Crimson Vows Chapter 3 – A House Full of Knives
The Leone estate never slept. Not truly. At 3 a.m., the marble halls whispered with the echo of past sins. Security lights blinked like red eyes in the shadows. And the ghosts—the real ones, the ones who wore suits and secrets—lingered in corners, silent but always watching.
Aaravi stood barefoot on the cold floor of the East Wing hallway, wrapped in a silk robe, unable to sleep. Her mind still reeled from Matteo’s words: They sent me one of his fingers.
Dev.
Her best friend. Her only family. The boy who loved poetry and chai on rainy evenings. Tortured. Mutilated. Because of her. Because of him.
She pressed her palms against her eyes, trying to force the image out, trying to breathe. Behind her, the door to Matteo's study creaked open.
"You should be asleep," came his voice, low and coarse from too many cigarettes and not enough rest.
"So should you," she replied, turning to face him.
Matteo was in dark trousers and an open black shirt, his hair slightly mussed. In the pale corridor light, he looked like sin itself—tired, angry, barely leashed.
"The house is too quiet," she said.
He didn’t respond. Just motioned for her to follow.
They ended up in the armory.
Yes, an armory. Hidden behind a biometric-locked wall. Guns. Knives. Blueprints. Names. Faces. A world built on vengeance and precision.
"You need to know the truth," Matteo said, handing her a file. "This is who took Dev. The Verma Cartel."
She flipped it open. Blood rushed from her face.
Photographs. Torture chambers. Money trails. A red circle around a woman’s face: Ayesha Verma.
"She used to be your father’s mistress," Matteo said flatly.
Aaravi staggered.
"No... my father—he…"
"He was deep in this world, Aaravi. Deeper than you know. You’re not collateral. You’re bait."
Her knees buckled, but Matteo caught her.
"Why are you telling me this now?" she whispered.
"Because you need to decide, Aaravi. If you're going to survive this, you can't be a spectator."
She looked at him, eyes hard.
"Then teach me."
Matteo blinked.
"Teach me how to fight. How to shoot. How to be someone they fear."
A slow smile broke across his face. It wasn't kind.
It was proud.
"Then welcome," he said, pressing a pistol into her palm, "to the house full of knives."
