LOGINShare
Fatal bond
Last Updated:
2025-01-01 16:16:41The Constantine mansion loomed before me, its marble columns casting long shadows in the setting sun. My hand trembled as I touched the ornate doorframe.
"Dear God." The vision hit like a hammer. *1985. Blood drips onto parchment. Five signatures seal a deal written in red.* "Are you alright?" Nicolas materialized beside me. "Fine." I straightened, forcing my hands steady. "Just remembering." His dark eyes studied me with that unnerving intensity. "Interesting choice of words." Inside, the grand conference room buzzed with tension. Five chairs waited around a mahogany table that had seen decades of deals and deaths. I took my seat, noting Elena's white-knuckled grip on her locket. Those twins she kept photos of – did she even realize how much danger they were in? Marcello Vitelli's sneer could've curdled milk. "A woman, representing the Salvatore family?" "Actually," I cut in, reciting from my vision, "Article Three, Section Seven of the 1985 accord specifically states that 'no family may challenge another's chosen representative, regardless of gender, age, or blood relation.'" The room fell silent. Nicolas's lips curved slightly. "How could you possibly know that?" Marcello sputtered. I met his gaze. "I do my homework." Adrian rose then, commanding attention like he always had. Maps unfurled across the table as he outlined his proposal. Eighty percent of the port, disguised as generosity. His eyes kept finding mine, searching for something. "If you'll excuse me." I needed air. The powder room offered brief sanctuary until Elena followed me in. "Stay away from my children." Her voice dripped venom. "Or what?" Heat built behind my eyes. "You'll tell everyone about my... special talents?" The mirror cracked. Elena stepped back. "Those girls deserve better than a mother who uses them as bargaining chips." Nicolas was waiting when I emerged. His study walls held surveillance photos – faces I recognized, some I didn't. He watched me examine each one. "Three traitors," he said softly. "Can you guess who?" I studied the photos, remembering touches, visions, secrets. "Ask me after dinner." The dining room sparkled with crystal and hidden daggers. Adrian stood, raising his glass. "Elena has agreed to be my wife." The cursed ruby glittered on her finger – my finger, once. My wine glass shattered. I fled to the library, but wasn't alone for long. "Miss Isabella?" Sofia's small voice startled me. Luna clung to her sister's hand. "Mommy's different now," Luna whispered. "Scary different." Sofia touched my hand. *Elena screaming, throwing things, the twins huddled together.* "I'll protect you," I promised. "Both of you." Raised voices drew me to a darkened hallway. Nicolas and Marcello, arguing about debts. They fell silent when I appeared. "Just discussing old business," Marcello said smoothly. Too smoothly. Adrian's voice rang out. "The wedding will be in 197 days." My heart stopped. He knew. Somehow, he knew about my deadline. The garden offered no peace. My fingers brushed Valentina's roses and— *Medical records. Genetic markers. "The baby can't be Adrian's—" Screeching tires. Impact.* I ran to Valentina's office, my hands shaking as I pried open her desk drawer. The false bottom yielded easily. The USB drive felt impossibly heavy. "Found what you're looking for?" I spun to find Adrian in the doorway, smiling that cold smile. "You killed her." The words tasted like ash. "Your own sister." He stepped closer. "The question is – who are you?" "Someone who knows the truth." I gripped the USB drive tighter. Adrian's laugh cut like glass. "Truth? In our world?" He moved closer. "Valentina thought truth mattered too." "Stay back." My voice didn't waver. "You know what's fascinating?" He circled me slowly. "How you appeared the moment Isabella vanished." "Coincidence." "I don't believe in those." His eyes narrowed. "Neither did Isabella." Footsteps echoed in the hallway. Nicolas appeared in the doorway, his presence filling the room. "Everything alright here?" His tone carried steel. Adrian's mask slipped back into place. "Just reminiscing with my dear sister-in-law." "The meeting's reconvening," Nicolas said. "We should return." I moved toward the door, but Adrian caught my wrist. "We're not finished." "Actually," Nicolas's hand closed over Adrian's, "you are." The tension crackled until Adrian released me. His smile never reached his eyes. "For now." Back in the conference room, Elena's gaze locked onto my hand – still clutching the USB drive. "Before we conclude," she announced, "I have concerns about the Salvatore family's... stability." My heart raced. She