Exposed to the CEO Behind the Mafia Mask

Chapter 528: Chapter 124 Family Lines Drawn

Lila’s POV

The minutes crawled by as I sat on the leather chair in the private wing of the hospital that served the city’s elite families. Daniel remained silent beside me, his jaw clenched as he stared at the woman lying in the bed across from us. His father Martinez had been uncharacteristically attentive since we arrived, even making a trip to the hospital’s executive lounge, returning with expensive imported coffee and gourmet sandwiches from the facility that catered exclusively to the families who controlled this city’s underground empire. His sudden kindness made me reflect on how differently people treated me now that they knew I was Sullivan family blood, compared to when they thought I was just another scholarship student trying to escape the streets. It was becoming clearer by the second that power changed people’s perceptions, and this realization made me want that inheritance less and less.

”Mmm... oh... Daniel...” Sasha stirred in her hospital bed, her performance as transparent as glass.

Daniel glanced at me with the wariness of a man walking through enemy territory. I gave him a small nod, granting him permission to approach her. He released my hand reluctantly and moved toward the bed, keeping his distance like she might contaminate him.

”I’m here, Sasha,” he said, his voice carrying the authority of a man who commanded both badge and respect in the underworld.

”You came.” Even from where I sat, I could see her calculating smile and her manicured hand reaching out for his.

”I came because you left me no choice,” he replied, his tone cutting through her act like a blade.

”Darling, don’t be so harsh. I’m fragile right now. Hold my hand, take care of me like you used to when we were married by family contract.” Sasha’s manipulation was pathetic. The private physician who owed favors to the Martinez family had already confirmed that the amount of medication she’d taken wasn’t nearly enough to be dangerous, which only proved my suspicion that this was just another power play in the endless game of family politics.

”Sasha, you used our marriage to trap me before, and I was fool enough to honor it. Not this time. I’m only here because leaving someone from our circle alone in a crisis would reflect poorly on the Martinez name. But once the Mendez family arrives, I’m done with this charade.” Daniel’s words carried the weight of a man who’d learned to navigate between law enforcement and family loyalty.

”Daniel, you can’t abandon your responsibilities to me as your wife.” Right on cue, tears started streaming down her perfectly made-up face.

”Sasha, our marriage ended when you chose to betray family trust, and it was the best thing that could have happened. I found Lila, and I’m with her now. That’s not changing because she’s the woman I’ve chosen to stand beside me in this life. You’re being desperate and manipulative.”

”If you don’t honor your obligations to me, I’ll destroy myself,” Sasha wailed, as if she was suffering unbearable torment instead of nursing wounded pride.

I sat quietly, observing this theater while Martinez watched with visible disapproval. The irony wasn’t lost on me that he was the one who had originally supported this woman’s return to his son’s life. Suddenly, the door burst open as an elegant couple swept into the room with the entitlement of old money and political connections.

”THIS IS YOUR FAULT, DANIEL! YOUR FAULT!” The woman, unmistakably Sasha’s mother, shrieked like a harpy.

”Lower your voice. This is a medical facility,” Daniel snapped, his inspector’s authority cutting through her hysteria.

”Mother, he’s responsible for this! He told me to end my life when I begged him to honor his commitments as my husband.” Sasha sobbed dramatically from her bed while Daniel stood there, visibly stunned by the audacity of her lie.

”You ungrateful bastard! What did you do to my daughter?” The man who’d entered with the woman advanced toward Daniel while the mother rushed to her daughter’s bedside.

”What did I do? What about what your daughter did to me and my family?” Daniel’s voice rose with barely contained fury. ”This spoiled, manipulative woman inserted herself back into my life just to cause chaos and try to reclaim a position she forfeited through her own choices.”

”Enough, Daniel!” The mother abandoned her daughter’s side to confront him. ”You have obligations toward Sasha as her husband that transcend your current... diversions. Whatever little affair you’re having, end it now and return to honor the marriage vows made between our families.”

My heart pounded as I watched this grotesque display of old-world entitlement. I’d never imagined such despicable people existed, even within the circles I was slowly learning to navigate. Daniel looked ready to explode while his father remained calm beside me, watching the scene unfold with calculating eyes.

”Wife? Please!” Daniel laughed bitterly. ”You’re all just parasites feeding off family names. I haven’t had any responsibilities toward your daughter in years, because she chose to void those marriage contracts herself.”

”Listen here, you arrogant prick, you won’t discard my daughter like she’s disposable.” Sasha’s father moved closer to Daniel, both men clearly ready for a confrontation that could escalate beyond words.

”That’s rich! Wake up, Mendez. Your daughter is running a con. She never intended serious harm to herself. This is all an elaborate scheme to manipulate me back into our marriage, but it won’t work this time.” Daniel’s voice carried the steel of a man who’d seen through every lie.

