Accueil / Mafia / The Silence Of His Vows / Chapitre 11 - Chapitre 20

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Chapter 11

I didn't sleep.I sat in bed all night, knees pulled to my chest, staring at the window.Waiting for him to come back.He didn't.But I couldn't close my eyes. Couldn't let my guard down.If you tell anyone, I'll slit your throat.The sky lightened slowly. Morning crept in through the curtains, gray and cold.I heard movement in the hallway outside my door.Staff. Footsteps passing by.I forced myself to stand.My legs were stiff. My body ached from sitting in the same position for hours.I went to the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face.When I looked in the mirror, I barely recognized myself.Red eyes. Hollow cheeks. Pale skin.I looked like I was dying.I changed into a high-necked dress with long sleeves and tried to smooth my hair.My hands were shaking.I was fastening the last button when the door opened.No knock.Volkov stepped inside.I turned, startled.He closed the door behind him and stopped, his eyes locking on me.For a long moment, he didn't move. Just stared.

Chapter 12

The formal parlor smelled of expensive cologne and scotch.I sat on the edge of a high-backed chair, knees pressed together, hands folded in my lap.My back still felt the ghost of Volkov's hand. The weight of it. The heat.Now that it was gone, I felt exposed.Volkov stood in the far corner, hidden in shadow. He hadn't moved since we'd entered the room.But I could feel his eyes on me.Watching. Assessing.Asset.Father sat in his leather armchair, swirling his drink, smiling at the two men across from him.Signor Rossi, a heavy man with small, hungry eyes.And Enzio, younger, sharper, representing the Moretti family."She is a vision, Dario," Rossi said, his eyes crawling over me. "Moretti is a fortunate man. Silence in a woman... it is a rare gift these days."Father laughed, warm and expansive."My Luna is special." His eyes softened as he looked at me. "She has a gentle soul. She understands the virtue of listening."He leaned forward, his voice full of pride."And the best part?

Chapter 13

I didn't sleep.I sat in bed all night, staring at the ceiling, counting down.Fourteen days.When the gray morning light finally crept through the curtains, I felt hollow. Exhausted. Numb.The door opened without a knock.Volkov stepped inside, already dressed in his black suit, looking like he'd never needed sleep at all.His eyes swept over me, taking in my appearance.The dark circles under my eyes. The way I was still sitting up in bed, blanket clutched around me."You didn't sleep," he said.It wasn't a question.I shook my head.His jaw tightened slightly. "That compromises cognitive function. You'll need to be alert today."He walked to my closet and pulled out a simple dress. Pale blue. High necked.He laid it on the bed."Get dressed. The dressmakers arrive in twenty minutes. You're behind schedule."He turned his back, giving me privacy to change.I forced myself to move, my limbs heavy and uncooperative.I changed quickly, my hands shaking as I fastened the buttons.When I

Chapter 14

I didn't sleep.Not with him sitting there in the darkness, listening to every breath I took.I lay on my side, staring at the curtains, watching the moonlight shift across the fabric as the hours dragged by.My body ached from staying still. My hip went numb. My shoulder throbbed.But I didn't dare move.Every time the mattress creaked, I felt his attention sharpen.Finally, when gray light started to seep through the curtains, I risked a glance at the chair.His eyes were closed. His head tipped back against the chair.He's asleep.Relief washed through me.I let out a quiet breath and shifted my leg slightly."Heart rate drops when the subject believes they're unobserved."I froze.His voice came from the darkness, rough and low.His eyes opened. Gray. Cold. Fixed on me.He hadn't been asleep."You think if you stay quiet enough, nothing will hurt you," he said flatly. "That's how prey thinks."He didn't move from the chair. Just watched me."Prey doesn't survive."I pulled the blan

Chapter 15

[Luna's POV]The storm hit three hours after dinner.Rain hammered against the windows like fists trying to break through. Wind screamed through the eaves, making the whole mansion groan. The sound was relentless, violent, like the building itself was under attack.I sat on the edge of my bed, hands gripping the silk duvet, watching the curtains ripple with each gust. Lightning flashed behind the heavy fabric, brief and white, illuminating the room in harsh bursts before plunging it back into shadow.Volkov was in his chair by the door.Always there now.He hadn't spoken since we'd returned from the ballroom training hours ago. Just sat in silence, cleaning his gun.The sounds filled the space between thunderclaps. Metal sliding against metal. The soft scrape of the cleaning cloth. The sharp click of the magazine sliding into place.Click. Snap. Slide.Over and over.Methodical. Precise.I watched him from the corner of my eye. His movements were economical, practiced. He didn't look a

