Beneath The Vows

Chapter 2

Valentina POV

Soon after the police officer went away, I could hear the hustle and bustle in the corridors of the hospital. I knew for sure that even if I just moaned in pain, all the head doctors, including the dean of the hospital, would have stormed into my room. My news must have also reached my father. I was wondering about his reaction. I wondered if he would have just turned a blind eye to the news or would have killed a person because he wasted his quality time by delivering this insignificant piece of information.

I lay back, my eyes wide open, staring at the white ceiling, which looked too pure to be even seen by me. I don’t know how much time passed, but when my gaze fell to the window that was in my room, I saw the dark sky with a big, full moon shining above all. It was the same moon that saw me being r***d by all those five men; it was the same moon that I once saw as a sign of hope, but today I wanted to laugh at him. It might seem imposing and powerful. But in reality, it was just a cold, lifeless rock suspended in the vastness of space, indifferent to the struggles of humanity. I couldn't help but chuckle bitterly at the irony of it all.

"There you are, Mr. Mighty Moon," I whispered sarcastically, my voice barely audible in the silent room. "Watching over the world like some celestial guardian, huh?" I shifted uncomfortably in the hospital bed, wincing at the pain that shot through my body.

I imagined the moon as a Stoic observer, incapable of empathy or intervention. "You must have had a good view that night, didn't you?" You didn't care, didn't you? Just hanging there, casting your cold light on everything below—not a care in the world. There is no atmosphere to soften your edges, no emotions to cloud your judgment."

As I spoke, a bitter laugh escaped my lips, echoing in the sterile hospital room. "You're just a rock, a barren wasteland with no warmth, no compassion. You might be big and shiny, but you're as lifeless as the void you inhabit."

With that, I turned my gaze and shifted to the other wet side of the pillow, away from the window, dismissing the moon and its supposed grandeur. At that moment, I found a strange satisfaction in ridiculing the celestial body that had been a silent spectator to my pain.

Suddenly, the door of my hospital room opened, and the first person I saw was him. Fear must have clouded my face; my head lowered, and my body automatically sat up straight.

“Just a piece of trash!” were the first words that came out of my father’s mouth.

“I am sorry,” I whispered. Well, they were the only three words that kept me somewhat, a bit, safe from his wrath all along.

“You humiliated me in the underworld. What was the purpose of all this self-defense training that I gave you? You are still a weakling, a piece of sh*t who can’t even protect herself. It’s all your fault that you are in the current situation,” he yelled further at him.

My nails dug into my skin, and tears blocked my vision. I suddenly found it difficult to breathe. It was not until he grabbed my chin harshly that I noticed another man standing behind him. No words can describe what I felt at that moment: betrayal, shock, embarrassment, sadness, humiliation, and anger. My mind became numb as I looked into his eyes. The man behind my so-called father was the love of my life, Elvio Parker, the only source of comfort that I had ever had since I was born. He was my only secret, my only life away from the mafia world.

“You have to make up for all the mess you have caused. You are getting married next week. So you better fix that face of yours and don’t let me hear any disgusting news of yours.” He threw a cold bucket of words at me. I knew that I would have to face consequences, but I thought he would push me to hell.

“Married? Who?” I asked him and then looked back at Elvio. He was staring back at me with cold eyes as if he never knew me.

“Lucius Wrath, the King of the Underworld." I looked at my father with wide eyes as he spoke that name. In the hallowed halls of the underworld, Lucius' presence was a chilling force, and his reputation was a whispered nightmare that echoed in the shadows. Lucius's empire was a testament to his cunning intellect and unyielding brutality. Fear was not just a tool for him; it was a weapon, meticulously crafted and wielded with surgical precision. The mere mention of his name could halt conversations, extinguish laughter, and plunge the most raucous establishments into an oppressive silence.

I climbed off my bed, went on my knees, and grabbed his feet. “Please don’t do this to me; forgive me, Father. I will do anything, but please don’t marry him!" I cried for his mercy. I could not sign my life away to the devil himself. I didn’t want to move from one hellhole to the other.

“For the first time, I find your worth, Valentina. Don’t make it go away. Marry him so that I can sign a treaty of peace with him. This is the fate you brought upon yourself, and if you fail to comply, the consequences will be severe." The finality in his tone shut all doors of hope in my heart. He kicked me back and made his way to the door. He was about to go out when he stopped and looked back at me.

“Oh, I forgot to introduce you to my new assistant. Elvio will be taking care of all the marriage arrangements. I thought you would be happy if your best friend did it for you. Aren’t I a thoughtful father?” His evil laugh rang in the empty corridors as he went away, sucking the soul that was once inside of me.

They both left, leaving me in the abyss of darkness. I never thought that Elvio would join my father too. I thought he would be indifferent to power and money. But who am I kidding? Every man is the same. I have nothing to fight for. I got up from my spot and ran out of the door. I knew that this was my only chance at negotiation. I ran as fast as I could to catch on to my father. Just as he was about to sit in his car, I called him while catching my breath.

“I agree to marry him, but on one condition," my father said, stopping and looking back at me.

"Speak,” he said in a cold tone.

“I want you to catch those bastards who did this to me. I want you to make them regret touching me. I want to hear them scream out of misery and pain as the life drains out of their eyes. Fulfill this wish of mine, and I will agree to your demand," I stated my terms.

"Okay,” he said while sitting in his car and driving off, leaving me in the harsh, cold air under the moon that was mocking back at me.