Isa hurried down the long, silent hallway, her breath shaky as she put distance between herself and Luca.
The walls seemed to close in on her, the mansion’s opulence suffocating rather than comforting.
Everything around her was a reminder that she was a prisoner here, traded like a commodity, bound by invisible chains to a man she didn’t understand and couldn’t trust.
The woman from earlier waited at the foot of the stairs, her face as unreadable as before.
Isa stopped in front of her, unsure of what to do next. The woman gave a small nod and gestured for Isa to follow.
“This way,” she said in the same quiet, measured tone.
Isa followed her in silence, trying to push away the rising panic in her chest.
She had no idea what her life would be like in Luca’s world, but one thing was clear—freedom was no longer hers to claim.
They wound through corridors until they reached a smaller, quieter wing of the mansion.
The woman stopped in front of a large wooden door and pushed it open, revealing a spacious bedroom.
It was beautiful, with rich fabrics and dark furniture, but the elegance of the room only reminded Isa of the gilded cage she was trapped in.
“This will be your room,” the woman said, stepping aside to let Isa enter.
“Mr. De Santis has requested that you remain here unless instructed otherwise. If you need anything, you may call for me.”
Isa stepped inside the room, her eyes taking in the luxurious surroundings.
The bed was large, draped in soft linens, and a grand window looked out over the estate’s garden.
It should have felt comforting, but all Isa could think of was how far this was from anything she had ever known. How far she was from the life she had before.
“I’m Sofia,” the woman added, her tone softening just a fraction. “I’ll be attending to you during your stay here.”
Isa turned to her, startled. “Stay? How long am I supposed to be here?”
Sofia’s face remained impassive. “That’s for Mr. De Santis to decide.”
Isa felt her heart sink. Of course. Luca held all the power. She had no say in how long she would remain under his control.
It could be days, weeks, months… maybe even longer. The thought made her stomach turn.
“I’ll leave you to get settled,” Sofia said, turning to leave. “If you need anything, just press the button by the door. Someone will come.”
Isa nodded weakly, her mind swirling with too many thoughts to form a coherent response. Sofia left the room, and Isa was finally alone.
She sat down on the edge of the bed, her hands trembling as she rested them on her lap.
Her eyes wandered to the window, where the garden outside looked so peaceful, so normal, compared to the chaos inside her head.
She wanted to cry, to scream, but the tears wouldn’t come. She felt numb, too overwhelmed to process the enormity of what was happening to her.
Isa stood up and moved toward the window, pressing her palm against the cold glass.
She could see the world outside—the birds fluttering from tree to tree, the flowers swaying gently in the breeze.
It seemed like another life, one that was slipping further and further out of reach.
A soft knock on the door made her jump. She turned just as it creaked open slightly, and a tall man with dark hair and sharp features stepped inside.
He was dressed in a suit, his posture relaxed but his eyes cold and calculating.
Isa immediately recognized him as one of Luca’s men—the one she had seen standing by his side when she was first brought into the mansion.
“I’m Enzo,” he said, his voice low but firm. “Luca’s right-hand man.”
Isa felt a shiver run down her spine at his presence. He was intimidating, his eyes sharp and assessing as if he was measuring her worth in an instant.
“Mr. De Santis sent me to check on you,” Enzo continued, stepping closer but keeping his distance. “To make sure everything is to your liking.”
Isa blinked, unsure how to respond. How could anything about this be “to her liking”? She was being held captive in a world she didn’t belong to, surrounded by dangerous men who made her feel more like an object than a person.
“Tell him… I’m fine,” she said, her voice quiet but steady.
Enzo’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if he was studying her reaction. For a moment, he didn’t say anything, and the silence stretched between them, thick with tension.
Finally, he nodded. “You’re smart to comply,” he said, his tone carrying an unspoken warning. “Luca values obedience. You’ll survive here if you remember that.”
Isa’s heart pounded in her chest, and she felt the weight of his words settle over her like a heavy cloak. Obedience.
Survival. That was all her life had been for so long—bending to the will of others, just to keep breathing.
But this time, something was different. This time, the stakes were even higher.
“I don’t have much of a choice, do I?” she asked quietly, her eyes meeting his.
Enzo gave a slight smirk, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “In this world, none of us do.”
With that, he turned and left the room, the door closing softly behind him.
Isa stood frozen in place, her mind reeling from the conversation.
She was trapped in a game where the rules were made by men like Luca and Enzo, and she was just a pawn.
But even pawns, Isa thought, could survive if they played their moves carefully. And she would. She had to.
YOU ARE READING
Shattered Vows
Romance**Story Premise Isabella "Isa" Moretti has spent her entire life under the cruel thumb of her abusive stepfather, Antonio Moretti. After years of torment, Isa believes her only path to survival is silence and submission. But when Antonio's mounting...
