All Chapters of The Devil's Vow #2: The Viel of Vengeance: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The grand ballroom of the Moretti estate shimmered under the glow of an extravagant chandelier. Crystal glasses clinked, hushed conversations intertwined with soft classical music, and the scent of expensive perfume mingled with the delicate aroma of gourmet hors d'oeuvres. I adjusted the thin straps of my midnight blue gown, feeling the cool silk brush against my skin as I moved. The dress, though elegant, felt like armor—another disguise in a world full of deception. Helios stood beside me, impeccably dressed in a tailored black suit, his presence commanding attention even in a room filled with powerful figures. “You’re tense,” he murmured, leaning in so only I could hear. “I prefer clubs with bad lighting and cheap whiskey,” I replied, swirling the champagne in my glass. “Try not to look so miserable. You’re supposed to be enjoying yourself.” His smirk was infuriatingly charming, but I refused to let him see how much it affected me. “Remind me why we’re here again?” “Because

I could still taste the metallic tang of fear in my mouth as I pressed my back against the cold warehouse wall, my breath coming in short, quiet gasps. The flickering overhead light cast eerie shadows on the cracked cement floor, each one a reminder of how close I had come to dying tonight. The ambush had been precise, calculated. Whoever set me up knew exactly where I’d be and when. And that terrified me. A hand closed around my wrist, warm and strong, yanking me forward before I could react. My instinct was to fight back, to shove my attacker away, but the moment I met Helios’ stormy gaze, my fight drained. His grip tightened slightly, his eyes raking over me, checking for injuries. “What the hell were you thinking?” His voice was a low growl, barely restrained fury vibrating through it. “You could’ve been killed, Elena.” I wrenched my wrist free, ignoring the lingering warmth his touch left behind. “I had a lead.” “A lead?” He let out a humorless laugh. “You call walking strai

The door to the safe house slammed shut behind us, the sound echoing through the small, dimly lit space. My heart was still racing, my skin still tingling with adrenaline. Helios and I had barely made it out of that underground fight club alive, and the reality of how close we’d come to death was finally hitting me. I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair as I paced the length of the room. "That was reckless. You should have just let me handle it," I snapped, my voice still shaky from the chaos of the night. Helios scoffed, leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his broad chest. "Let you handle it? You were about to get your head bashed in, Elena. I stepped in because you needed me." "I didn’t need you!" I shot back, my voice rising. "I had it under control. You stepping in nearly blew our cover." He pushed off the wall, closing the space between us in three quick steps. "You were losing, Elena. You don’t have to prove anything to me." His voice was lower no

The room was eerily silent, the weight of Adrian’s betrayal still hanging heavy in the air. I could feel the tension crackling between us all, a storm ready to break. Helios stood beside me, his stance rigid, protective. He hadn’t moved far from me since the ambush, and I could tell he was bracing for what came next. We were back at the Moretti estate, a place that had always felt like the belly of the beast to me. Now, it was worse. Suspicion clung to the air like a thick fog, suffocating and inescapable. Helios had called for this meeting, demanding answers. Demanding justice. But the moment we stepped inside, I knew the room was against us. Lorenzo Moretti sat at the head of the table, fingers laced together in deep contemplation. His dark eyes flickered between Helios and me, assessing, judging. Beside him, other high-ranking members of the family whispered among themselves, their gazes shifting toward me more often than I liked. “So let me get this straight,” Lorenzo finally s

The night air was thick with the weight of everything that had just transpired. I barely made it out of that mission alive, and now, standing in the shadows of the Moretti estate, I could feel the world shifting beneath me. The tension between the Morettis and the Volkovs had been simmering for months, but tonight, I had unknowingly tipped the scales. War was no longer just a threat—it was a promise waiting to be fulfilled. I paced the dimly lit balcony of Helios’ quarters, my arms crossed tightly over my chest. The bruises from the night’s fight throbbed, but the pain was nothing compared to the storm brewing inside me. My mission was supposed to prove my loyalty, but instead, it had thrown everything into chaos. The Volkovs saw my actions as an act of aggression, and the Morettis—well, they weren’t exactly throwing a victory parade either. Helios found me just as I was considering sneaking away to clear my head. He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, his sharp gaze unreada