knew something. "Particularly," she continued, "regarding certain recent changes." Nicolas's hand found mine under the table. "Careful, Elena." She smiled like a shark. "I only mean to ensure all parties are... themselves." The room temperature seemed to drop. I felt the weight of every gaze. "Three days," Adrian declared. "We reconvene in three days to finalize everything." As the families filed out, Nicolas held me back. "What did you find?" I showed him the drive. "Valentina's insurance policy." His expression darkened. "Against?" "Everything." I met his eyes. "And everyone." Outside, thunder rolled across the sky. Three days to unravel years of lies. Three days before Elena exposed me. Three days to decide between revenge and love. The USB drive burned in my pocket like a promise. Or a curse.Related chapters
The Mafia Bride's 200 Days' To Justice    Chasing What Once Was
The fog came in thick off the canals and wrapped itself around my ankles like ghostly fingers. I stumbled against ancient stone, and Valentina's memories struck me like a blow. "Mama?" Sofia's small hand tightened in mine. "Your eyes look funny." "They're glowing," Luna whispered, pressing closer. The memory consumed me-Valentina racing these same streets, clutching papers that could destroy everything. My heart pounded with an echo of her desperation. "This way." The words came from somewhere deeper than thought. "Stay close." We turned down a narrow alley just as voices carried across the water. My blood went cold at the familiar cadence. "I could have sworn I saw her." Adrian Constantine's voice sliced through the fog. "With the children." I pressed the twins into a shadowed doorway, my body shielding them. Footsteps approached, measured and deliberate. "Valentina?" Adrian's tone was low, deadly familiar. "Out for an evening stroll?" I made myself turn, to face my killer we
Last Updated : 2025-01-01The Mafia Bride's 200 Days' To Justice    Twilight of Lies
The nightmare tore through my consciousness like shattered glass. Blood-soaked walls. Screaming children. Santa Muerte's skeletal form hovering over twin beds. "They're coming," the death saint whispered. I jolted awake, my skin glowing with an eerie blue light. The security monitors flickered and died. "Mommy?" Sofia's voice crackled through the baby monitor. "Luna's crying." Three explosions rocked the compound. The front gates groaned. "Stay in your room!" I grabbed my phone, already running. "Lock the door!" Gunfire erupted below. My hands trembled as death's familiar presence washed over me. Lieutenant Ramirez's voice crackled over the radio. "Main gate breach! Three vehicles!" "Status on the backup generator?" Nicolas demanded. "Non-responsive, sir." I reached the twins' room as heavy boots thundered up the stairs. Luna and Sofia huddled under their princess beds, eyes wide with terror. "Come here, mis amores." I pulled them close as the door splintered. T
Last Updated : 2025-01-01The Mafia Bride's 200 Days' To Justice    Deadly Dance
"You'll want to stay close to Nicolas tonight," the guard muttered as I entered the ballroom. "We've spotted three Council members." "Noted." I shifted, feeling the blade against my thigh beneath the burgundy silk. "And Elena?" "Grand staircase. Watching your every move." "Perfect." I scanned the room, keeping my smile fixed. "Just like the spider she is." "Mrs. Salvatore," another guard approached. "Security positions are set." "And the mirrors she's having installed?" "Positioned to reflect magical signatures. She's testing you." "Let her try." I moved forward, every step measured. "Have eyes on—" "Mama!" Twin voices pierced through my concentration. Sofia and Luna ran toward me, their matching platinum curls bouncing. They stopped short, faces scrunching in that peculiar way that meant they were seeing something they shouldn't. "Girls," I said, forcing Valentina's warm smile. "You look beautiful in your— "You're flickering," Luna whispered, reaching for my hand. "Like a ca
Last Updated : 2025-01-02The Mafia Bride's 200 Days' To Justice    Price of Power
"Look at me, child." The voice froze me mid-motion. Santa Muerte's reflection replaced mine in the bathroom mirror, her skeletal face inches from my own. "I'm not afraid of you." My hand shook, dropping the mascara wand into the sink. "You should be." Her bony finger pressed against my chest through the glass. "Your borrowed time runs short." White-hot pain exploded through me. "Stop—" "Watch," she said. "See what happens to those who steal death's gifts." Visions slammed into my mind. Women screaming. Bodies twisting. Valentina's power burning them from withinside. "I don't understand," I panted, holding tight to the sink's edge. "Why show me this now?" "With every channeling of her power, you feed her hunger." The voice of Santa Muerte echoed within my skull. "The original host is growing stronger." "I need these powers." You sound like your voice breaks. "Nicolas, the twins—they're in danger." "Love?" Her sockets seemed to stare into my soul. "Or revenge?" The mirror explo