Chapter 16

CRASH.Glass shattering.The sound came from the east side of the house. The dining hall.Volkov stopped mid-step.I crashed into his back."Two targets," he whispered. "East wing. Safe room's cut off."He turned his head slightly, speaking over his shoulder."Change of plan. We go to the sub-basement."He released my hand and grabbed my wrist instead. Direct control.He pulled me toward a narrow door I'd never noticed before, hidden behind a heavy tapestry.He kicked it open.Cold, damp air rushed out, smelling of mold and old stone.A staircase spiraled down into absolute blackness.We descended.The stairs were narrow. Steep. Uneven.I couldn't see anything. Just followed the pull of his hand on my wrist.My foot missed a step.I pitched forward.His arm wrapped around my waist instantly, catching me before I fell.For a second I was suspended in the air, held entirely by his strength, my feet dangling.I could feel his heart beating against my side through his shirt. Fast. Strong.

Chapter 17

[Luna's POV]The gunshot still echoed in my ears when I woke up.I opened my eyes slowly, staring at the ceiling. My whole body ached. Heavy. Like something had been pressing down on me all night.I lifted my arm into the pale morning light.Bruises.Dark purple marks where Volkov's fingers had dug in when he grabbed me during the drill. Five distinct fingerprints against my pale skin.They hurt when I touched them.But they were proof of something. That he'd grabbed me. That he'd pulled me away from danger.Even if the danger was fake, the reflex was real.I sat up slowly, the silk sheets sliding down.The armchair in the corner was empty.Volkov wasn't there.The room felt bigger without him. Colder. I pulled my knees up to my chest and looked around.He was always there when I woke up. Always watching.But not today.I climbed out of bed, my feet sinking into the soft carpet, and walked to the door. My hand reached for the handle.Locked.I pulled back.Right. I was locked in.I wen

Chapter 18

The basement gym smelled like cold iron and rubber.It was a huge concrete room with no windows. Just gray walls, exposed steel pipes overhead, and harsh fluorescent lights that buzzed constantly. The air was recycled, pumped through vents that hummed like mechanical lungs.I stood by the row of black machines, arms wrapped around myself.Volkov had given me workout clothes. Leggings and an oversized t-shirt that smelled like cheap laundry detergent. It was too big, probably stolen from someone's locker.He stood across the room by the weight rack.He'd taken off his suit jacket.I'd never seen him without it before. He wore a black dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His forearms were thick with muscle, covered in dark hair. A heavy watch on his left wrist caught the light.He looked different. More dangerous somehow.Without the suit, he looked like what he was.A weapon."The wedding dress weighs approximately fifty pounds," he said, adjusting weight plates on a ma

Chapter 19

"Drink. Slowly. If you vomit, you run again."The threat worked. I took small sips. The cold water shocked my overheated system. I drank half the bottle, my hands shaking as I held it.Volkov watched me. He looked... unsatisfied."You have no stamina," he said. "You've spent your life sitting in rooms being decorative. Your muscles are weak."He took the bottle from me."Stand up."I looked at him in disbelief. My legs were jelly."Stand up," he repeated, softer but still commanding. "Lactic acid is building up. If you sit, you won't be able to walk tomorrow. We need to walk it out."I forced myself up. My legs trembled violently. I swayed.He sighed through his nose.Stepped to my side and pulled my arm over his shoulder. Wrapped his arm around my waist."Walk."We walked slow laps around the gym. The monster and the broken girl.He took most of my weight, guiding me, forcing me to keep moving when all I wanted was to curl up and disappear.He stopped walking. Turned me to face him, h

Chapter 20

The knock wasn't Volkov's.His knock was heavy. Controlled. A single firm rap that made the door vibrate.This was different. Sharp. Hollow. The knock of someone afraid to deliver bad news.I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the empty armchair in the corner.It was past midnight.Volkov had left an hour ago for a perimeter sweep of the outer grounds. He'd told me he'd be back before dawn.Usually, when he was gone, I felt a small measure of relief. Space to breathe without being watched.Tonight, the empty chair made my skin crawl.I walked to the door and opened it.Maria, the head maid, stood there wringing her hands. She wouldn't meet my eyes."The Don requires you in the study, Signorina," she whispered to the floor. "Immediately."My stomach dropped.Midnight.Father never called for me at midnight unless the performance was over and the real work was beginning.I nodded, my throat closing up.I looked down at my nightgown. Too thin. I grabbed my silk robe and tied it tight a

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