A sharp knock echoed through the room.
Alessandro tensed beside me, his body still warm, one arm draped possessively over my waist.
I sat up slowly, heart already racing.
Damien's voice came through the door
"We've found Jessica. She's been kidnapped. The kidnapper sent a photo. We need to move now."
Alessandro didn't even flinch.
He pulled me closer instead, voice low and final.
"You can go. I need to make sure Elena is safe."
Damien's tone sharpened.
"But—"
"Go."
The command left no room for argument.
Damien's footsteps retreated down the hall.
I turned to Alessandro, searching his face.
"Why didn't you go?" My voice was soft, but the question carried weight. "She was... important to you once."
He looked at me 'silver eyes steady, unguarded'.
"You're more important than Jessica."
The words landed heavy in my chest.
They made my heart flutter even as fear still lingered from last night.
Before I could respond, another knock came—lighter this time.
A maid's voice filtered through.
"Dinner is ready, sir."
Alessandro exhaled, brushing a kiss against my temple.
"Come. Let's eat."
We stepped downstairs together.
His hand never left my back "warm, steady, possessive".
The dining room was dimly lit, the long table set with crystal and silver that gleamed like weapons.
We sat.
I picked at my food, appetite gone, mind still spinning with Jessica's threats and the way Alessandro had looked at me when he said those words.
Then—
The doors burst open.
Jessica stormed in—hair disheveled, dress torn at the shoulder, tears streaming down her face.
Damien was right behind her.
"Mr. Moretto!" she sobbed, voice cracking dramatically. "I was so scared... why didn't you come for me?"
The room went still.
Alessandro didn't even look up from his plate.
He took a slow sip of wine.
"Good thing you're okay now," he said coldly, voice flat. "If you'll excuse me, I'm dining with my wife."
Jessica's face twisted—sour, ugly, broken mask slipping.
Tears still fell, but they looked fake now.
She turned on her heel and ran upstairs, heels clicking angrily.
The silence that followed was thick.
I glanced at Alessandro.
He met my eyes—calm, but something darker flickered beneath.
"She's playing games," he murmured. "Don't let her win."
I nodded.
But inside, unease coiled tighter.
Upstairs, Jessica slammed her bedroom door so hard the walls shook.
She grabbed the edge of her bed and flipped the covers off in one violent motion. Sheets scattering, pillows flying.
"So Elena was the reason he didn't come for me?" she hissed, voice shaking with rage. "That little bitch... she's ruining everything."
She paced like a caged animal, nails digging into her palms until they bled.
Alessandro doesn't even care about me anymore all because of that bitch. After everything we've been through together. I cant let her win, I can't watch her have what's mine all to her self. I need to find her weakness, I need to know more about her, I can't let her have what's mine.
"I can't compete with a low-life bitch. Whatever I want, I must get it."
Her eyes burned with pure venom.
The next morning, a maid gently woke me.
"Mr. Moretto wants you in the study room."
Okay, I replied with a frown.
I slowly stood, took a quick bath, and went downstairs.
Alessandro was waiting behind his massive oak desk, looking every inch the king of his dark empire.
"You're late, wifey," he said, a slow smile playing on his lips.
"At least I came," I replied, trying to sound braver than I felt.
He leaned back, eyes tracing me.
"Let's get married by the weekend."
I burst out laughing—sharp, disbelieving.
"Married??"
He frowned, serious now.
"Yes. Married. Besides, you're mine. I just want to make it official."
I shook my head, heart racing.
"I can't marry someone who isn't certain about how he feels. And I can't marry someone I feel nothing for."
His voice dropped low, dangerous, yet strangely vulnerable.
"One month."
What??? I blinked.
"I'll give you one month to fall in love with me. If you do, we'll get married before the month ends. If you don't... I'll let you go."
The words hung between us—heavy, tempting, terrifying.
"Deal," I replied, voice steadier than my pulse.
He smiled again—slow, predatory, full of promise.
"Deal."
As I walked out of the study, my chest felt tight.
One month.
Thirty days.
To fall in love with a man I should fear or return back to my normal life.
Jessica's voice echoed in my head
"He doesn't love you".
"You're just a replacement".
"You're temporary".
I clenched my fists.
Was I walking toward freedom...
Or straight into something that would break me completely?
Because deep down...
A part of me already knew the truth.
The real danger wasn't Alessandro.
It was the fact that—
I might actually fall for him.
**To Be Continued...**