Last Updated : 2025-01-02The Mafia Bride's 200 Days' To Justice    Double Edge
# Chapter 14: Double Edge The crystal wine glass slipped from my fingers. "As I was saying about the Carboni territory—" My voice died as I realized I had no memory of starting that sentence. Don Carboni's weathered face watched me expectantly. The other family heads leaned forward, waiting for words I couldn't remember speaking. My heart hammered against my ribs as I glanced down at the shattered glass, red wine spreading like blood across imported marble. "Forgive me," I murmured, my voice steady despite the tremor in my hands. "Where exactly was I?" Elena's perfectly manicured fingers drummed against the mahogany table. "You were explaining why the Carboni family should cede their dock access to us." Her hazel eyes narrowed. "Unless you've changed your mind?" Five minutes. I'd lost five minutes of a crucial negotiation. The lipstick marks on my remaining wine glass caught my eye – two slightly different shades of red, neither quite matching what I'd applied this morning. "T
Last Updated : 2025-01-02The Mafia Bride's 200 Days' To Justice    Blood Legacy
The candles sputtered and danced as Santa Muerte appeared in the smoke. Her towering form of shifting darkness and bone caught my breath and tugged at my heartbeat. "Kneel," the death goddess ordered Nicolas. I pushed myself back against cold stone and watched my husband go down to his knees before the ancient altar. The air reeked of sage and copper. "You bear their mark," Santa Muerte spoke, her words carrying through the room. "The Shadow Walkers live." "What are you talking about?" Nicolas's voice didn't shake, but I saw his fists clench. Santa Muerte leaned toward him, her bony fingers brushing against his chest. The same symbols cut into the walls around the chamber flared to life beneath his skin. "Your blood remembers what your mind has forgotten," she said. Nicolas stared at the glowing patterns. "This is impossible." "Nothing is impossible for those who walk between worlds." Santa Muerte turned her hollow gaze to me. "You should know this better than most, Isabella."
Last Updated : 2025-01-02The Mafia Bride's 200 Days' To Justice    Borrowed time
My head spun as I gripped the bathroom sink. Valentina's face stared back at me in the mirror, but her eyes held my desperation."Get out of my body." Her voice came from my mouth. My fingers trembled against the cold porcelain."Your body is dead," I whispered. "I'm trying to protect your family.""They're not yours to protect." The words came harsh, bitter.The mirror cracked. Blood dripped from my knuckles. I hadn't even felt myself punch it."Isabella." Nicolas's voice carried through the door. "Everything okay in there?"My heart hammered. I pressed my bleeding hand against my chest. "Fine. Just dropped something.""Open the door."I yanked paper towels from the dispenser, wrapping them around my hand. "One minute."The door handle rattled. "Now, Isabella."The name hit me like a slap. I froze, staring at the locked door. "What did you call me?"Silence stretched between us, heavy with implications. Then his voice came again, softer. "I know who you are."My legs gave out. I slid
Last Updated : 2025-01-03The Mafia Bride's 200 Days' To Justice    The Last Prayer
Isabella's POVMy hands shook as I stared at the pregnancy test. Two pink lines. Clear and undeniable. Tears of joy streamed down my face as I touched the silver Santa Muerte medallion around my neck."*Gracias, Santa Muerte*," I whispered. "Thank you for this miracle.""What miracle would that be, darling?"I froze at Adrian's reflection in the bathroom mirror. He stood in the doorway, holding two champagne flutes, his green eyes calculating even as he smiled."Adrian!" I spun around, clutching the test to my chest. "I thought you were at the office.""And miss celebrating with my beautiful wife?" He stepped closer, offering me a glass. "I had a feeling today was special."My heart raced as I accepted the champagne. Something flickered in his expression – something cold and foreign that made my skin crawl."I have amazing news," I said, forcing my voice steady. "We're going to have a baby."The silence stretched between us like a razor wire."A baby?" His smile didn't reach his eyes.
