Pact Of Love Under Oath

The Hampton Mansion rose with quiet grandeur in the heart of Tuscany, surrounded by rolling golden vineyards and a gentle breeze that carried the promise of a remarkable day. Inside its walls, opulence and grace mingled effortlessly with the intimacy of family, setting the ideal stage for what everyone believed would become the most memorable wedding of the year.

Seated before an elaborate mirror, Alicia Michelle Hampton wore a white satin robe while a group of stylists carefully arranged her hair and makeup. Her mother, Paige Hampton, watched every moment intently, her eyes sparkling with both pride and anticipation.

"Today has finally arrived, sweetheart," her mother whispered, her hand caressing Alicia's cheek with tender affection. "You are about to become the most stunning bride anyone has ever seen."

Laughter floated through the room as Sofía and Alexandra, her sisters, joined by her sister-in-law Katerina, assisted with the finishing touches to her dress. The atmosphere brimmed with happiness, and a lively sense of celebration drifted through the air like a song only they could hear.

Alicia returned their smiles, but nervous excitement coiled tightly in her stomach. She felt no fear, only anticipation. Her love for Marcus ran deep. Ever since the day their paths crossed, she believed fate had woven their lives together, and now, they would finally declare that love in front of everyone they cherished.

Absentmindedly, she reached for her phone while one of the stylists perfected her lipstick. She longed to send Marcus a message, to remind him of her love and to confess how she could hardly wait to see him at the altar. As soon as she unlocked her phone, however, a fresh message appeared on the screen.

Viviana had sent it.

Her closest friend. Her soul sister.

Alicia's brow furrowed. She had not expected to hear from Viviana at that particular moment. Perhaps it was a comment about the decorations, or maybe a playful remark meant to soothe her nerves?

The instant Alicia opened the conversation, everything around her seemed to freeze.

Her breath left her lungs in a sharp, helpless rush.

A video filled the screen.

Even from the tiny preview, the image was painfully clear.

Marcus.

Viviana.

Together.

Her heart slammed violently against her chest as she tapped the screen, her fingers shaking uncontrollably.

The video began to play, and what appeared before her eyes was so brutally real that it shattered every part of her at once.

Marcus had Viviana in his arms, holding her with a passion Alicia had never witnessed before. His mouth moved over Viviana's with the same hunger he once used when he promised Alicia forever. Their clothes were rumpled, their breathing heavy, their bodies pressed together without restraint... There was no denying what she was seeing. Marcus was intimate with Viviana.

It was a betrayal.

A cruel strike that pierced straight through her soul.

Alicia felt her throat tighten as if it were closing in on itself, her skin turning cold.

No.

No.

This could not be real.

But it was.

Before Alicia could even process what she had seen, the message disappeared. Viviana had already deleted it.

But it was already far too late.

Alicia had recorded the screen.

The proof was still there.

A broken sob ripped from her chest before she could hold it back. The sound came out raw and fractured, carrying so much anguish that the entire room dropped into a tight, suffocating silence.

"Alicia?" Sofía called out, her voice shaking with fear.

Alicia's grip on the phone tightened until her knuckles turned pale. With unsteady movements, Alicia slowly raised her eyes from the screen and met the worried gazes of her mother and sisters.

Everything she had built with love, trust, and hope crumbled in a single moment.

The mansion's walls seemed to press inward, closing around her. The air thickened until breathing felt impossible. Pain speared through her chest so violently that her body curled in on itself, as if instinctively trying to shield her heart.

"No..." she whispered, her voice shattered. "It can't be."

Sofía hurried to her side, dropping to her knees and clasping Alicia's shaking hands in her own.

"What happened, Alicia? What did you see?"

But Alicia could not speak.

Tears streamed freely down her face, smearing her makeup and soaking into her skin. Only moments earlier, she had believed herself to be the happiest woman alive. Now, she was completely broken.

"He... they..." She tried to form the words, but her throat tightened painfully, choked by overwhelming anguish.

Katerina carefully took the phone from Alicia's grasp, and alongside Alexandra and Sofía, watched the recording that had been saved. Horror crossed their faces almost instantly, their expressions hardening as the truth sank in.

"That bastard!" Alexandra shouted, her voice trembling with fury. "I'm going to kill him!"

But Alicia could no longer hear anything at all.

All she could see was Marcus's face as he swore eternal love to her, while behind her back, he surrendered himself to her closest friend.

The woman she had adored, trusted, and loved had shattered everything.

The betrayal flared inside her chest like an open flame, consuming her from within and turning every memory, every promise, into nothing but ashes.

