The Mafia and His Maiden: Beautiful Lie

Beautiful Lie

The Mafia and His Maiden Book 3

Amelia Stone

Reality. This is my new reality. I am no longer in a dream. I am no longer drowning in the illusion of love. Lorenzo has shown me his true face and I am scarred for life.

Nikolas Lorenzo, the billionaire of Lorenzo Corp and Mafia boss of Lorenzo clan used to be my lover, the man I once trusted, but with the truth now revealed, I saw the real man behind those mesmerizing heterochromia eyes. He is nothing but a despicable man who manipulated me for his own vengeance because he claims I was the woman behind his brother’s accident. Our relationship is volatile and erotic. He tells me I am nothing but his possession, yet when he kisses me, I can sense those words are lies, spoken to curb the hurt inside him. I should hate him, just as much as he hates me. But why does my heart ache when it’s time for me to leave? Will I forever be wrapped in the beautiful lie he created, or can I break free from this morphed reality?

Nikolas Lorenzo

Truth. What is the truth when everything is wrapped in lies?

Amelia Stone. She’s no longer his lover but the culprit behind his brother’s accident. It’s time for him to wake up from this illusion. But every time he looks into her amber eyes, he can’t help but see their beautiful memories flashing before him. He keeps telling himself that he hates her and he should stay away from her, but it’s harder said than done. He needs Amelia like a man needs air to breathe. When it’s time for her to leave, he knows it’s already too late to confess the truth. How can he convince her to stay? Will it really be too late to tell her he loves her, or will his elaborate plan of keeping her close to him only dig him deeper into this swamp of beautiful lies he created for himself?

The Mafia and His Maiden: Beautiful Lie is the third book in The Mafia and His Maiden series. Heartrending, angsty, and filled to the brim with sensual smut scenes, this third book completes the third arc of the series.

Beautiful Lie will see the return of Jenny and Giovanni from Maid to the Mafia series. This book runs parallel to Maid to the Mafia: Totally Devoted, told from Amelia and Lorenzo’s point of view.

Chapter 1

The Reality

This is reality. This is my new reality, I kept chanting to myself. Because I was no longer in a dream. I was no longer drowning in the illusion of love. Lorenzo had shown me his true face and I would be scarred for life.

I bit my lips and forced myself to focus only on the present. Gian was right here in front of me, lying deadly still on the bed, his eyes closed, his breathing even. My best friend, the man whom I had neglected until these past few weeks.

I had thought nothing of it. That voicemail from Gian that night should have alerted me to the dangers ahead. But I was completely swept off my feet, falling head over heels in love with Lorenzo, my captor, when he had taken me to his New York penthouse. And I had fallen even deeper into him when we had arrived at Rose Mansion. Little did I know that everything was part of his plan to exact vengeance on me.

Why me? No matter how many times I ask myself this, I still could not find the answer to that burning question. What motivated him to go to such extreme lengths just so he could quench his thirst for revenge?

Did he really think I was Gian’s woman? Was that why he did everything in his power to seduce me and now watched me as I crumbled and died slowly inside? How selfish and arrogant he was to assume I was the one who had hurt Gian, his beloved brother.

Did he not remember he was the one who took my virginity? Did he not remember those nights I lay beside him, comforting him through those dark nightmares? I had given him every piece of my heart, and in return he had torn it apart, crushed it, along with my entire soul.

I had lost everything. My dignity, my life, and my soul. My family, my sister and Papa. How long must I stay in his possession before that four-million-dollar debt was paid off?

My life may no longer be mine to control, but at least this heart here remembered the pain. It remembered the moment when Lorenzo had decided to toss me away. It remembered the tears I cried when he left me that day, shutting me off from the outside world. Because from that moment on, when he had kissed me so savagely in Wisteria Cottage, and had said I was now his possession, I knew at that point that we were no longer lovers. He saw me as a material product, a toy he could use and abuse anytime. And I was basically his plaything. He could play with and manipulate me at any time and there would be nothing I could do but to endure.

Endurance. Yes, this would have to be my new motto in life. Endurance. Because that was all my life had amounted to. For all the love and sincerity I had given him, this was the result he had given me back. Pain, heartbreak, and heartache. So endure I must. Because there was no other way I could have survived in my new reality if I didn’t grit my teeth and bear the pain.

Seconds ticked by. Minutes ticked by. Hours ticked by. Each and every hour lasted so long, as if a lifetime had passed. Why did the hands of time move so slowly? I remembered when I was in love with him, time flew. I couldn’t even catch my breath before his arms entwined around me and we made love. But now…

Now everything all came to a halt. Time stood still, almost too still, as I watched all the events leading up to this point.

Yes, I was gullible. Yes, I was naïve. I could also say I was stupid for believing in him. Lorenzo had shown many signs in the past that he was one dangerous man. But I had closed my eyes and pretended not to see because I wanted to believe he was a good man. He’d told me about his past, and no man would be brave enough to tell someone they only knew for a few months about their past, but I still fell for his trick. He planned everything.

This was where I stood, and I must remember it. And this would be the last time I focused on Lorenzo because from now on, my attention would solely be on my best friend, Gian. He was the one who needed me most. He was the one who had helped me and showed his sincerity when we were in college. And it should be Gian now whom I must give my attention to.

I took the wet cloth and wiped Gian’s face. I had been nursing him for over two weeks now. There was still no sign of him waking up from his coma. But it didn’t matter because whenever he decided to wake up, I would be right here sitting beside him. I was not in a hurry to go anywhere. My life was now being imprisoned here and the only light in this dark tunnel was him.

Days spent beside Gian were relief from my constant thoughts of his brother. I knew it would be hard to remove Lorenzo from my mind, since those intimate memories had stayed imprinted in my head, but I must try. The more I let it consume me, the more I was hurt. And the only way out of this was to not think of those moments we had spent together.

Gian… I said quietly, talking to the person sleeping on the bed. I’m sorry for what happened. I’m sorry for not being there for you when you needed me most.

I focused on my words, daring not to utter a single word that would relate to Lorenzo because if I would only say one word relating to him, I would break down again. The pain was still raw, and I didn’t think I would be strong enough to withstand it. But having Gian here helped. His presence helped. So I stayed beside him. At least with him by my side, I could get through this nightmare which was my new reality.

I heard footsteps from behind and by reflex, I turned, shifting to see who was at the door. Times like this, it was usually Doctor Hargrave, Gian’s doctor; Tina, his personal nurse; or Evangeline. But today, the world was cruel to me. Today it was Lorenzo.

I shifted to my feet, my guard up, ready for combat. This was essentially what our relationship had amounted to. At the end of the day, we were nothing but enemies, living in the same house.

Amelia, we are going to Singapore. Pack your things. We are leaving in the morning, he declared, his heterochromia eyes glaring at me with no mercy. I shuddered, a shiver running down my spine. That was the first time he had spoken to me since our altercation two weeks ago. I returned his gaze, not backing down. He may have hurt me once, but he could never hurt me again.

Why? I was so wound up by his sudden appearance, I was not prepared for this. Why Singapore? Gian is here. I have to look after him.

Lorenzo stalked toward me like a predator attacking his prey. In one swoop, he had me in his arms, imprisoning me against his body.

When Gian was hurt, where were you? he roared into my face, his own sketched in fury.

He pinched my chin, pulling my face toward his until I was staring directly into his heterochromia eyes.

Do you think you are his angel that could nurse him back to health? You are nothing but a parasite, he spat at me with disgust.

God, he really was a monster. Pain throbbed in my heart and