The Devil's Vow

er presence marked only by the occasional echo of her footsteps across the polished floors. The grand halls of the De Santis estate, once a

he shadow of death looming over them, made every moment feel like a ticking time bomb. There was no escaping

led the room, drowning out the distant noise of the city beyond the walls. Music had always been her escape, the

r from an early age. But the disgrace that had followed him had seeped into everything, leaving nothi

r, slow and deliberate, th

more than she cared to admit. The truth about her father's deal with the Romani woman-how deep the web of their families' past really went-was something she w

ver the piano. "You haven't played since we a

e note ringing out in the empty room. "Music doesn

d to acknowledge the flicker of something in his gaze-something more than

id. "But I understand. This place-it's not

, her voice sharp. "Is this place home for you? The De Santis e

a moment, his gaze shifting to the distant view outside the window

isn't what I wanted. But it's what I was b

of power, a force to be reckoned with. But now, she saw a man trapped by his own bloo

asked, her words sharp. "A pawn

ion. Luca's eyes locked with hers, a flicker

cutting through the stillness. "But I play t

Then what game are we playing, Luca?" she demanded. "Because ri

stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. "You don't have to play, Alessia. Bu

hat she had expected. The marriage. The curse. The games they were forced to play-they were al

uca?" she asked, her voice

overing over hers, his touch hesitant but certain. "I'm asking you

She had never trusted anyone in this world-not even her own family. But something in Luc

you," she whispered, the wo

e their wedding, she didn't feel the weight of the curse pressing down o

et," he said softly. "But you

errupted them. The door to the room swung open, and one of L

ense. "There's been an attack on the Moretti

. She turned to Luca, f

ing with authority. He grabbed her wrist, pulling he