Shattered Vows Romano Revenge - Full Story

The words hung in the air like heavy iron weights.

"No! Dad, stop!" I gasped, clutching Dominic's lapels as sharp agony shot through my chest. "Not here. Don't... don't give them a reason to put you in jail."

Dominic paused, his dark eyes shifting from Barrett’s terrified face back to mine. The sheer fury radiating from him was palpable, a crackling aura of danger that filled the entire marble foyer.

"He laid a boot on you, Mallory," Dominic whispered, his voice dangerously smooth. "In my world, that requires blood."

"I want him ruined, Dad," I choked out, looking directly into my father's eyes, letting him see the fierce, unbroken fire behind my tears. "I don't want him killed. I want him stripped of everything he stole from me. His family name, his fortune, his freedom, his dignity. I want him to watch his entire life rot while he rots in a prison cell."

Dominic stared at me for a long, silent moment. Slowly, a dark, proud smile touched the corner of his lips.

"That's my blood talking," he murmured softly.

He looked down at Barrett, who was weeping uncontrollably on the floor, wet stains forming on his trousers.

"You got lucky tonight, boy," Dominic said coldly. "My daughter has more mercy than you deserve. But hear me clearly: from this exact second, your life as you know it is over. You have three hours to enjoy this house, because by sunrise, my lawyers will freeze every bank account attached to your name."

Taryn let out a muffled sob behind the pillar. Dominic’s cold glare swept over to her.

"And you," Dominic said, eyeing the trembling mistress. "Taryn Vance. Daughter of Marcus Vance, the corrupt state assemblyman. Your father owes twelve million dollars to my shell corporations in New Jersey. Tomorrow morning, I collect."

Taryn’s face went dead white. She looked at Barrett, expecting him to defend her, but Barrett couldn't even look up from the floor.

"Rocco," Dominic ordered as he walked toward the shattered front entrance carrying me in his arms. "Bring my private physician to the Manhattan estate. Have the legal team meet us at 3:00 AM. And post ten men outside this gate. If Barrett Hayes or his mistress try to move a single piece of furniture or asset out of this house, break their fingers."

"Understood, Don Dominic," Rocco replied with a respectful nod.

Outside, the cool night air hit my skin. A fleet of sleek, black armored sedans lined our drive. One of the drivers snapped open the rear door of a custom Maybach, and Dominic gently placed me onto the plush leather seating.

As the car pulled away from the Greenwich mansion, I looked out the tinted window. The magnificent estate I had spent five years decorating, the place where I thought I was building a blissful life, looked like a hollow, dark fortress fading into the distance.

"Drink this," Dominic said, handing me a small crystal glass of amber liquid. "It will dull the pain until Dr. Mercer sets your ribs."

I took a small sip. The burning liquid warmed my throat. "I'm sorry, Dad. I'm sorry I ignored you for twenty years."

Dominic sighed, resting his large hand over mine. "You wanted a normal life, Mallory. Your mother wanted to protect you from my darkness. I respected that. I stayed in the shadows, watching over you from afar, making sure nobody touched you. But I made a mistake letting you marry that spineless worm."

"I didn't know," I whispered, tears spilling over again. "I thought he loved me."

"Men like Barrett Hayes don't love women, star," Dominic said, his eyes turning cold as ice. "They love control. They love shiny things that raise their status. The moment you showed strength, he tried to break you."

He leaned forward, his voice dropping into a solemn vow.

"But he didn't break you. He just reminded you who your father is."

The Maybach sped through the night toward Manhattan, leaving the quiet wealthy suburb behind. The illusion of my perfect life was dead, but as the pain in my chest throbbed with every beat of my heart, a fierce, cold resolve settled into my soul.

Barrett Hayes thought he had locked a frightened wife in a basement.