Shattered Vows

The night was heavy with the scent of rain, the storm outside battering the windows of the De Santis estate.

Thunder rolled in the distance, echoing the turmoil that churned within the walls.

Isa stood at the edge of the room, her arms wrapped around herself, as though she could shield herself from the whirlwind of emotions threatening to unravel everything they had built.

Luca stood by the fireplace, his back to her, the flickering light casting long shadows across his figure.

His shoulders were tense, every muscle coiled as if he was preparing for a fight that had already begun.

The silence between them was thick and suffocating, neither knowing how to bridge the widening gap that had formed after everything they had faced together. But now, the truth had come out—truths ### **"Shattered Vows" — Chapter 22: Shattered Vows**

The night was heavy with the scent of rain, the storm outside battering the windows of the De Santis estate. Thunder rolled in the distance, echoing the turmoil that churned within the walls. Isa stood at the edge of the room, her arms wrapped around herself, as though she could shield herself from the whirlwind of emotions threatening to unravel everything they had built.

Luca stood by the fireplace, his back to her, the flickering light casting long shadows across his figure. His shoulders were tense, every muscle coiled as if he was preparing for a fight that had already begun.

The silence between them was thick and suffocating, neither knowing how to bridge the widening gap that had formed after everything they had faced together. But now, the truth had come out—truths neither of them were ready to face.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” Isa whispered, her voice trembling, barely audible over the sound of the rain.

Luca didn’t move, his eyes fixed on the flames in the hearth. When he finally spoke, his voice was low, laced with a pain he had fought so hard to bury. “But you did.”

The words cut deep, and Isa flinched. She hadn’t meant for things to spiral this way. After everything they had survived—the threats, the betrayals, the dangers of his world—she hadn’t expected that it would be their own broken trust that would cause the most damage.

“I kept things from you because I was scared,” Isa said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Not of you, but of losing you.”

Luca finally turned, his eyes dark and unreadable. The intensity of his gaze pinned her in place, and for a moment, she felt the weight of all the walls he had put up between them. The Luca she had fallen in love with—the man who had protected her, sheltered her, and shared his vulnerabilities—was slipping away, retreating behind the ironclad armor of the ruthless mafia don.

“You should have trusted me,” Luca said, his voice cold and distant, like a knife slicing through the air. “After everything we’ve been through, you still didn’t trust me enough to be honest.”

Isa’s throat tightened, guilt clawing at her insides. She had known this moment would come, that her secrets would eventually rise to the surface. But she hadn’t imagined it would feel like this—as though the very foundation of their relationship had crumbled beneath their feet.

“I thought I was protecting you,” Isa said, tears brimming in her eyes. “I thought I was protecting us.”

Luca shook his head, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. “I don’t need your protection, Isa. I needed your trust.”

The storm outside seemed to mirror the tempest inside the room, and Isa could feel the distance between them growing. She took a tentative step forward, her heart pounding in her chest. “Luca, please—”