Possession & Betrayal

The sharp knock at the door sent a violent shudder down Alessandra's spine.

Bianca's voice had been urgent. "Luca. He's here."

Her breath caught. No. Not now. Not here.

The room felt smaller, the walls pressing in as the reality of what was about to happen slammed into her chest like a hammer. Matteo, where are you?

Another knock. Harder.

"Alessandra." His voice was smooth, edged with something dark. "Apri la porta, princess." Open the door, princess.

Bianca shot her a panicked glance, silently pleading for direction. Alessandra swallowed hard and gave a single nod. There was no escaping this.

Bianca hesitated but slowly unlocked the door and slipped out, leaving them alone.

Luca Corsini stepped inside like he owned the air she breathed. The dim lighting cast jagged shadows across his sharp cheekbones, his hazel eyes dark and unreadable. He wore a perfectly tailored navy suit, crisp and immaculate—a stark contrast to the storm that lurked beneath his polished exterior.

Alessandra instinctively clutched the silk of her robe tighter around her body.

Luca's gaze swept over her, lingering on her exposed legs, the damp strands of her hair curling over her shoulder. His lips curled into a slow, knowing smirk.

"Well, cara mia," he drawled, closing the door behind him with a deliberate click. "I must say, I did not expect to find you like this."

Alessandra lifted her chin. Not this time.

"Why are you here, Luca?" Her voice was steady, but her pulse thrummed violently beneath her skin.

His smirk deepened. "Oh, I don't know. Perhaps because my fiancée vanished in the middle of the night?"

He stepped closer, the scent of his cologne—dark, spiced, laced with something predatory—slipping over her like a noose.

"And now I find her hiding in a hotel in another country… with my brother hoovering over her ."

Alessandra's nails dug into her palms. "I didn't vanish. I left. And I'm here for my show."

His eyes flashed. "Fuck your show." The sudden venom in his voice made her flinch. "We are still engaged, Alessandra."

A sharp, humorless laugh escaped her lips. "Engaged?" She shook her head. "Engaged by force, Luca. You and I both know there was never love between us."

His jaw ticked.

"And yet," he murmured, stepping even closer, "you had no problem accepting it. Until him."

Alessandra forced herself not to shrink beneath his stare. "It was never my choice. And it was never yours to decide."

Luca's expression hardened. "Where were you last night?"

She clenched her jaw. "You already know."

His voice dropped, the words soft but lethal. "Did he touch you?"

Alessandra's pulse thundered. Every inch of her screamed at her to lie, to appease, to say whatever would make him leave.

But she refused to cower.

"I chose Matteo, Luca." Her voice didn't waver. "Just let me go."

A muscle in his jaw flexed.

"Stronza," he muttered, the word dripping with venom. Whore.

Her fingers curled into fists. "Say that again, Luca," she challenged, her voice like steel.

A slow, mocking smile curled his lips.

"Lasciarti andare?" Let you go?

His gaze flicked over her again, slow and deliberate. Alessandra fought the nausea rising in her throat.

"Cara," he murmured, stepping even closer, "you've been mine since we were children. Since our families sealed our fate."

Alessandra recoiled. "I am not an object, Luca."

He chuckled darkly. "No? Then tell me, cara, how does it feel to be passed between brothers? Do you think Matteo truly cares for you? Or was it just another game for him—to take what belongs to me?"

The words sliced through her like a blade.

"I was never yours," she hissed. "Not in heart. Not in soul."

Luca's smirk was cruel. "And yet…" His voice dipped, his gaze darkening. "You were willing to go along with it. If not for him, you would have been in my bed."

Her stomach churned.

"I would have survived in your bed, Luca. That's all it would have been."

His eyes glinted with something dangerous. "So you think Matteo loves you? That he will keep you?" He leaned in, his breath fanning over her cheek. "He will tire of you, Alessandra. Just like he tires of everything else."

She clenched her jaw. "You're wrong."

Luca exhaled, shaking his head in amusement. "You let him touch you."

The words carried a chilling finality.

Alessandra's heart pounded. "Yes."

His entire body went rigid.

Good. Let him hear it. Let him break.

"And now, you will let me go."

Silence hung between them. Heavy. Suffocating.

And then—Luca smiled.

A slow, sinister smile.

"No, cara mia," he whispered. "You are mine. And I will make you remember."

Alessandra's stomach twisted violently as he reached for his tie, slowly pulling it loose.

She took a step back. "Luca—"

"You think Matteo has claimed you?" He let out a low chuckle. "I promise you, cara, I will erase him from your mind."

A shudder ran through her.

No. No, no, no.

Her fingers clutched the silk of her robe so tightly her knuckles turned white.

"Don't you dare touch me." Her voice was sharp, a blade of fury and fear.

But Luca only smirked, letting his tie fall to the floor.

A cold rush of terror shot through her veins.

Think, Alessandra. THINK.

Her pulse slammed against her throat as she forced herself to stay calm. Keep him talking. Distract him.

"You shouldn't do this," she said, her voice steadier than she felt. "I have a show tomorrow, Luca. The world will be watching. Matteo will be watching."

For the first time, something flickered in his expression. Doubt.

She swallowed hard. "You know him, Luca. You know what he will do if you lay a finger on me."

The air between them went deathly still.

Then—Luca smirked.

"Oh, cara." He loosened the first button of his shirt. "Do you think I'm afraid of my little brother?"

Alessandra's breath caught.

Luca stepped closer, his fingers reaching for his cufflinks.

And then—

Her entire body locked up. Her feet refused to move.

Run. She had to run.

But her legs wouldn't listen.

And Luca's fingers were already at his cufflinks.

She was trapped.