All Chapters of Vows of Ruin: Til vengeance do us part : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

53 Chapters

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

CARMELA'S POVFour days of staring at the same four walls. Four days of guards outside my door. Four days of being escorted to the bathroom like a fucking criminal.I sat on the edge of the bed, my knee bouncing restlessly.Gabriele thought he'd won. Thought locking me up would stop me from destroying him.The arrogant bastard had just made a critical mistake.He'd given me time. And nothing to do but think.And what I'd been thinking about was Elena.Her investigation into Marco. The notes Gabriele had mentioned in his own files. The evidence she must have gathered before she died.Evidence that had to be somewhere in this house.I'd searched before—briefly, cautiously, always aware that someone might notice.But now I had guards watching my every move. I couldn't just wander the house looking for hidden journals.I needed to be smarter.I needed to escape this room without them knowing.I studied the guards' patterns for three days.They rotated every six hours. Two men at a time, s

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

CARMELA'S POVI woke up to the sound of voices outside my door.This was not the usual guard chatter. This was different. I sat up, listening."—Don't care what your orders are. I'm family. Open the fucking door."Marco.I glanced at the closet where Elena's evidence was hidden, then at the clock.8:47 AM.I'd gotten maybe three hours of sleep after the ledge crossing. My body still ached from the climb, my fingers scraped raw from gripping the stone.But my mind was sharp. Clear.And now Marco was at my door.Interesting timing.The door opened. Marco stepped inside, dismissing the guards with a wave."Mrs. Conti. Good morning."I stayed in bed, pulling the sheet up slightly. Let him feel awkward about barging in while I was still in my nightclothes."Marco." My voice was flat. "To what do I owe the pleasure?""I wanted to check on you." He closed the door behind him. "See how you're... adjusting to your new accommodations.""How thoughtful." I didn't move. Didn't invite him further

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

CHAPTER THIRTY THREECARMELA'S POVSome days after Marco's visit, the guards knocked on my door."Mrs. Conti. You have a visitor."I looked up from the book I was pretending to read. "Who?""Your father."My heart jumped.Papa."Let him in."The door opened, and my father walked into the room.He looked exactly as he always did—impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, gray hair perfectly styled, his expression calm and controlled.The guards closed the door, giving us privacy.For a moment, we just stared at each other.Then his expression softened. "Carmela.""Papa." I stood, and he crossed the room in three strides, pulling me into a hug.I hadn't realized how much I needed it until that moment.His arms were solid. They felt safe and familiar.For just a second, I let myself be his daughter again. Not the Don's wife. Not the vengeful sister-in-law. Just Carmela.Then I pulled back."Are they listening?" I kept my voice low.He shook his head. "I swept the room before I came in. No dev

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

CARMELA'S POV One week later"You're free to move around the house."I looked up from the book I was reading. Angelo stood in the doorway, the guards behind him already stepping aside."What?""Don's orders. You're no longer confined to your room." He gestured to the hallway. "Though you still can't leave the estate without permission and escort."I set down the book slowly. "Why?""You'd have to ask him that." Angelo's expression was unreadable. "But you've been... cooperative this past week. No incidents. No attempts to contact anyone. The Don has decided to ease the restrictions."Cooperative and compliant. How Papa told me to behave."I see." I stood. "Thank you, Angelo."He nodded and left.I walked to the doorway and looked out into the hallway.There were no guards.I could walk freely now. Go to the kitchen. The library. Anywhere in the house.A week ago, this would have felt like a victory.Now it just felt hollow.I'd spent seven days playing the perfect prisoner. Quiet as

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

CARMELA'S POV I couldn't wait anymore.Two weeks of silence. Two weeks of my father promising to investigate, to build a case, to make Marco pay.And nothing.I'd played the compliant daughter. The obedient wife. I'd done everything he asked.But I needed to know what was happening with the evidence. With the investigation.I needed to know my sister's murder wouldn't go unanswered.So I went to find him.My father kept quarters on the estate—a suite of rooms in the south wing that he used when he stayed over for extended famiglia business. As consigliere to Gabriele, he was here often enough that it made sense.I walked through the hallways with purpose, no longer confined, no longer followed by guards every second.When I reached my father's door, two guards stood outside.Not Gabriele's men. My father's."Mrs. Conti." One of them nodded. "Can we help you?""I'm here to see my father.""He's not available at the moment. He's out on famiglia business."I felt frustration rise in my

