My Second Marriage with the Mafia Kingpin-Chapter 46: Hello, Sister!

Many years ago...

Winter blanketed everything in a layer of frozen white.

While others bundled themselves against the cold, a petite—almost skeletal—boy shivered in a narrow alley. He wore nothing but a loose, worn-out tank top that wasn’t even his, and thin shorts that offered no warmth.

Nothing protected him from the cold except his own arms wrapped tightly around himself.

Cold...

His thoughts trailed off as he lowered his gaze, realizing tonight would be the end of his endless misery. Here. In the cold. In this dark alley. No one would find him until the snow melted—or until his body began to rot.

The young Lucian closed his eyes, slowly succumbing to his fate.

Then, like a dream, something warm covered his legs.

His eyes fluttered open weakly. His vision blurred for a moment before a young girl’s face came into focus.

Her skin looked soft, her cheeks flushed pink beneath the cold. A thick red scarf was wrapped around her head. Her eyes gleamed with quiet curiosity.

She gently removed her scarf and draped it over his head, smiling at him.

The little girl said nothing as she removed what layers she could to cover him. But none of those fabrics warmed him more than her smile—or her innocent words:

"Don’t catch a cold."

*****

The morning sun hit Lucian’s face, its warmth coaxing him awake.

His brow furrowed even before his eyes fluttered open. Once his vision cleared, the first thing he saw was... her.

There, sleeping before him, was Ashley.

For a second, Lucian stiffened as realization dawned on him.

Last night, he had planned to slip away once she fell asleep. However, he ended up staring at her for as long as he could, listening to her breathing. Before he knew it, he was already waking up beside her.

How was that possible?

Lucian’s insomnia had worsened over the past several months, to the point where he required a doctor’s expertise in hypnosis to fall asleep. But even that had begun to lose its effect—until the tea Ashley brought from Liza. Although he couldn’t say it was highly effective, it helped him relax enough to take short naps.

But last night... he simply fell asleep while staring at her?

Lucian blinked, staring at her face as his fingers accidentally brushed her warm skin. When he glanced down, he noticed her shirt had ridden up slightly, revealing a portion of her waist. She shifted a little, her arms and legs loosely draped around him.

He couldn’t slip away now.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, Ashley hummed.

"Why are you so hard...?" she mumbled sleepily.

Her eyes slowly opened. She blinked a few times before realizing that the "hard pillow" she had been hugging... was a person.

Not just any person, but Lucian.

Lucian: "..."

Ashley: "..."

Much to his surprise, Ashley held her breath before glancing down.

"Your clothes are still there," he said, realizing what she was checking.

She bit her tongue and looked up at him, letting out an awkward laugh. "Heh. Good... morning?"

Compared to what he expected—that she would pull away or react in shock—Ashley simply blinked a few times before curiosity gleamed in her eyes.

"Lu, did you sleep last night?" she asked, propping herself up on one arm. Then, she leaned closer, studying his face.

The moment she noticed the signs that he had slept well, the corners of her lips lifted into a wide smile. Her eyes squinted the more her grin spread.

"I think you sleep better with me than with Doctor Wesley," she giggled, leaning in to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Morning~!"

"..."

Lucian instinctively leaned back as she pulled away.

"Another day, another chance to slay!" she announced, hopping off the bed and swinging her legs out. "Be right back!"

Meanwhile, all he could do was sit up and watch her hurry to the bathroom. However, Ashley didn’t close the door, and he could hear—and even see—her shadow by the sink.

Lucian rested his arm over his knee, his gaze fixed on the open bathroom door. He tilted his head slightly.

She didn’t get angry...

He recalled her expression and the subtle way she left the door open.

Was it to show him she wasn’t hiding from him?

A faint smile formed on his face before his gaze shifted to the window, where the morning sunlight streamed in. The constant headache that had plagued him every day was gone. Perhaps it was because, for the first time in a long while, he had slept a full eight hours.

"I did..." he murmured. "...sleep well."

Meanwhile, Ashley quickly freshened up, washing her face and brushing her teeth. As she finished, she wiped her face with a towel while stepping out.

"Lu, I was thinking maybe you should move back in here—" she trailed off, only to find the bed already empty.

He was gone.

She frowned. "I didn’t even hear him leave—tsk."

Classic Lucian.

The man came and went as he pleased. Still, she should be glad he was staying around more often now. Back then, he would only stay after she tried to escape.

"Never mind that," she huffed, nodding to herself as she clutched the towel. "Things will be easier in the coming week. Atta! Time to get to work for your future, Ash!"

*

*

*

Ashley quickly joined everyone for breakfast. As usual, Lucian and Primo were already there while the servants served the meal.

On her way in, Ashley spotted Betty. Her secretary stood out in her long dress, unlike the maids’. Ashley smirked, and Betty raised a brow at the mischievous look on her face.

Before Betty could even wonder what it meant, Ashley had already opened her mouth.

"Huh?" Ashley looked around as she took her seat. "Where’s Nolan?"

"Busy," Lucian replied simply.

"Oh." She nodded, smiling at him without dwelling on it. "Lu, by the way, can I borrow a few maids?"

He arched a brow, while Primo glanced at her curiously. Both father and son caught the faint giggle that slipped from her lips.

"I need more manpower in the garden," she beamed, her eyes squinting. "Is that okay?"

"Mhm."

"Yey, thanks~!" Ashley clapped happily before turning to Primo, confusing the boy. Then, she shifted her gaze to the maids who had just stepped away from the table.

"I’ll take those three," she said without hesitation, pointing at them.

The three maids stiffened, surprise flashing across their faces before they looked toward Lucian. Their hearts sank when he simply kept his gaze on Ashley and nodded.

"Take as many as you need," he added. "They won’t mind."

As if to deepen their despair, Primo picked up his drawing board and scribbled something quickly. When he raised it, it wasn’t for Ashley or Lucian.

It was for the maids.

[Good luck.]

Meanwhile, Betty bit her tongue as she discreetly studied the three maids—the same bullies who had confronted her the day before. Then, her gaze returned to Ashley, her brows knitting together.

Madam... what are you up to now?

But amidst all that, Lucian picked up his cup of coffee and glanced at Ashley.

"You will have a visitor today."

"Huh?" Ashley’s excitement halted as she turned to him. "Who?"

He simply tilted his head, and Ashley’s mouth fell open slightly after a moment.

*

*

*

One hour later, she stood before the visitor—someone she expected... but not today.

Isabella Di Carpio.

Marshal Di Carpio’s legitimate daughter—the one who should have stood in Ashley’s place, if not for the fact that Marshal would never sacrifice his beloved daughter to the den of devils called Dominion.

"Hello, sister!"