Saved My Mafia Boss, Then He Married Her Chapter 2

Damian froze for a moment, then quickly recovered, chasing after me.

When I reached out my hand to Seraphina, Damian's face contorted in utter panic.

"Aria! Don't you dare!"

The bodyguards instantly went on high alert.

But in the end, I did nothing but gently take the glass of wine from Seraphina's hand.

Turning back, I met Damian's wary gaze, and I couldn't help but find it amusing.

He was so protective of his true love that he couldn't even maintain his perfect composure anymore.

It was the doctor beside me who worriedly advised,

"Mrs. Thorne, you shouldn't be drinking right now..."

I waved him off, signaling him to stop. Then I tilted my head back, drained the wine, and smiled at everyone.

"Today's a good day. I saved my husband, and as a reward, he's brought me a companion."

The people around us exchanged awkward glances.

No one was blind; anyone could see the undisguised affection Damian had for Seraphina.

"But Miss Hayes just took a bullet for Mr. Thorne!"

"Well, it's their private business. If Miss Hayes doesn't mind, what can we say?"

I ignored the whispers, smiling sweetly at Seraphina.

"Seraphina, you'll be moving into the Thorne estate from now on. You can keep me company."

I took off a bracelet Damian's mother had given me and slipped it onto Seraphina's wrist.

"This bracelet is for you."

Seraphina's face lit up with a flattered smile. She knew the significance of that bracelet.

Damian's expression, however, was grim. He lowered his voice.

"What are you doing? Do you know what my mother's bracelet represents?"

I batted away his hand, which was trembling for some reason, and said with a smile,

"What's wrong? You told me to be generous. Aren't I being very generous right now?"

I'd drunk the wine too quickly, and it was already going to my head.

I steadied myself, sidestepped a passing server, and was about to leave.

Damian grabbed my hand again, his eyes swirling with an emotion I couldn't decipher.

A wave of intense fatigue washed over me. I pressed my temples and whispered,

"Do I still need to play along with your charade? If not, I'm going back to my room to rest."

He opened and closed his mouth, hesitating.

"You haven't eaten all day..."

How rare. He was actually showing concern for me.

Before I could answer, Seraphina's startled cry instantly pulled Damian's attention away.

"Oh! These shrimp are so hot."

Damian no longer spared me a glance, tenderly examining Seraphina's slightly reddened fingers.

"How can you be so clumsy? If you want shrimp, I'll peel them for you."

Even though we'd been estranged for five years, Damian and I weren't without our tender moments as a couple.

Once, after I'd worked for weeks to finalize a deal for him, he'd actually carved salmon for me at the dinner table.

But when I'd tentatively asked him to peel shrimp for me, his response was a cold, hard line.

"I'm not a servant. Don't push your luck."

Now, Seraphina didn't have to do anything to receive his complete, unreserved affection.

My throat felt constricted. Suddenly, the wound on my shoulder throbbed so much I could barely breathe.

In the dim room, I found myself chain-smoking.

"Smoking so much? Don't you want your wound to heal?"

Damian had come in unnoticed, pressing down on the hand holding my cigarette.

The cigarette was pulled from my hand, replaced by a plate of steak and shrimp.

The shrimp were peeled. I was a little surprised.

"I peeled too many. Seraphina couldn't finish them all. Don't waste them."

My appetite vanished instantly. I picked up my lighter, ready to light another cigarette.

"Don't smoke. From today on, you're going to quit with me."

Damian casually tossed the lighter into the trash can.

Meeting my questioning gaze, Damian explained,

"Seraphina isn't well, I won't let her breathe secondhand smoke."

Somehow, my eyes felt a little moist.

My father was a drunk, and smoking and drinking were things I despised.

But Damian was a heavy smoker, and in our first year together, I had tried to get him to quit.

Each time, he'd defiantly blow smoke rings in my face.

"Can't stand it? Then get used to it."

He even went so far as to force me to smoke daily, just to get me to stop bothering him about it, until I, too, became dependent on nicotine.

A notification from my phone vibrated, pulling me back to reality.

I glanced down; it was my flight information.

I turned my body, shielding the screen from Damian's inquisitive gaze.

He paused, a frown creasing his brow.

"What's the message?"