Betrayed, I Married the Feared Cripple

Three days after my fiancé publicly dumped me for my stepsister, the Supreme Don issued a command that silenced the entire estate. I wasn't being cast aside. I was being sold to Damien Russo. The "Broken Don." A crippled, scarred monster rumored to have murdered his last two wives. My adoptive mother, Elena, didn't cry for me. She smirked. To her, I was finally being disposed of. She was so confident I was walking to my death that she decided to loot my corpse before I even left. She forged documents to steal my entire inheritance—my biological mother’s trust fund—to pay for my stepsister’s lavish wedding to my ex. "She won't need money where she's going," my stepsister laughed, wearing a dress bought with my stolen funds. They thought they were sending a lamb to the slaughter. They thought I was too weak, too stupid, and too afraid of the monster to fight back. But they made a fatal mistake. With my aunt’s help, I didn't just find the proof of their embezzlement; I found a weapon. I’m not running from the monster. I’m going to marry him. And when I hand him the evidence that the Herrera family stole from his bride, he won't be my executioner. He will be my vengeance.

Chapters

Chapter 1

Isabella POV

The bead curtain at the entrance of my private suite clicked softly, a fragile sound easily swallowed by the heavy silence of the Herrera estate. I sat by the half-open window, watching the gray clouds gather over the manicured lawns, a cup of lukewarm chamomile tea resting in my hands.

"I still can't believe he did it. A public statement, Isabella! He didn't even have the decency to tell you to your face."

Clara, my loyal Associate and maid, paced the length of my modest bedroom. Her hands were clenched into fists, her dark eyes blazing with a protective fury that I myself couldn't muster.

It had been exactly three days since Leo Contreras, the Underboss of the Contreras family, unilaterally severed our engagement. The society was already whispering, branding me the ultimate laughingstock—the forgotten Herrera girl, supposedly so talentless, plain, and devoid of virtue that even a political alliance couldn't force a man to stomach her.

"Let them talk, Clara," I said, taking a slow sip of my tea. "Leo's rejection is a blessing in disguise. With my ruined reputation, the family will likely forget about me. I might actually buy myself a few years of peace."

"Peace?" Clara stopped pacing, her voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "Sophia has been parading around the estate like a peacock. Everyone knows she's the reason Leo broke it off. She's hated you since we were children, and now she's stolen your future."

Before I could tell Clara that a future with a man as fickle as Leo was no future at all, a sharp knock echoed through the suite. A guard's gruff voice filtered through the wood. "Miss Isabella. The Matriarch demands your presence in the main drawing room. Immediately."

Clara and I exchanged a look. The illusion of peace had shattered faster than I anticipated.

When I stepped into the Herrera family drawing room, the oppressive atmosphere hit me instantly. The air was thick with the scent of stale cigars and the suffocating, heavy floral perfume worn by Elena Herrera, the family's Mafia Queen and my stepmother. She sat on the velvet sofa, her eyes gleaming with a predatory anticipation. Standing near the fireplace was Sophia, looking radiant and entirely too smug.

But it wasn't them who commanded the room's attention.

Standing in the center of the Persian rug was Quinn, the stoic Underboss of the Russo family. The silver pin on his lapel caught the dim light—the crest of Don Vincenzo, the supreme ruler of our world.

"Isabella," Elena purred, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. "Come forward. Sir Quinn brings a direct command from Don Vincenzo himself."

My heart gave a single, hard thud, but I kept my face a smooth, unreadable mask. I stepped forward, my posture perfectly straight. A Don's Command was absolute law. To question it was a death sentence.

Quinn Foster unrolled a heavy parchment, his dark eyes flicking toward me with a hint of pity. "By the decree of Don Vincenzo, a new alliance has been forged to maintain the balance of our families. Isabella Russo of the Herrera family is hereby betrothed to the Don of the Russo family, Damien Russo. The wedding will take place within the month."

A collective gasp rippled through the room, followed immediately by a suffocating silence.

Damien Russo. The name alone was a ghost story whispered in the dark corners of our world. He was the Don of the Russo family, yes, but he was also a phantom. Rumors painted him as a monster—his legs crippled from a brutal assassination attempt, his face horribly disfigured, confined to a wheelchair, and ruling his empire with a ruthless, blood-soaked iron fist.

Elena pressed a hand to her chest, feigning shock, though the malicious triumph in her eyes betrayed her. Sophia ducked her head, hiding a vicious smile. Clara, standing behind me, let out a stifled whimper of despair.

My mind raced. Why would Don Vincenzo issue such a command so quickly after Leo's rejection? Was this a punishment for the Contreras family's arrogance? A twisted favor to the Herreras? Or did the supreme Don simply despise his own crippled son enough to saddle him with a woman the whole society deemed worthless?

"Miss Isabella," Quinn Foster prompted, his tone formal. "Do you accept the Don's will?"

I didn't tremble. I didn't cry. I simply folded my hands in front of me, lifted my chin, and met the Underboss's gaze with absolute clarity.

"I am honored to accept Don Vincenzo's command," I said, my voice smooth and unwavering. "Please convey my gratitude to my future husband."

