Chapter 5: The Truth in Chains

Elena's breath came too fast.

Her entire body locked up at Alessio's words.

"You were never supposed to leave this room alive."

Her pulse hammered in her throat, fear closing around her like a noose.

No.

She must have misheard him.

Or maybe—maybe he was just trying to scare her.

Because the alternative—that she had slept with a man who planned to kill her— was unthinkable.

Her fingers curled into fists.

She forced herself to look him in the eyes.

And what she saw there made her stomach drop.

No hesitation. No regret.

Just cold certainty.

Oh God.

This was real.

"What the hell do you mean by that?" she whispered.

Alessio didn't blink.

"You want the truth?" His voice was too calm, too controlled.

Elena nodded, even as fear coiled in her stomach like a snake.

Alessio exhaled slowly.

Then, with terrifying ease—he trapped her.

His arms braced on either side of her, his body crowding her against the wall, his scent—dark, musky, and utterly male— invading her senses.

She gasped, pressing back against the cool surface.

"I don't think you're ready for the truth, piccola," he murmured.

Elena glared at him, even as her heartbeat pounded in her ears.

"You don't get to decide what I can handle."

Alessio smirked, but there was no humor in it.

"No?" His fingers brushed down her throat, slow and deliberate. "And yet, you're trembling."

She was.

But not just from fear.

From anger. From confusion. From the lingering heat of last night still tangled in her veins.

She hated it.

Hated him.

And yet, she needed to know.

"What the hell is going on?" she demanded. "Who are you?"

Alessio studied her for a long moment.

Then, finally—

"My name is Alessio Ricci," he said smoothly. "And last night… you slept with the enemy."

Elena's stomach dropped.

Enemy.

She shook her head. "I don't have enemies."

Alessio chuckled softly, but there was no warmth in it.

"Not you, perhaps." He reached out, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear, the gentle gesture at odds with the cold calculation in his eyes.

"But your family?" His lips curled slightly. "That's a different story."

Elena's skin prickled.

Her family?

She had no connection to anything illegal. She lived a quiet, normal life.

Didn't she?

Her heart raced as she thought about her father—his late nights, his hushed phone calls, the way he never spoke about his business.

No.

This had to be a mistake.

"My father is just a businessman," she snapped, her voice shaking.

Alessio arched a brow.

"A businessman," he repeated, like he found the idea amusing.

"Yes." She clung to it like a lifeline. "You made a mistake. I have nothing to do with—"

Alessio's hand shot out.

She barely had time to react before he gripped her chin, forcing her gaze to his.

"Your father is a traitor, Elena." His voice was smooth as silk, deadly as a blade.

She froze.

What?

No.

That wasn't possible.

Alessio must have seen the denial in her face, because his grip tightened just slightly—enough to make her heart stutter.

"My family doesn't make mistakes, piccola," he murmured.

Her stomach twisted.

"No," she whispered. "You're lying."

Alessio sighed, like he had expected this.

Then—he released her.

Elena stumbled back, her breath unsteady.

And Alessio…

He walked to a nearby desk, grabbed something, and tossed it onto the table in front of her.

A file.

Thick. Worn.

Labeled with her father's name.

Elena's fingers trembled as she picked it up.

And the moment she flipped it open—her world shattered.

Photos. Documents. Bank statements.

A life she didn't recognize.

Her father with men she had never seen before.

Her father shaking hands with a man in a suit, a contract between them that bore the Ricci name.

Her father's signature on a deal with Alessio's family.

And then—the proof of his betrayal.

Evidence that he had turned on them.

That he had sold them out.

That he had lied.

Elena's hands shook as she flipped through it all.

"No," she whispered. "This isn't real."

Alessio watched her. Silent. Waiting.

And that was somehow worse than if he had said I told you so.

Because he didn't need to.

The proof was right in front of her.

And suddenly…

She understood.

Why Alessio had brought her here.

Why he hadn't let her leave.

Why he had said she wasn't supposed to walk out of this room alive.

This wasn't just about a one-night stand.

It was about retribution.

And she was the price.

Elena swayed on her feet.

Her head spun.

Her stomach churned.

She barely felt it when Alessio stepped behind her, his body warm and unmovable as his hand settled on her waist.

"What happens now?" she whispered.

Alessio leaned in, his breath brushing her ear.

"Now, piccola," he murmured, voice dark and final, "you belong to me."