Chapter 332
Chapter 332
Cupid
+20 Free Coins
The engine of Desmond’s car still ticked softly behind me as I stepped out into the night air, the compound’s gravel crunching under my boots like brittle bones. His voice chased after me, low and urgent.
“Cupid, this is stupid. Calm down. Take a deep breath. You’re not thinking straight p>
Every word slid in one ear and out the other, meaningless noise against the roar inside my skull.
I didn’t answer. I didn’t slow. I just kept walking, straight toward the heavy oak doors of my father’s study, the one place in this sprawling pack where the air always smelled of old leather, ink, and quiet power.
There were things I could do. And things I couldn’t p>
I couldn’t afford to lose my rogue family again. Not mother, not Marlik, not Yasmin, not the fragile circle we’d rebuilt from ashes.
If I pushed this path without their blessing, I would lose them. I knew it in the marrow of my bones.
And above all else, I couldn’t lose Snowflake.
I couldn’t breathe without her. Couldn’t imagine a future where her laugh didn’t echo somewhere in my days. That was the line. The unbreakable one.
The study door opened without a sound. Father sat behind the massive desk as always.
Alpha Ruis, godfather of the underworld, pack leader, the man who had shaped me into a weapon and called it my duty.
Papers were spread before him like battle maps; his pen moved in precise, unhurried strokes. He didn’t look up immediately.
I stepped inside and stopped directly in front of him. Shoulders squared. Chin level. Waiting patiently.
The pen paused. Slowly, deliberately, he lifted his gaze.
That was when Desmond burst through the doorway behind me, breathless, grabbing at my arm.
“Ignore him, Uncle. I’ll escort him out right now.” His voice cracked with frustration as he glared at me. “Cupid, snap out of it. What the hell is wrong with you p>
Father’s eyes flicked between us calmly, assessing, faintly curious now. He set the pen down with soft finality.
Desmond’s grip tightened. I shook him off without looking back.
“Let me retire, Father p>
The word hung between us like smoke.
Something flickered across Alpha Ruis’s face, gone so fast I might have imagined it. Admiration, always, for how little of himself he ever showed. He studied me for a long, unbroken moment, expression unreadable.
“I have served for many years,” I said quietly. “Let me retire p>
1/3
11:52 pm P P DD
Chapter 332
+20 Free Coins
I chose the word deliberately. Retirement was the only door that might open without blood. There was no chance in any circle of hell he would agree to return the drugs. The deal was signed. Sealed. Moving.
Silence thickened the room until it pressed against my ribs.
Finally he spoke, voice so low it barely carried.
“No p>
Goosebumps raced across my arms. I swallowed the sudden dryness in my throat. I’d known he wouldn’t let me go easily. Still, hearing it aloud felt like a blade sliding home.
“If any mafia member wishes to retire,” I said, keeping my tone even, “an application must be submitted. Majority vote decides. I will write it. I will wait for the result p>
“Even if you submit it,” he replied, eyes never leaving mine, “the result will be the same as the one you just heard. No p>
He spoke gently, almost kindly, and that made it worse.
I nodded once. Turned to leave.
His voice stopped me at the threshold.
“I will let you marry her p>
I froze. Every muscle locked.
Slowly I turned back.
“The Mooncrest daughter,” he continued, calm as ever. “She will be yours p>
I swallowed hard. The greatest prize laid out on the most golden platter, and all I felt was the trap closing around it.
“You already approved of her, Father p>
“She is a good lady. Beautifully so.” A small, almost fond tilt of his head. “But she is a ticking time bomb. If I allow her into this family as my daughter–in–law, we will spend the rest of our lives watching our backs. You think I will accept that risk for nothing p>
“Father p>
“Herold Mooncrest is no ordinary wolf. I have been inside his pack for a festival. I have visited his daughter and I felt the energy rolling off her.
“Mooncrest wolves are different. Their gifts are not parlor tricks. It’s real. Hers is to see the past.” His voice dropped lower. “You think if she comes here, if she stares too long, too hard, she won’t see the blood on these floors? The bodies we buried to rise as the wealthiest pack in the shadows? Or consider her human ties. A Frost working hand–in–hand with the law… you think that is a risk!, as godfather, will swallow without cost p>
“All the more reason I retire then p>
“Only that you cannot retire.” He cut me off, still gentle. Too gentle.
“Why p>
2/3
11:52 pm PPD D
Chapter 332
20 Free Coins
“You know why. Don’t ask me.” His gaze pinned me in place. “See it as an investment. Eighteen years ago, when I first saw you, a rogue lowly thief, barely clinging to life… do you have any idea why I didn’t slit your throat and be done with it p>
My throat worked. I couldn’t speak.
“Do you know why I took in a stray when I already had four legitimate children? Why I let the pack mock you, scorn you, make you eat scraps from the cold floor while I watched in silence? Why I sent you to the finest schools, trained you in every form of combat, forged you into exactly what you are today?” He leaned forward slightly. “I didn’t do it because I loved you like a son. Not then. I did it because I needed you to become the Mafia King. Yenda can’t lead. Only you can. I want you to lead the underworld in my name p>
He lowered his eyes, frowned at the paper before him, and began to scribble absently, meaningless lines as if he didn’t plan on telling me what he have in store next.
“Only after years of giving you my name did I begin to… like you. To feel pride I was never supposed to feel.” He stopped writing. Looked up again. “I know your fear, Cupid. I watched the news too. I heard his threat. And I know it isn’t the threat itself that terrifies you. It’s the people you’re trying to shield. Your other family. Your woman. I respect that p>
He paused.
“How about we make a deal p>
My heart slammed against my ribs. I waited.
“You won’t retire. The plán proceeds exactly as sketched. If Feroz becomes a nuisance… you end him. Quietly. Permanently. You will have all support from the underworld. In return… Marlik Rogue will be welcomed into our operations, to work. He will be compensated generously if he did well.
“Your mother and sister will be enrolled in the G–Cloak protection system. Full security, untraceable. And lastly p>
He let the silence stretch just long enough to make my pulse thunder.
“Not only will I approve your relationship with Snowflake Frost. I will allow you to keep her. As your legally wedded, only wife p>
The words landed like a physical blow.
Everything I had ever wanted, handed to me on the condition that I remain exactly what he had made me. The blade in the dark, the king of poison and shadow.
I stood there, staring at the man who had raised me, used me, and somewhere along the way come to care for me.
And I felt the cage snap shut around my heart… again.
No chains. No bars. Just the quiet, unbreakable promise of everything I loved… if only I never tried to leave.
Cedella
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.