Semua Bab HIS STOLEN PRIDE: Bab 1 - Bab 10

The rain came down in silver sheets, soaking through Elena Romano’s thin jacket as she hurried across the narrow bridge. Her father’s voice still rang in her ears, sharp and urgent over the phone:“Come home. Now.”It wasn’t unusual for him to demand her presence, but tonight there had been something in his tone that unsettled her. Fear, maybe. Desperation. He had many enemies, and Elena had long ago stopped pretending not to know what kind of man her father really was. The Romano family thrived on secrets and blood deals, and Elena had spent her life trying to distance herself from it.The streets were nearly empty, the storm keeping even the city’s night crawlers indoors. She tightened her hood and quickened her steps, her shoes slapping against wet pavement. The sooner she got home, the sooner she could lock her door and shut out the world her father kept dragging her into.A low hum of an engine pulled her attention. A black car slowed beside her, its windows tinted dark. Elena’s s

The whisper jolted Elena upright.“Elena… don’t make a sound. I’m here to get you out.”Her heart slammed against her ribs. She crouched close to the wall, voice trembling.“Who are you?”“A friend of your father’s,” came the hissed reply. “But you must listen. De Luca plans something called the Blood Vow. It’s not marriage—it’s worse. It binds you to him before his men. Don’t let him mark you.”Elena pressed her palm to the wall, as if she could reach through it.“How do I stop it?”“You can’t. Not now. But when the moment comes, stall him. I’ll be there.”Footsteps thundered in the corridor. The whisper vanished. Elena darted back to the bed just as the door opened.Alessandro entered, flanked by two guards. His black shirt was buttoned to the throat this time, his expression unreadable.“You’ve had visitors?” he asked quietly.Her pulse jumped. “Visitors? I don’t know what you mean.”“Good answer.” He motioned for the guards to leave. When the door closed, his eyes pinned her in pl

Elena’s heart skipped. The woman’s whisper came again, urgent but quiet.“Come on. We don’t have much time.”Elena hesitated, glancing back at the wounded driver slumped against the wall. His eyes were barely open now, his breathing shallow. She wanted to help him, but the fear in the stranger’s tone was sharper than pity.The woman stepped out of the shadows, her face half-lit by the dying fire. She looked about thirty, dark hair cut short, eyes the color of smoke. She wore a plain black coat that didn’t match the elegance of the mansion.“Who are you?” Elena asked.“Someone who’s not supposed to be here,” the woman said. “Move.”Elena followed her into the narrow passage behind the bookshelf. The air smelled of dust and stone, like a forgotten cellar. They moved quickly, their footsteps muffled by layers of dust. Somewhere behind them, shouts echoed again—men searching the halls.“How did you find me?” Elena whispered.“Your father,” the woman said. “He sent word through a contact i

Darkness. Heavy, wet, suffocating.Elena tried to move, but stone and dust pressed down on her legs. The air was thick with earth and smoke. Every breath stung. She coughed once, the sound echoing down the collapsed tunnel. Somewhere above, rain still fell, muffled and distant.“Don’t move,” a low voice ordered.Alessandro.A dim light flickered—a weak phone screen. Its blue glow caught the edge of his jaw, streaked with grime and blood.“You’re alive,” she whispered.“Barely,” he said, pulling rubble away. “You passed out.”When her legs came free, she stood shakily. “Lucia?”His jaw tightened. “No sign of her. The tunnel collapsed before she reached us.”He looked up where the ceiling had caved in, rain trickling through the cracks. “We can’t go back. The only way is down.”The tunnel split ahead—one side blocked, the other sloping into darkness. She followed him downward. Their footsteps echoed, soft and steady. The air grew colder. She could feel the silence between them like a we

When Elena opened her eyes, everything was silver.Moonlight shimmered on black waves, the air thick with salt. She was lying on a stretch of wet sand, the world spinning around her. For a long time she didn’t move. Each breath tasted like metal and ocean.Then memory crashed back — the cavern, the gunfire, her father’s voice, Alessandro’s face just before the water took them both.“Alessandro!” she called, her throat raw.Only the wind answered.She pushed herself up, shivering. The beach stretched endlessly in both directions, hemmed by cliffs that looked like broken teeth. Waves hissed and retreated, leaving seaweed and pieces of shattered wood — remnants of the cavern.“Please,” she whispered. “Don’t be dead.”A sound behind her — a cough, low and ragged. She spun, heart racing.Alessandro lay half-buried in the sand a few meters away, soaked and pale but breathing. Relief hit so hard it made her knees weak. She ran to him, kneeling beside his still form.“Hey,” she said, shaking