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CHAPTER 39
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-04-22 00:22:27
Bab terkait
SHADOW OF VOW'S CHAPTER 40
Alessia Volkov The first thing I felt was cold.It seeped into my bones, clinging to my skin like a wet second layer. The air was damp, thick with mildew and rot. My head throbbed, every heartbeat pounding like a drum behind my temples. I groaned, trying to move, but my arms felt like lead.I was lying on concrete. Hard. Wet. My cheek pressed against it, and I could feel tiny stones biting into my skin. My wrists ached. Something dug into them—plastic? Zip ties. Panic fluttered in my chest, not full-blown yet, but creeping in around the edges.Where am I?Why can’t I move?And then it hit me—everything. The long day with Stassie. The drive home. The headlights in my mirror. The panic. The crash.And then—nothing.Until now.My eyes fluttered open, but I saw almost nothing. Darkness. Deep, suffocating darkness. The only light was a faint glimmer far off, like a single dying candle in the shadows. My entire body screamed for answers.A sound.Footsteps.Steady, calm, unhurried.My brea
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-23SHADOW OF VOW'S CHAPTER 41
Alessia volkovMy legs burned with every step I took, lungs heaving and heart pounding in my chest like a war drum. The cold night air stung my skin, and the uneven gravel beneath my feet bit into my soles, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. I had no plan, no direction—just one thought echoing through me like a desperate prayer:Run.I had made it out. I had struck him. I had escaped. But freedom had never felt so fleeting.Behind me, I could hear him.Marcello.Screaming. Cursing. Unhinged.His rage echoed off the metal walls of the warehouse like a beast unleashed from the depths of hell.My body ached, still sore and stiff from being bound. I stumbled through the overgrowth that surrounded the building, each branch clawing at my skin like nature itself was trying to pull me back into the nightmare I was trying to escape.Just a little farther, I told myself. Just a little more—A sharp yank on my arm pulled me backward.He had caught me.A scream burst from my lips, but it was cut shor
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-24SHADOW OF VOW'S CHAPTER 1
Alessia MorettiLos Angeles 5pmThe night air was thick with the scent of Los Angeles—gasoline, asphalt, and a hint of the ocean breeze that never quite reached our part of the city. My heels clicked against the cracked pavement as I made my way up the worn-out steps of our townhouse, exhaustion pressing heavily against my limbs. The weight of the day—a full schedule of classes, an endless group project, and a midterm looming over my head—made the sight of our familiar blue door almost comforting. Almost.A strange sense of unease curled in my gut as I reached for the handle. Something felt off. The porch light flickered ominously, and the house was eerily silent. Usually, my brother, Luca, would be sprawled on the couch, yelling at some basketball game on TV or complaining about his latest poker hand gone wrong.Tonight, there was nothing.A chill ran down my spine.I pushed open the door, and the scent hit me first—coppery, thick, unmistakable. Blood."Luca?" My voice wavered as I s
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-13SHADOW OF VOW'S CHAPTER 2
Alessia Moretti I stood frozen at the doorstep long after Nikolai Volkov had disappeared into the night. My body was stiff, my pulse erratic, my mind caught in an endless loop of disbelief and fury.Future husband.The words rang in my ears like a death sentence.My fingers curled into tight fists at my sides. This cannot be happening.A weak groan from inside the house snapped me out of my trance.Luca.I spun around, slamming the door shut behind me, and rushed back to where my brother was slumped against the couch. His face was pale, his breaths shallow, the bruises already darkening along his skin.“We need to get you to a hospital,” I said, grabbing a damp towel and pressing it gently against his bleeding lip.“No hospitals,” Luca muttered, wincing. “They ask too many questions.”I bit back a frustrated scream. “And what? You’ll just sit here and bleed out?”He offered me a weak smirk. “I’ve had worse.”“Jesus Christ, Luca!” I threw the towel down, pacing the small living room.
