The Day He Knelt, I Married a Don Novel

Chapter 9 The waiter next to Vito suddenly collapsed, blood spraying everywhere. Some of it almost hit me. The entire hall fell silent for a single second before chaos erupted. "Don!" Several elders shouted at once and rushed forward to shield Vito. At the same moment, he pulled me behind him. His dark green eyes went cold, violence and deadly intent flickering in their depths. "Second-floor corridor corner!" In that split second, instinct took over. I lifted my skirt and pulled the handgun strapped to my thigh. Draw, raise, aim-just like I had drilled a hundred times at the range.

Through the narrow gap over Vito's shoulder, I focused on the blurry figure in the second-floor corridor. Then the shot rang out. The recoil shot up my wrist. At the same time, the figure stiffened, slumped over the railing, and fell straight to the ground below, lifeless. The hall fell silent again. Once everyone realized he was the only attacker and that he was dead, all eyes turned to the gun in my hand. The elders who had opposed me looked shocked. They couldn't believe that this "calculating foreign bride" had just saved Vito's life. The chaos was quickly brought under control.

That night, Vito moved against the traitors within his ranks. The rebellious faction was wiped out completely. At the same time, during the ancient family council meeting, he took my hand and made a public declaration. "From this day forward, Isabella, as my wife, holds authority equal to my own." "Her name will stand beside mine in the family's highest code. This is not up for debate." On the drive back to the castle, Vito was quiet the whole way. Once we were inside, away from prying eyes and the smell of gunpowder, he pulled me into his arms and held me close. He whispered beside my ear.

"For the first time, I hate what I am." "Isabella, I swear on my life. I will never let you face danger again." Chapter 9 6.62% I could smell the fir and woodsmoke on him. I could even hear the frantic pounding of his heart. The heir to a Mafia empire was shaken. I let out a soft laugh and, on my own, leaned in closer. "You were trying to help me assert myself, weren't you?" "Before I fired, the butler had already shot the assassin in the shoulder. Am I right?" Vito paused. Then a short, pleased laugh escaped him.

His emerald eyes softened as they met mine, warm and close enough to brush my nose. He lowered his head and pressed a kiss to my lips. "Ti amo." It was Italian. I understood. "I love you." I didn't go out of my way to follow news from back home. Still, I'd get the occasional update from a few friends who'd kept in touch. Vivian never got her happily ever after with Liam. Instead, after her dirty laundry got aired in public, Liam announced he'd never marry her. The plan I set in motion before leaving had worked better than expected. The assets I took had already weakened the family business.

On top of that, the elders' rebellion stirred unrest, and the company fell into chaos. My uncle seized the chance to buy up shares. Between that and the stake I sold him, effective control of the whole enterprise was now in his hands. After everything, the business my father had been most proud of now carried my mother's name. In desperation, he even tried calling me, but I had already changed all my contact info. I was done with that family. I never thought I'd see Liam again. Chapter 9 6.62% admin