LOGINShare
CHAPTER 5
Last Updated:
2025-03-13 22:38:20Nikolai 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 now wore my ring.
She thought this was just a deal. A temporary arrangement. A means to an end.
She was wrong.
I never let go of what was mine.
And she had been mine from the moment I decided she would be.
A sharp knock pulled me from my thoughts.
“Enter.”
The door swung open, and Zayn Lancaster stepped inside.
My second-in-command. My best friend. My only friend.
Dressed in a tailored black suit, his dark blond hair slightly disheveled, Zayn had the look of a man who had just returned from doing something illegal. Knowing him, he probably had.
He smirked as he took a seat across from me, his usual air of amusement barely hiding the sharpness in his gaze. “I hear congratulations are in order.”
I didn’t react. “Did you handle the shipment?”
He exhaled dramatically. “Ah, straight to business. Not even a little celebration for your upcoming wedding?”
I stared at him.
He grinned. “Yeah, yeah. Shipment’s taken care of. The docks were clear. We moved everything without a hitch.”
Good.
That meant our latest supply of weapons had arrived safely.
The legitimate side of my business—Volkov Financial—was just a mask. A distraction. The real power came from what lay beneath the surface. Arms dealing. Money laundering. Controlling the black market trade that flowed through this city like a bloodstream.
And no one made a move without my permission.
Zayn leaned back, watching me. “So… Alessia.”
I clenched my jaw. “What about her?”
He smirked. “You’re really going through with this?”
I met his gaze. “You think I would’ve made the deal if I wasn’t serious?”
He chuckled. “Oh, I have no doubt you’re serious. I just can’t tell if this is about her or about making sure Dante Moretti owes you in a way he can’t ever escape.”
It was both.
Dante Moretti had been my father’s greatest rival before the armistice. Now, he was an aging man desperately trying to hold onto power. Marrying his daughter solidified my position—made it clear that the Volkovs weren’t just dominant in the streets, but in bloodlines.
But it wasn’t just about power.
It was about her.
I had spent years watching Alessia from the sidelines. Watching her grow into the woman she was now—brilliant, sharp-tongued, and completely unaware of how deeply she had embedded herself into my thoughts.
And now, she was mine.
Even if she hated me for it.
Zayn studied me. “You know she’s going to fight you at every turn, right?”
I smirked. “I’d be disappointed if she didn’t.”
He laughed. “You’re fucked, man.”
I exhaled, shaking my head. “Tell me about the Barros situation.”
Zayn’s amusement faded, replaced by something colder.
“They made another move last night.”
My grip on the glass in my hand tightened. “Where?”
“Downtown. One of our clubs.” He ran a hand through his hair. “They weren’t subtle. Three of our men got jumped. One of them is in critical condition.”
I placed my glass down with controlled precision.
The Barros cartel had been testing my patience for months now. Pushing boundaries, trying to encroach on my territory.
They had just made their biggest mistake.
Zayn sighed. “You want me to handle it?”
“No.” I leaned forward. “I want to send a message.”
His lips curled. “Loud and clear?”
I nodded.
Loud and clear meant bodies. Meant blood. Meant ensuring that no one dared to question who ruled this city.
Zayn grinned, already anticipating the violence. “Consider it done.”
I exhaled slowly, my mind already shifting to the logistics of our next move.
“Anything else?” I asked.
Zayn hesitated. “Yeah. There’s… something you should see.”
I arched a brow. “Go on.”
He pulled out his phone and tossed it onto my desk.
I glanced down at the screen.
And froze.
It was a photograph. A grainy, surveillance-style image.
Of Alessia.
At a café. Alone.
Being watched.
I lifted my gaze to Zayn, my blood turning ice-cold. “Where did you get this?”
He exhaled. “One of our guys picked it up on the black market forums this morning. Someone was selling intel on her.”
Rage burned through my veins.
“Who?” I demanded.
Zayn shook his head. “Haven’t traced it yet. But whoever it is, they know she’s important to you.”
A dark, primal fury settled deep in my chest.
Alessia wasn’t just a bargaining chip. She wasn’t just a Moretti.
She was mine.
And someone had just signed their own death warrant.
I stood abruptly, my chair scraping against the floor.
Zayn watched me carefully. “What’s the move?”
I clenched my fists, inhaling deeply before speaking.
“Find out who it is.” My voice was steel. “And end them.”
Zayn nodded. No hesitation. No questions.
He knew what it meant when I gave an order like that.
This wasn’t just business. This was personal.
I picked up my phone, dialing a number.
A gruff voice answered. “Yes, boss?”
“Double her security,” I said. “I want eyes on her at all times.”
A pause. Then, “Understood.”
I ended the call and exhaled slowly.
Zayn leaned back, studying me with a knowing look. “You’re in deep, man.”
I met his gaze, unflinching.
“She’s mine, Zayn.”
His lips quirked. “Yeah. I got that part.”
Silence stretched between us.
Finally, he pushed himself up. “I’ll take care of the Barros situation. And I’ll find the bastard who thought it was a good idea to put a target on your girl.”
I nodded once. “Make it hurt.”
He smirked. “Always.”
As he left, I turned back to the window, staring at the city below.
Whoever had tried to come after Alessia had made a grave mistake.
They didn’t just threaten her.
They threatened me.
And the last person who had done that was buried six feet under
Related chapters
SHADOW 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
Last Updated : 2025-03-18SHADOW 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
Last Updated : 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.
Last Updated : 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
Last Updated : 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
Last Updated : 2025-03-13
Latest chapter
SHADOW 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
SHADOW 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
SHADOW 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
SHADOW 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
SHADOW 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.
SHADOW 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
