A DANGEROUS VOW

EPISODE 21 — THE WARNING

Lorenzo remained in his study long after the call ended.

The voice kept replaying in his head.

Let's see how long you can keep that promise.

He had received threats before.

Hundreds of them.

Most never made it past his security team.

But this one was different.

The caller hadn't threatened the Romano empire.

He hadn't threatened Lorenzo.

He had threatened Bianca.

Lorenzo picked up his phone and called his security chief.

"Don?"

"Get the call traced."

"We're already working on it."

"How long?"

"I can't give you an exact—"

"Then don't give me an estimate. Give me the result."

"Yes, Don."

Lorenzo ended the call.

He walked out of the study.

---

BIANCA

Bianca was still awake.

She sat on the edge of the bed, scrolling through her phone when Lorenzo entered.

She looked up.

"You're still working?"

"Something came up."

"Is everything okay?"

He stared at her for a moment.

"Yes."

She frowned.

"You don't look okay."

"I'm fine."

Bianca placed her phone aside.

"Lorenzo, I've been living with you long enough to know when you're lying."

He almost smiled.

"Have you?"

"Yes."

She stood.

"So what's wrong?"

"Nothing you need to worry about."

"That's not an answer."

Lorenzo walked toward the window.

Bianca followed him.

"Did something happen?"

He remained silent.

She studied his face.

"Is it about Ferraro?"

His eyes moved toward her.

"Why would you think that?"

"Because everything strange that's happened since I married you somehow leads back to him."

Lorenzo didn't deny it.

Bianca folded her arms.

"Tell me."

He finally turned around.

"Someone called me."

"Who?"

"I don't know."

"What did they say?"

Lorenzo hesitated.

Then he told her.

Bianca's face slowly changed.

"So someone is threatening me?"

"Yes."

She looked down.

For a few seconds, neither spoke.

Then Bianca asked quietly,

"Are you scared?"

Lorenzo's expression tightened.

"I'm angry."

"That's not what I asked."

He looked at her.

"I don't like not knowing who is behind something."

Bianca nodded.

"I understand."

She walked closer.

"Then don't shut me out."

Lorenzo looked at her.

"I don't want you involved in this."

"I'm already involved."

She touched the wedding ring on her finger.

"You made sure of that."

His eyes dropped briefly to the ring.

Their marriage had started as an arrangement.

Three years.

A contract.

Then they would go their separate ways.

That was supposed to be simple.

But nothing about it had remained simple.

---

THE NEXT MORNING

Bianca woke up earlier than usual.

She dressed for work and went downstairs.

Lorenzo was already at the breakfast table.

She stopped.

"You didn't sleep."

"Neither did you."

"I had work."

"So did I."

She sat opposite him.

For several minutes, they ate quietly.

Then Bianca looked up.

"Are you still planning to let me go to work?"

"Yes."

She looked surprised.

"Even after last night?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because you shouldn't allow someone else's threat to decide how you live."

Bianca smiled faintly.

"That's actually a good answer."

"I have them occasionally."

She laughed.

It was a small moment.

But Lorenzo found himself watching her longer than he intended.

He quickly looked away.

---

THE ROMANO OFFICE

By midday, Lorenzo received the information he had been waiting for.

His security chief entered.

"We traced the number."

Lorenzo looked up.

"Who?"

"An unregistered phone."

"Where was it activated?"

"Near the eastern district."

"Who owns it?"

"No one."

Lorenzo's eyes narrowed.

"Burner phone."

"Yes."

"Anything else?"

His security chief placed a photograph on the desk.

"We found this near the location."

Lorenzo picked it up.

A man stood outside the restaurant where Bianca had attended her meeting.

The image was blurry.

But there was something familiar about him.

Lorenzo stared at the photograph.

"Zoom in."

The image was enlarged.

A scar crossed the man's thumb.

The same scar they had noticed in the hospital footage.

Lorenzo's expression changed.

"Find him."

"We're trying."

"No."

He placed the photograph on the table.

"You're going to find him."

---

BIANCA'S OFFICE

Bianca was working when Daniel approached her.

"Can I ask you something?"

She looked up.

"Sure."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes."

"You've seemed distracted all morning."

Bianca smiled.

"Just tired."

Daniel nodded.

Then he noticed the two men standing outside the building.

"Are those your guards?"

Bianca looked through the window.

"Yes."

Daniel raised an eyebrow.

"That's... intense."

"You get used to it."

He laughed.

"I don't think I ever could."

Bianca smiled.

Then Adrian walked over.

"Bianca, I need you in my office."

She followed him.

Once the door closed, Adrian lowered his voice.

"The client meeting has been rescheduled."

"Again?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

Bianca stared at him.

"You've been acting strange since that meeting."

Adrian sighed.

"I know."

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

He looked at her.

"I received a call yesterday."

"From who?"

"I don't know."

"What did they want?"

Adrian hesitated.

"They asked about you."

Bianca's expression hardened.

"What exactly did they ask?"

"Whether you still worked here."

Her stomach tightened.

"Did you answer?"

"No."

"Good."

Adrian leaned against his desk.

"Bianca, I think you should take some time off."

She shook her head.

"No."

"This isn't normal."

"I know."

"You could be putting everyone here in danger."

Bianca looked at him.

"That's exactly why I need to know who's doing this."

---

AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR

That evening, Bianca returned home earlier than expected.

She entered the mansion and immediately noticed something unusual.

The guards were speaking quietly.

She approached Maria.

"What happened?"

Maria looked nervous.

"Nothing."

Bianca knew that answer.

"Maria."

The older woman sighed.

"Someone came asking for you."

Bianca froze.

"Who?"

"I don't know."

"What did he look like?"

"He left before I could see him properly."

"Did he say his name?"

Maria shook her head.

"But he left something."

She handed Bianca a small envelope.

Bianca stared at it.

There was no name.

No address.

She opened it.

Inside was a single sheet of paper.

Three words were written across it.

ASK YOUR FATHER.

Bianca's face went pale.

Her father.

She hadn't heard from him in days.

And suddenly, for the first time, she wondered whether the threats against her had anything to do with the man who had gambled away her mother's treatment money—and had ultimately gambled away his own daughter.

Bianca slowly folded the paper.

She didn't notice Lorenzo standing behind her.

"What is that?"

She turned.

For once, she had no answer.

She handed him the note.

Lorenzo read it.

His expression became unreadable.

"Where did this come from?"

"Someone left it at the mansion."

He looked toward the guards.

"Nobody saw who?"

"No."

Lorenzo looked back at Bianca.

"Where is your father?"

"I don't know."

"When was the last time you spoke to him?"

"Before the wedding."

Lorenzo's eyes remained on the note.

Then he looked at her.

"Bianca..."

"What?"

"There's something you need to know."

She waited.

"Your father didn't disappear after the gambling incident."

Bianca's heart stopped.

"What do you mean?"

Lorenzo's voice was low.

"My men have been looking for him."

"And?"

"We found him."

Bianca stared at him.

"Where?"

Lorenzo didn't answer immediately.

He looked at the note once more.

Then back at her.

"He's been in contact with someone."

"Who?"

Lorenzo's expression hardened.

"Ferraro."

Bianca's lips parted.

She couldn't speak.

Because suddenly, the threats against Lorenzo no longer seemed to be about her marriage.

They might have started long before she ever became Donna Romano.