The Mafia’s Substitute Bride

Finally, the day they had both eagerly awaited had arrived – the day when Sofia and Leonardo would officially become husband and wife. Leonardo couldn’t contain his happiness; Sofia would now be his forever, not just as his wife and love but also as the mother of their future child. He was determined to ensure she never had a reason to complain, and he was ready to give her the world.

Never in his wildest dreams did Leonardo, once known as the heartless, ruthless, and merciless Leonardo Morelli, imagine that he could fall in love so deeply that it would completely transform his life. He was no longer the same man he used to be before marrying Sofia. With her and his newfound family, he felt like a changed person, unafraid to express his love openly.

His heart swelled with excitement as he eagerly waited at the altar, ready to take each wedding ritual and vow to make Sofia his for eternity. Domenico, his best man, and Bella, the bridesmaid, stood by his side, witnessing this beautiful moment.

As time seemed to crawl by, Leonardo anxiously looked at his watch, waiting for Sofia to arrive. His mother, Anna, was supposed to bring Sofia to him. He searched for her in the crowd, and finally, he spotted her standing amongst the guests, engaged in conversation. He caught her eye and smiled, subtly indicating where she needed to go to bring Sofia. Anna understood and returned the smile, ready to fulfill her part in the grand plan.

Leonardo knew Sofia must be ready by now, as the makeup artists and hairstylists had informed him that they had finished their work half an hour ago. Sofia was resting in the room, awaiting the arrival of all the guests before making her entrance. Carlo, Sofia’s father, would be standing proudly beside her to walk her down the aisle. Everything was falling into place, just as Sofia had envisioned for her special day.

As Leonardo stood in the packed hall, awaiting Sofia’s arrival for their wedding, his heart raced with anticipation. He couldn’t wait to see her in her wedding gown, knowing she would look like the most beautiful woman in the world. In his eyes, she always exuded beauty and grace, and he felt like she was a divine gift sent just for him. The thought of having her in his life made him feel incredibly fortunate and blessed.

Suddenly, his phone began to ring, and Anna’s name flashed on the screen. He furrowed his brows, wondering why his mother was calling when she had just gone to bring Sofia.

“Le… Leonardo… come quickly,” Anna’s voice trembled with nervousness and panic, causing his heart to race even faster.

“What’s wrong, Mum? Is everything alright?” he asked, feeling a rush of anxiety.

“Sofia… Sofia…” Anna started sobbing, unable to complete her sentence. “Please come quickly.”

Without a second thought, Leonardo rushed towards Sofia’s room, the sound of Domenico’s voice calling after him fading into the background. Bursting into the room, he found Anna sitting on the bed, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“What happened, Mum? Where is Sofia?” Leonardo asked, his eyes darting around the room, searching for any sign of her.

“I don’t know. When I got here, I found the room was empty. I don’t know where she went,” Anna replied, her voice choked with emotion.

“Did she walk away?” she questioned in disbelief, and Leonardo couldn’t fathom the idea of Sofia walking away from their wedding. She had been so happy and excited about the marriage, and he had seen the love in her eyes. She would never do something like that. Something must be terribly wrong.

Domenico and Alessandro rushed into the room, their faces filled with concern and confusion. “What happened?” they both asked in unison, looking between Anna and Leonardo.

“Sofia is missing,” Leonardo said, his breath shaky with worry. He pulled out his phone and dialed Mark’s number, giving him urgent instructions over the phone as he hurried outside. Carlo, too, ran towards the commotion, and Leonardo’s heart filled with a surge of anger at the sight of him. He had always sensed a bad vibe around Carlo’s family, but Sofia was the exception. She was nothing like them.

“What’s wrong, Leonardo? Why did you run from the altar?” Carlo had the audacity to question Leonardo.

Leonardo shot him a suspicious glare. “Sofia is missing, and let me warn you, if I find out you had any hand in this, I won’t spare you,” he threatened before storming outside to meet with Mark. He couldn’t waste any more time.

