Page 46 of Of Vows and Betrayal

“She’s an adult. She can just walk away.”

Jeremy snorts, and I scowl. “Of course not. She didn’t know what she was stepping into. She was grieving and grateful to have a family. She was just sixteen, and I offered to be a bodyguard. She wanted out fast, but she found out the hard way that once you’re in, there’s no out. Bergotti has enemies in and out of the family. I told you that. She was in danger, but it was not only her—they threatened the people she cared for, and she was too scared to put anyone in danger. But—he looks out a window, and I can only see his profile—“her bright light was dimming no matter how hard she fought it. I needed to get her out, but we needed tomake sure everyone she cared for was safe too.”

“This was a betrayal.” I’m confused. I thought he was turning on the Bergottis and the Gambinos because they tried to kill him.

“It was.” He clears his throat. “Why do you think I ended up with my feet in a block of concrete?”

I get it then, and I hate the truth. “You are in love with her.”

“I am.”

Fuck, that stings and the offense I feel at that statement is almost overwhelming. How dare he love her? A wave of possessiveness surges through me, but then a taunting voice in my mind whispers,How dare you?I smother it right away, pushing the thought down into the depths where my insecurities lie.

“So, you were willing to risk everything for her?”

“Yes,” he replies without hesitation. “I knew the risks, and I was willing to take them. She deserves a chance at a real life, away from all of this.”

I stare at him through the screen, grappling with a mix of emotions. Anger, jealousy, and a begrudging respect. He was willing to do what I couldn’t… or wouldn’t.

I have to ask the question I don’t want to know the answer to, but I need to know. “Does she—” I swallow.

“Love me?”

I stay silent.

He shakes his head. “No, not in the way I would have liked.”

I let out a huff of relief.

“You promised to protect her. To help her.”

I feel so guilty now. I left her behind. I let my stupid male ego get the best of me.

“I will protect her. I swear on my life,” I say, the weight of my promise settling over me.

Jeremy nods, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. “Good. She needs someone she can trust.”

The call ends, and I sit back, feeling the enormity of the commitment I’ve just made. Ophelia’s safety, her future, depends on me now. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe, to give her the chance at the life she deserves.

It’s time to let go of my pride, my jealousy, and focus on what really matters: my revenge and her freedom.

Chapter 12

Ophelia

As the hours tick by and the date looms closer, my mind remains a battlefield. Rationally, I know my father is right—this is the best outcome possible. But another part of me mourns the life I’ll never have because no matter howokayRomero might be, he’s still his father’s son. He’s still born and raised in a world where a wife belongs in the house and has children.

I pick up the outfit for the part I’ll play—a simple but overpriced dark-purple knee-length dress. I put my hair in a high, strict bun and apply the same subdued makeup I saw my cousin wear at a formal family event. As I look at myself in the mirror, I see not just my reflection but the mask I’m donning for the evening, the facade of compliance and duty.

As seven approaches, I make my way downstairs, each step feeling heavier than the last. I see my father on the phone, his back to me. He’s whispering, but despite that, I don’t miss the urgency in his tone. It takes my anxiety up a notch, but I know better than to ask him about it. He wouldn’t tell me even if I did.

He turnsto face me as I reach the bottom of the stairs, his eyes scanning my outfit with a critical but approving gaze. He covers the mouthpiece of the phone with his hand and whispers hurriedly, “You look lovely.”

I manage a small smile, but it feels brittle, ready to crack under the pressure. My father nods and returns to his conversation, moving away with a sense of purpose that leaves me feeling even more isolated. I wait in the foyer—the silence and loneliness make me long for Javier.

He has not texted me since our fight in the greenhouse, and I’m not surprised. I gave him an out, and he took it. I need him here. I need his support, his unwavering presence. It feels messed up to long for one man while going on a date with another, but that seems to be the essence of this Mafia life.

The conflict between us is still on my mind. I replay our last conversation over and over: the harsh words, the hurt, and the unresolved tension. His anger, his coldness—it felt like a knife to my heart. How can I miss someone so much who seems determined to push me away?

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