Send the Ugly One, He'll Reject Her! They Laughed — But the Mafia Boss Was Speechless!

The next morning, Adelaide woke up in a luxurious guest suite. The bed was massive, covered in silk sheets that felt like a dream compared to the cramped, drafty room she occupied at her father’s estate.

When she walked down the grand staircase, she found Mateo sitting at a long dining table, drinking espresso and reading a financial newspaper. He wore a crisp white shirt, the sleeves rolled up to expose dark, intricate tattoos wrapping around his forearms.

“Sit,” he commanded softly, gesturing to the chair beside him.

A maid immediately placed a plate of fresh fruit and warm pastries in front of her. Adelaide wasn't used to being served. She hesitated before taking a piece of toast.

“We have an arrangement to discuss,” Mateo said, folding his newspaper.

“An arrangement?”

“Your father agreed to give me a daughter in marriage to secure the debt,” Mateo explained, his black eyes locking onto hers. “I intend to hold him to that contract.”

Adelaide’s heart dropped into her stomach. “You... you still want to marry me? Even knowing I’m just the scapegoat?”

“I don't want the glamorous sister, Adelaide,” Mateo said firmly. “I want the brilliant one. I want the woman who can read the ledgers. We will marry today. It will be a legal, binding union. You will be under my protection. No one in my family, and certainly no one in yours, will ever disrespect you again.”

Adelaide looked at her hands. “And in return?”

“In return, you work for me,” Mateo stated. “You will have full access to my financial network. You will trace the fifteen million dollars your father stole. You will find out exactly who helped him hide it, because a man as stupid as Rockford didn't build those shell companies alone. He had help from someone inside my syndicate.”

Adelaide looked up, her analytical mind already racing with the possibilities. She had spent her entire life trying to earn the love of a family that despised her. Now, a ruthless mafia boss was offering her the one thing she truly wanted: respect.

“If I find the money,” Adelaide said, lifting her chin, “I want Jones Financial. I want my father and stepmother stripped of everything they own.”