Hugo knelt in front of me again, his fingers tracing a path along my jaw. “You’re a beautiful little thing,” he said, his tone mockingly soft. “Maybe I’ll keep you as a pet and prisoner after I dump Dario’s body in the street.”

I glared at him, my voice steady and defiant. “I’m already Dario’s prisoner, Hugo. And I only serve one master, and that’s Dario. I’d rather die than serve an old man with a rusty pipe between his legs.”

The words barely left my mouth before his hand struck my face, the force of the blow knocking me onto my side. Pain exploded in my cheek, blood dripping from my nose and lips.

Hugo loomed over me, his face twisted with rage. “Careful, girl,” he hissed. “That rusty pipe will fuck you right in front of your lover before I kill him. That’ll be the last thing he sees before he rots in hell.”

I stared up at him, hatred burning in my eyes. I would rather die than let this man in between my legs. Dario would come. He had to.

90 days with my billionaire ex

The cold night air hit me as I stepped outside, the tension in my chest still tight and unrelenting. My hand trembled slightly as I pulled out a cigarette and lit it, the sharp flick of the lighter sparking in the quiet. The first drag burned its way down my throat, grounding me in a way nothing else could at that moment. 


I needed this. I needed the silence, the space, the chance to think. Katy’s tear-streaked face flashed in my mind, her sobs echoing as if they were still in my ears. And Bruno—my jaw clenched as I took another slow pull from the cigarette. 


The thought of him, his mouth on hers, was enough to make my blood boil all over again. 


Footsteps behind me broke the quiet, and I knew who it was before he spoke. 


“Dario,” Bruno started, his voice cautious, almost hesitant. 


I didn’t turn around. I kept my eyes on the dark horizon, exhaling a plume of smoke into the air. I wasn’t in the mood to listen to excuses, but I let him talk. 


My Prisoner, My Responsibility