Semua Bab Captive Princess: Bab 11 - Bab 20

Vincent walked out of the family meeting in Chicago and loosened his tie. Three straight days of negotiations over a weapons smuggling route were finally over. The Torrino family’s territory was his.He turned on his phone, which had been off for the entire seventy-two hours.Countless unread messages flooded the screen. Ninety-nine from Isabella, and one from Sophia.Vincent’s thumb moved on its own, tapping on Sophia’s message.[Transfer Received: $873,000][Memo: Settlement for medical, lodging, and miscellaneous expenses.]Nothing else.Vincent’s brow furrowed. He almost laughed, a humorless sound of frustration. His long fingers tapped out a reply.[You think I need your money? Do we really need to settle accounts like this?]He sent the message and stared at the screen for ten minutes.Usually, Sophia replied the second he texted, sometimes just to send a single, defiant punctuation mark.This time, the chat window was utterly silent.Vincent dialed her number."We're sorry, the

Isabella stood a short distance away, dressed in a pure white gown, looking fragile and delicate.It wasn't Sophia.Before Vincent could react, Isabella threw herself at him. He looked at the white figure in his arms, his body tensing almost imperceptibly.Vincent gently pushed her away, his voice laced with a carefully measured distance. "What are you doing here?"Isabella looked up, her eyes shining with anticipation. "I asked Marco for your flight details. I came especially to pick you up." She bit her lip, her expression turning wounded. "Vincent, aren't you happy to see me?""I am," Vincent said, adjusting his cuffs and avoiding her outstretched hand. "But it's windy out here. You're still weak; you can't catch a chill.""Thanks to the medical team you arranged, I'm fully recovered," Isabella said, twirling so her white skirt fanned out like petals. She suddenly grabbed his sleeve. "Vincent, if you're not in a rush, can you come somewhere with me? I have something I want to tell y

Vincent froze as if struck by lightning, his fingers tightening on his phone. "What did you say?!"Just then, the car entered a tunnel, the signal cut out, and the call dropped."Turn around! To the Romano estate! Now!" Vincent's voice was terrifyingly cold, his eyes churning with a rage he had never shown before.Marco was so startled he nearly lost control of the wheel, quickly executing a U-turn. He had never seen Vincent like this—the usually composed Boss now had bloodshot eyes and a jaw clenched so tight it looked ready to shatter.The convoy sped to the Romano estate. Vincent kicked the front door open and stormed inside.Don Romano was sitting on a leather sofa, sipping whiskey. He was so shocked he almost dropped his glass. "Vincent? What are you doing here?""You married Sophia off to someone in Boston?" Vincent bit out each word.Don Romano paused, then gave an obsequious smile. "I did. Three days ago. You were always complaining about how much trouble she was, right? And th

"Ten years ago, at the yacht party in the Hamptons...""Have you forgotten who you saved?"Sophia froze, her memory pulled back a decade. At that party, she had been on the deck when she heard a splash. A young boy had fallen overboard. Before anyone else could react, she had dived in after him.The water was ice-cold, but she swam desperately toward the struggling figure. After swallowing several mouthfuls of seawater, she finally dragged him back to the deck."Are you okay?" she'd asked, soaked to the bone but ignoring herself as she knelt to perform first aid.The little boy coughed up water and opened his eyes, his lashes beaded with moisture. She had taken off her jacket and wrapped it around his shivering body. "Hey, kid. Be more careful next time."The boy had clutched her jacket, his eyes shining like stars....Sophia snapped back to the present, staring at Alexander in disbelief. "That little kid who fell in the water... that was you?!"The tips of Alexander's ears flushed. "

The day before the wedding, Sophia sat at the vanity in the bridal suite, her fingertips tracing the diamonds on her wedding dress. The sun was shining, and staff bustled outside, preparing for the ceremony. Everything seemed perfect.A soft knock came at the door."Princess?" Alexander entered, holding a cup of warm herbal tea and a small, elegant velvet box. He was dressed in a well-fitted black suit, his eyes impossibly gentle."You barely touched your breakfast," he said, placing the cup beside her.Sophia looked up, a small smile on her lips. "Is this Alexander's way of disciplining me?""I wouldn't dare." He leaned down and handed her the box. "I'm just worried you'll be hungry."Sophia opened the box. Inside were exquisite pieces of Italian chocolate."I heard you used to love the chocolates from this shop," Alexander said softly. "I had them flown in from Milan."Sophia paused, surprised. She was about to speak when the estate's security alarm began to shriek."What's going on?