All Chapters of A Vow Written in Blood : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The broken crown was not a place. It was a person. Caterina Russo had once been engaged to Gabriel. Their engagement ended six months before his supposed death, after Gabriel publicly accused her father of stealing from the Romano family. Nobody had seen Caterina since. Dante found her living under another name in a coastal town three hours away. They arrived after dark. The address belonged to a weathered cottage overlooking the sea. Dante ordered his guards to remain near the road while he and Alessia approached alone. A woman opened the door before they knocked. Caterina’s once-long hair had been cut to her chin. A thin scar crossed her eyebrow, and the pistol in her hand remained steady. “You took too long,” she told Dante. Alessia stepped forward. “Where is my brother?” Caterina looked at her. Then she lowered the weapon. Inside, a fire burned beneath an old stone mantel. Medical supplies occupied one corner, and the remains of dinner sat on a table set for two. A f

Alessia stood before the mirror while three women adjusted the final layers of her gown. The dress was ivory rather than white. Delicate lace covered her arms, and the fitted bodice gave way to a skirt that moved like water around her feet. A knife rested against her thigh. Two pistols had been sewn into hidden pockets. Isabella fastened an antique diamond necklace around Alessia’s throat. “It belonged to Dante’s grandmother.” “It’s beautiful.” “She shot her first husband.” Alessia met Isabella’s gaze in the mirror. “Why?” “He attempted to poison her.” “Did he survive?” “Briefly.” Alessia touched the diamonds. “A comforting wedding tradition.” Isabella smiled. “You’ll fit into this family perfectly.” Gabriel entered after the other women departed. He wore a black suit, though weakness still affected his movements. Caterina waited outside the suite, watching him with the protective attention of someone who had spent years keeping him alive. Brother and s

The doctor placed seventeen stitches in Dante’s shoulder. Alessia remained beside him throughout the procedure, still wearing her bloodstained wedding gown. She rejected every suggestion that she change until the doctor confirmed the bullet had caused no permanent damage. When they were alone inside Dante’s bedroom, she used Gabriel’s knife to cut through the ruined fabric. The ivory dress pooled around her feet. Dante watched from the bed, his arm secured in a sling. “You should rest,” she said. “I am resting.” “You’re staring.” “I was shot at my wedding. I’m entitled to one pleasant experience.” Alessia stepped out of the gown wearing the silk beneath it. Dante looked pained. “Is your shoulder worse?” “My shoulder is irrelevant.” She disappeared into the bathroom and returned wearing one of his black shirts. Its hem reached the middle of her thighs. Dante’s gaze darkened. “You’ve lost blood,” she reminded him. “Not enough.” Alessia crossed the room

The city courthouse had been abandoned after a fire fifteen years earlier. Its stone walls remained blackened, and most of the windows were boarded over. The scales of justice hung crooked above the entrance. Alessia arrived beside Dante. Gabriel had insisted on accompanying them. Caterina remained close to him, carrying enough weapons beneath her coat to start a small war. Enzo waited inside a neighbouring building with Moretti soldiers positioned throughout the surrounding streets. Viktor stood inside the ruined courtroom. He had brought only four men. “You were instructed to exchange Gabriel,” he said. Dante stepped slightly in front of Alessia. “You don’t issue instructions to me.” Viktor looked at Gabriel. “You possess the second encryption key.” “And you possess the ledger,” Gabriel replied. “A copy. The original was taken from the warehouse.” “I released it,” Caterina said. Everyone looked at her. She smiled coldly. “Did you believe I protected Gabri

Gabriel was found six hours later. A collapsed service shaft had protected him and Jonathan Hale from the worst of the explosion. Enzo’s men reached them shortly before dawn. Hale was unconscious with a fractured leg. Gabriel had used his body to shield the man who had tried to kill them. When Alessia arrived at the hospital, her brother was sitting upright while a doctor stitched a wound across his forearm. She stopped in the doorway. Gabriel smiled. “You look disappointed.” Alessia crossed the room and struck his uninjured shoulder. He winced. “There she is.” Then she threw her arms around him. “You cannot keep returning from the dead. It’s becoming emotionally exhausting.” “I’ll try to be more considerate.” Dante spoke with Enzo near the window. Hale had been placed under guard in another wing, surrounded by federal officers from outside his network. Matteo’s delivery had worked. Evelyn Price released the body-camera recording across every major news platform. By morn