Tears burned against her skin, yet they offered no relief from the agony ripping her apart.

What should have been the happiest day of her life had twisted into her darkest nightmare.

Within seconds, chaos rippled through the lavish halls of the Hampton Mansion. Alicia Michelle fought for breath, her thoughts scattered and unfocused. Pain surged violently in her chest, and somewhere deep inside, she understood that only the truth could put an end to it.

She stood suddenly, tears still falling freely, but something far more dangerous now burned in her eyes. Raw, uncontrollable anger replaced sorrow.

"Alicia, wait!" Sofía cried, reaching toward her.

"You can't go anywhere like this," Katerina insisted, grabbing her other arm.

But Alicia shoved them aside with unexpected strength, her body fueled by betrayal and fury.

"Don't stop me!"

Her brown eyes, once full of love and hope, now burned with disappointment and rage. Paige hurried to her side, desperation etched across her face as she tried to soothe Alicia before things spun further out of control.

"Daughter, please, think carefully about what you're going to do..."

But Alicia shook her head. There was no time to think. There was no time to consider her actions-not after her entire world had shattered in an instant.

She bolted from the room, the sound of her bare feet echoing off the marble floors. In her frantic rush, she failed to notice several figures appearing on the grand staircase.

"What's going on here?" The deep voice of Alessandro Hampton, her father, resonated through the room.

Aaron, her older brother, glanced at her with worry as he bent down to straighten his son's tiny tie.

"Alicia, where are you headed? The ceremony starts in a few minutes," Alessandro called, alarm rising in his voice.

But she remained silent. She could not slow down.

When she looked at them, something in her eyes made them freeze. Something inside Alicia had died.

Without responding, she strode past her family, her heart pounding like a drum inside her chest.

She hurried to the garage, her hands shaking as she fumbled for the car keys. Without pausing to think, she climbed into her sleek black Aston Martin and tore out of the estate, the engine's roar echoing her pain as she vanished down the drive.

The drive toward the city passed in a blur. Fury blurred Alicia's vision, and her fingers wrapped around the steering wheel with such force that her knuckles turned stark white.

Every second of the video replayed in her mind, looping endlessly like a form of deliberate torture.

Marcus kissing Viviana.

Marcus touching her, giving himself to the woman Alicia had once loved like a sister.

Marcus, the man she was meant to build a life with, a future with, the man who had just destroyed everything she believed in.

"Marry Viviana and forget about me..."

The thought seeped into her mind like poison, sharp and relentless.

By the time she reached Marcus Aponte's lavish apartment building, she barely remembered the drive. She parked harshly, stepped out of the car, and marched toward the stairs, anger fueling every step.

Her fist crashed against the door without restraint, and she did not care who heard.

"Marcus! Open the damn door!"

A few seconds passed before the door finally opened.

And there he stood. The man who, only minutes earlier, had been the love of her life.

Dressed in a tailored black suit, his hair styled to perfection, Marcus looked ready to walk down the aisle.

Confusion flickered across his face as his eyes took in the sight of his fiancée standing before him, tears streaking down her cheeks, her breaths coming unevenly.

"Alicia, what are you doing here?" he asked, his brow furrowing. "You should be getting ready."

His voice, once warm and reassuring, now sounded empty. Repulsive.

Nausea twisted violently in Alicia's stomach.

"Don't you dare pretend you don't know," she whispered, her voice trembling with fury. "I know you cheated on me with Viviana."

Marcus stepped toward her instinctively, but Alicia moved back just as fast.

"I don't know what you're talking about..." he started, but she refused to let him continue. Alicia pulled out her phone, holding it up between them, the screen shining with undeniable evidence.

The video.

The damn video had revealed everything.

Marcus froze.

Alicia watched his features shift as the blood drained from his face.

For the first time, she saw him hesitate.

For the first time, he had nothing to say.

"What's your excuse now?" she demanded, her voice shaking even though she tried to sound strong.

The silence between them was suffocating.

Marcus parted his lips, clearly searching for a lie, for any kind of justification, but nothing came out.

"Alicia..."

"Don't you dare say my name!" she screamed, tears burning in her eyes.

Without hesitating, she slid the engagement ring off her finger.

"Here you go."

Marcus looked at her, but she was no longer the woman he had loved.

Something inside Alicia shattered completely as she hurled the ring at his chest.

"Marry Viviana and forget about me."

The words were sharp and final.

Marcus caught the ring on reflex, disbelief and despair mingling on his face.

