SCARLET VOWS

Scarlet Vows

A Romance of Love, Betrayal, and Revenge

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1. A Dangerous Standoff

Celeste's pulse thundered in her ears as the tension in the room thickened.

Rafael stood in the doorway, his frame rigid, his dark eyes burning with barely restrained fury.

Santino didn't move. His lips curled into a smirk, but his fingers twitched at his sides.

Two men.

Two different kinds of danger.

And Celeste?

She was caught between them.

"What are you doing here, Rafael?" she asked, her voice sharper than intended.

His eyes flickered to hers, cold and assessing. "I should be asking you the same damn thing."

Santino chuckled darkly. "You act like she belongs to you."

Rafael took a slow step inside. "She does."

A sharp breath caught in Celeste's throat.

No, she didn't.

Not anymore.

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2. Secrets Laced with Poison

Santino tilted his head, eyes gleaming with challenge. "Funny. She doesn't seem to think so."

Rafael's jaw clenched. "Stay away from her."

Celeste exhaled, stepping between them. "Enough."

Her voice sliced through the tension like a blade.

Both men looked at her, their eyes filled with emotions she couldn't afford to feel.

Rafael—furious, possessive, broken.

Santino—dangerous, amused, and waiting for her to choose.

She had no intention of choosing.

Not when she had a secret that could shatter everything.

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3. A Choice She Couldn't Make

Celeste stepped toward Rafael first.

"You don't control me."

His eyes darkened. "You're right. But I know you, Celeste. And I know when you're lying to yourself."

Her throat tightened.

He still knew her too well.

She turned to Santino next, her hands curling into fists. "And you? You think this is a game?"

He smirked. "Everything is a game. Until someone gets hurt."

A shiver ran down her spine.

Someone would get hurt.

She just didn't know who.

Or when.

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4. The Warning

Rafael exhaled, shaking his head. "I'm not going to fight over you, Celeste."

Santino raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that?"

Rafael's gaze flickered with something dark. "Stay the hell away from her, Santino. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into."

Celeste felt the walls closing in.

They were both right.

Santino didn't know the half of it.

Rafael did.

And if the truth came out, everything would crumble.

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5. A Night of Bad Decisions

Later that night, Celeste sat alone in her bedroom, staring at the city lights.

Her chest ached.

Rafael's warning.

Santino's smirk.

Her own guilt.

She closed her eyes.

There was no escaping this.

There was only one way forward.

And it started with a lie.

She picked up her phone.

Dialed a number she shouldn't have.

And when the voice on the other end answered, she whispered:

"We need to talk."

Because if she didn't fix this now—

Someone was going to die.

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End of Chapter Eight