Quinn Foster blinked, his stoic facade slipping for a fraction of a second. He stared at me, really looked at me, and I saw the exact moment realization dawned in his eyes. He saw the steady grace in my stance, the sharp intelligence I usually kept hidden, and the quiet dignity that no ugly rumor could tarnish. He realized, in that fleeting second, that the society had been entirely wrong about Isabella Herrera.

"I will deliver your message, Signorina," Quinn said, bowing his head with a newfound, genuine respect.

He turned on his heel and strode out of the room. The heavy mahogany doors clicked shut behind him, sealing my fate.

The moment the latch caught, the silence in the room shifted from stunned to venomous. Elena rose slowly from the velvet sofa, the rustle of her silk dress sounding like a snake slithering through dry grass.

Continue to next part

I spent a decade as Ashton Maxwell' s shadow, building his empire and warming his bed, only for him to announce his engagement to a senator's daughter right in front of me. When assassins struck that night, he didn't just choose her; he used my body as a human shield against a grenade and then shot me himself to prove his loyalty to her family. I survived, reinvented myself as Grecia Munoz, and returned to burn his world to the ground, eventually forcing him to hand over his entire empire in a desperate plea for forgiveness. He promised to disappear so I could find peace with a kind doctor named Garrick. But Ashton' s definition of love was a sickness. To "protect" me from what he called a weakness, he secretly destroyed Garrick' s career and reputation, driving the only innocent man I ever loved to jump off a bridge. He thought this would drive me back into his arms, into the safety of the monster he created. Instead, I drove to the Hamptons, to the pristine dream home he had built for our future. He knelt before me, begging for understanding, claiming he did it all for us. I didn't offer forgiveness. I raised the pistol he had once given me, aimed at the heart I had already broken, and ended the nightmare once and for all.

Action Modern Mystery

8.2

BLOODBOUND FATE

8.2

The prophecy didn't save me, it claimed me. Death was not her ending...... it was her rebirth. Awakened into a world of gods, bloodlines, and ancient curses, she learns that her second life is bound to a prophecy written long before she existed. Marked by divine blood and hunted by fate, she becomes the one Olympus never wanted to rise again. As secrets unfold and forbidden bonds form, she must decide whether to obey the destiny forced upon her or defy the gods who control her future. But prophecies always demand a price, and some rebirths are meant to destroy the world that created them. Because being reborn under a cursed prophecy means there is no escape, only fate.

Action Fantasy Mystery

9.3

Luciano's Forbidden Desire

9.3

She's sin wrapped in a nun habit. He is the devil who makes her want to confess. Luciano Moretti, the mafia's most feared enforcer, kills without hesitation, prays to no god, and bleeds for the Cosa Nostra. Sister Elizabeth has spent her life behind church walls, burying her desires under layers of penance and prayer. She is supposed to be untouchable-a quiet, secluded nun devoted to faith. But when she finds him bleeding on the altar one night, their worlds collide in a sin neither heaven nor hell can cleanse. He's meant to marry her sister to seal a deal between two mafia empires. She's meant to keep her vows and distance. But temptation has a cruel sense of humour... Because he's the last man she should want. She's the only woman he can't have. But one touch, one look, and everything sacred begins to crumble. Luciano does not seek salvation. Instead, he lures her into a dangerous path, one that includes everything she is meant to avoid, and everytime she whispers "forgive me, Father," her soul sinks deeper into him. As bloodlines clash and loyalty turns to betrayal, Elizabeth learns that the war outside the chapel isn't the only one she must survive. Because Luciano's world is built on violence and secrets, one of which binds her fate to his in ways neither of them saw coming. Desire clashes with devotion. Duty turns to betrayal. And when they're both drowning in a love so forbidden, not even God can save them.

Action Mafia Romance

8.1

My Alpha Chose His Mistress Over Our Pup

8.1

Ivy thought her life was complete until her Alpha husband, Silas, betrayed their bond for a mistress. When their young pup falls gravely ill, Silas abandons his family duties to remain with his lover, leaving Ivy to face the tragedy alone. Pushed to her breaking point by his cold neglect, she decides to sever ties with the pack. Now, Ivy must find the strength to save her child and reclaim her dignity, even if it means defying the man she once loved.

Action Romance Werewolf

7.9

Protecting Son from Alpha's Secret

7.9

After a night of passion with Alpha Kaelen, Elara flees to hide her pregnancy, knowing his status makes their bond dangerous. Years later, she lives quietly with her son, Leo, who possesses burgeoning powers he cannot control. When Kaelen discovers their existence, he demands they return to the pack. Elara must navigate lethal pack politics and external threats to protect Leo, while her buried feelings for the Alpha resurface.

Action Romance Werewolf

7.9

Rejected Woman's Ascent

7.9

After being cruelly discarded by her wealthy husband, a once-submissive woman decides to reclaim her dignity and forge a new path. No longer trapped by heartbreak, she transforms into a powerful figure, navigating high-stakes danger and complex modern conspiracies. As she rises through the ranks of society, her former life fades, replaced by newfound strength and lethal skills. This is a journey of ultimate survival, fierce ambition, and a woman's unstoppable ascent.

Action Modern Romance

Betrayed, I Married the Feared Cripple

Chapter 1

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