Once outside, he saw Mark and his men already waiting, ready for his next order. Domenico was right beside him, equally anxious and eager for answers. Leonardo knew Domenico wanted to ask questions, but he couldn’t focus on anyone right now as he stared intently at his phone, waiting for Sofia’s location.

“What have you found out?” Leonardo asked Mark, his voice laced with urgency.

“Out of the guests here, only Emma is missing,” Mark quickly replied, and Leonardo knew he could rely on Mark’s efficiency.

Carlo was shaken to the core as he heard his wife’s name, Emma, being mentioned in connection with Sofia’s disappearance. His mind raced through different scenarios, trying to make sense of the possibilities. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing, but as he linked the recent events together, he started to fear that there might be some truth to the suspicions.

Clutching his head in disbelief, Carlo struggled to come to terms with the idea that Emma, his own wife, could be involved in harming Sofia, especially considering she was pregnant. He pinched the bridge of his nose, deep in thought, contemplating whether he should try to reach Emma.

“Dad! What happened?” Kat’s voice broke through his thoughts.

Leonardo’s attention snapped towards Kat, and he approached her with a dangerous aura, his voice cold and intimidating. “Where is your mother, Kat?” he demanded.

“Mum… she must be at the party. I don’t know. I haven’t seen her for, I think, half an hour,” Kat replied, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

“Don’t dare to lie to me,” Leonardo said, grabbing her chin forcefully.

Carlo intervened, realizing that tensions were running high.

“Leonardo! Leave her. What are you doing? She is my daughter,” Carlo said, gently pulling Leonardo’s hand away from Kat.

“My wife is missing, dammit, and your wife is involved in this,” Leonardo spat out in anger.

Carlo couldn’t deny the possibility, but he couldn’t let Leonardo find Emma before him. He knew that he had to locate Emma quickly if they wanted to ensure Sofia’s safety. Deep down, he struggled to accept that he had married a woman with a heart so dark, capable of harming her own husband’s daughter, her own flesh and blood.

Rubbing his forehead, Carlo attempted to diffuse the tension.

“Listen, Leonardo. I will find out where Emma is. I will ensure Sofia’s safety. You need to calm down, okay?” he urged, knowing that if Leonardo reached Emma before him, he wouldn’t listen to reason. If Leonardo reached Emma before Carlo, he wouldn’t listen to her. He would shoot her straight at first sight on the spot.

“Are you fucking serious? My pregnant wife is missing, and you expect me to calm down?” Leonardo’s voice thundered with anguish and desperation. “I am going to burn this whole world if I need to in order to search for her. I will do everything to find her. Do you get it?” He gripped Carlo’s collar, yanking him off his feet, and issued a fierce threat.

Kat let out a frightened yelp as she witnessed Leonardo’s intense reaction toward her father.

“Leave him, Leonardo. We need to find Sofia. If your suspicions are correct, she could be in danger. I’ve always had a bad intuition about Emma. She’s not a good woman,” Alessandro intervened, stepping forward and firmly grabbing Leonardo’s hand to make him release Carlo.

Leonardo finally let go of Carlo and turned his attention to Mark.

“Mark, the signals are still strong. It means we can track her. Hurry up and find her location.”

With renewed determination, they were now closer than ever to finding Sofia. Carlo couldn’t help but panic, knowing that Emma would have to face the consequences of her actions. If she had indeed attempted to harm their daughter, she would have to endure the wrath of Leonardo’s anger. There was no saving her from that.This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

Inwardly, Carlo questioned Emma’s motives, wondering why she had chosen this destructive path. Why did she have to ruin everyone’s life? He closed his eyes momentarily, silently asking why she had betrayed their love and trust.

Carlo was very hurt. Emma had shown no consideration for him, her husband, in her reckless actions. She never thought about the hatred he would feel towards her once he discovered her evil intentions towards their daughter. She hadn’t considered the devastating consequences that would follow, risking their relationship and marriage. And all of this, Carlo lamented, was for the sake of gaining some property.