Exposed to the CEO Behind the Mafia Mask

Chapter 400: Chapter 184 Acid and Shield

Gemma’s POV

Our time sailing along the coastline with Dominic had been pure paradise. We explored hidden fishing villages under Thorne family protection, discovered secluded coves that served as family safe houses, and found private beaches where no rival families could reach us. We talked for hours about expanding the money laundering operations, made passionate love like newlyweds drunk on power, and laughed until our sides hurt—simply enjoying the freedom of being the wife of a feared Capo without constant death threats.

As we docked back at the family’s private marina, a part of me ached to stay on that yacht forever. The thought of returning to the dangerous reality of mafia politics felt like waking from a beautiful dream. But I reminded myself this wasn’t just an escape—Dominic and I had a lifetime ahead to rule our corner of the underworld together.

Back at Caleb’s legitimate front company seemed unusually quiet. I hadn’t seen any of the girls from our inner circle, which struck me as odd, but by lunchtime, they all appeared on my floor—Zoe and Nadia included—bouncing with curiosity and bubbling with excitement about the honeymoon details.

”Darlings, your favorite mafia princess has returned!” I called out jokingly as they approached my office.

Zoe, never one to hold back her sharp tongue, immediately chided me, ”I can’t believe you went through your entire honeymoon without even a single encrypted call to us!”

”If you must know,” I teased with a wink, ”my honeymoon technically lasted until I walked into this legitimate business front this morning.”

”Judging by the ridiculous smile plastered on Dominic’s face when he arrived at the money laundering office, I’d say that honeymoon is far from over,” Zoe quipped, making everyone laugh. ”Come on, let’s grab lunch. We want all the juicy details about married life with a Capo.”

Zoe’s bold personality always made me laugh, though I knew she wouldn’t rest until I’d shared everything about life as Dominic’s wife. I grabbed my purse and joined them for lunch, feeling a newfound confidence. With neither Nick nor Marcus threatening me anymore, I finally felt free to embrace my position in the family hierarchy again.

After sharing honeymoon stories and showing countless photos of our yacht and the family’s coastal properties, it was the girls’ turn to update me on what I’d missed in the underworld.

”So tell me everything,” I demanded. ”What’s happening with that backstabbing snake Beatrix?” Her self-inflicted accident hadn’t changed my opinion of her treacherous nature.

”She’s still hospitalized,” Zoe replied seriously. ”Handcuffed to the bed with federal agents guarding her room. Gemma, her injuries... they’re permanent.”

”What do you mean?” I asked, confused.

”The cuts were extremely deep when she crashed trying to kill you,” Zoe explained. ”They performed skin and bone grafts on her face, but she suffered significant muscle loss that left her permanently disfigured. Her leg is in similar condition. The scarring is... extensive. I almost felt sorry for her, despite her trying to murder a Capo’s wife.”

”How on earth do you know all these details?” I asked incredulously.

Nadia shook her head. ”This lunatic dragged me to the hospital with her. Somehow she convinced our contact Inspector Adler to let us visit Beatrix. When we arrived, they were changing her bandages. It was truly horrific.”

”Zoe, I can’t believe you actually went there,” I said, shocked by her boldness in visiting an enemy.

”I had to see her condition. After all, she nearly killed the wife of our Capo!” Zoe defended herself. ”Despite everything, I felt bad seeing what she’d done to herself. I told her the war had gone too far and that she’d destroyed herself trying to hurt our family. And you know what she said?” I shook her head. ”She said she didn’t regret trying to eliminate you. I felt terrible for her mother, who’s suffering through this nightmare with her daughter’s vendetta. They’re discharging her soon—straight to federal prison.”

”How tragic,” I sighed. ”She truly brought this destruction upon herself by targeting our family.”

After lunch, we said goodbye to Zoe and Nadia at the restaurant entrance. Ivy, Ruby, Lila and I walked back to the company building, chatting lightheartedly. Ivy was complaining about going crazy managing her five children along with Caleb, who behaved like another child when he was with the kids despite being a feared Don.

”Prepare yourself, Gemma,” Ivy warned with a laugh. ”Soon it’ll be your turn to deal with endless crying and diaper changes while your husband runs the money laundering operations.”

Just then, my phone rang. We were nearly at the building entrance, but I stopped to dig through my purse while the others continued ahead, leaving me a few steps behind. When I answered, a cold fear washed over me—I’d completely forgotten about her in our post-honeymoon bliss.

”Hello, dear little Gemma! Enjoyed your time with my man?” Nancy’s voice dripped with icy sarcasm and barely contained rage.

”You should understand by now that he’ll never be yours,” I replied firmly, my voice carrying the authority of a Capo’s wife.

”Maybe not. But after I’m done with you, he won’t be yours either.” Her tone was unmistakably threatening, the kind that preceded bloodshed in our world.

”Move on with your life, Nancy. Find another family to leech off of.” I was losing patience—I couldn’t handle another unhinged enemy threatening my position in the hierarchy.

”Oh, I’ll move on—right after I get revenge for myself and for Nick. He was a fool, but he died because of you and your precious family.”

”I had nothing to do with that street trash getting himself killed. Just leave me alone!”

”I can’t do that. You’re right in front of me.”

I spun around and found Nancy standing directly behind me on the sidewalk. She removed her cap and sunglasses, smiling like a predator who had cornered its prey for the final kill.

”Hi, little princess.” She stepped forward and, in one lightning-fast motion, flung liquid from a bottle straight at my face.

Everything happened in a blur. Hunter, Dominic’s assigned bodyguard from the family’s security detail, lunged in front of me with reflexes honed by years of protecting made men. He shielded me beneath his jacket that he spread wide like protective wings. Then came his agonized scream as the acid ate through fabric and flesh.

Chaos erupted on the street. Nancy was tackled to the ground by a plainclothes officer I’d never seen before, who produced handcuffs and secured her wrists behind her back with practiced efficiency. Hunter collapsed to his knees, desperately tearing off his jacket and shirt as the acid burned.

Within moments, the company entrance resembled a crime scene—police sirens wailed, an ambulance screeched to a halt. Nancy was forced into a police car while paramedics rushed to Hunter. Caleb, Xavier, and Jude materialized from nowhere, urgently pulling me inside the building and away from potential additional threats.

My vision began to darken around the edges as shock set in. My legs suddenly felt like they were made of water. The last thing I remembered was the feeling of falling before everything went black.