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-13SHADOW OF VOW'S CHAPTER 3
Nikolai Volkov I watched her, amused.Alessia Moretti had stormed into my penthouse like a woman marching to war, her chin high, her posture stiff with defiance. She reeked of desperation, though she was trying—badly—to mask it behind confidence.And now, she stood in front of me, offering terms.A marriage with a deadline.One year.I rolled the whiskey glass between my fingers, studying her. She doesn’t understand the game she’s playing.“You think you can negotiate with me?” I asked, watching her closely.Her brown eyes, warm but filled with fire, didn’t waver. “I know I can.”Interesting.Alessia had always been a contradiction. She despised me, but she was also the only one who had ever dared to challenge me. Even as a child, she’d looked at me with those same defiant eyes, full of hatred, full of fire.And now, here she was, trying to outmaneuver me in my own game.I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees, my gaze locked onto hers. “And what makes you think I’d agree to
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-13SHADOW OF VOW'S CHAPTER 4
Alessia Moretti I should have been used to walking into a room and feeling like prey.Growing up as a Moretti meant constantly being watched—by allies, by enemies, by people who wanted something from you. But this? This was different.This was suffocating.Everywhere I turned, another pair of eyes lingered on me. Some with curiosity, others with envy, but most with satisfaction. Like they were enjoying the spectacle of my downfall.Because that’s what this was.An arranged engagement. A forced marriage. A cage.And I was the perfect little bird trapped inside it.I stood next to Nikolai, my soon-to-be husband—God, even thinking about it made me want to scream—as we walked through the extravagant engagement party he had thrown. It was a spectacle of wealth and power, full of people who knew exactly who Nikolai Volkov was and what he was capable of.Every time someone approached us, I had to force a smile, pretending I wasn’t silently plotting ways to ruin this man.Nikolai had been pl
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-13SHADOW OF VOW'S CHAPTER 5
Nikolai Volkov Power wasn’t given. It was taken. Earned through blood, fear, and ruthless decisions.I had learned that lesson early in life, watching my father build an empire from nothing but brutality and intelligence. He had no patience for weakness. No tolerance for mistakes. And he made sure I understood that if I wanted to survive—if I wanted to rule—I had to be worse than my enemies.Now, as I stood in my office, overlooking the city I controlled from the shadows, I knew I had succeeded.The skyline of Los Angeles stretched before me, an ocean of lights and opportunities. A kingdom built on financial schemes, underground dealings, and the silent threats that kept my competitors in line.This city didn’t belong to the politicians or the businessmen who thought they ran it. It belonged to me.And yet, for the first time in years, my mind wasn’t consumed by business.It was consumed by her.Alessia Moretti.The woman I had wanted for as long as I could remember. The woman who no
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-13SHADOW OF VOW'S CHAPTER 6
Alessia MorettiThe silence in the Moretti household had never felt this heavy.My fingers hesitated on the zipper of my suitcase, trembling slightly as I tried to force order into chaos—both in the bag and in my heart. My room looked like a storm had torn through it: clothes scattered across the bed, boxes half-filled, memories strewn across every corner of the space I had once called mine. Now, it was just a room. A temporary shell I was abandoning. I inhaled deeply and folded a soft ivory blouse, laying it neatly on top of a stack of carefully chosen outfits. Clothes I would wear in **his** house. Nikolai Volkov. I still hadn’t fully wrapped my head around the reality that I was going to live under the same roof as that arrogant, ruthless man. The man who had cornered my family into a deal disguised as marriage. The man I had hated since childhood—and somehow now, the man I was supposed to **belong to**. The thought left a bitter taste in my mouth. A sharp knock on my d
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-18
Bab terbaru
SHADOW OF VOW'S CHAPTER 41
