Page 42 of The Don's Eternal Vows

The urge to rush to her, to hold her close and never let go, claws at my chest. But I force myself to remain still, my fingers curling into fists at my sides.

"Another trick," Genoveva mutters. She ignores me and turns back to face the God of death. "You won't fool me, Hades. Not with this."

"Genoveva," I whisper, my voice barely audible over the whispers of lost souls surrounding us, urging her to look closer, my heart-wrenching painfully at the fact that she doesn’t take me for who I am. Her reality is here to bring her another chance at life.

At the sound of her name on my lips, she turns back softly, searching my face for answers. My heart is pounding so hard I can feel it in my throat. She takes a hesitant step towards me, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Are you real?"

The words hang in the air between us, fragile as spun glass. I hold my breath, afraid that even the slightest movement might shatter this moment. My eyes search her face desperately.

"Yes, amore mio. I'm real,” I step forward.

I reach out, my hand hovering inches from her cheek. She gasps at the warmth radiating from my skin, proof of the blood that runs through my veins. "And so are you, Genoveva. You're real, and you're here."

She watches me, her movements slow and dreamlike. A flicker of something human crosses her face, but it's gone in an instant, replaced by that same distant serenity. She takes a step back.

I struggle to process her response, and my emotions are a tangled mess. I reach for an inkling of her joy, but it disappears like smoke, leaving only a hollow ache.

"Genoveva?" my voice is soft and concerned. "What's wrong?"

She shakes her head, unable to articulate the probable storm raging inside her. "I... I don't know. I should be happy, but I..."

Her voice trails off as she studies me, drinking in every detail. I can barely penetrate the fog surrounding her thoughts.

"You look so alive," she murmurs, a hint of wonder creeping into her voice. "So... human."

I frown. "Of course I do."

I swallow hard, fighting to keep my composure. One wrong move and I could lose her forever in this realm of shadows and forgotten dreams.

"What are you doing here, Gianni?" she asks with a flicker of curiosity, her voice soft and melodic yet devoid of its usual warmth. She turns back to Hades. “What’s the meaning of all this?”

The words cut through me like a blade of ice. I open my mouth to respond, but a deep, rumbling chuckle stops me.

"Ah, the mortal seeks to reclaim what is no longer his," Hades drawls at Genoveva, materializing beside us in a swirl of darkness.

I tear my gaze from Genoveva, locking eyes with the god of the underworld. Steeling my nerves, I speak, my voice low and steady despite the fear coursing through my veins.

"What's the next step?" I demand, each word carefully measured. "You brought her here. Now tell me how to bring her back to the living world."

"No," Genoveva screeches at my words, taking a step back. "I'm afraid..."

"Afraid of what, cara mia?" I reach for her, but she flinches away.

"That I'll drag you down with me," she confesses, her voice barely audible. "That this broken thing I've become will pull you further from life."

My heart breaks into two, and I protest as vehemently as I can. "You won't. I won't let that happen.”

With desperate urgency, I turn back to Hades. “Hades, tell me the way out, please.” We need to go before this place claims her mind. While she still has a chance before becoming a prisoner in her mind.

Hades' lips curl into a cruel smirk. The air between us crackles with tension from the impossible choices I’m forced to make.

"My, my," he purrs, circling us like a predator toying with its prey. "So eager to bargain.”

I clench my jaw, refusing to be baited and turn to Genoveva. She's watching us with detached curiosity, her head tilted slightly to one side.

“I’m willing to pay the price now,” I turn back to the God of death, desperate to get out of here.

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