Promises Unkept

Isabella Moretti, the spirited daughter of an Italian mafia boss, has always lived a life of luxury but dreams of freedom. Damian Volkov, the cold and ruthless heir to the Russian Bratva, hides a tragic past behind his icy demeanor. When their families arrange a marriage to secure a fragile truce, both feel like pawns in a deadly game. At first, they clash—Isabella defying the union and Damian seeing it as a mere duty. But after an assassination attempt throws them into danger, they are forced to rely on each other. As their partnership grows, they uncover a conspiracy threatening both their families, with betrayal coming from within. Through danger, bloodshed, and secrets, Isabella and Damian begin to see each other’s true selves, and their reluctant alliance turns into genuine love. Together, they fight to protect their families and rise above the chaos, discovering that even in the darkest world, love can be their strongest weapon.

I worked for a restaurant, and our boss loved making empty promises about giving us restaurant shares. The boss said we would start with zero shares, but we could earn 0.01% for every two hours of overtime, covering someone else’s work or saving the restaurant 1,000 bucks. I suggested she write this down in an official document and have someone track it properly. She just smiled and told everyone to work harder. She never actually put it in writing. The experienced staff did not believe her, but one prep cook took it seriously. At the end of the year, he went to the boss to claim his shares. The boss said, “Sorry, the head chef told me there’s no official document, so it doesn’t count. You can’t claim any shares.” The prep cook worked hard all year and got nothing for it, so he took his anger out on me. The day before I was going home for the New Year, he killed me with a knife. “If you hadn’t said it doesn’t count without an official document, this whole restaurant would’ve been mine!” I lay in a pool of blood. When I opened my eyes, I was back to the day the boss first made those empty promises.

At the annual company party, my boyfriend of three years openly flirted with the beautiful new secretary right in front of everyone. Without hesitation, I kicked him and his family out of my house where they had been freeloading for all this time. Humiliated and angry, he lashed out: "Sarah, this is all because you can't even get pregnant! Three years together and not a single child. If you just accept Amy in our relationship, you can still be the lady of this house!" Later on, his company was investigated for fraud. He ended up in prison, and to top it all off, it turned out the child wasn't even his to begin with.

Five years of marriage, and I was finally pregnant. I couldn't wait to tell Neil—until I heard his mom say: "When are you going to tell Angela? Cece's already showing. This family needs an heir." "Just give me a little more time. I'll handle it." I froze in the doorway, the ultrasound report burning in my pocket. Neil Schmidt, your promises mean nothing.

Seven years into their marriage, Bella got hit with a truth—Steven had a kid. A six-year-old. She crouched behind the preschool slide, barely breathing, as Steven bent down to scoop the boy up. "Daddy, you haven't come to see me in forever." "Be good, Ollie. Work's been crazy. Listen to your mom, alright?" Bella froze. Same face. Same eyes. It was obvious. Everything about them screamed it—The man who swore he'd love her forever had been cheating on her this whole time. Steven and Bella weren't just a couple. They were childhood sweethearts. She once took a knife for him. Nearly died. Lost their baby. Lost the chance to ever have one again. Steven had held her hand back then, eyes red, saying, "I don't care if we never have kids. As long as I have you, that's enough." She still heard the shake in his voice. Now? Every promise. Every memory. All of it—gone.

　　Eight years into my time with the Moretti family, I was both their most capable core member and Don Dominic's wife of three years—but we'd never actually signed the marriage contract. 　　Every single time we were about to go to City Hall to register, he'd ditch me for his female subordinate. 　　The first time, he left me waiting on the side of the road all day because she was sick and weak. 　　The second time, he dumped me halfway there because of one phone call from her. 　　After that, I got stood up again and again. 　　After being stood up for the seventeenth time, I decided to give them what they wanted. 　　I accepted the invitation to a top-tier medical project in Paris, packed my bags, and boarded a plane. 　　But when I actually left, he lost his mind...

The scent of betrayal still lingered in the air. She had loved him—trusted him—only to find him tangled in the arms of another woman, right in their own apartment. Years of devotion shattered in an instant. Heartbroken, she ran, seeking solace in the numbing haze of a bar. But instead of forgetting, she found danger. Drugged and vulnerable, she was saved by a man whose presence was as commanding as it was terrifying. When morning came, she fled. But fate wasn’t done with her. Because the man she had escaped from… was now hunting her down. And he never lost.

At seventeen, love feels infinite and endings feel impossible. Arielle never planned to fall in love during her final year of high school. Noah never planned to let his guard down. But when quiet glances turn into late conversations and unspoken feelings surface, they find themselves caught in a connection neither of them is ready to name or walk away from. Set against the fragile edge of senior year, Promises We Made at Seventeen is a slow-burn, dual-POV romance about first love, fear, and the weight of choices made too young to fully understand, yet too deep to ignore. As expectations, rumors, and the future press in, Arielle and Noah must decide whether honesty is worth the risk and whether promises made before adulthood can survive what comes after. Tender, dramatic, and emotionally raw, this story explores what it means to love someone while still learning who you are, and how some promises no matter how small can change the course of a lifetime.

"I, Alpha Kai Xander of Blue Crest pack, denounce you, Ariel as my mate," My world came crumbling down my feet as I stare at the man I have spent these recent years of my life, worshipping and loving like he was my god. The man that gave me nothing, but assurance that we will eventually end up together as mates. Was I a joke to him? Did he say all those words to me to get in between my legs? "What are you saying, alpha?" I need someone to wake me up from this nightmare which I so much not want to be reality. "What about the promises you made to me? You told me you would be with me forever. You told me you loved me..." "This is your fate, Ariel. Promises are made to be broken, and you have no right to question my decision. You are nothing, but a stranger that knows nothing about her origin. What were you expecting? Take you as my mate and spend the rest of my life being insulted by people? Never!" As if those words means nothing, as if it won't hurt me, he spills them out, while I stand here staring at him with my mouth agape. Now, that's it. Promises are made to be broken, but I never imagined he'd break his to me. Where do I start from?

Kaden Zacarias and I have been together for a decade. He gives me all his love throughout that time. But one day, I see the news of him marrying Gwendolyn Crawford as part of a marriage alliance. He tells his friends, "I'm only fooling around with Ella—does she think I'll actually marry her? It's not like my parents will ever agree to it. I can just keep her around as a mistress after getting married. Remember to keep your mouths shut about this." Our decade-long love goes up in flames, but I don't question him. Instead, I call my father with a withered heart and say, "I'll go through with the marriage alliance. I'll leave the country."