MADDEST OBSESSION - Chapter 5: Chapter 5
You are reading MADDEST OBSESSION, Chapter 5: Chapter 5. Read more chapters of MADDEST OBSESSION.
The Russo estate was a palace of glass and marble, towering above the city like a monument to excess.
Aria stood beside Dominic as they stepped out of the black limousine, cameras flashing like machine guns. She forced her face into the blank, regal mask she had practiced since childhood.
Her gown shimmered under the lights — a deep crimson silk that hugged her curves like a second skin. Around her neck gleamed the diamond necklace Dominic had given her, the Moretti crest nestled just above her collarbone like a permanent mark.
A possession.
A statement.
She could feel the weight of every eye on her as they entered the gala. Some curious, others hostile. The mafia elite were masters of smiling while calculating who would die next.
Dominic’s hand rested on her lower back, light but firm, guiding her forward.
He leaned in, his voice smooth against her ear. “You look stunning.”
“I’m not here to entertain you.”
His lips curved into a dark smile. “Not yet.”
Inside, the ballroom glittered under towering chandeliers. Waiters glided through the crowd with trays of champagne. The air smelled of wealth, perfume, and carefully concealed danger.
They were greeted by Lorenzo Russo himself — young, handsome, and dangerous in a different way than Dominic. His smile was sharp, but his eyes lingered too long on Aria.
“Dominic,” Lorenzo greeted with a nod. “And this must be your beautiful bride.”
Aria extended her hand. “Aria Moretti.”
Lorenzo kissed her knuckles lightly, but his gaze never left hers. “Moretti, of course. Though the De Luca fire still burns in your eyes.”
The subtle challenge wasn’t lost on anyone.
Dominic’s smile remained polite, but his hand on her back tightened slightly.
“Careful, Russo,” Dominic said softly. “Admiring another man’s wife can be… dangerous.”
Lorenzo’s grin widened. “Only if the husband feels threatened.”
The air between them thickened.
This was what Aria feared most — not the quiet threats, but the games behind every word, every glance. Alliances here were as deadly as open war.
Dominic smoothly redirected the conversation, and the men slipped into polite business talk. But Lorenzo’s lingering gaze made Aria’s skin crawl.
As the evening wore on, Dominic stepped away briefly to speak with an associate, leaving Aria momentarily alone on the terrace. She welcomed the cold night air, needing a break from the suffocating ballroom.
But she wasn’t alone for long.
“I hope you’re enjoying your first public appearance as Mrs. Moretti,” a voice said behind her.
Lorenzo.
Aria turned, her expression cool. “And if I said I wasn’t?”
He chuckled, stepping closer. “Then I would say I’m not surprised.”
She held her ground, her voice ice. “Careful, Mr. Russo. You’re stepping very close to disrespect.”
He tilted his head. “Is it disrespect to offer sympathy to a woman forced into a cage?”
“I don’t need your sympathy.”
“No? You will. Eventually.”
His words were laced with implication, but before he could say more, a shadow appeared beside them.
Dominic.
His voice was calm, but the warning beneath it was sharp as a blade. “Lorenzo. You’ve overstayed your welcome.”
Lorenzo smiled without flinching. “Of course. My mistake.” He gave Aria one last look before slipping back inside.
The moment he was gone, Dominic’s gaze turned to her, intense and unreadable.
“Why did you come out here alone?”
“I don’t need a babysitter.”
“In this world, you do.”
Their eyes locked, tension crackling between them.
“You don’t own my mind, Dominic.”
“No,” he said, voice low. “But I own your safety. And if Russo touches you again, he’ll lose a hand.”
His threat wasn’t for show. It was a promise.
For the briefest moment, something unexpected flickered in Aria’s chest — a strange, twisted sense of protection. But she buried it fast.
“You don’t protect me out of care. You protect your property.”
He didn’t deny it. “It’s the same thing in my world.”
As they reentered the ballroom, Dominic’s hand slid back to the small of her back — this time, not as a warning.
But as a silent clai
m.
