Alex
The door slammed open. She didn’t knock. She didn’t need to. Isabella strode in like she owned the damn place, her sharp heels clicking against the marble floor.
“Alex, we need to talk. Now,” she snapped, her voice like a whip.
I leaned back in my chair, one brow arching as I looked her over. That fire, that goddamn fire-it pulled me like gravity. “You’re in my office,” I said lazily, voice dripping with arrogance. “You’ll talk when I say.”
Her nostrils flared. “Don’t test me today.”
I smirked. “That’s the only thing I enjoy, Bella.”
She marched to my desk, slamming a file down. Papers spilled everywhere. Her hands trembled, but she masked it with anger. “This? This isn’t part of the deal, Alex. You don’t get to move money without my approval.”
Ah. She’d found it. The transfer. The one she wasn’t supposed to notice, at least not yet. I rose, circling the desk like a predator stalking prey.
“Approval?” I asked, voice low. “That’s cute. But you don’t call the shots. Not here. Not ever.”
She didn’t back down. She never did. That’s what made her infuriating-and irresistible.
“You’re playing games with my career, my life,” she hissed, stepping closer. “You think you can control everything, but I’m not some pawn in your twisted chess match.”
“You are whatever I say you are,” I said, closing the distance between us. My voice was calm, but the storm underneath was brewing. “And right now, you’re mine.”
Her lips parted, her breathing uneven. “You don’t own me.”
I caught her chin in my hand, tilting her face to meet my gaze. “Don’t I?” My thumb brushed over her lower lip, lingering just enough to make her shiver.
For a second, just a second, her defiance cracked. But she pulled away, her eyes flashing with fury. “You can’t keep crossing lines, Alex.”
I laughed, a dark sound that filled the room. “Sweetheart, we crossed lines the day you signed that contract. And don’t pretend you don’t love it.”
Her cheeks flushed. She hated how well I knew her. Hated that she couldn’t hide.
Before she could fire back, my phone buzzed on the desk. I ignored it. But it buzzed again. And again. Something wasn’t right.
I grabbed it, glancing at the screen. A message. One word.
Exposed.
My stomach twisted, though I didn’t show it. Isabella caught the shift in my expression. “What is it?” she asked, her voice sharper now, more suspicious.
“Nothing that concerns you,” I lied, slipping the phone into my pocket.
But she wasn’t buying it. “Don’t lie to me, Alex. What’s going on?”
I stepped closer, crowding her space. “Drop it.”
“No,” she said, holding her ground. “Not this time.”
Her stubbornness both infuriated and thrilled me. But this wasn’t the time for games. Someone was coming for me-coming for us-and she didn’t even know it.
I brushed past her, heading for the door. She grabbed my arm, stopping me. “You’re hiding something, Alex. What is it?”
I turned, my gaze locking onto hers. “Stay out of this, Bella. For your sake.”
Her grip tightened. “You’re not walking out without telling me the truth.”
I leaned down, my face inches from hers, my voice a dangerous whisper. “You want the truth? Fine. They’re coming for you, Isabella. And when they do, you’ll wish you’d listened.”
Her eyes widened, fear flickering beneath her bravado. But before she could respond, the sound of shattering glass echoed from the hall. Someone was here.
“Stay behind me,” I ordered, my voice cold and commanding.
For once, she didn’t argue.
The door burst open, and all hell broke loose.
The velvet chill of the underground cellar wrapped around me as I watched Isabella pace. Her heels clicked against the concrete, echoing louder than her whispered curses. Every nerve in my body was wired, taut as a bowstring. She wasn’t supposed to be here.
“Care to explain how you found this place?” I asked, voice low, almost mocking.
Isabella stopped mid-step, her glare slicing through me like a blade. “You’re slipping, Alessandro,” she snapped, her tone sharper than glass. “Or maybe you wanted me to find it.”
My jaw clenched. She was dancing on the edge, testing me, daring me to lose control. I stepped closer, closing the space between us, my boots crushing shards of broken glass scattered on the floor.
“You think you’ve figured me out, bella?” My words dripped with disdain, but deep down, the sight of her here-in *my* world-set my blood on fire.
Her chin lifted defiantly, the flicker of fear in her eyes replaced by that maddening spark I both hated and craved. “You’re not as untouchable as you think, Alex. Everyone’s got weaknesses. Even you.”
“Is that what you think you are? My weakness?” I leaned in, my breath grazing her cheek. “Careful, Isabella. Playing with fire burns.”
She laughed, the sound brittle, hollow. “I’m not playing. I’m surviving.”
Her words hit harder than any bullet ever could. I saw the cracks in her armor, the bruises she didn’t let anyone else see. She was fighting for something, and that made her even more dangerous.
“You’re walking a fine line,” I warned, circling her like a predator sizing up its prey. “Step too far, and there’s no coming back.”
She didn’t flinch, didn’t back down. “Maybe I don’t want to come back.”
I hated how much I admired her courage. It was reckless, infuriating, and intoxicating. But she was bluffing, and I knew it.
“What do you want, Isabella?” I asked, my voice softer, calculated. “You wouldn’t be here unless you needed something.”
Her shoulders tensed, the mask slipping for just a moment. “I want the truth.”
It was my turn to laugh, the sound dark and hollow. “The truth will destroy you.”
“Try me,” she shot back, her eyes blazing.
I closed the distance between us, my hands gripping her arms. “This world will chew you up, bella. Spit you out like nothing.”
“Maybe I don’t care,” she hissed, her breath warm against my lips. “Maybe I’m done being afraid.”
Her defiance was a double-edged sword, slicing through the chains I’d wrapped around my heart. I couldn’t let her in, but God, I couldn’t push her away.
“You want the truth?” I murmured, my voice dropping. “Fine. I’m not the man you think I am. I’m worse.”
Her eyes searched mine, but she didn’t flinch, didn’t falter. “Good. Because I’m not the woman you think I am, either.”
The tension between us snapped like a rubber band stretched too far. Before I knew it, my lips were on hers, crushing, desperate. She tasted like defiance, like danger, like everything I couldn’t have.
The moment shattered as quickly as it began. A sharp knock echoed through the room, followed by the sound of footsteps.
I pulled back, my hand instinctively reaching for the gun tucked at my side. Isabella’s breath came in sharp, shallow bursts, her eyes wide.
“Stay here,” I commanded, my tone leaving no room for argument.
“Like hell I will,” she shot back, grabbing my wrist.
Before I could argue, the door creaked open, revealing a shadowed figure.
“Boss,” the man said, his voice urgent. “We’ve got a problem. They’re coming.”
My blood turned cold. I glanced at Isabella, her face pale but determined.
“Who’s coming?” she whispered, her voice trembling.
I didn’t answer. Instead, I reached for her hand, pulling her close.
“Time to run, bella,” I said, my voice low, dangerous.
“But-”
“No buts.” I cut her off, my grip tightening. “You wanted to know my world? Congratulations. You’re about to drown in it.”
Her voice broke through the chaos as the footsteps outside grew louder.
“Alex,” she whispered, fear lacing her tone. “What happens if we don’t make it?”
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.
Because for the first time, I didn’t know.