The sound of my heels clicking against the marble echoed louder than usual. Maybe it was my nerves. Maybe it was the silence-the kind that whispered too many things I didn’t want to hear. Alessandro’s office loomed ahead, the door slightly ajar, daring me to step into the lion’s den.
I hesitated. Just a beat.
“Are you going to stand there all night, Bella?” His voice was smooth, lazy, like he already owned the answer.
I pushed the door open, letting it swing wide, my chin high. He sat behind his desk, jacket off, sleeves rolled up, every inch of him radiating control. He didn’t look up. Typical.
“Got your text,” I said, dropping my bag on the chair. “What’s so important it couldn’t wait?”
He leaned back, finally meeting my gaze. Those eyes-sharp, predatory-always seemed to strip me bare. “You didn’t think I’d let you walk out on me last night without consequences, did you?”
My stomach tightened, memories of our last argument slamming into me. I’d pushed him too far, maybe. But he’d deserved it.
“I didn’t walk out,” I shot back, crossing my arms. “I left before I said something I’d regret.”
“Too late for that,” he said, standing. The space between us felt smaller, suffocating. “You’ve been testing my patience, Isabella.”
“I’m not your goddamn puppet, Alex,” I snapped, but the words wavered, betraying me.
He was in front of me in two strides, his hand curling around my wrist-not harsh, but firm enough to remind me who held the strings. “You signed the contract, remember? You don’t get to rewrite the rules just because you’re feeling brave.”
Brave. The word made my chest tighten. Was that what this was? Or was I just tired of pretending I didn’t care how deeply he was inside my head?
“You don’t own me,” I whispered, though my voice lacked conviction.
He smirked, a dangerous, infuriating tilt of his lips. “Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart.”
My pulse thundered as he leaned closer, his breath warm against my temple. “Every time you try to fight me, I just want you more. Do you feel that? Do you feel what you do to me?”
I did. Damn it, I did. His closeness, the heat rolling off him, made it impossible not to.
But I couldn’t let him win-not again. “Let go,” I demanded, yanking my wrist free.
He stepped back, his gaze darkening, something primal flashing across his features. “Careful, Bella,” he warned. “You’re dancing on the edge.”
“Edge of what?” I threw back, my voice rising. “Your patience? Your control? Go ahead, Alex. Show me what happens when I stop playing by your rules.”
His jaw tightened. For the first time tonight, he seemed… unsure. That flicker of doubt was all I needed.
“You act like this big, untouchable king,” I pressed, stepping forward now, my turn to invade his space. “But it’s all a game, isn’t it? You don’t really want control. You’re just scared of what happens if you lose it.”
His laugh was sharp, bitter. “You think you’ve figured me out, huh?”
I shrugged, feigning indifference, though my heart pounded against my ribs. “You tell me.”
He was silent for a moment, his gaze boring into mine, searching. Then, his hand moved-fast, but not to grab me. Instead, he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small velvet box.
“What’s this?” I asked, the fight draining from my voice.
“A reminder,” he said simply, opening it. Inside lay a gold collar, delicate but unmistakably symbolic. My breath hitched.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Do I look like I’m joking?” His voice was low, dangerous. “This is non-negotiable, Bella.”
I stared at the collar, my mind racing. “You think this changes anything?” I managed, though my voice faltered.
“It changes everything,” he said, stepping closer, his hand brushing against my cheek. “You wear this, and there’s no going back.”
I swallowed hard, every nerve in my body screaming at me to move, to fight, to run. But his next words froze me in place.
“Put it on, Isabella,” he whispered, his voice soft but unyielding. “Or walk out that door and never come back.”
I looked at him, at the collar, at the door. My fingers trembled as I reached for it.
The walls of Alex’s office were suffocating. Cold steel, black leather, and the faint hum of machinery-it was his domain. A kingdom of intimidation, and I was its unwelcome queen.
I paced in front of the wide glass window, the city lights stretching below like a thousand tiny prison bars. He sat behind his desk, calm, detached. That infuriating smirk played on his lips, daring me to speak.
“You think this is control?” I shot at him, breaking the silence. “Throwing your weight around, pulling strings behind my back?”
Alex leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled. “It’s not control, Bella,” he replied, voice smooth as silk. “It’s protection. Learn the difference.”
My hands curled into fists at my sides. “Don’t give me that ‘Daddy knows best’ bullshit,” I snapped. “I’m not your possession.”
“You signed the contract.” He rose, his presence filling the room like a storm cloud. “Every inch of you belongs to me. Don’t forget it.”
A shiver ran down my spine, but I masked it with a glare. “Maybe I’m tired of playing by your rules.”
He moved closer, each step deliberate, predatory. My breath hitched, but I refused to back down.
“What are you really after, Isabella?” he murmured, his voice low enough to make my knees weak. “Freedom? Power? Or is this just another game to see how far you can push me?”
I stepped back, the edge of his desk pressing into my thighs. “What I want,” I said, meeting his gaze, “is to stop feeling like a pawn in your twisted chessboard.”
His hand shot out, gripping my chin, forcing me to look up at him. “You’re no pawn,” he growled. “You’re the queen. But even queens bow to kings.”
The air between us crackled, thick with unsaid words. I wanted to slap him, kiss him, scream at him-anything to break the tension tightening around us like a noose.
“Let me go,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
His grip softened but didn’t release. “I can’t,” he admitted, a rare crack in his impenetrable facade. “You’re the only thing that keeps me sane, Bella. Don’t ask me to let that go.”
Something in his tone-raw, unfiltered-made my chest ache. But I couldn’t let myself fall for his lies again.
“You want to own me,” I said, pulling away. “But love isn’t about chains, Alex. It’s about trust. And you’ve broken that too many times.”
His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he’d argue. But instead, he turned away, staring out the window.
“You think I don’t know what love is?” he said quietly. “I know it better than you think. And it terrifies me.”
I watched him, the weight of his words sinking in. Was this a trick? Another ploy to keep me under his thumb? Or was this the first real glimpse of the man behind the mask?
“Terrified or not,” I said, my voice steady, “I won’t stay in a world where I have to fight for every scrap of freedom.”
He turned back to me, his eyes dark and unreadable. “Isabella, you leave this world, and you’ll never survive.”
“Watch me,” I shot back, daring him to stop me.
The door burst open, cutting the moment short. One of his men stood there, breathless, panic etched across his face.
“Boss,” the man stammered. “We’ve got a problem. The Greco deal-it’s been compromised.”
My blood ran cold. Alex’s expression darkened, his entire demeanor shifting in an instant.
He grabbed his coat, his voice sharp. “Stay here, Bella. Don’t move.”
“Like hell I will,” I said, following him toward the door.
He stopped, turning to face me. “This isn’t your fight.”
“It became my fight the moment you dragged my family into it,” I snapped.
His eyes locked on mine, a mixture of frustration and something deeper. “Fine,” he said at last. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
And just like that, we were both diving headfirst into the chaos.