Undercover Vows

Four

Elena

Matteo and I left the VIP lounge as we headed towards his expensive, polished black SUV. The night air cooled against my skin as my thoughts continued to wander, my mind hazy.

“Get in,” Matteo declared, breaking off my trail of thoughts. I knew this marriage was strictly business, but I cursed that part of myself that nudged at me, wanting him to be a bit more human!

Brrrr. I let out a sigh, shaking off the thought because it was never going to be.

Moreover, I couldn't lose focus. I wasn't here to play games. The D’Angelos were going down.

Matteo stared at me for a while, as if trying to drill through my mind to expose my deepest thoughts. An expression of confusion plastered on his once bland face as he wondered why I was reluctant to enter the car.

“You should take it now that you've got the chance,” Matteo taunted.

I was about to send him a sharp response but couldn't gather the energy to.

Finally, I did get in. I sat in the backseat as a shiver of fear ran through my spine.”

The car was silent, except for the low hum of the engine and the occasional flick of Matteo's fingers against the steering wheel.

Outside, the city lights blurred past us in streaks of blue and white. But inside, the air between us lay thick with unspoken words.

I shifted in my seat, the leather of the seat cool against my soft skin, and my hands clenched together in my lap.

I wanted to demand answers, to make sense of all that had just happened in the VIP lounge. But Matteo's face was unreadable—maybe partly because I could only see his side, or maybe not.

And starting a new life with Matteo? It was as if I wasn't even there.

From time to time, his fingers flexed against the wheel. I'm a cop, so of course, I'd pick up on a subtle sign of tension masked behind his cascade of calmness.

“Are you going to tell me what that was back there?” I finally asked, my voice breaking the stillness.

Matteo didn’t respond immediately. He inhaled slowly, his grip tightening just a fraction. “It’s handled.”

I frowned. “That’s not an answer.”

A short silence followed.

I steadied my head and wore a confident tone, my pulse kicking up. “That’s not how this should work. If I’m being dragged into all this s**t, then at least I deserve to know what’s going on.”

His jaw clenched. Still, he didn’t spare me a glance. “You deserve to stay alive.”

The weight of those words pressed deep into my chest. I knew it wasn't reassurance—it was a warning.

I swallowed hard as I glanced out the window, watching as the streets narrowed, leading us to what I thought was the D’Angelo estate.

Scrap that. We were right in front of the magnificent D’Angelo estate. Its silver gates shimmered in elegance into the night.

As Matteo drove further in, I couldn't help but notice the marble floor, the pearled mini structures built around and then finally the gigantic glass building erected right in the center of the estate—The D’Angelos’ main building. I was mesmerized; I had never seen such a plethora of opulence in my entire life.

“Whoa-oww!” I exclaimed in awe.

As I glanced over at Matteo, he was calm. Too calm I'd say, with a hint of boredom on his face.

Of course, he's bored at your reaction Elena. The guy lives here so he gets to see this every day, literally. The voices in my head just wouldn't stop coming through.

But there was also a shadow in his eyes, something locked away so tightly I doubted anyone had ever been allowed close enough to see it.

And for the first time, a terrifying thought crept into my mind.

Was Matteo trying to shut me out of his world? Or himself?

*****

Inside the D'Angelos’ mansion, the luxurious furniture and sophisticated lights hanging on the chandelier immediately made me feel out of place.

As much as I tried to set my head straight, I couldn't help but question my decision to comply with this—as if I had a choice though.

What exactly was I doing here?

Matteo hadn't spoken much to me since we arrived at his mansion. His protectiveness and possessiveness towards me was completely undeniable, but beyond that—nothing. He was like a fortress impenetrable, and I was trapped inside its walls without a key.

Why did he always look at me like I was the problem? No—like I was a problem nudging at him that he didn't want but was forced to deal with.

Suddenly, I felt my throat go dry and I coughed aggressively. I was in dire need of some kind of fluid before I'd choke my lungs out.

Matteo observed me for a while.

“Fix your situation,” he finally said. “After which, find your way upstairs to my room,” he concluded in disgust without sparing me a glance as he calmly found his way towards the grand staircase.

How dare he disrespect me in such a manner—as if I was some piece of trash he could easily do away with.

“It's high time I gave that psycho man a piece of my mind. Jeez, for goodness’s sake, I didn't beg to be here.”I wailed as a sea of emotions welled up within me.

“Damn it! I didn't even want to be here.”

I contemplated ways to get back at Matteo, and how I'd scramble my way through the gigantic mansion. Suddenly, a voice pulled me from my thoughts, distracting me.

“It seems you're the talk of the house now.”

I turned swiftly, the eyes of a square-shouldered tall man staring right back at me. His straight brunette hair combed into a fold and those pair of pitch black eyes stood out to me.

He was relaxed leaning casually against the doorway to the lounge, his suit tailored to perfection. His smile was easy, disarming even but it felt rehearsed. And the thought of which unsettled me.

Maybe it was just me. But the way he squinted his eyes while studying me didn't go unnoticed. And his welcoming tone was simply too good to be true.

My gut told me I couldn't trust him and that was a feeling I could never shake off.

“Elena, right?” he continued, inching forward in an attempt to close the gap between us.

I nodded cautiously, curiosity seeping through my voice.“And you are?”

“Luca Romano,” his grin widened as he extended a hand.

A polite gesture that wouldn't hurt anyone, I thought, as Matteo's masculine face quickly flashed through my memory.

After a few seconds of hesitation, I returned the gesture, locking hands with him and revealing a smile—one that didn't quite reach my eyes. “Matteo’s right-hand man,” he added.

Matteo’s right-hand man. Matteo's best friend.The one who had known him longest. Maybe he had the answers I desperately needed.

“I take it Matteo didn’t give you much of a welcome?” Luca mused, tilting his head slightly as if gauging my reaction again.

I swallowed, unsure of how much to reveal. “He's…okay.”

Luca let out a creeping, low chuckle “That’s one way to put it.”

A silence settled between us, charged and heavy. Before I could utter another word, Luca leaned in slightly, his voice coming out raspy as he lowered it just enough to send a shiver down my spine.

“Be careful with him, Matteo isn’t the man you think he is.”

I stiffened.

I had just met Luca but I already knew that he wasn't one to bluff.

It was a stern warning.

The weight of his words hit hard and I went numb. It was like my brain cells had shut down temporarily. In a bid to recover from the sudden shock, I pressed my lips in a thin line while deliberating on my next response.

“What do you mean?” I said, keeping up the conversation.

As if I didn't know better.

Luca wore a sly smirk, stepping back like he hadn’t just dangled something dangerous in front of me.

“You’ll see.”

And with that, he walked away, leaving me in a deeper state of confusion than I was in before my encounter with him.

What was that? I knew Matteo was dangerous. I mean, he's the freaking heir so why wouldn't he be?

Well, I didn't trust Luca either. I was alone. I knew I could die in the course of this mission. Nobody cared anyway.

As reality gradually dawned on me, I began to walk through the possible outcomes of this predicament.

Tears stung my eyes. I sniffled as I fought back the drops that threatened to fall, my expression gloomy. A determination whirling up inside me—

A determination to complete my assignment and take down the D'Angelo family o

nce and for all.

I thought to myself a little more and patted my cheeks, my face finally lighting up with a slow smirk.

Alas! I have a plan.