All Chapters of Shadows of the Vow: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Annabelle’s POV“Please, Mr. D’Angélo, I just need more time!”Father's voice was hoarse, raw with desperation.On hearing his desperate tone, I paused.I stood outside my study, my grip on the doorknob, tightening. My heart was slowly beginning to race too.I had never seen my father so vulnerable like that before.I kept wondering to myself, trying to figure out the scene I was witnessing at the moment.“I have seen father feel pain, that was when mum died…I have experienced him being scared and uncertain, but that is always just for a few moments, in times of difficult decisions or situations…But I haven't seen him act this desperate before!” I thought to myself.Before Mama’s death (as we fondly called her), making the toughest decisions at home was so easy and simple for my father.Mama acquired so much power because she hailed from one of the wealthiest families in their local clan. This gave Father an edge in most situations when protection was needed.But then, she decided to

Annabelle's POV “You better not be playing a deadly game, Edward,” Antonioni warned Father before he stepped outside, with the other guard following him closely behind.I saw Father freeze in fear, with beads of sweat dripping down his face.They had returned in the shortest minutes, Antonioni's face looking fulfilled as if he had settled whatever the issue was outside. He fixed a piercing gaze on Father and me as he kept on adjusting the wristwatch on his left wrist. I just knew his patience was thinning and it was about time—the time I dreaded.I was right. His fierceness cut across my anxiety. “We'll be on our way now, Edward. Word will continually be sent to you as to how the marriage is going. Good bye man.”He took his leave after saying those last words. Walking majestically through the exit.Shockingly enough, father still couldn't utter a word. It's only that this time, he was able to lift his face from his hands, only gazing at Antonioni like a lost sheep. His eye bags w

Annabelle’s POVA few miles after we entered the coastal town, our car pulled through a park, and the massive iron gates that guarded the buildings opened ahead. The environment seemed like an upscale estate. My heart clenched with each opening, at the sight of the mansions we drove past. Exotic, a fortress, looming ahead. Armed guards. Security dogs. Security cameras. And… no way out.The car came to a halt in front of a big mansion, which appeared to be in the innermost part of the upscale estate.Still being treated like a criminal, the two men hauled me out of the car, and we headed into the exotic mansion. Our car was parked in front of it.On entering the mansion, which I had heard Antonioni call his “domain” on the phone, a few male guards lined up, all dressed well and bowing their heads low once Antonioni walked past them.We stepped into the elevator and came to the last floor, where it seemed like he had his penthouse. We walked through a hallway with different rooms

Edward's POV“Hmm…” I kept groaning in the armchair on which I had been sitting motionless since they took my daughter away. Annabelle did not deserve what I made her face, but I didn’t have an option. There was no way I could have paid off such a huge amount of debt I owed Antonioni.Looking at the disappointment in her eyes earlier reminded me of Scilla, my first wife. That was the same look in Scilla’s eyes the day I had asked her to go run some dirty operation on Antonioni, twenty-something years ago. I had gone to the club with Scilla (as usual) and had gambled against Antonioni, but I had failed woefully. I didn't know how I got to the point where I thought there was still a possibility of me winning and collecting all the money, even though he had won me in many rounds. It didn't happen. Instead, it left me with a huge debt. Antonioni, being a badass in the game, had taken his turns to win against me over and over. He had also done the same to almost everyone he played

Nobody's POVIn the basement, the Shadows loaded their guns, put on some gloves, and protected their heads, bodies, and legs. And they were very much ready for movement.The time was 4:32pm.They headed out, driving speedily on the highways like they owned the town. Of course they did.The two huge lorries followed the SUVs.When they got to Dock Twelve, the yard appeared deadened with silence.They say silence is the calm before the storm. But in the world of Shadows, silence usually means someone’s already dead, or about to be.When they stepped into the warehouse at Dock Twelve, the stink of ambush was heavy in the air. Diesel. Gun oil. Sweaty nerves. And betrayal.“Place looks dead,” Milo said, peering out from the SUV as they parked behind a stack of old shipping containers.“It’s not,” Antonioni replied calmly, stepping out of the vehicle. “They’re in there. Snakes always hide in silence before they bite.”He slowly, deliberately adjusted his black gloves. The cold metal Gloc