บททั้งหมดของ OATHBOUND: Married To The Don Of The North: บทที่ 21 - บทที่ 30

{CARA'S POV}**The van jerks to a stop, and I’m thrown forward. Yet I catch myself from falling onto the angry bird in front of me. My breath hitches as I glance out when the doors finally open.A black house. That's what I see next.It’s more of a fortress, really. Sharp edges, no windows, and a looming presence that makes the forest around it seem even darker. Though, it was late at night. The place looks like it was plucked straight out of someone’s worst nightmare.Edmondo is already moving, shoving the van door wider. Not like he was even fat or anything. He doesn’t even look at me as he hops down. He mutters something to Giovanni, who follows after him.They’re leaving me here.“Wait… Edmondo!” I call, but he doesn’t stop. He just disappears into the house, his silhouette swallowed by the shadows.The cold air bites at my skin, and I realize how ridiculous I must look. Barely covered, shivering even, with dirt smudged on my legs and arms. I wrap my arms around myself, glaring

{EDMONDO'S POV}**The door clicks shut behind me, and I don’t look back. I’ve left her inside, exactly where she would soon belong. Let her soak in the reality of what she’s stumbled into; a world built on blood, precision, and unrelenting control.I have bigger things to handle.Giovanni trails behind me like a shadow, his sharp gaze dissecting my every move. He’s waiting for me to crack, to give him a piece of my mind. But I don’t bite. Not yet.“She’s a wildcard,” Giovanni says finally, his voice smooth, calculated. “You sure bringing her here was the right call?”I glance at him. A humorless smile tug at my lips. “Do I ever make a wrong call?”“Not usually. But this one feels... personal.”I stop walking, turning to face him. Giovanni is taller, broader, but he knows better than to mistake that for an advantage.“She’s leverage,” I say coldly. “And you don’t get to question my moves.”He chuckles, low and dark. “Leverage, huh? That’s what we’re calling it now?”“Enough.” My voic

{Edmondo's POV}**I’m not a man who dwells on mistakes. Mistakes waste time, cost lives, and show weakness. But right now, as I step into the room and see her standing there… her small figure shaking, her hand clutching that swimsuit… I know I’ve fucked up.I don’t know how she found it. My control room is always cleared after every use, swept meticulously by Giovanni’s team. No trace of anything or anyone remains. But somehow, this… Agata’s swimsuit… ended up there, and now Cara’s staring at me like I’m the devil incarnate.“Cara…” I begin, my voice steady, controlled, but I don’t get any further before her palm cracks against my face.The slap doesn’t hurt. I’ve taken worse from men twice her size. But this? It hits somewhere else. Somewhere deeper.“You bastard!” she spits, her voice breaking.I stand still, letting her have this moment, letting her pour out whatever she needs to. I can see the fire in her eyes, the anger fighting with hurt. Her tears are right there, trembling

{CARA'S POV}**I don’t wait for the door to fully close behind him. The second Edmondo steps out, I’m already moving. The air in the room feels suffocating, thick with his lies and my anger. My chest tightens, and I need to get out; now.I grab the first piece of clothing I can find, some oversized coat draped across a chair, and wrap it around myself. It smells faintly of him; wood smoke and leather. But I push the thought away. This isn’t the time to let his shadow consume me. I take off the heels and make sure my feet is bare. Staying quiet while running away is the smartest I can do.The door isn’t locked. Stupid of him. Or maybe he didn’t think I’d dare. Either way, I slip out silently, my bare feet padding against the cold floor.The house is a labyrinth, dark and full of whispered dangers. Well, and the weapons. The walls seem to lean in, and every creak of the floorboards echoes like a warning. I have no idea where I’m going, but anywhere is better than here.A distant v

{CARA'S POV}**The sharp, acrid smell of something burnt jolts me awake, and I sit up with my little heart pounding. The dim room around me spins as I try to orient myself, my throat dry and aching."Shit," I whisper, clutching my head. Where the hell am I?I glance around the unfamiliar space. It’s small, barely furnished. And reeks of smoke. A charred pile of something sits in the corner near what looks like an old fireplace. The embers still glow faintly, casting eerie shadows on the walls.Then I hear it. My own name."Cara."I whip around, my pulse racing. Standing in the doorway is a young girl, no older than sixteen or seventeen. Her blonde pixie-cut hair gleams in the low light, and her wide green eyes lock onto mine with a mixture of curiosity and familiarity.“Who are you?” My voice is sharp, and I hate how shaky it sounds.The girl tilts her head, frowning. “Cara,” she repeats, like it’s supposed to mean something to me.My chest tightens. She knows my name.I force myse