His eyes pinned me to the wall long before his hands ever could. That icy, calculated stare was my personal storm-a damn hurricane wrapped in a tailored suit. Alessandro “Alex” Ricci, king of chaos and my captor of convenience. Or so he thought.
“You’re stalling,” he said, voice low but sharp enough to slice through the silence.
I crossed my arms, defiance rolling off me in waves. “Or maybe I just don’t feel like entertaining your bullshit today.”
His lips curved-smug bastard. That smirk always meant trouble. “Oh, Bella, you think you have a choice?”
My breath hitched. He’d cornered me, again, but I wasn’t giving in that easy. “Newsflash, Alex. You don’t own me.”
“Don’t I?” He stepped closer, invading my space. The air between us crackled like live wires.
I shoved past him, needing space to breathe, but his hand snatched my wrist. His grip was firm, not painful, but a warning.
“Running already?” His voice dripped with mockery. “I thought lawyers had more stamina.”
I yanked free, glaring. “Keep pushing, and I’ll show you just how much fight I have left.”
He laughed, low and dark, like he enjoyed the game too much. “Fight me all you want, Bella. But don’t forget who made the rules.”
“You and your damn rules,” I spat. “They’re just excuses to control me.”
“And you like it.” His words were a slap-brash, infuriating, and way too close to the truth.
My cheeks burned. “You’re delusional.”
“Am I?” He leaned in, so close I could feel the heat radiating off him. “Tell me, Bella, why are you still here?”
Dialogue-Centric Middle: Barbed Words and Hidden Wounds
I hated the way he got under my skin, the way his words crawled into my head and made themselves at home. But what I hated most? He wasn’t entirely wrong.
“You think you have me all figured out?” I shot back. “Like I’m some puzzle for you to solve?”
He chuckled, a sound that made my skin prickle. “You’re not a puzzle, Bella. You’re a prize.”
“Go to hell.”
“Already there, sweetheart. And you’re my favorite sin.”
My stomach flipped, anger and something else swirling in a toxic cocktail. “Is this what you do? Break people down until they have nothing left but you?”
He didn’t flinch, didn’t even blink. “No, Isabella. I make them better.”
“By chaining them to you?” I snapped. “By stripping them of everything until they forget who they are?”
“Is that what you think I’ve done to you?” His voice softened, but his eyes stayed hard.
I hesitated, the words caught in my throat. “I don’t know,” I admitted, hating the tremor in my voice.
For a moment, his mask slipped. Just a moment. But it was enough to see something raw, something human, before he buried it again.
He stepped back, hands sliding into his pockets, but the tension didn’t break. If anything, it thickened.
“You’re scared,” he said, almost casually. “Not of me. Of what you feel when you’re with me.”
“Shut up,” I said, but my voice lacked bite.
“You’re mine, Isabella. Whether you like it or not.”
“No,” I whispered, more to myself than him.
“Yes,” he said, his voice final.
Before I could respond, his phone buzzed on the desk. He glanced at it, his jaw tightening. “Stay here.”
“Like hell I will.”
His eyes locked on mine, dark and dangerous. “Stay. Here.”
And then he was gone, leaving me alone with nothing but the echo of his command and the sick twist of dread in my stomach.
What the hell just happened?
“Isabella,” his voice echoed from the hallway, sharp and deadly. “Don’t make me come back for you.”
I slammed the heavy oak door behind me, the echo ricocheting through the marble hall. My pulse hammered, every nerve in my body on edge. Alessandro’s voice was still in my head, deep and commanding. Always the puppeteer, tugging strings I hadn’t even realized were attached.
“What the hell does he think he is? My savior? My jailer?” I muttered, pacing the room.
The smooth fabric of my silk blouse clung to me in all the wrong ways, a suffocating reminder of his hands, his lips, the power he wielded so easily over me.
My phone buzzed on the bedside table-a single text from Alex. Of course, he wouldn’t let me stew in peace. I snatched it up, the screen lighting up with his words.
Alex: You’re not running, Isabella. I’ll find you.
My grip tightened around the phone. His arrogance was maddening, yet intoxicating. Why did his damn threats make my knees weak?
Minutes stretched into hours. The sun dipped low, painting streaks of blood-orange across the horizon. My mind reeled, replaying the argument that left his office in shambles-and me fleeing with my pride barely intact.
“You’re mine, Bella,” he had growled, pinning me to the edge of his desk. “Every inch, every thought-don’t pretend otherwise.”
“You’re delusional,” I’d spat back, though my body betrayed me, leaning into his heat. “This is just a contract.”
His laughter still echoed in my ears. Dark, knowing. “Lie to yourself all you want, but you’ll beg me before this is over.”
I wasn’t going to let him win-not this time.
The door creaked open behind me, and I whipped around, fists clenched. Alex stood there, his silhouette sharp and unforgiving against the dim light. His tailored suit screamed power, but it was his eyes-cold, calculating, hungry-that held me captive.
“Lost your way, Daddy?” The words slipped out before I could stop them, biting and bitter.
His smirk was slow, dangerous. “You’ve got some fight tonight, huh?” He stepped closer, the air between us crackling. “Keep it up, Bella. It makes breaking you that much sweeter.”
I tried to push past him, but his hand shot out, grabbing my wrist. His grip was firm but not painful, his thumb brushing against my pulse. “You’re not walking out of this.”
“Let go of me,” I hissed, twisting against him.
“Say it again,” he murmured, voice dripping with challenge. “But this time, mean it.”
I froze. His tone, his touch-every bit of it unraveled me, piece by piece. I hated him for it. Hated myself more for the way my breath hitched, for the way my skin ignited under his fingers.
“Alex…” My voice faltered, barely above a whisper.
“Good girl,” he purred, pulling me closer.
His lips hovered over mine, his breath warm and taunting. “You think you’re free, Isabella? You’ve never been farther from it.”
“Why do you keep doing this?” I snapped, my anger flaring. “What do you want from me?”
His expression darkened, something raw flickering across his face. For a moment, I saw past the mask-the man beneath the mafia boss, the billionaire, the dominant. But it vanished as quickly as it came.
“Everything,” he said simply, his voice like a knife. “And you’ll give it to me.”
Before I could respond, his phone rang, sharp and shrill in the quiet. His jaw tightened as he glanced at the screen, a curse slipping from his lips.
“Stay here,” he ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.
“Like hell I will,” I shot back, but he was already gone, the door slamming shut behind him.
The room felt colder, emptier without him, but my heart raced for an entirely different reason. Something about that call had shifted the air, a storm brewing on the horizon.
As I reached for my phone, it buzzed again-a new message. But this time, it wasn’t from Alex.
Unknown Number: You’re not safe with him. Leave before it’s too late.