CRIMSON VOWS

Chapter 13

The knock wasn't gentle.

It came hard and rushed—a desperate, heavy banging that echoed through the quiet house like a storm slamming against the door. Startled, Aira rushed to open it, still clad in her deep purple Sangeet lehenga, her eyes swollen with unshed tears.

Standing on the threshold was her ex-fiancé, Reyan, alongside his parents. Their faces were pale, frantic, and filled with wild, desperate anger.

"You need to get out of this marriage," Reyan's mother blurted out instantly, her hands trembling as she grabbed Aira's arms. "Now, Aira. This whole thing is a scam. A mafia trap."

Reyan looked at her with eyes that brimmed with helpless tears. "Aira... we're calling the police."

Aira’s heart dropped into her stomach. A cold dread swept over her skin. "No... you don't know what you're doing," she whispered, her voice cracking. "You need to leave."

Her mother rushed out from the living room, her face white as paper. "No! Please—no police—"

It was already too late.

Reyan's father was already pacing near the doorway, a phone pressed tightly to his ear. "We are reporting a forced marriage involving organized crime," he demanded into the receiver. "Send someone to this address immediately."

Ten minutes later, two patrol cars pulled up to the driveway, red and blue lights flashing silently against the darkened windows. Three uniformed officers stepped out and crossed the threshold.

A tiny spark of hope flickered in Aira's chest... until she looked at the officers' faces.

They weren't composed. They were nervous, cautious, sweat glistening on their brows as their hands rested stiffly over their holsters.

The lead officer stepped forward, his eyes darting frantically around the foyer. "We received a dispatch call regarding a complaint about a man named... Dominic Moretti."

A heavy silence fell over the hallway. Aira's mother let out a soft, terrified gasp.

The officer swallowed hard, his throat bobbing. "We... uh... we were instructed to come and verify if everything here is... consensual."

Reyan stepped between the officers and Aira. "It’s not! He’s threatening her family! He’s forcing this entire marriage—"

"Sir," the cop cut him off sharply, lowering his voice. "I think you and your family should leave."

"What?!" Reyan's father shouted, his face contorting in disbelief. "You're afraid of him? You're the law!"

The officer leaned in, his tone barely above a whisper. "You don't understand who you're dealing with. This isn't some small-time criminal. This is Dominic Moretti. If he decided she's marrying him, it's already done."

Aira's lips parted, trembling as the last spark of hope died in her chest.

Reyan's mother pulled Aira behind her back. "We will protect her. We’ll take her with us right now—"

And then—the heavy wooden door swung wide open.

Dominic didn't knock. He didn't ask. He simply walked in.

He wore a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing dark ink tracing his wrists. His jaw was set like granite. Behind him, four of his men filed in quietly—silent, deadly, and positioned like sentinels.

Dominic scanned the room slowly.

He saw the cops. He saw the ex-fiancé. The frantic parents. And finally, Aira.

A slow, dark smile curved his lips.

"Officers," he said smoothly, his voice echoing in the tense foyer. "I hope everything is in order."

The three police officers instinctively took a step back. The lead officer cleared his throat, his posture bowing slightly. "We... we were just leaving, sir."

"Good," Dominic said, stepping further into the hall. "You all have families waiting for you at home, don't you? Wives, kids... people who would miss you if you didn't return."

The officers didn't hesitate for another second. They turned and left without a word, the heavy front door clicking shut behind them.

Reyan stood his ground, though his hands shook uncontrollably at his sides. "She doesn't love you," he choked out, his voice raw. "You forced her into this—"

Dominic turned his head slowly toward him, his expression completely devoid of warmth.

"Reyan, was it?" Dominic asked softly. "Let me teach you a little lesson about love..."

He closed the distance between himself and Aira, lifting a hand to gently tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Aira flinched violently at his touch, but he didn't pull away.

"...it isn't always gentle," Dominic murmured, staring down into her tear-filled eyes. "Sometimes, it's violent. Obsessive. Ugly."

He glanced over his shoulder at Reyan, his eyes turning pitch black. "But it is still mine."

Reyan took a involuntary step backward. "You're sick."

Dominic's voice dropped to a quiet, dangerous growl. "And you're a walking corpse if you ever step foot near her again."

Dominic turned back to Aira, cupping her chin in his broad hand, his grip gentle yet unyielding.

"Did you call them here?" he whispered, searching her face.

Aira's eyes overflowed with silent tears. She couldn't speak. She couldn't move.

He leaned down, his breath brushing against her lips without actually kissing her. "Try to break this contract, Aira... and your family will disappear. One by one. I don't make empty threats."

She stared at him in horrified silence, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird.

"You are marrying me in less than twenty-four hours," he whispered against her mouth. "And the whole world will smile while you die a little more inside every single second."

He let go of her chin and turned to her trembling parents. "Don't ever open your doors to strangers again."

Dominic turned on his heel to leave, but paused near the threshold. He looked back at Reyan one last time.

"Reyan," Dominic called out smoothly.

The young man froze in place.

"Send me your engagement photos with Aira," Dominic said, a chilling smirk spreading across his face. "I want to frame them in our master bedroom."

He walked out into the dark night, taking the air from her lungs and her last shred of freedom with him.