"Alicia, listen to me..."

"There's nothing left to hear!" Her voice cracked under the weight of heartbreak. "Everything we had, everything I was to you... you destroyed it."

Alicia's chest rose and fell violently, each breath tearing through her lungs.

Marcus tried to reach for her, but she jerked away as if his hand could only bring her more pain.

"I never want to see you again," she said with unshakable firmness. "Never."

Without another glance, she turned and walked out, leaving Marcus frozen in the doorway, the ring clenched tightly in his fist and the full burden of his betrayal pressing down on him.

The man who had once meant everything to her had become nothing but a stranger.

And she...

She was broken, yes, but she was not defeated.

The anger had not fully faded. Her confrontation with Marcus had left her deeply shaken, yet Alicia knew there was still someone she had to face.

Viviana.

Her closest friend.

The woman she had trusted without doubt.

The same woman who had taken everything from her in a matter of moments.

Alicia felt her hands tremble as she drove. No tears came. She could not cry anymore. She had crossed the line where pain stopped hurting and turned into emptiness.

She knew exactly where Viviana was.

Her friend lived only a short distance away. As soon as Alicia reached the apartment, she got out of the car at once and headed straight for the door. She knocked against it with force, unconcerned about who else might hear the noise.

"Viviana, open the door!"

Only tense silence answered her.

Alicia knocked again, harder this time.

"I know you're in there. Don't try to hide, Viviana!"

After a brief pause, the door slowly opened, revealing the woman who had once been her best friend.

Viviana looked immaculate.

She was dressed in a champagne-colored silk outfit, her hair pulled into a high ponytail, red lips curved into a faint smile.

As if nothing had happened.

As if she had not shattered Alicia's life less than an hour earlier.

"Well, well..." Viviana murmured, leaning casually against the doorframe. "What a surprise to see you here, darling."

A lump formed in Alicia's throat.

Viviana did not look embarrassed at all.

She did not even attempt to hide it.

"How could you?" Alicia asked, her voice cracked yet burning with anger. "How could you do this to me, Viviana?"

Viviana folded her arms, studying her with clear amusement.

"I knew you'd show up," she replied lightly. "I just didn't expect you to be this predictable. So, are you here for answers?"

Alicia felt her legs shake, but she stayed where she was.

"How long?" she whispered.

Viviana tilted her head slightly.

"How long what?"

"Don't play dumb!" Alicia shouted, her breathing speeding up. "How long have you been sleeping with Marcus?"

Viviana's silence was the cruelest answer of all.

At last, she sighed and placed one hand on her hip.

"Since the night of your engagement," she said calmly. "The first time didn't happen because of your nephew's birth, but that same night I had already stolen a kiss. The next time we chose, we slept together like never before, and it continued every day after that."

The air rushed out of Alicia's lungs.

"No..." she whispered, shaking her head.

Viviana, however, was not done.

"That night, while everyone was celebrating your happiness, Marcus and I met in the hotel room," she continued, her voice sharpening as though she relished every word. "It was unforgettable."

A wave of nausea tightened Alicia's throat.

"You're lying..."

Viviana laughed softly, full of mockery.

"Am I?" she asked. "Do you still doubt it after the video?" She tilted her head, triumph clear on her face. "Poor Alicia. Always living in your little bubble, believing Marcus truly loved you."

Alicia's eyes burned with tears, but she refused to let them fall.

"He... chose me."

Viviana let out another laugh.

"No, dear. He was forced to choose you," she replied coldly. "His family made him play the role of the devoted lover."

Alicia felt something inside her give way, breaking apart with a sharp, painful snap.

"What are you talking about?"

Viviana's lips curved into a cruel smile.

"Marcus never had a choice, Alicia," she said coolly. "He never loved you. He agreed to everything because it was expected of him, not because he wanted it. His family cornered him and made the choice for him. Everyone understands what it means to be the heiress, the daughter of Alessandro Hampton, Paige Hampton's child, and Aaron Hampton's sister."

Alicia felt her throat tighten.

"That... that isn't true. His family couldn't have forced him."

But Viviana did not slow down.

"I was the only one he truly wanted," she replied. "The only one he looked for when he left you alone at home after his business trips."

Alicia struggled to breathe.

"No..."

"And there's more."

Viviana paused, clearly enjoying the moment.

"I got pregnant by him," she said. "Twice."

Alicia felt as if her heart had stopped beating.

"You're lying..."

Viviana shook her head slowly.

