Substitute Wife for the Mafia King R18-Chapter 23: Strange Developments

I wanted to head out to find Anthony as soon as possible but my hair was still damp from my shower even though I had tried my best to dry it with a towel. If I turned up with such messy hair, I would look bad, and he probably won’t like it. I let out a sigh when I realized that I felt so nervous about meeting him face to face again and a large part was because of all those things that we did last night.

Suddenly, there were loud banging sounds from the other side of the bedroom door. I almost jumped up in fright at the sound. Something told me that it definitely wasn’t Jenna who was knocking on the door this time around.

“Diana! Diana!” Anthony called my sister’s name loudly.

To be accurate, he was yelling as he kept on banging on the door. I wondered if the door would break or if he would tear it down as I quickly ran towards it. Anthony sounded very impatient and even angry. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

“Anthony?” I said questioningly as I slowly opened the door.

“Good morning, my dear wife. You’re finally awake,” he said as he glared down at me.

Nothing about the tone of his voice made me feel like I was his ‘dear wife’. Anthony was wearing a black suit with matching pants and a white shirt. I had no idea where he had been or what had happened while I was peacefully sleeping but I could tell that he was definitely angry.

“Umm...” I murmured at a loss for words.

I had never seen Anthony angry before in my life. Actually, I wasn’t even sure if someone like Anthony could get angry. I mean, sure, everyone can get angry at times, but I never imagined that the angry version of Anthony could look and feel this intimidating and frightening.

Before I could say anything, Anthony’s phone vibrated in his hand before he placed it on the side of his face after connecting the line. His sharp blue gaze was glued to my face even when he began talking on the phone. His large and tall frame blocked the entire entrance of the bedroom. I didn’t realize just how tall and large his body truly was until that moment that he seemed to loom over me. Since he couldn’t have grown like that overnight, I figured that I must have felt that way because my sense of intimidation made me feel smaller.

“What is it?” he spoke coldly through the phone after the line had connected.

His gaze held mine and my heart began racing wildly in my chest; however, this time it wasn’t because I had butterflies in my belly. I was simply anxious as I wondered what was really going on.

“They have arrived, have they? Great. Please welcome them royally. They are my in-laws, after all...” he spoke through the phone in a tone void of any emotions.

His in-laws?

Wait.

Does that mean that my parents are here? Why?

“That shocked and confused expression on your face doesn’t look so bad. Just as you’ve figured, your parents are here,” he announced after ending the call.

“Why...?” I murmured while feeling too lost to form other words or finish any of my train of thought.

“I guess I picked out the right dress for you. A nagging feeling at the back of my mind told me that your parents are going to turn up today. Once again, my gut feeling didn’t betray me,” he said as his hand reached out toward me.

Instinctively, I flinched as his large hand approached my upper arm, but I didn’t pull away. My feet felt glued to the spot and my body felt like it had frozen into a statue of ice. Despite his sharp stare, his touch was gentle when he caressed the top of my arm with the back of his fingers.

“You...picked this dress?” I asked softly.

“It does cover up all traces left on your body from our little steamy affair last night. We wouldn’t want your parents to think that I’ve overly abused their daughter last night, would we?” he asked before his lips curved into what I felt was a devilish smirk.

The way his hand moved to caress my arm gently as he stared deeply into my eyes made me feel like he was a wild animal eyeing his prey.

Is this man really the Anthony that I know?

...

Trouble seemed to be flooding into my life one after another. Something was definitely off with Anthony, but I couldn’t quite wrap my head around what that was. No matter how hard I searched my memories, I wasn’t sure what I had said or done to make him so moody. Time also wasn’t on my side because I didn’t have the time to figure anything out. My parents were waiting for me in the living room of Anthony’s mansion, and I didn’t have the faintest idea why they had decided to see me.

Did they want to make sure that everything was fine, and that Anthony wasn’t going to annul the marriage and cast me away?

Although I knew that the only way to find out was to meet my parents, I didn’t look forward to it at all. The biggest problem wasn’t facing them, but choosing how I should act when I’m with them. I wished I could have met them alone, but Anthony was clearly accompanying me there. I stared at his broad back as he walked in front of me to lead the way while thinking that that was to be expected in this situation.

Anthony didn’t know about the bad blood between my parents and me. My parents also never openly admitted to anyone that they have cut me off. All they told everyone that needed to know was that they had decided to send me abroad so that I could pursue my passion in university. That was partly true, but it was a big lie at the same time.

--To be continued...

My other works: Forbidden Heat, Love Slave to the Mafia Boss’s Passion, Love Slave to My Devil CEO Boss, Conquering the Emperor, The Alpha Prince’s Purchased Maid and Lust Contracts.