Trapped in the Don’s Vow Chapter 03

Trapped in the Don’s Vow Chapter 03: The Mark of Betrayal
Isabella let out a shriek and stumbled back into Vincent’s arms. “That’s not what I meant. I just—”

Vincent yanked out his pistol and aimed it at my face. “How can you be this cruel?”

“I’m the one who chose to marry Isabella,” he snapped. “She feels guilty, so she invited you to live with us, and you’re twisting her words into something ugly.”

I stared straight down the barrel. “So you’re going to kill me for her?”

I never imagined the weapon he’d always used on enemies would one day be pointed at me.

His grip tightened on the gun. “Serena, I’ll never hurt you.”

“But Isabella’s right,” he went on. “In two days, you’re going into that coffin, and I have to ruin your face now so that seven days later, I can get you out without anyone recognizing you.”

“I don’t want you to suffer,” he added, “so I brought anesthetic.”

“Don’t worry,” he said. “Just a few shallow cuts. You won’t feel a thing.”

I slapped the vial out of his hand. “Vincent, have you lost your mind?”

“Even if I agreed to go with you, why would you actually slash my face when there are a hundred ways to fake it with prosthetics or a mask?”

Vincent frowned. “Serena, don’t be so stubborn.”

“Those tricks get exposed fast,” he said. “And I’m not about to make you wear a mask for the rest of your life.”

“So you’d rather destroy my face?”

Isabella picked up the anesthetic, tears shimmering in her eyes. “Sis, Vincent is only trying to help you. Why won’t you listen?”

I snatched the gun from Vincent and pressed the cold muzzle to Isabella’s cheek. “Was this your idea?”

“Then we’ll test it on you first,” I said, “before you carve up my face.”

I started to squeeze the trigger.

When the barrel was barely an inch from her eye, the gun slipped out of my hand and clattered away.

Isabella shook like she was about to fall apart, and Vincent’s eyes turned red with rage.

“Serena, when are you going to stop this insanity?” he shouted. “Isabella is my wife, and you have no right to hurt her.”

He pulled a knife and, in one brutal motion, scored three deep slashes across my face.

Pain ripped through me so hard my legs gave out, and I hit the floor screaming as the wounds burned like fire.

Seeing me writhe only made his frown deepen. “Serena, it’s just a little pain. It’ll pass.”

“Remember the last time you took a bullet for me?” he said, voice full of contempt. “You held it in until the fight was over, so why are you being so dramatic now?”

I clutched my face and tried to call for my father’s security team.

Vincent let out a cold laugh. “Don’t bother.”

“I sent everyone away,” he said. “Even your father got called out on an emergency.”

“There’s only me and Isabella here.”

The burning pain sank deeper into my skin, and my vision went dark until I couldn’t see anything at all.

I crawled to his feet and grabbed his pant leg.

“Please,” I begged, “take me to a doctor.”

“There’s poison on the blade.”