Semua Bab Shadows of the Vow: Bab 201 - Bab 210

Annabelle's POV I turned toward Antonioni.He was already sitting on the edge of the bed, coffee in hand, looking impossibly handsome, calm and perfect. My eyes traced him…his jawline, the tilt of his shoulder, the quiet authority he carried even in the morning. I've missed this… I shivered, both from desire and the familiarity of home.“Morning,” I murmured, voice thick with sleep and… everything from last night.“Good morning,” he replied, that teasing glint in his eyes that always made me melt.I couldn’t hold it in. Questions were piling up. “So… Patty Mama and Mama Espe?” My voice wavered slightly, a mix of concern and curiosity.He set his coffee down and sighed. “Patty Mama… the park doctors said she needed rehab. She’s already there. And Mama Espe…” He hesitated, letting the truth settle like heavy stones.“Oh my God!” I exclaimed, hands flying to my face. “So she’s… already in rehab?”He nodded. “It was the only way to keep her safe… and prevent more damage.”I sank onto th

Annabelle's POV   The cabin of the private jet hummed with low tension, the engines were too hummed beneath our feet.  Antonioni sat across from me, fingers tapping impatiently on the armrest. Around him, Milo, Diego, Bukky, Matteo and a few other soldiers from the Marina Park.  We all were busy checking our gear, the glint of weapons catching in the overhead light.  I adjusted the bulletproof vest strapped over my chest, feeling the weight, feeling the strange sense of power it gave me. “Everyone ready?” Antonioni’s voice cut through the hum, sharp and precise. “All set, boss,” Milo replied, eyes scanning his weapon again. Diego nodded, muttering, “Checked everything twice. They won’t know what hit them.” I swallowed hard, glancing at An

Annabelle’s POVThe door to the holding room A shut behind me with a heavy click. It echoed. Loud. Final.I stood there for a moment, my fingers tightening slightly at my sides, my breath uneven despite how calm I tried to appear.This is it.The air inside was colder than the rest of the Dome. Not just temperature… something else. Something that settled into your skin, making you aware of exactly where you were.Who you were about to become. She was already there. Chained. Seated.Head slightly tilted, dark hair falling across part of her face. But her eyes… when they lifted and met mine… They weren’t afraid.That unsettled me more than anything. So this is the kind of people we’re dealing with.I stepped forward slowly, every movement deliberate. Controlled.“Comfortable?” I asked, my voice quieter than I expected.She smiled. Actually smiled. A slow, knowing curve of her lips.“You don’t look like the type,” she said, her accent thick, her voice edged with something that felt like

Lorenzo's POVThe room was dim, shadows draping every corner. Khalid sat across from me, hands folded, eyes sharp but patient.Scales stood to my side, right hand ready as always, his presence a reminder of years of loyalty, muscle, and strategy combined.I leaned back, fingers drumming the table. I hadn’t healed well, but I’d asked the doctors to take off the bandages on my leg. I didn't like how the look of them on my leg made me look like a loser.My mind raced, circling Antonioni. That man, so precise, so untouchable. He thought he was untouchable. But every empire has its cracks, and I had the tools to find his own.“Khalid,” I said, voice smooth, controlled, “You need to bring the final strike. Make him pay the remaining amount. Because he'd paid something bigger before, he won't resist. Even if he does, make him know he's come far now and can't give up. Antonioni moves like he owns the world. But every move he makes is predictable if you know the pattern.”Khalid’s eyes flicker

Antonioni’s POVKhalid had just demanded the final payment. I wanted to snatch the voucher, end the discussion, and move forward, but then…there was Annabelle. That calm, infuriatingly controlled presence at the center of it all.I moved my hand, almost unconsciously, but she stopped me, not with a word, but by quickly taking the voucher. I didn't expect her to be able to stop me like this, and now, she tilted her head in a way that made me hesitate. Giving me an ‘I’m serious’ look.Then the slap came. Sharp and deliberate. My cheek stung, but it was more than pain. It was a challenge. I rubbed my jaw, trying to stay calm, to keep control. Control. That word, possession, dominance all twisted in my guts now. And yet she stood there, silent, defiant, unshaken.“I had to,” she said, and the softness in her tone grated at me more than anger ever could. “Just in case you’ve been charmed by Khalid.”Could she be right? Could it be that Khalid is defrauding me? Could it be that they were