Page 74 of Vow to Corrupt You
The offer knocks the breath out of me. “What? Why would you…?”
Dimitris’s expression softens, almost pitying. “Because I made a promise to your father. I swore to protect you, no matter what. And while I care for my nephew, I know him. He’s troubled, to put it lightly, and he will never change. Staying with him will only drag you deeper into his darkness.”
I stare at him, my mind reeling. He’s offering me what no one else ever could: a way out that Nikos couldn’t stop. And yet…
“I’m not leaving Nikos,” I say firmly, my voice steadier than I expected. Not after what happened yesterday. The secrets he shared with me, the things he’s told me. The bond that was created between us. “It was a mistake to try before, one I’ll never repeat. I’ll stand by my husband’s side, no matter what.”
For a moment, something flickers in Dimitris’s eyes. Some sort of disappointment, perhaps, but it vanishes as quickly as it appeared, and his expression shifts to one of polite indifference. “As you wish. I simply wanted to offer.”
But the evident disappointment on his face, even in his tone, makes my stomach twist. Something about this entire encounter feels off.
Dimitris stands, adjusting his jacket as though preparing to leave, then turns back to me. “I almost forgot. Your sister was here last evening. She said it was urgent.”
My heart lurches. “My sister? Which one? What did she say?” I sort of panic, because it is unusual for my sisters to come here without prior notice. But then again, I wasn’t available yesterday, and perhaps something happened, something bad, so she came since she couldn’t reach me any other way. Maybe it’s something about Salvatore? Or Papà. Instantly, my mind is in overdrive with all the possible scenarios playing out. That’s the thing about overthinkers.
“Valeria. She didn’t say much,” Dimitris replies, his tone carefully casual. “But if you’d like, I can take you to her. She insisted on talking to you personally.”
My unease grows, but I can’t ignore the nagging worry. If there’s something wrong with my family—if it’s about Salvatore or anyone else—I need to know.
“Okay, let’s go,” I say hesitantly. “Thank you.”
A strange sense of foreboding settles over me as I follow him, but I shake it off. This is Nikos’s uncle, after all, the only person he’s ever trusted. Then, I can trust him, too, right?
CHAPTER 40
Nikos
The bullet wound in my shoulder burns like fire, but the pain is nothing compared to the rage coursing through me. Blood drips down my arm, soaking into my shirt, but I barely notice. The past few weeks keep flashing in my mind. The trap at the port. The precise hits against my operations. Castro knowing moves no one should know. It reeks of betrayal, of a rat.
And tonight? It was a clear setup. Someone’s feeding him intel. Someone close. My eyes close as I inhale heavily, rubbing my pulsating temple because I know what I have to do. But for the first time in longer than I can remember, and despite all the shit happening, I’m eager to get home. To her. To the one thing that grounds me in this chaos. She’s waiting for me, and the thought is enough to push me through the pain.
I step into the mansion’s foyer, and the warmth I’ve come to associate with her presence is nowhere to be found. Instead, Dimitris is there, waiting for me, his expression grave. He stands by the grand staircase, his hands clasped tightly as though bracing himself for something.
“Nephew,” he says cautiously, his tone too measured.
“What is it?” I shrug off my coat, ignoring the blood dripping onto the wooden floor.
Dimitris hesitates, and his silence is all the warning I need. Something is wrong.
“Your wife left, Nikos.”
At first, the words strike me hard, cutting deeper than any bullet ever could. My jaw tightens, my fists clenching so hard my knuckles turn white. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
Dimitris exhales heavily, stepping closer as if to console me, and it only pisses me off more. “Her sister asked to meet, so I drove Serena to her family’s house. I waited outside, but… she refused to come back out. She said she’s leaving.”
“No.” It comes out like a growl, low and dangerous. I refuse to believe it. Not after last night. Not after all the words said.
“I didn’t want to leave her, so I went inside,” Dimitris continues. “Valeria said she’d left through the back entrance. I couldn’t do anything, Nikos. I failed, and I’m sorry. Rest assured, I have my men searching for her already.”
I look closely at my uncle. Something’s wrong. Something about this doesn’t add up. Serena wouldn’t leave me. Not after the confessions, the way we burned for each other like we’d never stop.
I step toward him, and my hand instinctively moves to my shoulder, squeezing the wound. Blood drips between my fingers, but I don’t care. Instead, I pull out my gun and point it at Dimitris. “You’re lying.”
Dimitris’s eyes widen in shock momentarily, but he tries to keep his poker face. Certainly, that’s not what he expected. “What’s the meaning of this?”
“You’ll tell me where my wife is,” I hiss through clenched teeth, “and then I’ll feed you to my dogs.”
“Nephew—” The poker face falls, replaced by pure shock and even fear.
