Bound To The Devil's Vow

Chapter 5

Sophia's POV

I can’t believe I just made a deal with the devil himself.

“Sophia… I thought you were smarter than this."

“You should have done your research before foolishly agreeing to the deal. Now there’s no going back”.

“What have you gotten yourself into?”

I scolded myself continuously, my chest tightening with regret and fear I could no longer ignore.

For once, I forgot I was not hungry until…

“Krrrrrrrrrr “

My stomach remained me.

I dragged myself into the kitchen, hoping I would find something….anything…to eat.

I opened the cabinets one after the other, but there was nothing new. Just the leftover pancakes I had made before rushing to the hospital earlier that morning.

I stared at them for a moment before sighing.

In the end, I ate them slowly, sitting in silence, my thoughts heavier than the food in my hands.

I was so lost in thought that I didn’t even realize the doorbell had been ringing for a while until I finally snapped back to reality.

“Who could that be?”

I wasn’t expecting anyone. I had stopped receiving visitors a long time ago… people didn’t want to “contaminate” themselves with our so-called bad luck.

Even my best friend of then, Clara, had slowly drifted away.

I rushed to answer the door, quickly finishing the remaining food in my mouth before I got there.

I opened the door, and a handsome face welcomed me…but he wasn’t as handsome as Salvatore.

I mentally facepalmed myself.

I can’t believe I’m comparing that devil to this man.

Something is seriously wrong with me somewhere.

“Are you Miss Sophia Brown?”

The handsome guy asked, cutting short my self-reprimanding session.

“Y-yes…” I replied slowly, dragging the word out.

He reached into his bag and pulled out a brown envelope, extending it toward me.

"Mr. Ricci instructed me to deliver this to you," he said, looking at me with an unexpected hint of respect.

I blinked at him in confusion.

Maybe I imagined it, I thought to myself.

I reached out to collect the envelope, but just as he handed it to me, he gave a slight bow.

I blinked.

Okay... now I know I hadn't imagined the first one.

My brows furrowed. I gave him a confused “what exactly are you doing?” look, but he acted as though he couldn't see the expression on my face.

Instead, he turned around and headed straight for his car, moving with the speed of someone whose life depended on not being late.

I stood there watching him climb into the vehicle before it sped off.

Slowly, I stepped back into the house and shut the door behind me.

My gaze dropped to the brown envelope in my hand.

Wait...

How did he know where I lived?

I frowned.

What exactly was inside this envelope?

Then my eyes widened.

No way...

Don't tell me it's a bomb.

My imagination immediately clocked in for overtime.

I had read enough novels and watched enough movies to know how these things worked. Powerful people sent suspicious packages to their enemies all the time.

The victim opens it.

Boom.

End of story.

"No, Sophia," I muttered to myself. "You cannot become tomorrow's headline."

Young Woman Blown Up by Mysterious Envelope After Agreeing to Marry A MAFIA.

I stared at the envelope.

The envelope stared back.

Was it ticking?

I held it away from my body.

Maybe I should throw it outside.

Or bury it.

Or call the police.

Then another thought hit me.

I had literally agreed to marry a man people referred to as the devil himself.

At this point, a letter bomb wasn't even the craziest thing that had happened to me today.

I sighed dramatically.

"Who would even want to kill me?" I asked the empty house.

"I'm already struggling to survive.”

Shaking my head at my own ridiculous thoughts, I carefully looked down at the envelope again.

There was only one way to find out what was inside.

I carefully and slowly opened the envelope.

Inside was a thick white document.

My brows furrowed in confusion as I pulled it out.

The moment my eyes landed on the bold letters at the top, my heart nearly stopped.

"What?!" I gasped.

My hands trembled slightly as I hurriedly scanned through the contents.

“No…”

“No way.”

Don't tell me this is a marriage certificate. I looked at the names written on the paper.

Salvatore Ricci.

Sophia Brown.

My breath caught in my throat.

I stared at it for a long moment, hoping the names would magically rearrange themselves into something that made more sense.

They didn't.I blinked once… twice…then a third time for good measure.

Still the same names.

I couldn't believe it.

I was legally married.

“Ha ha ha ha, a strange laugh escaped my lips. It sounded a little hysterical even to my own ears.

How did he even know my full name?.... I wondered.

First, it was my address.

Now this.

Was there anything about me that man didn't know?

I lowered myself onto the nearest chair, staring blankly at the certificate in my hands.

“Who gets married without being present at their own wedding?” I asked myself in disbelief.

A second later, my conscience answered.

“You, Sophia.”

I let out another laugh before burying my face in my hands.

What had my life turned into?

Just this morning, my biggest worry had been how to save my brother.

A few hours later, I had agreed to marry a complete stranger.

And now...

I was apparently Mrs. Sophia Ricci.

I slowly removed my hands from my face and looked down at the document again.

The reality of it all settled heavily in my chest.

This wasn't just a piece of paper.

It was proof that there was no turning back anymore.

I had signed away a year of my life to a man people feared enough to call the devil.

A man whose name alone sent chills down people's spines.

And I had suddenly become his wife.

I swallowed hard as fear crept into my heart.

"What exactly have I gotten myself into?" I whispered to the empty house.

For the first time since leaving the hospital, the weight of my decision truly hit me.

I was stepping into a world I knew absolutely nothing about.

*************************************

Later that evening, I left for the hospital.

Before leaving, I packed a few things I would need since I planned on staying there until after Leo's surgery tomorrow.

I also packed some of Leo's belongings, guessing he might need them once the operation was over.

I arrived at the hospital and headed straight for the new room Leo had been moved to.

"I'm back..." I announced as I pushed the door open.

The rest of my words got stuck in my throat.

I stopped mid-step, staring in shock.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, my eyes widening.

I hadn't expected to see him here at this hour.

Salvatore Ricci stood near Leo's bed, looking as composed and intimidating as ever, as though he owned the room.

Then my gaze shifted to the other person standing beside him.

It was the same man who had delivered my... marriage certificate.

My fingers tightened around the strap of my bag.

"Why are you here?" I asked again.

This time, the question came out slower, more cautious.

His gaze settled on me.

The intensity in his eyes made my heart skip a beat. He looked at me the way a predator would look at its prey…not with interest, but with quiet certainty.

Like he had already decided my fate.

The room sud

denly felt smaller.

Then, finally, he spoke.

"I'm here for you, little rabbit."

His deep voice carried the kind of authority that demanded obedience without needing to be raised.

A chill ran down my spine as he held my gaze.

"You're coming with me!!”