The Mafia Boss I Should’ve Never Touched Chapter 2

Looking at Caspian's cold, unfeeling face, my heart turned to ashes. By the time he finally bothered to pick me up, I was already a broken mess, a shadow of my former self.

The moment I saw Caspian, I recoiled like a frightened cat, scurrying into the corner.

Caspian's outstretched hand hung awkwardly in mid-air, his face stiffening. I used to cling to him the most. Before coming, he'd probably imagined how I would playfully complain and demand his attention.

The stark contrast clearly annoyed Caspian. He immediately yelled at me, "I went to all this trouble to send you here for 're-education,' and you can't even be grateful for that!"

"Now that I finally made time to pick you up, you treat me like this. Elara, you've truly disappointed me!"

"Serena was right, a heartless, low-class girl like you doesn't deserve my efforts at all."

Low-class tramp.

Those few words pierced my eardrums, dragging me back to the past.

That year, during my junior year of college, my mother was diagnosed with brain cancer. To cover her medical bills, I dropped out and went to work as a hostess at a bar, where the money came quickly.

It was there I met Caspian. This man, whom I'd only met once, not only paid for my exorbitant medical expenses but also 'bought me out' of the bar to keep me by his side.

My colleagues said I was incredibly lucky; he was the richest man in the entire state.

I paused, thinking, Someone so powerful, it's hard for them to be faithful, right?

As I expected, Caspian had a never-ending string of women; I was just one of hundreds of his 'kept women.' At first, I wondered why all hundred-plus of us had an uncanny resemblance.

It wasn't until I saw the delicate and rarely seen Serena by Caspian's side that it dawned on me: we were all just substitutes for her.

Initially, I could still tell myself to stay grounded, to be ready to walk away anytime. But my colleagues' envy and Caspian's special attention gradually made me forget my status as a mistress. I grew greedier, wanting to stay by his side forever, so I went to extreme lengths to get pregnant with his child.

Caspian said nothing, even taking better care of me than before. I secretly rejoiced, letting myself believe I was truly his exception.

It wasn't until he brutally beat my child out of me with sticks and threw me into The Serenity House that I finally faced reality.

Caspian's final warning burned itself into my memory before I left.

"Remember your position," he'd said, his voice cold as steel. "A kept woman should never forget her place or entertain foolish dreams."

Three years of brutal conditioning taught me the devastating price of forgetting that lesson.

If I had a second chance, I would stay far, far away from him. The man's curses snapped me back to reality. I looked at his ugly expression, feeling utterly confused. I wasn't crossing any lines anymore, so why was Caspian still angry?