Isabella
The room was silent, but my mind was anything but. My heels clicked against the cold marble floor, each step echoing in the vast, empty hallway. Alessandro’s lair-his office-loomed ahead like a black hole. The kind that sucked you in, chewed you up, and spat you out with a smirk.
I stopped at the heavy oak door, hand hovering over the handle. My heart thundered in my chest, too loud, too obvious. He’d know the second I walked in-know I wasn’t here to play nice. But that was his game, wasn’t it? To push me, prod me, until I cracked.
“Screw it,” I muttered under my breath, shoving the door open.
Alessandro didn’t even look up. He sat behind his desk, dark eyes locked on the papers in front of him, pen tapping lazily against the edge. “You’re late,” he said, voice cold, clipped.
I slammed the door behind me, crossing my arms. “What’s the emergency?”
His head lifted, and that damn smirk spread across his face, slow and deliberate. “You,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “You’re the emergency, Isabella.”
I rolled my eyes, trying to ignore the way his gaze felt like a caress, hot and heavy. “Don’t flatter yourself, Alex. I’m not here to stroke your ego.”
His chuckle was low, almost predatory. “No? That’s a shame. You’re good at it.”
I ignored the jab, marching to his desk and tossing the file I’d been carrying onto the polished surface. “This is what you wanted, right? The Armand contract? It’s airtight, just like you asked. No loopholes, no escape routes.”
He picked up the file, flipping through it lazily. “You’re thorough,” he said, almost bored. “But that’s not why I called you here.”
I frowned, the tension in my chest tightening. “Then why?”
He stood, moving around the desk until he was towering over me. My breath hitched, and I cursed myself for the reaction. “Because I don’t trust you,” he said softly, his tone more dangerous for its quietness. “And I don’t like what you’ve been doing behind my back.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I shot back, my voice rising.
His smile turned sharp, almost cruel. “Don’t play dumb, Isabella. It doesn’t suit you.”
I took a step back, my hands clenching into fists. “If you’ve got something to say, say it. I don’t have time for your games.”
“Oh, but you do,” he said, his voice dropping into a whisper that sent a shiver down my spine. “You’ve been meeting with Felix.”
The name hit me like a slap, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. “That’s none of your business,” I said, forcing the words out.
His laugh was humorless. “Everything about you is my business, Bella. You signed the contract, remember?”
“Don’t you dare throw that in my face,” I snapped, my anger flaring. “I have a life outside of you, Alex. You don’t own me.”
He stepped closer, invading my space, his hand lifting to brush a strand of hair from my face. “Don’t I?” he murmured, his breath warm against my cheek. “Because it sure as hell feels like I do.”
I swallowed hard, my pulse racing. I hated the way he made me feel-like I was spinning out of control, like I was teetering on the edge of something I couldn’t name. “You’re delusional,” I said, my voice trembling.
“And you’re a terrible liar,” he shot back, his eyes narrowing. “What does Felix want?”
“I don’t have to answer that,” I said, lifting my chin. “Not to you.”
“Wrong answer,” he said, his tone sharp enough to cut. His hand shot out, gripping my wrist and pulling me closer. “You’re mine, Isabella. Every breath, every move-you don’t get to hide from me.”
“Let me go,” I said, struggling against his grip.
“Not until you tell me the truth,” he said, his voice deadly calm. “What the hell are you hiding?”
I glared at him, the fire in my chest burning brighter. “You want the truth? Fine. Felix wants to burn you to the ground, Alex. And maybe, just maybe, I’m thinking of letting him.”
His grip tightened, his eyes flashing with something dark and dangerous. “Is that a threat?”
“No,” I said, my voice dropping to a whisper. “It’s a promise.”
For a moment, we stared at each other, the air between us crackling with tension. And then, just as I thought he might let me go, his lips curled into a cold, knowing smile.
“You just made the biggest mistake of your life, Bella,” he said, his voice low and menacing. “And you’re going to pay for it.”
The clock on the wall ticked loud enough to drive me insane. I sat perched on the edge of the leather armchair in Alex’s study-no, *his lair*. The room smelled like him: smoke, leather, and something darker, something I didn’t want to name.
“I shouldn’t be here,” I muttered under my breath, running a finger along the cold edge of the glass tumbler I hadn’t touched.
“You always say that, Bella,” his voice rumbled from the doorway, smooth as whiskey and just as dangerous.
I whipped my head around, heart punching against my ribs. He was leaning casually against the frame, shirt unbuttoned at the collar, that damn smirk carved into his face. “Yet, here you are. Again.”
“Spare me the dramatics,” I snapped, standing. “You summoned me. Like a good little pet, I showed up.”
His gaze darkened, but there was a flicker of amusement too. “You’re not *little* anything, Isabella. You’re a fucking queen, and we both know it. Problem is…” He stepped closer, closing the space between us. “You’re playing checkers in my chess game.”
His words sent a shiver down my spine, though I forced myself to hold my ground. “What do you want, Alex? Another power trip? Or just to remind me I’m stuck in this twisted arrangement?”
He tilted his head, studying me. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you like being stuck.”
I rolled my eyes, turning away from him, needing a second to breathe. His presence always did this-suffocated me in the worst, most addictive way. “You called me here for a reason. Spit it out.”
“You’re impatient tonight,” he said, circling me like a predator sizing up its prey. “Fine. Let’s talk about the Armand situation.”
I froze. “What about it?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t find out?” His tone was low, a blade slicing through the tension.
“Find out what?” I said, keeping my voice steady.
His fingers brushed my wrist, gentle but firm enough to stop me from pulling away. “That you’ve been meeting with them behind my back.”
I jerked away, my pulse roaring in my ears. “It’s not what you think-”
“It never is with you, is it?” His voice was venom-laced silk. “Always dancing on the edge, tempting fate. Tempting *me.*”
I turned to face him fully, anger flaring hot and sharp. “You don’t own me, Alex. Not my thoughts, not my actions. Not my *soul*.”
He stepped closer, and for a second, I thought he’d back off. Instead, he grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. “That’s where you’re wrong, sweetheart. I own every goddamn piece of you.”
His grip softened, his thumb brushing over my jaw. The air between us thickened, charged with something more dangerous than anger. I hated how my body betrayed me, leaning into his touch despite every ounce of my logic screaming to run.
“I have leverage you don’t even know about,” he said, his voice dropping to a whisper.
“What the hell does that mean?” I asked, my throat tight.
He released me and walked to his desk, pulling out a folder. Tossing it onto the chair I’d vacated, he said, “Take a look. You’ll want to sit for this.”
My hands shook as I reached for it, flipping it open. The first photo made my stomach drop. “What is this?”
His smirk was gone, replaced by something colder. “Insurance. For both of us.”
“This is blackmail,” I hissed.
“No, Bella.” His gaze burned into mine. “This is the truth. Now you’ve got a choice: fight me, or join me. But either way, you’re mine.”
The room spun as the weight of his words crashed over me. I slammed the folder shut, meeting his gaze with all the fire I had left. “You think you’ve won, don’t you?”
He leaned back against the desk, arms crossed. “Haven’t I?”
The challenge in his voice ignited something dangerous in me. “Not yet, Alex. Not yet.”
His laugh was low, dark, full of promise. “We’ll see about that.”
“You can walk out of this room,” he said, his voice soft but lethal, “but you can’t walk away from me. Not now. Not ever.”
I paused at the door, my hand on the handle, his words carving into my skin like a brand. “Watch me,” I whispered, and then I was gone.
But as I stepped into the night, I couldn’t ignore the nagging doubt in my chest. Had I just declared war on the devil himself?