Third Person’s POV
Alessandro “Alex” Ricci lounged back, his gaze piercing through the dim glow of his penthouse office. The room was cold and calculated, just like him-no distractions, no warmth, only the rigid control he thrived on. His fingers drummed slowly on the desk, each tap a silent reminder of his hold over everything-and everyone-in his orbit.
Isabella stood just beyond the doorway, hesitant. Her pulse raced, but her face betrayed nothing. The contract had started this dark game between them, a cage that left her both longing and loathing. As her eyes met his, she knew he could see every flicker of doubt, every crack in her strength. He loved pulling her strings, and they both knew it.
“Get in here, Isabella,” he ordered, his voice laced with that dangerous edge she couldn’t ignore.
She walked in, every step controlled. “I’m here, Mr. Ricci.”
“‘Daddy,'” he corrected, a sly smile touching his lips. “You remember the terms, right?”
She swallowed. “Yes… Daddy.”
His gaze narrowed with satisfaction, but she didn’t flinch. Not this time. She wasn’t here just to submit tonight-she had questions, and for once, she was ready to confront the devil.
Alex leaned back, studying her with a lazy intensity, like a predator assessing his prey. “You’ve got something to say? Don’t tell me you’re doubting our arrangement now.”
Her eyes flashed. “Why do you keep me here, yet never let me in? You take control of everything-my life, my career, even my… body. But you push me away like I’m nothing.”
“Nothing?” he mused, smirking. “If I thought you were nothing, I wouldn’t be here, would I?” He rose from his chair, moving around his desk to close the distance between them. Every step he took amplified the silent tension between them.
She held her ground, refusing to give in to the chill running down her spine. “Why keep me, then? Why this… game?”
“Because it’s no game, Isabella. You signed up for this. Every little detail, every demand you comply with-it’s all right here,” he said, pulling the contract out of a drawer. He held it up, letting her see the control that bound them together. “You’re mine. And I don’t share.”
She felt the familiar grip of resentment but knew better than to show it. “So that’s it, huh? Your possession, nothing more.”
He leaned in close, his face a breath away. “That’s where you’re wrong. You’re everything I need you to be. And you’ll stay that way until I decide otherwise.”
Alex stepped back, his eyes dark and unreadable. “Kneel,” he commanded, his voice like ice.
A flicker of rebellion flashed in her eyes, but she dropped to her knees, her heartbeat thundering in her chest. Every move she made was a choice-and he knew it. That was why she both hated and craved the way he made her feel.
He tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze. “Good girl. You remember who you answer to, don’t you?”
“Only you,” she murmured, her words steady. It was true, whether she admitted it or not. No one else could make her feel so vulnerable, so alive, even in the depths of her submission.
He traced a finger along her jawline, the gentleness unexpected. “Then let’s make sure you stay that way.”
In that moment, his touch was soft, almost tender-an illusion, she knew, but one she couldn’t help sinking into. She wanted to believe there was more beneath his rough exterior, something softer than the man who kept her chained to him. But that was her weakness, and he exploited it without mercy.
For a brief second, Alex’s hand lingered, his thumb brushing over her lips as if testing the boundaries of his own control. She looked up, searching his face, wondering if he’d ever show her the side he kept locked away.
But just as quickly, his expression hardened. He stepped back, reclaiming his cold mask. “Don’t let yourself get comfortable,” he warned, his voice colder than the night air seeping through the window. “I don’t do attachments.”
She pushed down the ache that rose in her chest. “I never asked for that. I just want…” She hesitated, not daring to say what was truly on her mind. She wanted his respect, his admiration-maybe even his heart.
“You want what?” he demanded, his gaze narrowing.
“Nothing,” she muttered, looking away. But deep down, they both knew it wasn’t nothing. It was the one thing he refused to give.
Before she could rise, he took her wrist, pulling her back to the ground. His grip was unyielding, but there was something different this time-a new level of intensity that sent a chill down her spine.
“You think you can defy me? Think I don’t see right through you?” he murmured, his tone soft yet deadly.
Her pulse quickened. “I’m not defying anything. I’m just… trying to understand.”
He leaned closer, his lips brushing her ear as he spoke. “Understand this. I own you. Every piece, every thought, every breath-it’s all mine. You agreed to this, Isabella. Don’t forget.”
She shivered, the power of his words leaving her speechless. His fingers traced along her collar, the unspoken reminder of her submission to him, binding her in ways no contract ever could.
He released her, stepping back with a satisfied smirk. “Now go. But remember-I’ll be watching. Always.”
She rose, fighting to keep her composure as she left the room, the weight of his words pressing down on her. She knew this would never be easy, but she hadn’t expected the lines between control and affection to blur so quickly, so dangerously.
As the door closed behind her, she took a shaky breath, steeling herself for what lay ahead. She was trapped in his world, bound by a contract that was far darker than she’d ever imagined. And despite everything, she knew she couldn’t walk away.
But someday, somehow… she’d find a way to reclaim herself.