Amid the chaos, Sasha’s mother finally noticed me sitting quietly in the corner. Her eyes narrowed with pure venom.

”Is this the little nobody you’re slumming with, Daniel?” She stalked toward me. ”What is she doing here? Did you bring this social climber to witness my daughter’s pain? GET OUT OF HERE RIGHT NOW!” She screamed at me, but Daniel stepped between us like a shield.

”Don’t you dare speak about my wife like that! Yes, my wife! She’s not some nobody. She’s here solely because I wouldn’t leave someone from our world alone until family arrived. Sasha and I finished our business long ago, and that’s final. You should focus on getting your daughter the help she needs instead of trying to resurrect dead marriages.” Fury radiated from Daniel like heat from a forge.

”Daniel, you can’t abandon Sasha. She’s suffering because of you. You know this isn’t her first episode,” the woman pleaded, clearly trying to manipulate him through guilt.

”It’s not the first time she’s staged this performance, you mean. She’s not suffering, and if she is, take her to a psychiatrist instead of trying to force me back into marriages that serve no one. In fact, you should take her anyway because her behavior is far from stable.” Daniel was visibly struggling to maintain his composure.

”You arrogant piece of trash! You will end this affair with this street rat and take responsibility for my daughter because honor demands it.” Her father repeated what sounded like rehearsed threats.

”That’s enough!” Martinez’s voice thundered through the room with the authority of a man who’d built an empire. ”All of you, be quiet.” He rose with impressive dignity. ”I was wrong about you, Sasha. And I apologize, Daniel, for supporting this woman, thinking your previous marriage could be salvaged and that she was suitable for our family. But now, Mendez, listen carefully: once Sasha is discharged, take her home and control her. Make sure she never bothers my son, my daughter-in-law, or any member of my organization again.”

”Daughter-in-law?” Sasha gaped at him in disbelief.

”Yes, Sasha. I’ve accepted that Daniel and Lila belong together, and she’s proven herself worthy of our family name. I’ve welcomed her as my son’s chosen partner. That’s her place in my family, my home, and in Daniel’s life. Accept that you can’t change this and move on with your life as Daniel suggested.” His tone brooked no argument.

”But, Martinez...” Sasha’s mother looked desperate.

”One more thing, Mendez. Ensure Sasha stays away from all of us, or I’ll call in that substantial debt your family owes mine. You understand what that means for your business interests and your political connections, don’t you?” I didn’t want to know the specifics of what he was threatening; I just wanted to escape this suffocating room.

”Fine, Martinez. If you’re willing to throw away decades of profitable partnership and threaten me with financial ruin over your son’s current romance, so be it.” Sasha’s father backed down, his voice subdued by the weight of real consequences.

”Daniel, I believe we’re finished here,” Martinez turned to his son.

”Not quite yet.” Daniel’s reply was ice-cold. He came to me, extending his hand, which I took as I stood. He led me to Sasha’s bedside. ”This woman, Sasha, is extraordinary, and I love her completely. I will never leave her, especially not for you or any family arrangement. Never contact me again.” With that, he guided me out of the room with his father following closely, but not before Martinez delivered one final warning.

”Remember, Mendez, I’ll destroy everything you’ve built if you come near my family.” He closed the door behind us, his threat chilling even me. Only when we reached the hospital’s marble lobby did he speak again. ”Lila, I apologize for this circus and for my past errors in judgment. I genuinely thought I was acting in my son’s best interests.”

”Mr. Martinez, I understand a father wanting what’s best for his child, but I can’t understand wanting to take away what makes him truly happy.” I met his gaze directly, unafraid.

”You’re a wise woman,” he smiled with genuine warmth. ”I hope we can understand each other moving forward.”

”As far as I’m concerned, we’re fine. And thank you for defending me in there.” I couldn’t deny he had stood up for me when it truly mattered. He simply smiled in response.

”Call me later, Daniel. Take care of each other,” he said before departing.

”Little one, I’m sorry you had to witness that spectacle...” Daniel’s eyes were full of regret.

Despite the ugliness of the situation, I respected his refusal to leave Sasha completely alone in her moment of staged crisis, but I desperately wanted this to be the last time we’d deal with her manipulation.

”Daniel, I don’t know what leverage your father has over the Mendez family, but even I could tell that unstable woman and her parents will leave us alone now. That’s enough for me. Let’s go home, you’ve been very badly behaved today, and I need to teach you a lesson.” I teased. He looked at me playfully, a smile tugging at his lips as he pulled me into his arms.

”I love your lessons, tiny one, but remember your brother is staying at our place tonight,” he laughed.

”Then you’d better keep quiet,” I replied with a smile, which made him laugh even harder.