"Why do you think I disappeared for months?" Viviana whispered, her voice dripping with venom. "I lost two babies Marcus wanted... Babies he wanted to have with me."

Alicia's legs buckled for a brief second.

She reached for the wall, gripping it as though the ground beneath her were collapsing.

Viviana watched her with clear superiority.

"You may be the Hampton heiress, yes, but that meant nothing to Marcus," she said coldly. "To his family, it mattered. To him, it didn't. I was the woman he truly loved." Her smile sharpened. "The one he truly desired. That's why he never touched you. Why he never claimed you."

Something inside Alicia dimmed.

Her confidence.

Her dignity.

Her sense of worth.

Viviana's lips curled with satisfaction.

"Look at you," she mocked. "You're broken, Alicia. How pathetic. You're nobody, and you'll never be anyone." Her words struck without mercy. "Any man who comes near you will grow bored. You're a prude. The kind who waits for a wedding night to give herself away. You think purity matters. It doesn't." She laughed softly. "Men would only see it as a challenge, just to throw you away afterward." Her gaze turned cruel. "You know what? I would have loved for you to marry Marcus. I used to fantasize about sleeping with him in your bed, in your bathroom, on your couch, on everything you thought was yours."

Alicia breathed hard, her chest rising and falling violently.

Every word Viviana spoke tore her apart far more deeply than she had believed possible.

She wanted to answer. She wanted to scream that it was all lies.

But...

What could she possibly say?

Marcus had betrayed her.

And Viviana had just finished destroying her with the truth.

Without another word, Alicia spun around and left the apartment. As she stepped out, the tension she had been holding back finally surfaced, and her body trembled despite her efforts to steady herself.

By the time she reached her car, her hands could barely hold the steering wheel.

Her lips parted as she struggled to breathe, but the sob caught in her chest refused to come out.

Everything had been a lie.

Marcus had never loved her.

And Viviana... Viviana had held him in her grasp all along.

Alicia clenched her teeth as panic began to crowd her thoughts, and the weight of her situation pressed in on her until she could hardly breathe.

From that moment on, Alicia Michelle Hampton was no longer the person she had been before, and everything about her began to change in ways she had not imagined.

The road was deserted at that hour of the night. An icy wind cut through the air, but Alicia barely felt it, as though her body, having endured too much pain in the span of a few hours, had built a protective shell around itself.

She sat on the edge of the asphalt with her knees drawn up, her arms wrapped tightly around herself.

Tears fell without restraint. Everything felt unreal.

It was as if she were trapped in a nightmare she could not wake from, burdened by a cross heavy with betrayal and pain.

Right then, the sound of an approaching engine broke through her daze.

A sleek black car came to a stop just a few meters away from her.

Alicia did not raise her head, yet she knew who it was the instant a pair of black leather shoes halted in front of her.

"Alicia."

Alessandro's voice was low and commanding, but concern threaded through it.

Beside her, Aaron quickly stepped out of the car.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" her brother demanded harshly as he strode toward her. "Why are you alone on the road at this hour?"

Alicia did not answer.

She did not even look up.

Aaron gritted his teeth, anger flaring as he took in her condition.

"Answer me, Alicia!" he pressed. "What happened?"

But then her father knelt in front of her.

Alicia lifted her eyes and met Alessandro's gaze.

Those were the eyes that had protected her her entire life.

The same eyes that had never witnessed her this shattered.

She could not endure it.

A heart-wrenching sob tore from her chest as she threw herself into her father's arms, the way she had when she was little.

"Dad..." she whispered, her voice shaking.

Alessandro held her tightly, pressing her against his chest.

"I'm here, my little one. I'm here."

Alicia clung to him as if he were the only thing keeping her grounded.

"Dad, it hurts..." her voice broke. "It hurts so much..."

Alessandro gently stroked her hair.

"I know, my love. But I won't let this destroy you."

Alicia sobbed helplessly, burying her face into her father's coat.

"They deceived me..." she murmured weakly. "Marcus... Viviana..."

Alessandro's body went rigid.

Aaron took a step forward, his eyes burning with fury.

"What did you say?"

Alicia squeezed her eyes shut, another wave of pain crashing over her.

"They cheated on me, Aaron..."

Rage surged through Aaron.

Alessandro shut his eyes briefly, forcing his anger back under control.

When he opened them again, resolve had settled firmly in his gaze.

He lifted his hands and gently framed Alicia's face, guiding her to meet his eyes.

"Listen to me carefully, Alicia Michelle Hampton."

His voice remained low and steady.

"No one, absolutely no one, gets to define your worth. Not a man. Not even betrayal."