Last Updated : 2024-12-24
Latest chapter
The Mafia Bride's 200 Days' To Justice    Borrowed time
My head spun as I gripped the bathroom sink. Valentina's face stared back at me in the mirror, but her eyes held my desperation."Get out of my body." Her voice came from my mouth. My fingers trembled against the cold porcelain."Your body is dead," I whispered. "I'm trying to protect your family.""They're not yours to protect." The words came harsh, bitter.The mirror cracked. Blood dripped from my knuckles. I hadn't even felt myself punch it."Isabella." Nicolas's voice carried through the door. "Everything okay in there?"My heart hammered. I pressed my bleeding hand against my chest. "Fine. Just dropped something.""Open the door."I yanked paper towels from the dispenser, wrapping them around my hand. "One minute."The door handle rattled. "Now, Isabella."The name hit me like a slap. I froze, staring at the locked door. "What did you call me?"Silence stretched between us, heavy with implications. Then his voice came again, softer. "I know who you are."My legs gave out. I slid
The Mafia Bride's 200 Days' To Justice    Blood Legacy
The candles sputtered and danced as Santa Muerte appeared in the smoke. Her towering form of shifting darkness and bone caught my breath and tugged at my heartbeat. "Kneel," the death goddess ordered Nicolas. I pushed myself back against cold stone and watched my husband go down to his knees before the ancient altar. The air reeked of sage and copper. "You bear their mark," Santa Muerte spoke, her words carrying through the room. "The Shadow Walkers live." "What are you talking about?" Nicolas's voice didn't shake, but I saw his fists clench. Santa Muerte leaned toward him, her bony fingers brushing against his chest. The same symbols cut into the walls around the chamber flared to life beneath his skin. "Your blood remembers what your mind has forgotten," she said. Nicolas stared at the glowing patterns. "This is impossible." "Nothing is impossible for those who walk between worlds." Santa Muerte turned her hollow gaze to me. "You should know this better than most, Isabella."
The Mafia Bride's 200 Days' To Justice    Double Edge
# Chapter 14: Double Edge The crystal wine glass slipped from my fingers. "As I was saying about the Carboni territory—" My voice died as I realized I had no memory of starting that sentence. Don Carboni's weathered face watched me expectantly. The other family heads leaned forward, waiting for words I couldn't remember speaking. My heart hammered against my ribs as I glanced down at the shattered glass, red wine spreading like blood across imported marble. "Forgive me," I murmured, my voice steady despite the tremor in my hands. "Where exactly was I?" Elena's perfectly manicured fingers drummed against the mahogany table. "You were explaining why the Carboni family should cede their dock access to us." Her hazel eyes narrowed. "Unless you've changed your mind?" Five minutes. I'd lost five minutes of a crucial negotiation. The lipstick marks on my remaining wine glass caught my eye – two slightly different shades of red, neither quite matching what I'd applied this morning. "T
The Mafia Bride's 200 Days' To Justice    Price of Power
"Look at me, child." The voice froze me mid-motion. Santa Muerte's reflection replaced mine in the bathroom mirror, her skeletal face inches from my own. "I'm not afraid of you." My hand shook, dropping the mascara wand into the sink. "You should be." Her bony finger pressed against my chest through the glass. "Your borrowed time runs short." White-hot pain exploded through me. "Stop—" "Watch," she said. "See what happens to those who steal death's gifts." Visions slammed into my mind. Women screaming. Bodies twisting. Valentina's power burning them from withinside. "I don't understand," I panted, holding tight to the sink's edge. "Why show me this now?" "With every channeling of her power, you feed her hunger." The voice of Santa Muerte echoed within my skull. "The original host is growing stronger." "I need these powers." You sound like your voice breaks. "Nicolas, the twins—they're in danger." "Love?" Her sockets seemed to stare into my soul. "Or revenge?" The mirror explo
The Mafia Bride's 200 Days' To Justice    Deadly Dance
