POV: Vera
Vera stood in the doorway, watching them. Dominic and Isabella, standing too close for comfort, exchanging words that seemed too intimate. The way he looked at her—there was softness in his eyes. Softness he hadn't shown Vera in years. It was a look she knew well, a look he once gave her when they were alone in the quiet of his mansion, when the world didn't exist, and only the two of them mattered.
But now, that look was reserved for Isabella.
Vera's fingers curled into a tight fist at her side. She could feel the jealousy rising, thick and suffocating, like smoke that threatened to choke her. She had worked too long, too hard, to let some naïve woman come in and steal everything she had fought for.
Dominic was hers. He always had been, and she wouldn't let Isabella take that from her. Not after all these years, not after everything Vera had done to keep him by her side.
The soft laughter that escaped from Isabella's lips was a sound that made Vera's blood run cold. It was too sweet, too innocent. The kind of laughter that had no place in the world Dominic and Vera had created. The mafia, the pack, the danger—they didn't leave room for softness. They didn't leave room for vulnerability. But Isabella was vulnerable, and that made her dangerous.
Vera couldn't just stand there and watch this. She wouldn't. Not when she knew the power she wielded, not when she knew how easily she could break them apart.
Later that night, Vera made her way to Dominic's office. She had watched Isabella's every move, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. She had to act quickly—before the bond between them grew stronger, before Dominic's heart was completely claimed by her.
As she entered the room, she saw Dominic leaning against his desk, looking over some papers. His posture was relaxed, but the tension in his eyes was unmistakable. He was thinking about her. Vera knew that much.
"Dominic," she greeted him, her voice smooth as silk. She approached him slowly, deliberately, letting her presence fill the room. "We need to talk."
His eyes flickered up to her, the coldness there sending a chill down her spine. But she wasn't deterred. She couldn't afford to be.
"What's this about, Vera?" he asked, his voice neutral. But there was something in the way he said it—something that made her feel like an intruder in her own world.
"I've been thinking about Isabella," Vera said, her words carefully chosen, each one landing with calculated precision. "She's dangerous, Dominic. You know that, don't you? She's only here because of the debt. She has no real loyalty to you."
Dominic's jaw clenched, but he didn't speak, waiting for her to continue.
"She's using you," Vera said, stepping closer, her voice low and insistent. "She'll never be loyal. She'll leave you when she's done with you. And when she does, she'll take everything from you. Everything."
The words hung in the air, thick with meaning. Dominic's face remained impassive, but Vera could see the flicker of doubt in his eyes. That was all she needed. Just a crack in the armor. She pressed on.
"I've seen the way she looks at you. It's like she's entitled to you. Like she thinks she's already claimed you." Vera's voice hardened, each word coming out sharper than the last. "She's just like the others—using you for her own gain. You can't trust her."
Dominic's gaze shifted, his lips tight. He didn't respond right away, but Vera saw the inner conflict stirring within him. Good. She was getting to him.
"I've been with you through everything, Dominic," she said, her tone softer now, almost pleading. "I've always been here. I've always understood you. I've always been loyal. You need me."
She stepped closer still, her fingers brushing against his arm, just a touch, but enough to send a shiver through his body. She knew him too well. She knew how to make him feel wanted, needed—how to make him question everything that was pulling him toward Isabella.
Dominic didn't pull away, but his eyes narrowed. He was thinking, weighing her words. But something else lingered in his gaze—a flicker of uncertainty. That's what she needed.
Hours later, Vera found herself waiting outside Isabella's quarters. The hallway was dimly lit, the silence pressing in on her. Her pulse quickened as she thought about what she was about to do. But she couldn't hesitate. She had to act.
Isabella's footsteps echoed down the hallway, and Vera took a deep breath, stepping into her path before she could pass.
"Well, well, if it isn't the Silver Bride," Vera said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Isabella froze, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Vera. "What do you want?"
Vera smiled, her lips curling. "I wanted to have a little chat. You're new here, aren't you? You don't understand the rules. You think you can just waltz in and claim Dominic like he's some sort of prize. But he's not like that. You don't belong in this world. You don't know what you're getting yourself into."
Isabella's expression softened, but there was something in her eyes—something that told Vera she wasn't going to be so easily swayed.
"I'm here because I had no choice," Isabella said quietly, her voice steady. "I'm not trying to claim anything. I'm just trying to save my family."
Vera's smile widened. "Oh, I know all about saving families. You think Dominic's protecting you, but you're just a pawn in a game you don't understand. He's not the man you think he is. He's a wolf—a predator. And he will destroy you."
Isabella stepped back, her eyes wide with the flicker of uncertainty Vera had hoped for. The doubt was there.
"You think you're different from the others," Vera continued, her voice dropping to a near whisper. "But in the end, you'll be just another broken heart in Dominic's wake. And when that happens, I'll be here. I always am."
She turned and walked away, leaving Isabella standing in the hallway, her hand pressed against the door frame, as though she was searching for the right words to say, to refute everything Vera had just planted.
As Vera disappeared around the corner, a cold, unsettling feeling settled in Isabella's chest. Was Vera right? Her mind raced, and her breath quickened. Dominic's promise to protect her suddenly felt like a distant memory, slipping through her fingers. Had she made a mistake by trusting him? And if she had, was it already too late?