Page 82 of The Don's Eternal Vows

I lean in closer, my lips nearly brushing his ear. "Surprise, Paolo. Death didn't want me."

I twist the blade.

"How?" he manages, blood bubbling at the corner of his mouth.

I don't answer. Instead, I watch as the light fades from his eyes, as the man who thought he'd written my ending meets his own. Paolo's body goes still and falls to the ground and an eerie silence descends on the battlefield. The gunfire has ceased, replaced by a heavy, expectant quiet. I straighten up, my knife still dripping.

As I stand over him, a strange calm washes over me. I've reclaimed my life. The debt is paid.

"It's over," I say, my voice barely audible above the silence.

Bodies litter the ground, friend and foe alike. The air is thick with the acrid smell of gunpowder and the metallic tang of blood. And at the center of it all, I stand victorious and visible.

I turn around, my back to Paolo Greco's lifeless body. My chest heaves as I struggle to catch my breath. The knife in my hand feels heavy, still warm from the thrust that ended his miserable life. My heart pounds, adrenaline surging through me as I search the face of the man I love most in this world, my hands sticky with blood.

Lingering fear flashes in his dark gaze, followed by a wave of relief that mirrors my own.

"Genoveva," he bellows, taking a step towards me.

Joy bubbles up inside me, threatening to overflow. All around me, I hear people whisper my name, some in shock, some in horror, some in sheer reverence. They can all see me. After weeks of feeling like a ghost, invisible and untouchable, I'm real again. Tangible. Present.

"They can see me," I say, my voice trembling with emotion. "I'm here."

Gianni nods, his eyes leaving mine to look around at the men stepping away from me. "You're here," he shouts, his gravelly voice washing over me like a caress.

Just then, a sudden chill grips my spine. I stumble.

"Genoveva?" Gianni screams, voice sharp with concern.

I try to respond, but my words freeze in my throat. An invisible force wraps around my waist, cold and unyielding. It tugs, threatening to pull me down to the ground.

As the pull intensifies, my legs buckle. I stagger, falling to my knees. My heart races, fear replacing the joy of finally feeling alive and seen. What's happening to me?

I open my mouth to call for Gianni, but a chilling whisper cuts through my thoughts, silencing me.

"Genoveva Santoro," the voice hisses, cold and ancient. "Did you think your actions would go unpunished?"

I freeze, recognizing the voice instantly. "Hades," I breathe, barely audible.

The god's voice continues, relentless. "You've broken the terms of your return. A mortal life was not yours to take."

My mind reels. Paolo. The gun. The lifeless body at my feet. Oh god, what have I done?

"I had to," I whisper. "He was going to kill Gianni."

Hades' voice is relentless. "The reasons matter not. The balance is upset. Your time in the mortal realm is forfeit."

“Genoveva?” Gianni cries out from across the field. I look up to see him watching me with terror, taking a few steps forward towards me, frozen in fear.

My body trembles, a cold sweat breaking out across my skin. I feel as if I'm being torn in two, one half desperately clinging to this world, to Gianni, while the other is being inevitably pulled towards the underworld.

"I can't—" I gasp, my body writhing. "It's too strong."

I now fall on my back and turn to my side with all the strength I can muster, extending my hand. “Gianni,” I scream, reaching for him.

Chapter 35

Gianni

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