"You'll want to stay close to Nicolas tonight," the guard muttered as I entered the ballroom. "We've spotted three Council members." "Noted." I shifted, feeling the blade against my thigh beneath the burgundy silk. "And Elena?" "Grand staircase. Watching your every move." "Perfect." I scanned the room, keeping my smile fixed. "Just like the spider she is." "Mrs. Salvatore," another guard approached. "Security positions are set." "And the mirrors she's having installed?" "Positioned to reflect magical signatures. She's testing you." "Let her try." I moved forward, every step measured. "Have eyes on—" "Mama!" Twin voices pierced through my concentration. Sofia and Luna ran toward me, their matching platinum curls bouncing. They stopped short, faces scrunching in that peculiar way that meant they were seeing something they shouldn't. "Girls," I said, forcing Valentina's warm smile. "You look beautiful in your— "You're flickering," Luna whispered, reaching for my hand. "Like a ca
The Mafia Bride's 200 Days' To Justice    Twilight of Lies
The nightmare tore through my consciousness like shattered glass. Blood-soaked walls. Screaming children. Santa Muerte's skeletal form hovering over twin beds. "They're coming," the death saint whispered. I jolted awake, my skin glowing with an eerie blue light. The security monitors flickered and died. "Mommy?" Sofia's voice crackled through the baby monitor. "Luna's crying." Three explosions rocked the compound. The front gates groaned. "Stay in your room!" I grabbed my phone, already running. "Lock the door!" Gunfire erupted below. My hands trembled as death's familiar presence washed over me. Lieutenant Ramirez's voice crackled over the radio. "Main gate breach! Three vehicles!" "Status on the backup generator?" Nicolas demanded. "Non-responsive, sir." I reached the twins' room as heavy boots thundered up the stairs. Luna and Sofia huddled under their princess beds, eyes wide with terror. "Come here, mis amores." I pulled them close as the door splintered. T
The Mafia Bride's 200 Days' To Justice    Chasing What Once Was
The fog came in thick off the canals and wrapped itself around my ankles like ghostly fingers. I stumbled against ancient stone, and Valentina's memories struck me like a blow. "Mama?" Sofia's small hand tightened in mine. "Your eyes look funny." "They're glowing," Luna whispered, pressing closer. The memory consumed me-Valentina racing these same streets, clutching papers that could destroy everything. My heart pounded with an echo of her desperation. "This way." The words came from somewhere deeper than thought. "Stay close." We turned down a narrow alley just as voices carried across the water. My blood went cold at the familiar cadence. "I could have sworn I saw her." Adrian Constantine's voice sliced through the fog. "With the children." I pressed the twins into a shadowed doorway, my body shielding them. Footsteps approached, measured and deliberate. "Valentina?" Adrian's tone was low, deadly familiar. "Out for an evening stroll?" I made myself turn, to face my killer we
The Mafia Bride's 200 Days' To Justice    Fatal bond
The Constantine mansion loomed before me, its marble columns casting long shadows in the setting sun. My hand trembled as I touched the ornate doorframe. "Dear God." The vision hit like a hammer. *1985. Blood drips onto parchment. Five signatures seal a deal written in red.* "Are you alright?" Nicolas materialized beside me. "Fine." I straightened, forcing my hands steady. "Just remembering." His dark eyes studied me with that unnerving intensity. "Interesting choice of words." Inside, the grand conference room buzzed with tension. Five chairs waited around a mahogany table that had seen decades of deals and deaths. I took my seat, noting Elena's white-knuckled grip on her locket. Those twins she kept photos of – did she even realize how much danger they were in? Marcello Vitelli's sneer could've curdled milk. "A woman, representing the Salvatore family?" "Actually," I cut in, reciting from my vision, "Article Three, Section Seven of the 1985 accord specifically states that 'no
The Mafia Bride's 200 Days' To Justice    The Forgotten Murmurs
Cold sweat soaked my sheets as I jerked awake. The room spun violently, Valentina's memories crashing through my mind like shattered glass. "No, please, not again—" The screech of tires echoed in my ears, phantom rubber burning my nostrils. I stumbled to the bathroom, gripping the marble counter. The mirror betrayed me—Valentina's face flickered over mine, her steel-gray eyes accusatory. "Get out of my head!" My whisper turned to a sob. A child's laughter echoed down the hall. The twins. I forced myself upright, splashing cold water on my face. They needed their mother—whatever version of her I was now. The nursery door creaked open. Elena stood frozen, staring at the twins. Both children pointed at the darkened corner, perfectly still. "TĂa Val says hello," they said in perfect unison. Elena's crucifix rattled against her chest as she crossed herself. "I need to make a call—" "No." My voice cracked like a whip. "You don't need to do anything." She fled, phone already in hand.
