Since ancient times, gambling has always been much sought by men. In the eighteenth century, these games reached a climax among citizens.
Roggero Fontana was a gambling addict, on the brink of bankruptcy. In one of his usual, desperate moves, he bets on the hand of his own daughter, Isabella, with John Smith, a mysterious stranger.
But Roggero loses the game and, consequently, his daughter.
The Wedding happens quickly; John has urgency to take Isabella to his isolated farm. There, the young woman discovers, in the worst way, who John is - a bipolar sadist. One hour she is treated with affection, the other she suffers frequent and creative tortures. Such atrocities leave irreparable scars on your body and soul.
Isabella sees her world collapse when she is forced to marry John Smith, a peculiar and aggressive man with unstable behavior. Soon in the first days of married, she discovers that he is not a simple scoundrel that likes to torture people weaker than him, physically and psychologically. John is much more than that and holds a secret that can get Isabella sent straight to hell.
A criminal mastermind makes a bold move against a wealthy client to put himself in a position to retire in comfort. He has no idea what he's up against when a young widow, desperate to make ends meet, sets her eyes on earning the bounty set on his head.
***
Newly widowed housewife Melody Scott needs to earn some major cash, fast. When her bright and busy children learn that a priceless ruby bracelet has been stolen and a six-figure reward is being offered, they convince her to try to do what the police, museum security, and the best private investigators have failed to do. Working against them is a notorious thief who has met people from around the world, but who has never once encountered a woman like Melody Scott. When the sweet innocence of the Scott family clashes against criminal forces more dangerous than they ever imagined, Melody is all too aware that a mom's got to do what a mom's got to do to protect her family.
The Widow, Melody Scott is a 2021 Watty Award Winner!
Content Warning: This story does contain depictions of stalking behavior.