chapter 3

A Dangerous Fascination

The Night That Changed Everything

The estate had settled into silence, but Leonardo's mind was restless.

He wasn't a man who entertained distractions. His world revolved around power, control, and maintaining order. Emotions had no place in his life.

And yet…

His fingers tightened around the glass of whiskey in his hand as he stood by the window of his study, his gaze locked on the gardens below. On her.

Isabella Russo.

She stood beneath the soft glow of the garden lights, her arms crossed, staring into the night as if deep in thought. Like she belonged there. Like she owned the silence.

Something about her bothered him.

Her hostility. Her complete lack of fear.

People flinched when he walked into a room. She smirked.

Men begged for their lives at his feet. She mocked him.

Leonardo brought the glass to his lips, taking a slow sip, but even the burn of the whiskey couldn't drown out the irritation—no, the obsession—that was starting to settle in his bones.

Why did she get under his skin?

He could still hear her voice from earlier.

"You think your power makes you untouchable? I've seen men with twice your power fall to their knees."

What the hell had she meant by that?

He hated not knowing things—especially when it came to people in his home. In his territory.

His jaw clenched as he watched her turn away from the garden and disappear into the house.

This wouldn't do.

He needed to know everything about Isabella Russo.

The Next Morning – Breakfast Tension

The smell of freshly brewed coffee and buttered toast filled the dining room. The family breakfast was supposed to be a simple affair, but Leonardo had never felt like much of a "family" man.

Still, he was here, dressed in a crisp black shirt, sitting at the head of the long table as a servant poured his coffee.

Alessandro sat across from him, flipping through the morning paper. Elena sat beside him, ever the perfect wife, quietly stirring her tea.

And then there was Isabella.

She walked in as if she owned the place, her dark hair still damp from a shower, a simple silk robe tied loosely around her waist.

Leonardo's fingers curled around his coffee cup.

This woman had no sense of boundaries.

"Good morning," Elena said, smiling at her daughter. "Did you sleep well?"

Isabella slid into a chair at the far end of the table. "Like a baby."

Leonardo's gaze followed her every movement.

She had no idea that he had been watching her last night.

That he had spent hours wondering why she was so unfazed by him.

That he had already given an order to dig into her past.

"Isabella," Alessandro said, barely looking up from his paper. "You should start thinking about how you'll be contributing here."

Isabella lifted an eyebrow. "Contributing?"

"You're a Russo, but now you're living under my roof," Alessandro said. "We all have roles to play."

Leonardo smirked, taking a sip of his coffee. This would be interesting.

"And what exactly is my role supposed to be?" Isabella asked, tilting her head.

Alessandro finally looked up. "I assume your mother taught you how to manage a household. You can—"

"No." Isabella cut him off, placing her cup down. "I don't clean, cook, or play house."

Elena sucked in a sharp breath. "Isabella!"

Leonardo chuckled under his breath. Defiant as ever.

Alessandro's expression darkened. "Then what do you do?"

Isabella leaned back in her chair, a lazy smirk tugging at her lips. The kind of smirk that sent men to their graves.

"I survive," she said simply.

Silence.

Leonardo's amusement faltered.

It was the way she said it.

Not with arrogance. Not with rebellion. With experience.

As if she had seen things—survived things—that none of them could begin to imagine.

For the first time, Leonardo wanted to know more.

Not out of curiosity, but out of something darker.

---

Later That Day – The Obsession Grows

Leonardo stood in his office, his back to the door as he scrolled through the file his men had compiled overnight.

Isabella Russo.

Age: 23

Father: Unknown

Mother: Elena Russo

Education: Minimal records.

Employment history: None.

It was as if she didn't exist before a few years ago.

There were gaps in her history, missing documents, no clear explanation of where she had been or what she had been doing.

His instincts screamed at him.

Something wasn't right.

A knock at the door.

He closed the file. "Come in."

Isabella stepped inside, arms crossed.

Leonardo leaned against his desk, watching her. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

She ignored his sarcasm. "You had someone look into me."

A slow smirk spread across his lips. "So you do have secrets."

Her gaze was sharp. "Stay out of my business, Leonardo."

"And if I don't?"

She took a step closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Then you might not like what you find."

Leonardo's pulse kicked up.

This was dangerous.

This was addictive.

And for the first time in his life, Leonardo De Luca wanted something he couldn't control.