Aria’s war had many fronts now.
And she was no longer sure which one terrified her the most.
Aria stood beside Dominic as they stepped out of the black limousine, cameras flashing like machine guns. She forced her face into the blank, regal mask she had practiced since childhood.
Her gown shimmered under the lights — a deep crimson silk that hugged her curves like a second skin. Around her neck gleamed the diamond necklace Dominic had given her, the Moretti crest nestled just above her collarbone like a permanent mark.
A possession.
A statement.
She could feel the weight of every eye on her as they entered the gala. Some curious, others hostile. The mafia elite were masters of smiling while calculating who would die next.
Dominic’s hand rested on her lower back, light but firm, guiding her forward.
He leaned in, his voice smooth against her ear. “You look stunning.”
“I’m not here to entertain you.”
His lips curved into a dark smile. “Not yet.”
Inside, the ballroom glittered under towering chandeliers. Waiters glided through the crowd with trays of champagne. The air smelled of wealth, perfume, and carefully concealed danger.
They were greeted by Lorenzo Russo himself — young, handsome, and dangerous in a different way than Dominic. His smile was sharp, but his eyes lingered too long on Aria.
“Dominic,” Lorenzo greeted with a nod. “And this must be your beautiful bride.”
Aria extended her hand. “Aria Moretti.”
Lorenzo kissed her knuckles lightly, but his gaze never left hers. “Moretti, of course. Though the De Luca fire still burns in your eyes.”
The subtle challenge wasn’t lost on anyone.
Dominic’s smile remained polite, but his hand on her back tightened slightly.
“Careful, Russo,” Dominic said softly. “Admiring another man’s wife can be… dangerous.”
Lorenzo’s grin widened. “Only if the husband feels threatened.”
The air between them thickened.
This was what Aria feared most — not the quiet threats, but the games behind every word, every glance. Alliances here were as deadly as open war.
Dominic smoothly redirected the conversation, and the men slipped into polite business talk. But Lorenzo’s lingering gaze made Aria’s skin crawl.
As the evening wore on, Dominic stepped away briefly to speak with an associate, leaving Aria momentarily alone on the terrace. She welcomed the cold night air, needing a break from the suffocating ballroom.
But she wasn’t alone for long.
“I hope you’re enjoying your first public appearance as Mrs. Moretti,” a voice said behind her.
Lorenzo.
Aria turned, her expression cool. “And if I said I wasn’t?”
He chuckled, stepping closer. “Then I would say I’m not surprised.”
She held her ground, her voice ice. “Careful, Mr. Russo. You’re stepping very close to disrespect.”
He tilted his head. “Is it disrespect to offer sympathy to a woman forced into a cage?”
“I don’t need your sympathy.”
“No? You will. Eventually.”
His words were laced with implication, but before he could say more, a shadow appeared beside them.
Dominic.
His voice was calm, but the warning beneath it was sharp as a blade. “Lorenzo. You’ve overstayed your welcome.”
Lorenzo smiled without flinching. “Of course. My mistake.” He gave Aria one last look before slipping back inside.
The moment he was gone, Dominic’s gaze turned to her, intense and unreadable.
“Why did you come out here alone?”
“I don’t need a babysitter.”
“In this world, you do.”
Their eyes locked, tension crackling between them.
“You don’t own my mind, Dominic.”
“No,” he said, voice low. “But I own your safety. And if Russo touches you again, he’ll lose a hand.”
His threat wasn’t for show. It was a promise.
For the briefest moment, something unexpected flickered in Aria’s chest — a strange, twisted sense of protection. But she buried it fast.
“You don’t protect me out of care. You protect your property.”
He didn’t deny it. “It’s the same thing in my world.”
As they reentered the ballroom, Dominic’s hand slid back to the small of her back — this time, not as a warning.
But as a silent clai
m.
Aria’s war had many fronts now.
And she was no longer sure which one terrified her the most.
End of MADDEST OBSESSION Chapter 5. Continue reading Chapter 6 or return to MADDEST OBSESSION book page.