I was done. Done with the dinner, done with the lies, done with pretending. All I wanted was to get away from the suffocating atmosphere of the Contis' mansion, to go back to my room, close the window, turn on the lights, and just breathe. I wanted silence, to gather my thoughts, to forget about the smothering weight of Elio’s hand on my arm and his constant, possessive presence.
But the moment I stepped into my room, the world turned upside down.
Before I even had a chance to close the window, the lights flickered on, blinding me for a moment. My breath caught in my throat as someone grabbed me from behind, a hand pressed over my mouth, and a body slammed into mine, pinning me against the wall.
I fought, instinctively pushing against whoever it was, but then I heard a voice I knew all too well.
“Don’t scream,” Leandro’s voice came, low and dangerous, his breath hot against my ear. “I’m not here to hurt you.” I froze, recognition flooding me. I couldn’t breathe, but my heart was pounding in my chest. Leandro.
He pulled his hand away from my mouth, and I turned around slowly, meeting his dark, stormy eyes. I didn’t know if I should be scared, angry, or relieved, but one thing was for sure: he was furious.
“Leandro,” I whispered, my voice shaking, though I hated how weak it sounded. “What are you doing here?”
His gaze narrowed, and I could see the fury behind it. He took a step closer, pushing me harder against the wall, his body towering over mine. “You kissed him,” he growled, his words laced with venom. “You kissed Elio.”
I flinched, feeling the weight of his anger pressing down on me. But I had to stay calm. I couldn’t let him lose control. Not here. Not like this. I swallowed hard. “I did it to save you,” I said, my voice quieter now. “I kissed him to keep him from killing you, to keep him from doing something stupid. You and I both know it was necessary.
Leandro’s eyes flashed with anger, but he didn’t move away. “You think I need you to protect me?” he spat. “I don’t care if he shoots me, Isabella. You shouldn’t have done that.”
I felt my chest tighten. This wasn’t the first time I’d seen him angry, but this felt different. This was more than just frustration. This was betrayal, and he wasn’t hiding it.
I took a deep breath and met his gaze, trying to hold my ground. “You’re right. We’re nothing, Leandro. We’re just using each other for thrills, for something to fill the emptiness. You don’t own me.” His expression darkened even more, and I could see the storm brewing in his eyes. He was pissed. And I knew I was only adding fuel to the fire, but I couldn’t stop myself.
“You think this is just fun for you?” he demanded, his voice low and dangerous. “You think I don’t care about you, Isabella?”
I scoffed, even though my heart was pounding. “Why should you? We’re both stuck in this. I’m going to marry Elio, and once I say I do, I’m going to have to make love to him every night to produce a heir for the Contis. You know that, right?”
The words tasted bitter coming out of my mouth, but I needed him to understand. He can’t control me. I wasn’t his to own, and I wasn’t going to let him think otherwise.
But then something in his eyes snapped. It was like a switch had been flipped, and suddenly, his control was gone. His jaw clenched, his hand grabbed my wrist, and before I knew it, I was dragged across the room, the bed creaking as he threw me onto it.
I gasped, my heart racing, as he stood over me, his body looming above mine. He was furious—and he didn’t care anymore. His weight pressed down on me, pinning me in place, as his hands moved to my hips, forcing me to stay still.
“Leandro…” I started, but my voice died in my throat when I saw the way he looked at me. It was a dark, almost animalistic gaze, and for the first time, I felt genuinely scared of him.
“Don’t you ever say that again,” he growled, his fingers tightening around my wrist. “You think you’re the only one using people? You think this is just some game for you? You’re mine, Isabella. Don’t forget that!”
I didn’t respond. My chest heaved, my breathing shallow, as I tried to process the whirlwind of emotions in my head. My heart was still racing, my thoughts in disarray. I knew I had pushed him too far, but I didn’t expect this. I didn’t expect him to make me feel like this.
Without another word, Leandro pulled me closer, his hand moving to the back of my neck, holding me in place as he kissed me. His lips were rough, demanding, and I couldn’t pull away. Not even if I wanted to.
I was lost in it. Lost in the anger, the desire, the thrill of it all. I couldn’t separate the two anymore. I couldn’t stop myself from wanting him.
He pulled away suddenly, and my breath caught in my chest as I looked up at him, trying to find the words to say. But there was nothing. Nothing that could explain what was happening between us. Nothing that could explain the rage and the passion that surged through me when I was with him.
He leaned down again, his lips brushing my ear. “You’re going to learn who’s in control,” he whispered. “You’ll learn what happens when you push me too far.”
I didn’t answer, not because I didn’t have words, but because he was right. We were both caught in something we didn’t fully understand, and I had no idea how to break free. Not anymore.
Leandro’s hand moved to my waist, his grip tight, pulling me closer. I didn’t fight it this time. I couldn’t. The heat between us was undeniable, and for all the anger, the rage, the confusion swirling around us, something else was just as powerful — desire.
His fingers dug into my skin, as though marking me as his, and then he began kissing down my neck and shoulder until he reached my chest. He took one of my breasts into his mouth gently biting down on my nipple until a moan escaped my lips. Every inch of my body quivered with excitement and fear.
He unbuckled his pants and pulled them down, his erection pressing against me. My heart raced, pounding against my chest, as if it was beating out of my control. I should’ve resisted, but I couldn’t. There was no part of me that wanted to. Not anymore. Rage still simmered beneath the surface, but there was a layer of something deeper, more dangerous. And somehow, in the chaos of it all, we found ourselves locked in this, trapped in a shared need that neither of us had the words to explain.
Leandro’s lips brushed against mine again, soft but demanding, coaxing a response from me that I wasn’t ready to give but couldn’t stop myself from offering. His mouth was urgent, hungry, and for the first time, I let myself fall into the storm with him. I let myself feel it — the rawness, the power, the conflict. Every part of me was torn, but none of it mattered in that moment. His body pressed against mine as he entered me slowly and forcefully all at once, mixing pain and pleasure. I felt a tear slide down my cheek as his thrusts grew faster and rougher; matching the intensity of our emotions.
We stayed like that, tangled in each other’s arms, caught in a storm of emotion, desire, and rage. As he reached climax inside me with a powerful grunt. I could feel him trembling beneath me, like he was struggling to maintain control just as much as I was. But even in that chaos, there was a strange comfort. A connection I couldn’t explain. Something more than just the physical pull between us.
By the time we both collapsed into the bed, our bodies exhausted and covered in sweat, the sheets tangled around us, I couldn’t bring myself to pull away. I was still trying to catch my breath, still trying to make sense of what had just happened. It felt like a blur — too fast, too raw, but somehow it was the only thing that felt real. As I lay there, beside him, the weight of everything we had just shared sank in. This wasn’t over. Not between us. It couldn’t be. Not when the tension was still so thick in the air. Not when every touch, every glance, felt like it was pushing us toward something we couldn’t control. I closed my eyes, my mind swirling with thoughts of Elio, my family, and everything that had led to this moment. But as I lay there, breathing in the same air as Leandro, I realized something:
I wasn’t sure if I was ready for what was to come next. But somehow, I didn’t think I could stop it.
Not now.