Chapter 5: A Game Of Control

Isla woke up feeling disoriented, her body sinking into the plush mattress of a bed far too luxurious for someone like her.

For a moment, she forgot where she was.

Then it hit her.

Alessandro's house. Her husband-to-be's house.

She groaned, rolling onto her back as the events of the past twenty-four hours replayed in her mind. The contract. The move. His infuriating smirk as he called her wife before they parted ways last night.

A knock at the door made her sit up instantly.

Before she could answer, the door swung open.

Alessandro stood there, looking freshly showered and devastatingly handsome in a navy-blue suit. He held a cup of coffee in one hand, his dark eyes scanning her lazily.

"I don't remember giving you permission to just walk in," she said, pulling the covers tighter around her body.

He smirked. "It's my house."

"That doesn't mean I don't get privacy."

"You're my fiancée, Isla." He stepped inside, setting the coffee on the nightstand. "Get used to it."

She glared at him. "What do you want?"

He sat on the edge of the bed, far too comfortable in her space. "We have a dinner event tonight. You'll need a dress."

She frowned. "I have plenty of dresses."

"Not ones that fit the role of Mrs. Romano." His tone was smug. "A stylist will be here in an hour."

She narrowed her eyes. "You're unbelievable."

"I'm efficient." He stood, straightening his cuffs. "Be ready."

As he turned to leave, Isla couldn't help herself. "You do realize this is just an arrangement, right? I don't actually belong to you."

Alessandro paused in the doorway. Then, with slow, deliberate steps, he returned to her bedside.

He leaned down, his lips just inches from hers.

"You signed my contract, cara mia. That means, for the next year…" His fingers trailed down her jaw, tilting her chin up. "…you're mine."

Her breath hitched.

Before she could respond, he was gone, leaving her heart racing in his wake.

This wasn't just a contract.

This was a game.

And Alessandro Romano never lost.