His To Ruin: The Mafia Don’s Favorite Sin

Chapter 003

ISABELLA

Luca doesn’t just want me for some kind of petty revenge. He wants to destroy me.

I sit outside his office, staring at the two men assigned to keep an eye on me. I glance between them and the door, remembering a phrase from the contract I have just signed: “Birthing an heir for the DeLuca empire.”

I am going to give him a child and it isn’t up for debate. It is in writing, and Luca has made sure I understand.

I smile bitterly, hating the fact that I am nothing but a pawn in all of this. My father killed his nephew. A child for a child and that is how it works in the mafia world. An eye for an eye and I am the perfect piece in Luca’s sick game of vengeance.

My stomach twists. It isn’t just about having a child. Luca isn’t going to let me walk away after that. No, he has already made it clear that he will destroy me, my body and soul.

I suck in a sharp breath, realizing that I can’t do this.

Run. The thought flashes through my mind. I can find a way to slip out of here, and disappear. But then what?

My parents. Luca will go after them. He has made that much clear. If I run, his revenge will fall on them instead.

But why should I care? Another thought comes. It was my father who put me here. According to Luca, he offered me up as collateral without hesitation or a second thought. What kind of father does that?

I clench my fists, realizing that I mean so little to him. Just a pawn to settle his debts.

And now, even if I want to leave, I can’t. My signature is on that contract. I’ve made a deal with the devil, and there is no escaping him.

At 21, my freedom is gone. At 21, I belong to a man I despise so much.

Just then, the door to Luca’s office swings open, and my parents step out. My mother’s face is pale, her cheeks streaked with tears. My father, on the other hand, wears an unreadable expression.

I’ve been waiting for them because Luca sent his bodyguards to get them briefly after I signed the contract, but I am sure it isn’t just paperwork they talked about in that office.

The moment my mother sees me, she breaks into sobs and rushes over, wrapping me in a tight hug.

“Oh, Isabella,” she cries. “I didn’t know. I swear to you, I had no idea what your father had done. If I had known, if I even suspected he offered you to that monster…” Her voice falters, and her grip on me tightens. “I would have helped you run away. I would have found a way to save you.”

I close my eyes as I stroke her back gently. Her tears soak my shoulder, but I force myself to stay calm. There is no point in breaking now.

“There’s nothing you can do anymore, Mom,” I say softly. “It’s done. I made the choice to protect the family.”

She pulls back slightly with her tear-streaked face. “I can’t bear this, Isabella. I can’t bear to see you near that man. He’s the kind of man you see in your nightmares. He’ll destroy you.”

I glance over her shoulder at my father, who stands in the corner of the hallway. He isn’t crying. He isn’t apologizing. He just stands there, looking guilty and avoiding my gaze.

I gently push my mother aside and walk toward him. My heart pounds with anger and betrayal. “Is it true?”

His brows furrow. “What are you talking about?”

“Is it true that you killed all those people?”

For a moment, he looks genuinely surprised, like he didn’t expect me to know. But then I see a flicker of annoyance cross his face.

“Ah,” he says with a bitter chuckle. “You’ve barely spent three hours with him, and he’s already turning you against your family.”

“Family?” I hiss, my voice rising. “You promised me to that man!”

His face hardens. “What did you expect me to do, Isabella?” he snaps. “Everything I’ve done…everything was for this family. For our honor. You think I wanted this? You think I wanted to give up my daughter? I did what I had to do, and now it’s your turn to play your part. Be a good daughter, and this time will pass.”

I let out a bitter laugh, slowly shaking my head. “For the family?” I repeat. “Don’t lie to me. Killing sixteen people wasn’t for the family, it was for yourself. For your pride and greed.”

His jaw clenches. “Watch your tone.”

“No,” I snap back. “I’ve watched my tone my whole life. I’ve respected you, defended you, even when I didn’t agree with you. But now? I’ve lost every ounce of respect I ever had for you. Do you know why? Because all this time, I thought I was running from the dangers of the mafia world. But I just realized that I was actually running from you.”

His hand twitches at his side, like he wants to hit me, but he doesn’t. He just glares at me, his face dark with anger.

“Go home,” I say coldly. “Go home, drink your wine, and celebrate the fact that Luca didn’t kill you for what you did. And as for me? I’ll serve my time. I’ll pay for what you did to those sixteen innocent people. I’ll pay for the money you stole. But when this is over, don’t expect me to come back. Because after today, you don’t have a daughter.”

His face falls, but I don’t care. I turn around and walk back to my mother, taking her hands in mine. “Go home, Mom,” I whisper. “Take care of Anton. I’ll be fine.”

Her tears start again, but she nods, letting me go.

And with that, I watch them leave, knowing that whatever family I thought I had is gone.

****************

After I sign the contract, it feels like Luca has taken me hostage.

He doesn’t let me go back to my apartment to get my clothes. I ask, almost beg, but he just looks at me like I am wasting his time.

“I’ll send people to get them,” he says. And that is that. Now I am sitting in his car, being transported to wherever he has decided I will live from now on.

He has taken complete control of my life.

“From now on, you must do everything I say. No objections,” he told me earlier in a calm voice but left no room for argument.

Luca has a way of speaking that makes you feel like you have no choice but to obey. His presence is so overwhelming, so dominant, it feels like a physical force pressing down on me.

I sit stiffly in the passenger seat, staring out the window, and trying not to think of my predicament. Soon, I will be carrying his baby.

That thought alone makes my stomach churn. Even though I’m sure the entire process would be done via in vitro surrogacy, the idea of it is unbearable.

I always dreamed of having a child with my husband, someone I loved, someone who loved me. But now? Now it is Luca. Luca, of all people.

And he thought everything out. He made it clear that once the child turns three, he will get primary custody. That means I will barely even get to see my own child. He isn’t just taking my freedom; he is taking the joy of motherhood, too. It is all part of his revenge.

This isn’t fair. None of this is fair.

“The doctor will be coming tonight,” Luca’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts. “He will be coming to run some tests,” he adds. “Make sure everything is in order.”

I nod stiffly. And for the first time in years, I find myself praying, not for strength or guidance, but for something to be wrong with me. Something that will ruin Luca’s carefully laid plans. Something that will set me free from this nightmare.

We arrive at the destination sooner than I expect. As the car turns onto a long, tree-lined driveway, I catch my first glimpse of a magnificent estate.

For a brief moment, I am stunned. The place is huge, with sprawling gardens and towering gates. It looks like something out of a movie. But the awe is fleeting as I remember that this isn’t a fairy tale. This is my prison.

The car stops, and a bodyguard opens my door.

“Miss Isabella,” one of them says, motioning for me to follow.

I step out and let them lead me inside. If the outside is impressive, the interior is breathtaking. High ceilings, chandeliers, marble floors…it is the kind of place most people can only dream of living in.

“Miss Isabella, please make yourself comfortable,” one of the bodyguards says as we reach the main living area.

“The doctor will arrive soon,” he adds. “And one more thing, Don Luca insists you must not leave the four walls of this estate, or there will be consequences.”

Consequences. I don’t need him to spell it out. Luca’s threats aren’t empty.

With that, the bodyguards leave, closing the heavy door behind them and silence settles.

I look around at the lavish furniture, the grand staircase, the expensive artwork lining the walls. Everything is so perfect… and so utterly cold.

A single tear slips down my cheek as the reality of my situation hits me. I am not just in a beautiful house. I am in a cage.

I am now his prisoner.