A Forced Contract Marriage with the Devil novel Chapter 171

Chapter 171

“You think you can stop Alessandro?” I asked, unable to mask the bitterness in my tone. “Nobody stops him. You either join him or get buried by him.”

When I spoke that, he eyed me up and down, not responding immediately. His gaze was cold and calculating, as though he was dissecting me piece by piece. And then, after a long pause, a slow smirk formed on his face like he was dealing with a stupid person.

“You’re still so young for Alessandro’s world,” he said finally, his smirk lingering. The words felt like an insult but I didn’t reply to him.

He stepped back slightly, his posture relaxing, but that didn’t comfort me. It was the kind of ease a predator displayed before it struck.

“Why don’t you go, freshen up, and then we’ll have dinner together,” he added casually, as if we were old friends and not strangers standing in the ruins of my trust. “I will explain everything to you. Everything you need and want to know. You don’t know it yet that you are important to me now, Nikolai. Way more important than Leah, my own daughter.”

My breath caught in my throat. I stared at him, trying to process what he had just said, trying to figure out if it was some manipulative tactic or a truth I didn’t want to hear. What did he mean by that? Why would I, a broken, hunted wreck of a person, be more important to him than his own child?

I tried to understand his statement, tried to connect the dots, but before I could ask him what he meant by that, Marko intervened, stepping

between us.

“Come on,” Marko said gently, placing a steadying hand over the small of my back.

His touch grounded me, like always. And even though everything inside me screamed to keep my distance from everyone, I found myself moving with him, if only because his presence was the closest thing to safety I had left.

We both got up, and Paul Salvatore’s wife appeared, her heels barely making a sound on the polished floors as she approached. She didn’t say much, just gestured for us to follow. She was graceful, elegant, her movements measured. Without a word, she took us to separate bedrooms tucked deep within the mansion’s long, echoing hallways.

The room she gave me was beautiful in a cold, expensive way. Soft lights. Silken sheets. A bathroom that smelled faintly of lavender and

marble.

I showered up, letting the hot water run down my spine, willing it to wash away the memories clinging to my skin like rot. I dried my hair slowly, moving like a ghost, then changed into the comfortable/clothes she had given me.

She lingered for a few minutes, trying to make small talk, though it was awkward. She didn’t speak much English, and I didn’t know how to speak Italian. Still, she smiled politely and patted my arm before leaving me alone again. I appreciated her kindness, but I didn’t trust it. Not

yet.

After that, dinner was served in the grand dining room. Warm lights glowed above the long table, and the scent of roasted meat and herbs filled the air. The food was good, real food. Not the boxed, microwavable crap I’d been choking down for weeks. It reminded me that I had once lived a life where dinner wasn’t a rare comfort but a daily routine,

Paul Salvatore then asked me to go on a walk with him. He made the offer sound casual, like a father inviting his son for a chat after a meal. I hesitated, my eyes darting toward Marko like a reflex. I asked if Marko could come along too, hoping he’d say yes.

But he refused.

Marko, ever calm, gave me a reassuring smile. “It’s fine,” he said softly. “He’s Leah’s father.”

As if that alone could undo every alarm screaming in my head.

“Leah has been so good to you,” he added, “so her father won’t hurt you too.”

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Chapter 171

I wanted to believe him. I really did.

But the truth was, I still couldn’t trust him, or anyone, for that matter. I had been hurt too many times. Torn apart by people I loved. Battarad by those who were supposed to protect me.

My father. My mother. My husband. My friends..

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