The estate was eerily quiet.
Isla sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers brushing over the cold surface of the gun Alessandro had given her. It felt heavier now. Not because of the metal weight, but because of the realization of what was at stake. She was no longer just a bystander in this dangerous world; she was a participant. A key player in a game she didn't fully understand, but one she was determined to navigate.
Alessandro had left an hour ago, telling her to stay put. But she wasn't about to sit in a room and wait like a prisoner. The man who had been so determined to control every aspect of her life now trusted her with only one thing—her survival. And she had no intention of disappointing him.
She moved toward the window, pulling aside the heavy curtains just enough to see the surrounding grounds. The night was still, but something felt off. It was too quiet. Too calm.
The door opened behind her, and she stiffened. Alessandro. He was back earlier than expected.
"You shouldn't be out of the room," he said, his voice low, almost warning. He was standing in the doorway, his tall figure silhouetted against the dim light from the hallway. His expression was unreadable, but there was something dark in his eyes.
"I wasn't going to sit around and wait for you to make all the decisions," Isla replied, her voice steady despite the pounding of her heart. "I'm in this now, Alessandro. You said it yourself."
He closed the door behind him, stepping closer, his gaze never leaving her. The tension between them had shifted. It was no longer just about the contract or the game of power. It was something deeper. Something that had rooted itself in the very air they breathed.
"You should've stayed where I told you," he said again, though his voice was softer now, as if the words were more out of habit than genuine command.
Isla met his gaze, her chin lifting in defiance. "You don't control me, Alessandro. Not anymore."
He didn't reply immediately. Instead, he stepped forward, the distance between them closing with each purposeful movement. She could feel the heat radiating off of him, the intensity of his presence enveloping her.
When he was close enough, he paused, his breath coming in slow, controlled inhales. His eyes were locked on hers, and for a moment, neither of them moved. It was as if time itself had frozen, leaving them suspended in the heavy tension that seemed to pulse between them.
"I don't want to see you hurt," he said finally, his voice low but raw. "This isn't just a business deal anymore. It's war, Isla. And I'm not sure you understand what that means."
"I understand more than you think," she replied, her voice steady, though her chest tightened with a mixture of fear and resolve. "I've seen enough to know that I can't sit this one out. You're not the only one with something to lose."
His expression softened for a fraction of a second, but the hardness returned quickly. "I've lost everything, Isla," he murmured, his voice tinged with something almost like regret. "And I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you don't become another casualty of my mistakes."
Her heart twisted at his words, but she refused to let the emotion show. "I'm not a casualty," she said firmly. "I'm here. I'm fighting with you. You're not alone in this anymore."
The air between them seemed to crackle, charged with the intensity of unspoken emotions. Alessandro didn't respond right away. Instead, he reached out, his hand coming to rest on her arm, the touch unexpectedly gentle.
"Promise me," he said, his voice barely a whisper, "you'll stay out of this as much as you can. Don't make it harder than it already is."
Isla swallowed hard, but she didn't pull away. "I can't promise you that," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "But I can promise that I'm not going anywhere. Not without you."
Alessandro's eyes flickered with something she couldn't quite read, but then he nodded once, sharply. "Then we fight. Together."
Her chest tightened with something she couldn't explain, but she didn't have the words for it. She only knew one thing—there was no going back now.
They were bound together by more than just danger. More than just a shared fight for survival. Something deeper, something they hadn't fully acknowledged yet, was pulling them toward each other.
And no matter how much they tried to resist, the pull was too strong.
Alessandro stepped back, his hand still resting on her arm for a moment before he withdrew. He turned toward the door, his gaze sweeping over her one last time before he spoke again.
"Get some rest," he said, his voice gruff. "Tomorrow's going to be harder."
Isla nodded, but as he left the room, she couldn't shake the feeling that whatever happened next, nothing would ever be the same.