From Isabella’s POV
The cold air in Alex’s penthouse bit Isabella’s bare skin as she stood in front of the towering glass windows. The city lights were nothing but a distant, scattered glow, almost as faint as the echo of her own heartbeat thumping softly in the quiet. She’d been here a thousand times, yet tonight, something felt different-a strange tension pulsing in the stillness, almost like a storm waiting to break.
A faint clicks of the door interrupted her thoughts, and she knew immediately who it was without needing to look. Alex’s presence was palpable, a raw and undeniable energy that commanded the entire space, as powerful as it was chilling. Even without turning around, she could feel the possessiveness in his gaze as it swept over her. She was his-by contract, by choice, but it was always more complicated than that. And he knew it.
“Miss me?” His voice slid across the room, thick with that dangerous tone that made her both weak and infuriated all at once.
She crossed her arms, more to guard herself than anything else. “What do you think, Alex?”
A soft chuckle slipped from his lips, barely more than a dark breath, before he closed the distance between them. “You should know by now, Isabella… I don’t deal in guessing games.”
His hand reached for her, slow, deliberate. Fingers brushed her shoulder before tracing down her arm, leaving a line of tingling awareness in their wake. She wanted to pull away, wanted to resist, but the warmth of his touch anchored her in place. She hated that he could do this to her, make her feel alive and vulnerable all at once, but she was drawn to him like gravity-a force she couldn’t escape.
As she felt his grip tighten, a shiver raced down her spine. This wasn’t just any touch; it was a reminder, a warning. “Remember what you signed, Isabella,” he murmured, his lips grazing her ear as he spoke. “You agreed to be mine. Every. Single. Inch.”
Her heart hammered, every word searing into her as his fingers slid under her chin, tilting her face up to meet his gaze. His eyes, cold as steel, glinted with an intensity that left no room for question. Alex had no intentions of loosening the grip he had on her life-and her heart, even if he would never admit it.
Isabella swallowed, her voice barely above a whisper. “A contract doesn’t mean you own my soul, Alex.”
He smirked, an edge of wicked amusement curling his lips. “Doesn’t it?”
In one swift motion, he leaned in, his lips capturing hers in a kiss that was both possessive and commanding, igniting the tension that had been brewing between them. Her resistance faltered, drowning in the heat and intensity of his touch, his mouth, his unrelenting power. It was a kiss that left her feeling breathless, vulnerable… trapped.
“Is this what you want?” he murmured against her lips, his tone low, dangerous. “To pretend you’re anything but mine?”
She tried to push him away, her hands pressing against the hardness of his chest, but he was immovable, a fortress of strength and dominance she couldn’t penetrate. “I don’t belong to you, Alex,” she whispered, more for herself than for him, as if saying it could make it true.
His laugh was dark, a sound that sent a shiver through her body. “Tell yourself that, if it helps you sleep at night.”
He moved his hand to her waist, pulling her close with a possessive roughness that made her gasp. “You don’t get it, do you? There’s no running from this, from us.” His words were searing, each one a brand against her heart.
She felt the sting of anger mix with something she couldn’t name, a dangerous blend of resentment and need. “You want control, Alex, but it’s a two-way street.”
“Oh?” He arched a brow, his hand drifting lower, sending a wave of heat through her. “Then prove it.”
He stepped back, watching her with a challenge in his eyes, and she knew this was one of his games. One he played often, toying with her, pushing her to see how far she would go. And despite every instinct screaming at her to walk away, she was tempted, beyond reason, to play along.
Isabella’s lips curved into a defiant smirk as she stepped toward him, her hands sliding up his chest. “Careful, Alex,” she whispered, her voice dripping with a seductive threat. “You might get exactly what you ask for.”
His gaze darkened, that familiar edge of desire flickering in his eyes. “I’m counting on it.”
She leaned closer, her breath hot against his neck as she whispered, “I won’t break, no matter how hard you push.”
“Good.” His voice was a dangerous promise, one that made her heart race. He took her face in his hands, his grip firm, possessive. “Because I have no intention of letting you go.”
The heat between them was electric, a smoldering tension that neither of them could deny. But just as she felt herself surrender to his touch, the vibration of his phone cut through the air, breaking the spell.
He glanced at the screen, his expression hardening as he read the message. For the first time, she saw something that almost looked like vulnerability flash across his face, but it was gone in an instant.
“What is it?” she asked, her voice barely concealing the curiosity and fear building inside her.
He slipped his phone back into his pocket, his jaw clenched. “Nothing for you to worry about.”
But the look in his eyes told her everything. This was trouble-real trouble. And for the first time, she realized just how deep she was in with him, in a world of secrets, shadows, and a past that threatened to consume them both.
He reached out, brushing a thumb over her lips with a chilling intensity. “Stay close, Isabella,” he murmured, a warning as much as a command. “Things are about to get… interesting.”
Her heart pounded as his words sank in, a mixture of dread and anticipation twisting in her stomach. She wanted to ask more, to understand the danger she was now a part of, but she held her tongue. In this world-his world-questions could be deadly.
And as he walked away, leaving her alone in the silent room, she knew one thing with chilling certainty: whatever came next, there was no turning back.