Page 5 of Vow to Corrupt You
CHAPTER 3
Nikos
“Mr. Romano, with all due respect,” Lucio says in his imploring tone, and my jaw clenches. I hate it when people think they can convince me to change my mind with tearful stories—or, even worse, groveling before me. “Prior to this meeting, Valeria expressed her willingness to this marriage. She agreed to marry you—”
“Agreed to marry me?” A low scoff rumbles down my throat. “I’m doing you a favor, Lucio. You should be kissing my feet for agreeing to marry one of your daughters instead of putting a bullet in your son’s head for trying to incite a riot against me.” My tone darkens as I reach the last part. I don’t have to do any of this. I could just wipe out his whole family—and this old man is delusional if he thinks he can bargain.
“Mr. Romano, I meant no offense. I merely—”
I motion for him to be silent. Lucio’s vile begging stirs up my wrath. I detest pleading because when it gets to the point where someone needs to beg, then my patience has worn out. My neck cranes instinctively as a deep inhale fills my lungs.
“Don’t test my patience, Lucio.” My eyes close shut for a fraction. In the exact second, I feel my uncle’s hand on my shoulder, and he leans closer.
“Τι κ?νεις, Ν?κο;”What are you doing, Niko?He whispers in Greek, making sure none of them understands.
“Ξ?ρω τι κ?νω.”I know what I’m doing.I assert sharply.
Dimitris reclines, his hand slowly slipping off my shoulder.
My uncle believes the oldest daughter is the best choice for me. Since yesterday, he has been constantly trying to persuade me that she is the one I should take as my wife. He claimed that, at twenty-five, she would be more mature than her sisters and, as he put it, the only one who could handle me. Dimitris has been very insistent about it, and now, seeing Lucio’s reaction, I’m pretty sure he might have asked my uncle to convince me to marry her. If only they knew I’d had no intention of marrying any of them.Until now.
“Mr. Romano, is—” Lucio hesitates, his nervous glance bouncing between me and my uncle, when a soft, cracking voice cuts in.
“I’ll do it!”Sheurges, panic and desperation rising in her tone, as if she knows one more second of hesitation might cost them their lives.
I shift my focus back to her, like everyone else, and see the growing terror on her face. She’s scared of me. I can see it in the way her pupils dilate. And she hates me. I can see that, too. The intensity of her hatred burns so deep in her gaze that it’s hard not to notice.
“If that’s the only way to save my brother’s life, then so be it. I’ll marry you, Mr. Romano.” She sounds so mournful that I almost pity her. Almost. Unfortunately for her, I have zero feelings and am a brute with no heart who always gets what he wants. Whether willingly or by force.
Now, I want her.
It’s not about her beauty. She’s not the most stunning woman I’ve ever seen. Sheisbeautiful. Long, sleek black hair, bronzed skin, slender body. Yes, she is attractive, but there are women whose every glance turns heads. Like her stepsister, who may dazzle with her looks.
Due to Dimitris’s friendship with Lucio, I knew a thing or two about the Contis. But after the agreement I made with him the day before, I had my men gather every possible detail about his daughters. I couldn’t possibly consider marrying a woman without knowing literally everything about her. Besides, Lucio works for me, and I always run a background check before letting anyone into my circle. So I’m aware Valeria isn’t really related to Lucio, but I also do know the meaning family has for this man. Blood-related or not. He cares as much for his adoptive daughters as his biological children.
But Serena being Lucio’s birth daughter wasn’t the main factor why I chose her, either. There’s something about her that the stepsister doesn’t possess, and that the pictures I saw yesterday failed to capture. The innocence that radiates from her very being. She looks so pure and innocent that it’s almost begging for someone to corrupt her—and I will take pleasure in doing so. I’ll fuck that innocence out of her until she’s so rotten that even the Devil himself would step down from his throne and bow at her feet.
“Mr. Romano?” Lucio’s quivery sigh snaps me out of my dark thoughts. He knows the rules. He knows he has no choice but to agree to my demands. He also knows he’s fucking lucky that I’m even considering taking one of his daughters as my wife. Lucky that his daughter caught my eye.
No. Not just that.
She fucking invaded my mind, so deep, I’d agree to anything just to have her all to myself. My mind is already in overdrive, scheming all that needs to be done the second I leave this place.I’ll have my men follow her, track her every move. Or better—put my entire IT team on her digital shadow—every message, every call, every location. She won’t breathe without me knowing. I’ll make damn sure no one gets to her before I do. I’ll make sure no other man ever gets the privilege of touching her, tasting her, tainting her.
She is mine now.
Mine. And only mine.
Whether she realized it yet or not.
One glance…one fucking glance was all it took for her to take over my mind. Instantly. But they don’t need to know that.
I turn to my lawyer, Piero, who stands on my left, and give him a nod. He retrieves a folder from his black leather bag. I’ve been prepared for any circumstance, as always. I’ve been ready to slaughter their family or take my wife, though until five minutes ago, I had believed it would be the former.
“May I?” Piero asks, glancing at Lucio. He points toward the table in the middle of the room, in front of a vintage brown couch with quilted upholstery studs and a fancy golden frame. I can tell Lucio loves opulent things.
“Please,” Lucio nods, avoiding my gaze, and Piero sits by the table.
“This contract will officially bind you to Mr. Nikolaos Romano as his fiancée,” Piero clarifies, glancing at her—my prey of choice. “Do you understand that, Miss Conti?”