Alessia volkovMy legs burned with every step I took, lungs heaving and heart pounding in my chest like a war drum. The cold night air stung my skin, and the uneven gravel beneath my feet bit into my soles, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. I had no plan, no direction—just one thought echoing through me like a desperate prayer:Run.I had made it out. I had struck him. I had escaped. But freedom had never felt so fleeting.Behind me, I could hear him.Marcello.Screaming. Cursing. Unhinged.His rage echoed off the metal walls of the warehouse like a beast unleashed from the depths of hell.My body ached, still sore and stiff from being bound. I stumbled through the overgrowth that surrounded the building, each branch clawing at my skin like nature itself was trying to pull me back into the nightmare I was trying to escape.Just a little farther, I told myself. Just a little more—A sharp yank on my arm pulled me backward.He had caught me.A scream burst from my lips, but it was cut shor
SHADOW OF VOW'S CHAPTER 40
Alessia Volkov The first thing I felt was cold.It seeped into my bones, clinging to my skin like a wet second layer. The air was damp, thick with mildew and rot. My head throbbed, every heartbeat pounding like a drum behind my temples. I groaned, trying to move, but my arms felt like lead.I was lying on concrete. Hard. Wet. My cheek pressed against it, and I could feel tiny stones biting into my skin. My wrists ached. Something dug into them—plastic? Zip ties. Panic fluttered in my chest, not full-blown yet, but creeping in around the edges.Where am I?Why can’t I move?And then it hit me—everything. The long day with Stassie. The drive home. The headlights in my mirror. The panic. The crash.And then—nothing.Until now.My eyes fluttered open, but I saw almost nothing. Darkness. Deep, suffocating darkness. The only light was a faint glimmer far off, like a single dying candle in the shadows. My entire body screamed for answers.A sound.Footsteps.Steady, calm, unhurried.My brea
SHADOW OF VOW'S CHAPTER 39
Nikolai Volkov She was late.And Alessia Volkov was never late.I stood in the middle of the penthouse, phone glued to my ear, heart hammering in a way I hadn’t felt since my father taught me what it meant to bleed for power. The Los Angeles skyline blinked mockingly through the floor-to-ceiling windows behind me, a cruel reminder that in this city of gods and monsters, people vanished every day.But Alessia wasn’t just anyone.She was my wife.She was my responsibility.And she wasn’t answering her goddamn phone.“Come on, pick up,” I muttered, pacing the length of the living room like a lion in a cage. Her call went to voicemail again. I ended it with a growl and immediately dialed Stassie.She picked up on the second ring. “Nikolai?”“Where is she?” My voice was sharper than I intended, but I didn’t care. Fear was a poison in my veins, and I was already overdosing.“What? I—wait, Alessia?” Her voice cracked. I could hear music in the background. People. Laughter. It sounded like s
SHADOW OF VOW'S CHAPTER 38
Alessia Volkov The day had been a rare kind of perfect. The kind that felt borrowed from another life. The kind of day I used to have before the name Volkov was stitched onto mine.Stassie had dragged me out of the penthouse at an ungodly hour, practically vibrating with excitement about our plans. “One last day of freedom before you’re officially a college graduate,” she’d said, tossing me a coffee and pulling me into the passenger seat of her car. It was the kind of energy only she had—the ability to cut through the storm clouds in my life and remind me of who I used to be.We started the morning with breakfast at The Ivy, where she made me laugh so hard I nearly spit out my mimosa. She recounted stories about her latest situationship, complete with dramatics and impressions, and I forgot for a moment that there was a shadow over my life. She kept saying I needed to “bask in my pre-graduation glow,” as if a ceremony and a gown could erase the scars beneath my designer clothes.Afte
SHADOW OF VOW'S CHAPTER 37
Alessia Volkov Marriage isn’t supposed to feel like this.It’s not supposed to feel like walking barefoot through a minefield, like waiting for the next invisible strike, like drowning in silk sheets that feel more like spider webs. Every step I take, every glance I cast over my shoulder, reminds me that I’m no longer just Alessia Moretti. I’m Mrs. Volkov now.And being a Volkov comes with a target I never asked for.I sit in the sunroom of Nikolai’s penthouse, the walls made of glass, letting the morning light pour in like liquid gold. But the brightness does nothing to warm me. My fingers twitch restlessly on my lap, my nerves on fire ever since the wedding.There’s a car parked outside that doesn’t belong to our usual security rotation. A man I didn’t recognize lingered too long in the café across the street yesterday. Zayn says it's probably nothing. Nikolai says it's handled. I say they’re both liars.And I hate how right I might be.I sip my tea, now cold. I’ve been holding the
