words filled Isabella with self-doubt and repeated hurt. She had worked hard to rebuild her confidence and make her life colorful once more. However, every time she faced Chloe, that confidence crumbled completely.