Semua Bab Shadows of the Vow: Bab 181 - Bab 190

Lorenzo’s POVMy office smelled faintly of leather and espresso, the kind of aroma that reminded men like me that power could always be measured by comfort…and by cash.I sat across from Khalid Al-Mazroui, the man from Morocco. My walking clutch leaned against the wall beside my seat. The bandage still feels very heavy on my leg. The pain too was still fresh but numbed with the vaccine.Khalid Al-Mazroui was tall, sharp-eyed, the kind of man who moved trillions quietly but left the impression that every coin carried weight, influence, and consequences. Today, we weren’t just talking business. We were talking strategy.On the table lay a stack of cash so massive it could break the table—the payoff from Zanesville’s last deal. The largest transaction of my life. The sum was obscene to anyone else, but to me it represented leverage. Leverage that could open doors, silence threats, and bring even Antonioni D’Angélo to heel.Khalid’s fingers tapped against the edge of the table. “So this i

Nobody's POV   The sun barely touched the training yard when Diego moved with precision, Cristo at his side, eyes sharp.  Around them, twenty-one recruits tried to match his rhythm: Tolu stumbled, Zino was head-up, Jasmine fumbled her weapon, Sora frowned, but Diego didn’t pause. Dino, Jasper, Jason, Rachael, Mandy, Costa, Igalo, Lucia, Alejandro, Sofia, Ignacio, Camila, Diego Jr., Valentina, Javier, Carmen, Bruno, Emilia, Kafael, Elena, and Tomas all recruits they auditioned and took in many months ago, moved in unison, sweat dripping, muscles straining.  They were doing well but they were not yet perfectly trained. “Again!” Diego barked. He circled them, correcting stances and demonstrating strikes. Dino’s spin improved after a nudge. Jasper and Jason learned to anticipate, not react. Tolu lowered his stan

Antonioni's POV   The word had spread quickly: the governor who had promised clemency was coming to visit. Governor Fernando Castillo. We had heard whispers all morning, and now the heavy steel doors of La Fortaleza de Sombras creaked as his entourage approached.  My chest tightened. Weeks of confinement had left me cautious. Hope had to be measured, but today, hope had a voice. When he stepped before me, flanked by aides and security, he paused, bowed slightly, and then we hugged tightly.  I knew him. We’d done business together before. More than once, I’d covered tracks for him too, ensuring he stayed ahead while others took the fall.  Today, he was here to repay, in some small way, that past. “Mr. Antonioni! I apologize,” he said, voice steady. “For the

Antonioni's POV "Sir, please what would you like to eat?" Ruby's voice came through as the glass doors parted on their own.I didn't answer. I was still full of rage. To be honest, I suddenly wasn't feeling hungry. "Nothing, please," I said.She bowed and left without another word.The house became quiet again, the kind that presses against your chest until breathing feels like work. My men were still with me. They hadn't gone. None of them could.Bukky tried talking. Diego stood near the window, arms folded, watching me as I might break. Matteo paced. Milo said something… Something I didn’t even hear.Every nerve in me was still screaming from the weight of her absence. Bukky, Diego, Milo, Matteo—they were trying to distract me, but I barely registered their voices. I called each of them by name, one by one, forcing their acknowledgement.“Yes?” each answered.“Leave me,” I said, voice steady but cold. “Just… leave me alone for one minute. Please,” I added, quieter this time.That

Annabelle’s POVThe air felt different the moment we landed. It felt so cold, light, and good. Like the start of a new era.Like the weight I had been carrying for months had thinned just enough for me to breathe without thinking about it.Michigan.A place I had only ever dreamed of going to as a young girl. Before I met him.“Come,” my mother said softly beside me, adjusting the bag in her hand as we stepped out of the airport terminal. “The agent said he’s already close.”I nodded, pulling my coat tighter around me. My fingers were still cold, but it wasn’t just the weather. It was everything. The distance. The finality of everything.I was really gone. No turning back.The agent met us just outside, a polite man with a measured smile and efficient movements. Within minutes, our luggage, my boxes, my canvases, my life packed into corners, was being loaded into a vehicle.I watched carefully as they handled my things.“Please… those ones,” I said, pointing to the long, flat cases. “