SHADOW OF VOW'S CHAPTER 36
Dante MorettPower isn’t something you inherit. It’s something you seize. Something you bleed for. People like to romanticize legacy, talk about bloodlines and destiny, but all of that is noise. Pretty distractions. I’ve built my empire in silence, in calculated moves, in sacrifices most men wouldn’t stomach.Including my daughter.Yes, I gave Alessia to Nikolai Volkov. A contract wrapped in lace and signed in blood. Not because I wanted to. Because I had to. Family always comes first. Even when it destroys you.I sit behind the desk in my study, the city’s lights flickering like dying stars beyond the window. The glass in my hand is half-empty, like everything else in my life. Half full of victories. Half full of regret.Alessia thinks I betrayed her. Maybe I did. Maybe the moment I agreed to the terms with Volkov, I sold off the last piece of my soul that could still call itself a father. But that girl—she doesn’t see the battlefield. She only sees the wounds.And Luca… my son. My b
SHADOW OF VOW'S CHAPTER 35
The warehouse was quiet. Just the hum of the overhead lights and the soft scrape of my shoes on the concrete floor. Zayn stood near one of the worktables, rolling a coin between his fingers. That little tic always meant something was bothering him. I didn’t need to ask.Still, I waited.He didn’t make me wait long.“Alessia’s stalker isn’t just a shadow anymore,” he said, voice low but certain. “We’ve got something. Not enough to strike, but enough to feel the heat.”My jaw tightened. “Talk.”Zayn flicked the coin up and caught it again. “Surveillance footage. Cross-referenced timestamps from the gala, her usual haunts, even that little bookstore she likes.”“She hasn’t mentioned the bookstore to me.”“Because she doesn’t trust you yet.” He raised a brow. “Can you blame her?”I ignored the jab. “What else?”“One guy shows up three times in three different places. Always on the edge of frame. Never close enough to raise alarms. But too consistent to be coincidence.”I nodded slowly, pi
SHADOW OF VOW'S CHAPTER 34
Alessia Volkov The air felt heavier than usual. Like something thick and unspoken had settled over the city, clinging to the windows and walls of the penthouse. I stood at the edge of the balcony, wrapped in a robe, hair twisted into a loose bun, fingers curled around a cold glass of water I hadn’t touched in ten minutes.Behind me, the doorbell echoed faintly. Once. Twice.I didn’t move. Didn’t turn.I knew who it was.Nikolai had stepped out earlier for meetings—of what nature, I didn’t care to ask—but his absence made it easier for my father to come slithering back in. Roman had called to let me know Dante was downstairs, waiting.I should have said no.I didn’t.When the door opened, I didn’t need to look to feel him enter. The presence of Dante Russo always came with the scent of expensive cologne, finely tailored disappointment, and shadows.“You look thin,” he said casually. “Is he feeding you?”“Not now, Papa.”I turned to face him slowly. He looked older. Or maybe just more
SHADOW OF VOW'S CHAPTER 33
Nikolai Volkov The morning sun had no right to shine as brightly as it did.It poured into the penthouse like liquid gold, draping the marble floors and high ceilings in warmth that I didn’t feel. Alessia sat by the window, wrapped in a silk robe that was too pristine for how sharp her mood had been since she woke. Her hair was a cascade of dark waves over her shoulder, untouched since last night.She didn’t look at me.Coffee brewed in the background. The scent filled the room, but it didn’t mask the chill that had settled between us.“You didn’t sleep,” I said, my voice low.Alessia raised her cup to her lips without turning. “Didn’t know I had to report my sleep schedule to you now.”The sarcasm was immediate. Cutting. Familiar, yet more pointed than usual.I approached slowly, as if one wrong move would cause her to shatter.“Was it the bed?” I asked. “Or the idea of waking up next to me?”She glanced over her shoulder finally, eyes gleaming with something I didn’t like. “It was