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

CARMELA'S POVTwo weeks laterIt's been two weeks of me playing the perfect wife.Two weeks of compliance and obedience.Two weeks of waiting for my father to contact me. To give me an update. Still nothing.He'd left the country ten days ago. Consigliere business, Angelo had said. Important famiglia matters that required his personal attention.He'd be gone for at least another week.Which meant I was alone. Trapped in this house with Marco, with Gabriele, with no evidence and no plan and no fucking idea if my father was actually investigating or if I'd just handed him the only proof of Elena's murder and he'd buried it.The panic was constant now. A low hum beneath my skin that never went away.I'd fucked up. I knew I'd fucked up.But I didn't know how to fix it.So I did what my father had told me to do: I waited. I played the part. I acted like the obedient daughter, the compliant wife.And I felt myself going insane.Gabriele had noticed the change, of course. He watched me const

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

CARMELA'S POV “If I wanted you dead, Gabriele, I wouldn't use poison.”“What would you use then?”“My hands. I'd watch the life leave your eyes.”“How romantic.” He said dryly.“I thought you'd appreciate the intimacy.”He laughed out, low and rough. “You're insane.”“I'm bored. Not insane.”“You could leave?”“I could walk out that front door and just go?”“No. But you can try. I'd enjoy watching my men drag you back.”“How romantic.” I returned his words.He smiled, sharp and dangerous. “I thought you'd appreciate the intimacy.”I felt my pulse kick up. I hated that he could do that with just a look.He finally took the cup and drank the tea.“See? You're fine. No poison.”“It could be slow-acting. I could drop dead in an hour.”“Whatever you think.”“I think I know why you're here.” He said looking at me with a heated gaze.“Which is?”"I think you're here because you're lonely. Because your father's gone and you have no one else to talk to. Because Marco scares you and I'm the le

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

GABRIELE'S POV Blood.So much fucking blood.It poured from Carmela's mouth, staining my shirt, my hands, the floor beneath us.Just like—No. Don't think about Elena lying in that hospital bed, dying while I held her hand and promised her she would be fine.Lies.I couldn't save her.And now, Carmela—“ANGELO!” I roared, cradling her limp body. “Get the fucking doctor! NOW!”The door burst open. Angelo took one look at the scene and his face paled.“What happened?”“Poison. The tea was poisoned. Get Dr. Miguel here immediately. And I want every single member of the kitchen staff in the basement NOW.”“Yes, Don.” He was already pulling out his phone, barking orders.I looked down at Carmela whose face was pale and her lips were stained with her blood. Her chest was barely moving.Not again.I'd failed to protect Elena.I won't fail again.“Stay with me,” I said, my voice rough. “Don't you fucking die on me, Carmela. You hear me?”But she didn't respond. She didn't move. She just ble

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

GABRIELE'S POV"Sorry doesn't bring her back if she dies." I squeezed harder. His face was turning purple. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't snap your neck right now.""Don." Angelo's voice. Calm. "He can't answer if he can't breathe."I released him. He collapsed to the floor, gasping."Get up," I ordered.He struggled to his feet, still gasping."Did you see anyone?" I asked again. "Anyone at all? Even a shadow? A movement?""I…maybe…I'm not sure…" He was hyperventilating now. "There might have been someone. In kitchen whites. But I thought it was one of the servers—""Man or woman?""I don't know. I didn't see their face.""Tall? Short? Anything?""Medium height, maybe? I'm sorry, Don. I really wasn't paying attention—"I pulled my gun and shot him in the foot.The sound was deafening in the enclosed space.He screamed, collapsing to the ground, clutching his bleeding foot.The others screamed too. Backed against the wall."That," I said calmly, "is what happens when you don't p

CHAPTER FORTY

CHAPTER FORTYGABRIELE’S POVThe monitor spiked and a sharp, irregular beeping cut through the room.Dr. Miguel cursed under his breath. “Her heart rate—”“What’s wrong?” My voice came out low. “It’s destabilizing. The toxin is still affecting her rhythm.”Carmela’s chest rose too fast. Her body shook with tremor. This was not right. Nothing about this was right.“Fucking do something!,” I growled.“I’m trying—”“Try harder.”He moved quickly, adjusting the IV, injecting something into the line. The machine let out another sharp, uneven sound.For a second… Everything in the room narrowed to that sound.That fucking sound. That fucking sound that kept haunting me in my dreams. My jaw tightened.No. No. No.“Come on,” he muttered. “Come on…”The beeping dragged slowly. Till…It evened out.It evened out but Carmela was not steady. She was barely alive.Dr. Miguel exhaled, shoulders dropping slightly. “She’s holding on. For now.”For now.I stepped closer to the bed.Her face hadn’t c

1 2 3 4 5 6

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP