Page 24 of The Mafia King's Reign
“You have my word. She will live comfortably, and she will be protected. Those things are non-negotiable.”
“How do I know you’ll keep your word?”
I lean forward, letting her see the truth in my eyes. The certainty.
“Because I’m Salvatore Vitale. I don’t make promises I can’t keep. And I don’t need to lie to get what I want. If I wanted to hurt Valentina, I’d have done it already. Instead, I’m offering her safety, security, and a position of power in my world. Besides… she’s my girl now.”
I stand, signaling the end of our conversation.
“You can see Valentina now. Thirty minutes. Elio will escort you to her room and wait outside.”
Maria stands too, and for a moment, she looks at me.
“You look like him,” she says quietly. “Your father. Same eyes. Same coldness.”
“I’m worse than my father.” I move toward the door. “Because I learned from his mistakes. Giovanni Vitale executed your father to make a point. But he let you go. Let you live your fantasy.”
I pause with my hand on the door handle.
“I don’t make that mistake. I don’t let debts go unpaid. And I don’t let anyone run from what they owe.” I look back at her. “Your daughter will be my wife. The Castellano debt will finally be settled. And you’re going to help me make sure she accepts it.”
“Tell her everything.” I open the door. “Elio will take you to her now.”
Maria moves toward the door, then stops. “Do you care about her at all? Even a little?”
The question catches me off guard.
I think about that surveillance photo. About the way I’ve stared at it for weeks. About the primal certainty that flooded through me the first time I saw her face.
About the way my chest tightened when I watched her cry on that security feed.
“I care about what she represents. What she can become. What she will be.”
“That’s not the same as caring about her.”
“No,” I agree. “But it’s more than you gave my father when you ran off with Marco.”
Maria looks like she wants to argue, but what can she say? I’m right.
She follows Elio out, and I’m alone with my thoughts.
Valentina will learn that this isn’t only about her father’s recent betrayal, but about an old family obligation.
She’ll have a choice to make. Accept her Castellano heritage and embrace her place in this family.
Or fight it and break herself trying to escape what was always meant to be.
CHAPTER FIVE
Valentina
"Valentina?" Rosa's voice is gentle through the door. "Your mother is here to see you."
I scramble to my feet so fast I nearly slip on the marble. "What?"
"Your mother. She's been permitted to visit for thirty minutes."
My hands shake as I unlock the door. Rosa stands there with that same calm expression, like kidnapping and forced marriages are normal. I guess it is for her. I run my fingers through my hair and fix my clothes so I don’t look how I feel. I’m sure my mother is worried enough.
