Shattered Vows

New resolve

The atmosphere in the mansion had shifted. The charged moment between Isa and Luca had left something lingering in the air

—something neither of them wanted to acknowledge, yet neither could ignore.

Isa felt it in every glance, every word exchanged between them. But more importantly, she felt it inside herself.

For the first time since she had been thrust into Luca’s world, she felt something other than fear.

Resolve.

As Isa stood in front of the mirror in her room, the reflection that stared back at her no longer seemed like the frightened, broken girl she had once been.

There were still remnants of her old self—the shadows of fear, the scars left by Antonio—but there was also something new. Something stronger.

She straightened her shoulders, her eyes narrowing slightly as she examined her reflection. She wasn’t powerless.

She wasn’t a pawn to be tossed around by men like Antonio and Luca. She had survived horrors before, and she would survive this.

But more than that, she would no longer just survive—she would take control of her own life.

Isa took a deep breath, her mind racing. She had spent so long hiding, cowering under the weight of the world’s cruelty.

But something had shifted the night Luca’s mask had slipped. She had seen him—not the ruthless mafia don, but the man underneath.

And in seeing his vulnerability, she had realized that he wasn’t the unstoppable force she had once believed him to be.

He was flawed. Just like her.

A knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts, and she turned as the woman from before stepped into the room, her expression as neutral as always.

“Mr. De Santis is waiting for you in the dining room,” she said, her voice devoid of any emotion.

Isa nodded, already prepared. She didn’t ask why Luca wanted to see her; she simply followed the woman down the now-familiar hallways of the mansion.

As they walked, Isa’s mind raced with possibilities.

Luca had been colder these past few days, distant, as if trying to rebuild the walls between them that had crumbled during their last confrontation.

But Isa wasn’t afraid anymore.

When they reached the dining room, Isa steeled herself, her new resolve hardening inside her like armor.

Luca sat at the head of the long, polished table, his gaze already on her as she entered the room.

His sharp features were unreadable, but there was a darkness in his eyes that sent a chill down her spine.

He was waiting for her to speak first. Isa knew this was a test—a battle of wills, and she had no intention of losing.

“Luca,” she greeted him, her voice steady as she took a seat across from him. “You wanted to see me?”

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he studied her, his gaze intense, as though he was searching for something beneath the surface.

After a moment, he leaned back in his chair, his hands resting on the armrests as if he were a king surveying his kingdom.

“I’ve noticed a change in you, Isabella,” Luca said, his voice calm but laced with something dangerous. “You’re not as timid as you once were.”

Isa held his gaze, refusing to be intimidated. “Maybe I’ve realized that fear isn’t the only way to survive in your world.”

Luca’s lips twitched, but it wasn’t quite a smile. “Is that so?” he asked, his tone dripping with condescension. “And what have you learned, then?”

Isa took a deep breath, her resolve hardening. “I’ve learned that control isn’t the same as strength.

That fear might keep people in line, but it doesn’t make them loyal. And that even the strongest people have cracks in their armor.”

For a moment, Luca’s eyes flashed with something—anger, maybe, or amusement.

It was hard to tell. But then, his expression shifted, the cold mask he usually wore slipping just a fraction.

“You think you’ve figured me out, Isa?” Luca asked, his voice low and dangerous.

“You think you can understand what it takes to survive in my world?”

Isa leaned forward slightly, her heart pounding, but she didn’t flinch.

“I don’t need to understand everything to know that I’m done being afraid. I’m done being controlled.”

Luca’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, the tension in the room was suffocating.

But Isa didn’t back down. She had spent too long living in fear—of Antonio, of Luca, of the unknown. She wasn’t going to be a victim any longer.

Finally, Luca leaned forward, his eyes locking onto hers with a deadly intensity.

“You should be careful, Isabella,” he warned, his voice soft but full of menace. “You don’t know what you’re getting into.”

Isa swallowed hard, but her resolve didn’t falter. “Maybe not,” she admitted. “But I’m not afraid of you anymore.”

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The air between them crackled with tension, like a storm waiting to break.

Isa could feel Luca’s gaze burning into her, searching for any sign of weakness, any hint that she was bluffing. But she wasn’t.

Finally, Luca stood, the chair scraping against the floor as he pushed it back.

He moved toward her, slow and deliberate, until he was standing directly in front of her.

Isa’s heart raced, but she forced herself to remain still, to meet his gaze without flinching.

“You think you’re strong enough to survive this world without fear?”

Luca asked, his voice a low growl. He reached out, his fingers brushing against her chin, tilting her head up so that she was forced to look into his eyes.

“You’re playing a dangerous game.”

Isa’s pulse quickened at his touch, but she didn’t pull away.

“Maybe I am,” she whispered. “But I won’t be your pawn anymore.”

Luca’s eyes narrowed, and for a moment, Isa thought she had pushed him too far

. But then, to her surprise, he let out a low chuckle—a sound that sent a shiver down her spine.

“You have fire in you, Isa,” Luca murmured, his thumb grazing her cheek lightly. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

Isa held her breath, her heart pounding in her chest.

There was something different in his gaze now—something darker, more dangerous, but also more intrigued.

“Just remember,” Luca whispered, his voice soft but filled with warning, “fire can burn you just as easily as it can protect you.”

With that, he released her and stepped back, his cold, unreadable mask sliding back into place.

Isa exhaled slowly, her heart still racing as she watched him walk away. But despite the tension, despite the danger that still loomed over her, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of victory.

Luca might have power. He might have control. But Isa had something he couldn’t take from her—her own strength, her own resolve.

And for the first time, she wasn’t afraid to use it.