Chapter 28:No Turning Back

Isla wasn't sure who moved first.

One second, Alessandro's lips were barely grazing hers—a taunt, a dare.

The next, she was pulling him down to her, fingers fisting in his shirt, mouths colliding in a kiss that shattered every fragile boundary between them.

It wasn't careful.

It wasn't gentle.

It was war.

His hands gripped her waist, dragging her flush against him, swallowing the gasp that slipped from her lips.

She should have been afraid.

She should have stopped this before it went too far.

But it was already too late.

She had stopped fighting the moment she let him touch her.

Because this wasn't just about a contract anymore.

This wasn't about control.

This was need.

Raw. Consuming. Inescapable.

Alessandro backed her against the wall, his lips trailing down her jaw, his fingers pressing into her hips.

"You drive me insane," he muttered against her skin.

Her breath hitched.

"Good," she whispered, tilting her head to give him more access. "Now you know how it feels."

His low chuckle sent a shiver down her spine.

But just as his hands slid lower—

A loud crash shattered the moment.

Isla tensed.

Alessandro froze.

And then—

Glass shattered downstairs.

Voices. Footsteps.

Someone had broken in.

Alessandro moved.

He grabbed her wrist, pulling her away from the wall, his entire body shifting into something cold, calculated.

"Stay behind me," he ordered, his voice deadly calm.

Isla's heart pounded. "Alessandro—"

He reached into the drawer beside the bed, pulling out a gun.

She swallowed hard.

This wasn't just some business rival trying to send a message.

This was an attack.

A direct threat.

And she was at the center of it.

Alessandro turned to her, his eyes dangerous. "No matter what happens—don't run."

A lump formed in her throat.

Because suddenly, she realized—

She wasn't just tangled in Alessandro's world anymore.

She was hunted.

And the only person standing between her and the people who wanted her gone—

Was him.