Tears welled in Alicia's eyes once again.

"But, Dad..."

"No." Alessandro shook his head. "I won't allow you to believe, even for a single second, that you are worth less because of what they did to you. You are a Hampton. You are my daughter. And the whole world will know it."

Alicia trembled as her father's unwavering love closed around her.

Yet Viviana's words still echoed in her mind, poisonous and relentless. As if they had fractured something deep within her soul.

Aaron stepped forward.

"Marcus Aponte and his family have just sealed their own fate, and there is no turning back from what they have done."

His voice was cold, emptied of the warmth he usually kept for his sister.

"I will destroy them. Hampton Enterprises is going to crush them. They will be left with nothing."

Alicia looked at him through tear-filled eyes.

"Aaron..."

But her brother did not allow her to finish.

"It's non-negotiable," he said, his tone lethal. "This won't end like this."

Alessandro nodded slowly, never loosening his hold on his daughter.

"They made a mistake, and that decision is going to cost the Apontes far more than they ever imagined."

Aaron pulled out his phone and dialed a number without taking his eyes off Alicia.

"Start moving the strings," he ordered. "I want every contract, every investment, and every partner the Apontes have to fall into disgrace. Leave nothing of their empire."

A chill ran down Alicia's spine.

Aaron ended the call and slipped his phone back into his jacket.

"This is just the beginning."

Days later, the Italian breeze drifted softly through the morning air, carrying the scent of nearby vineyards into the Hampton Mansion. The grand residence stood quiet, weighed down by a sense of melancholy after the chaos that had shaken the family.

Alicia stood on the balcony outside her bedroom. Instead of returning to her apartment, she chose to stay at the Hampton Mansion and sit with her heartbreak, holding a cup of coffee while she stared toward the distant horizon. The brightness and certainty that once filled her gaze had faded, replaced by a heavy, muted look that reflected the emotional wreckage she was still carrying.

Five days had gone by since the betrayal shattered her trust.

Five days had passed since everything she believed in collapsed around her.

But she had made a decision.

She had shed more tears than she thought possible, and there was nothing left to let out.

The pain had already cut through her relentlessly, leaving her raw and exhausted but no longer breaking.

She knew she had to move forward, even if the path ahead was unclear and she had no idea where to begin.

Her siblings had already gone back to their own lives, scattered across England, Spain, and the United States. Katerina, her sister-in-law, stayed a little longer to help settle urgent business matters before leaving with Aaron. During that time, her young nephew, Alexander, became an unexpected source of comfort, offering her quiet moments of warmth when she needed them most.

As for the companies, she entrusted their management to her older brother. While the Italian executive did not truly require Aaron's assistance, Aaron remained involved, overseeing operations until her return. Even so, Alicia knew she was not yet ready to step back into that role, and the weight of that realization lingered with her.

She could not do it yet.

She could not take control when she no longer understood who she was.

"Are you sure about this?"

Her mother's voice, drew her out of her thoughts.

Alicia turned and saw her standing in the doorway, concern filling her eyes.

She was the only one who had not left her side yet.

Her mother had insisted on staying, though Alicia knew she had to face this part of her life on her own.

"Yes, Mom," she said softly. "I need to be here. I need to be alone."

Her mother let out a quiet sigh and stepped closer, gently cupping her daughter's face in her hands.

"I don't want to leave you, my love," she said. "Not after everything that's happened. You know perfectly well you can come with us to the United States."

Alicia managed a faint smile, one that never reached her eyes.

"I know," she replied. "But going to the United States won't fix anything, Mom."

Paige pressed her lips together, sadness weighing on her expression.

She did not want to leave her.

But she understood.

Her daughter was wounded.

Not physically, but somewhere far deeper.

In a way only time could mend.

"If you need anything at all..." she whispered. "Call me. No matter the time or the place."

Alicia nodded.

"I will, Mom."

Her mother pulled her into a tight embrace, as if trying to pour every ounce of love she had into that single moment.

When she finally released her, her eyes were shining with unshed tears.

"I love you, Alicia," she said softly. "Never forget that."

Alicia forced herself to swallow, pushing down the tight knot that had formed in her throat.

"I love you too, Mom."

She watched her leave with a heavy heart.

She stood there until her mother's car disappeared along the stone path that led to the main road.

And when the mansion fell completely silent, she realized that for the first time in her life, she truly had no one but herself.

She let out a quiet sigh and closed her eyes.

She had chosen to be alone.

But that did not mean the loneliness did not hurt.