THE VOW OF ASHES.

Chapter One EVELYN The night smelled like gasoline and rain. I kept my head down as I walked through the alley behind Rossi Imports, the “legitimate” business my father used as a shield. Everyone in the city knew the truth — the Rossi family didn’t deal in antiques. We dealt in power. And tonight, power felt thin. I tightened my grip on the folder tucked beneath my coat. Inside were documents I wasn’t supposed to see — shipments, coded messages, signatures. One signature in particular made my stomach twist. A.V. Whoever he was, he had been working with my father behind closed doors. And if the rumors were true, he was dangerous. The kind of dangerous that didn’t leave loose ends. I turned the corner. And slammed straight into a wall of muscle. Except it wasn’t a wall. It was a man. Tall. Broad‑shouldered. Dressed in a black suit that probably cost more than my car. His hand shot out, gripping my arm to steady me. His touch was warm, firm, and entirely unwelcome. “Careful,” he said. His voice was low, smooth, with an edge that made my pulse jump. I looked up and froze. Dark eyes. Sharper than knives. Watching me like he could see straight through my skin. “I’m fine,” I snapped, pulling my arm back. He didn’t move. Didn’t apologize. Didn’t even blink. He just studied me. Like I was a puzzle he intended to solve. “Long night?” he asked. “None of your business.” A ghost of a smirk touched his lips. “Everything in this city is my business.” Arrogant. Confident. Dangerous. I stepped around him, refusing to look back. But I felt his eyes on me until I disappeared into the street. Whoever he was, I hoped I never saw him again. I would, of course. Fate has a sick sense of humor. --- ALEXANDRO She didn’t recognize me. That was the first thing I noticed. Most people in this city knew my face, or at least knew enough to avoid making eye contact. But she looked at me like I was just another man blocking her path. And for some reason, that irritated me. I watched her walk away, her coat swaying behind her, her steps quick and purposeful. She moved like someone carrying secrets. Heavy ones. The kind that got people killed. I slipped my hands into my pockets, letting the rain soak into my hair. I had come to the Rossi district to send a message — a quiet one, the kind that didn’t require blood. Yet. But then she crashed into me. Small. Fierce. Fire in her eyes. And she had something hidden under her coat. Something she didn’t want anyone to see. Interesting. I didn’t follow her. Not yet. But I memorized her face. The city was full of liars and thieves, but she wasn’t either. No, she was something far more dangerous. A woman who didn’t know she was standing in the middle of a war. And she had just walked straight into my path. --- EVELYN By the time I reached my car, my hands were shaking. Not from fear, I refused to give fear that power, but from the weight of what I had discovered. I slid into the driver’s seat, locked the doors, and pulled out the folder again. The papers inside were damp from the humidity, the ink smudged at the edges. Shipments. Dates. Payments. And the signature. A.V. I traced the letters with my thumb, my stomach twisting. Whoever he was, he was tied to my father’s business. Deeply. Secretly. And if my father didn’t want me to know… Then this man was dangerous. More dangerous than the stranger in the alley. I didn’t know it yet, but the two were the same. --- ALEXANDRO I watched her car pull away from the shadows of a rooftop across the street. She drove fast. Too fast for someone who wasn’t running from something. Or someone. I leaned against the railing, the city lights reflecting off the wet pavement below. The Rossi family had been sloppy lately. Careless. And careless men made enemies. But she wasn’t careless. She was cautious. Smart. And she had no idea she was carrying evidence of a deal that could start a war. A war I was already preparing for. I pulled out my phone and dialed a number. “Find out who she is,” I said. “And why she’s carrying my signature.” There was a pause on the other end. “Your signature, sir?” “Yes,” I said, watching the taillights disappear into the night. “And make it fast.” Because something told me this woman wasn’t just a messenger. She was a spark. And sparks had a way of burning down empires.