Dangerous Secrets: My Mafia Stepbrother

At this moment, Karen and her friends were discussing a fashion show they had attended, sharing experiences about luxury brands and travel destinations. The group was animatedly chatting away, but Isabella, seated among them, couldn’t get a word in. She felt like an outsider, out of place in this atmosphere.

Karen glanced at Isabella, “By the way, Isabella, you probably haven’t experienced any of these, right? I heard your father passed away early, and your mother raised you. It’s understandable if you don’t understand these things.”

“Your background is different from ours. We lacked everything growing up except money. Buying things every day can be tiring. You probably haven’t experienced that feeling, huh?”

“Yeah, Isabella, your family used to be in the countryside, right? I heard you stayed with your uncle. Did they treat you badly?”

“What can you learn in the countryside? It’s better in the city. You probably never had such grand birthday parties, right? We have them every year.”

… The girls continued discussing Isabella’s original family, demeaning her life while elevating their own.

Isabella remained calm throughout the ordeal.

After they had exhausted themselves with derogatory comments, Isabella finally spoke, “Do you know why Emanuele married me?”

“Because you’re young and attractive?” one of the girls said.

Karen immediately glared at the girl. How could Isabella be considered attractive? She couldn’t compare to them in any way, not even a single strand of her hair.

“Of course not. There are many girls younger and prettier than me. I believe all the girls here are more beautiful than me.”

Isabella’s words made the other girls, except Karen, happy. They began to feel guilty for degrading her just now.

Even though Isabella acknowledged that some of them might be more attractive, her composed demeanor had already defeated them.Belonging to NôvelDrama.Org.

“So, why does Emanuele like you?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t want to marry him originally. He kidnapped me and insisted I marry him. He said if he married me, I would be his forever.”

Unexpectedly, Emanuele was so passionate. The girls were stunned.

They had heard about the forced marriage incident. It was said that Isabella was supposed to marry Clark, but for some reason, Emanuele had managed to replace Clark and marry Isabella.

“Oh my God! That’s so romantic! It feels like something out of a movie.”

“Yeah, I thought Emanuele was quite cold. I didn’t expect him to have this side when he likes someone.”

“Exactly! Before, Emanuele was our number one golden bachelor in our hearts. He wasn’t interested in anyone. For him to marry Isabella, she must have something extraordinary.”

The girls chattered away, bombarding Isabella with questions about Emanuele. They were all too curious about the supposedly cold and heartless man and how he acted when facing his beloved wife.

Karen watched as Isabella bonded with her friends, and it infuriated her, clenching her fists tightly. How could this bitch still manage to win over her friends?

Before, Karen couldn’t comprehend why Emanuele would be attracted to Isabella. But now, seeing her good friends change their opinions about Isabella based on just a few words, Karen understood that this woman was not to be underestimated. She must have used these tactics to seduce Emanuele!

Meanwhile, Isabella continued conversing with her friends, expressing humility and sincerity. “You know, I used to be an ordinary person. I entered the world of the Mafia and didn’t have many friends or social skills. There are many things I haven’t learned. I don’t know if you could teach me in the future?”

“Sure, no problem,” a few of them agreed.

“Great, when you come to Chicago, I’ll make sure to welcome you properly,” Isabella said, raising her glass and toasting with them.

Later, Isabella turned her gaze to Karen and asked, “Karen, what’s wrong? It’s your birthday today; won’t you clink glasses with me?”

Karen’s gaze toward Isabella was venomous, but Isabella wasn’t afraid of her. Sensing the tense atmosphere between them, the others also realized they had forgotten their original intention to mock Isabella and make her uncomfortable.

Damn it, they got carried away chatting and forgot about the plan! However, looking at Isabella’s smiling and gentle expression, they couldn’t bring themselves to say anything malicious.

Although they were Mafia princesses, their parents and brothers protected them, keeping them shielded from the bloodshed and cruelty. When someone was kind to them, they reciprocated.

Witnessing this scene, Karen was furious. How could this bitch manipulate even her friends?

After chatting for a while, Isabella felt a bit tired. Seeing Emanuele chatting with his friends nearby, she didn’t want to disturb him. She got up and went alone to the garden outside to enjoy the fresh air.

The sky had darkened, and the garden was illuminated by streetlights, creating a charming atmosphere.

As Isabella was lost in thought, she suddenly heard a voice behind her, “Isabella, you cunning woman. You’re quite impressive, putting on such a show. I underestimated you!”

Isabella turned around to see that Karen had somehow followed her outside. Karen’s face was grim, and her expression seemed as if she were about to commit murder.

Isabella, however, remained unfazed. She calmly responded to Karen, “I treat everyone the same way. I’m not as petty as you are.”

“What did you say?” Karen suddenly felt her anger ignited. She hadn’t expected Isabella to talk back to her.

“You like Emanuele and think I’m not worthy of him. So, you want to undermine me. But do you know that by doing this, Emanuele will dislike you even more?”

Isabella ruthlessly exposed Karen’s inner thoughts, leaving Karen feeling like she was going crazy.

“Shut up, you slut! I am a noble Bratva princess, and you’re just an ordinary person. Why do you have the audacity to speak to me like this?” Karen’s chest heaved with anger as she glared at Isabella, as if she intended to crush her underfoot.

Isabella, however, was unafraid. She maintained her calm and gentle demeanor.

“Are you truly noble? I see nothing elegant or noble about you now, just a person driven to madness by jealousy. You look down on my background, but you’re no better yourself.”