Blurb for Bloodstained Vows In the mafia, love is just another contract to break. Matteo DeLuca is a king in the underworld-ruthless, untouchable, and feared by all. His word is law, his enemies buried before they can whisper his name. But when a long-forgotten arrangement forces him into marriage with Valeria Moretti, the daughter of his sworn enemy, he finds himself trapped in a dangerous game where power, loyalty, and desire collide. Valeria has spent her life in the shadows of men who see her as nothing more than a pawn. But she is no damsel, no fragile princess to be traded away. When Matteo underestimates her, she proves she can stand on her own-even in a world where love is a weakness and betrayal is inevitable. Their marriage was meant to be a ceasefire. A formality. A way to keep the bloodshed at bay. But in the mafia, peace is a lie. With a war brewing between their families and enemies lurking in every shadow, Matteo and Valeria must decide: will they destroy each other, or will they fight together against a common enemy? One thing is certain-neither of them will escape unscathed. Blood. Betrayal. Passion. In this world, love demands a price. And for Matteo and Valeria, it might just cost them everything.
Chapter 1 Betrayal in White
The night smelled of roses and betrayal.
Elena Morelli stood at the grand altar in the DeLuca estate, surrounded by the warm light of countless golden chandeliers. The ballroom was breathtaking-tall marble columns, crystal glasses filled with expensive wine, and the quiet murmurs of powerful men whispering secrets at tables covered in silk. The most important figures in the mafia had gathered to witness a wedding meant to bring peace between two rival families-a marriage that would unite their power and end their feud.
Her hands shook slightly as she held the bouquet of red roses, their petals as soft as they were deceptive. A perfect symbol of this night.
Across from her, Luca DeLuca stood tall and composed, dressed in a black suit tailored to perfection. Cold. Unreadable. His dark eyes bore into hers with an intensity that should have unraveled her, but she refused to look away.
This was not the man she had dreamed of marrying when she was a girl. That man had been a fantasy-someone who would protect her, cherish her. But the Luca standing before her now was a king in a den of vipers, a man whose love came with conditions and whose touch burned more than it soothed.
The officiant spoke words she barely heard, her heartbeat beating fast. Her father, Don Morelli, sat in the front row, pride gloaming in his eyes. He had fought for this marriage, believing it would be their salvation.
He had been wrong.
As the vows were exchanged, Luca's voice was smooth but unstable. "I do."
Elena swallowed hard, her own response barely above a whisper. "I do."
Applause erupted around them, but something was wrong. A tension coiled in the air, a silent warning moving through the crowd.
Then came the gunfire.
A single shot cracked through the ballroom, shattering the illusion of peace. Elena turned sharply, her bouquet falling from her hands as a second shot rang out. Screams followed, glass shattered, and bodies moving for cover.
She gasped as she saw her father holding his chest, a bloom of red spreading across his white suit. His eyes widened in shock before his body fell to the ground.
"No!" Elena's scream was drowned out by the chaos.
She moved to run to him, but a strong hand grabbed her wrist-Luca.
"Stay behind me," he ordered, his voice as cold as steel.
She barely heard him. Her father-her protector, her only family-was bleeding out before her eyes. And then she saw them.
The men who had killed him.
Dressed in blacks, they moved with precision, cutting down Morelli men as if they were mere obstacles. Panic spread like wildfire. This wasn't just an assassination-this was an execution.
Elena turned to Luca, expecting him to act, to command his men to fight back. But he stood still.
And then it hit her.
The guards hadn't moved. The DeLuca men hadn't drawn their guns.
This wasn't an ambush.
This was a betrayal.
Her stomach turned to ice as she looked at the man she had just vowed herself to. "You knew."
Luca's hold on her wrist tightened slightly, but he said nothing.
A cold laugh sounded behind her. She turned just in time to see Matteo Ricci, her father's oldest rival, step forward, his gun still smoking.
"It had to be done, principessa,"Your father was a liability."
Rage and devastation twisted inside her. "You-"
Before she could lunge at him, two of Matteo's men grabbed her arms. She thrashed against them, but their grip was brutal.
"Luca!" Her voice cracked. "Do something!"
His jaw clenched, but he remained motionless, his hands now tucked into his pockets. "It's over, Elena."
A knife to the heart would have hurt less.
Matteo smiled. "Take her."
"No!" She fought, her wedding gown tearing at the seams as they dragged her toward the exit. She locked eyes with Luca one last time. "You coward! You stood there and did nothing!"
His expression remained unreadable, but for the briefest moment, something changed in his eyes-something close to regret.
Then it was gone.
And so was she.
Three Years Later...
The ballroom was alive once more.
Another gathering of criminals dressed in luxury, another night of whispered betrayals masked behind champagne toasts.
But this time, Elena Morelli was no one's pawn.
Dressed in a black gown that hugged her every curve, she stepped into the lion's den-not as a bride, not as a victim, but as the woman the world now feared and admired.
Gone was the naive girl who had once begged for Luca DeLuca's protection.
She had died the night of her wedding.
In her place stood a woman with a new name, a new empire, and a singular goal:
To bring Luca DeLuca to his knees.
Chapter 1 Betrayal in White
24/02/2025
Chapter 2 The Return of the Dead
24/02/2025
Chapter 3 A Game of Power
24/02/2025
Chapter 4 The Trap is Set
24/02/2025
Chapter 5 A Game of Shadows
24/02/2025
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