Chapter 10

"Yes. I will protect you. And your family andI will make sure they never touch you. Never touch them. But you have to be mine. My little toy and slave. For four years."

"Contract? Protection? I would rather die than accept your protection!" she spat.

"Die?" He smiled coldly. "Fine, you can. But you won't go alone. Your family goes with you."

Her blood ran cold. She stared at him. "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what? I'm trying to save you." He Dropped the glass cup

"You are dragging me into this mess!"

He walked closer to her. Isabelle walked backwards until her back hit the wall. He was inches away from her. She could feel his breath.

"You care about your family, right?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a photo. A picture of a man smiling. Her dad.

Isabelle gasped. "Where did you get that picture from?! Where?!"

"You don't want anything to happen to him, do you?"

She was shaking violently now.

He whispered, "So. You can save yourself and your family if you accept this contract. Or you can walk out that door right now and be my enemy. And you know what I do to my enemies... and their families."

He lifted her jaw with one finger, forcing her to look at him.

"Your silence already says you won't accept it. Okay, no problem. You can go but remember they are coming for you “

He turned to walk away.

"WAIT! WAIT!" tears pouring. "I will do it. I will... I will be your slave or toy as long as you want. But please... make sure nothing happens to them. Make sure nothing happens to my family."

Adrian looked at her hand on his arm, then slowly smiled. That dangerous, possessive smile.

He walked to the wardrobe, pulled out one of his big black shirts - big enough to cover her thighs like a dress - and threw it to her.

"Get changed. Charles will take you home. A room has been arranged for you. I will be back by midnight."

Then he walked out leaving her alone with his shirt in her hands,

walking out of the room, he saw Cole leaning against the wall.

Cole removed his glasses "Done?"

Adrian didn't reply. He started walking down the stairs.

Cole watched him go down two steps before Adrian spoke, without even looking back.

"Let's go somewhere. We need to talk."

They didn't go far. Just a small, quiet bar close to Cole’s hospital. They sat at the far end, two whiskeys in front of them. No crowd.

Cole looked at him straight.

"Do you still have feelings for Lara?"

Adrian almost choked on his drink. He looked up sharply, like someone waking up from a dream.

"Why would you ask that kind of question?"

Cole didn't look away. "Then why are you trying to keep Isabella just because they look alike?"

Adrian frowned. "I'm trying to protect her."

"Protect her? Cole let out a short laugh “ Come on. You're not trying to protect her. You're trying to punish her for what your ex girlfriend ( Lara ) did to you."

Adrian grip tightened on his glass. "Is that a bad idea?"

"Yes, it's a bad idea," he shook his head. "Just let this girl go. She is not Lara."

But still Adrian stayed quiet.

"You claim you don't love Lara anymore," Kole continued, his voice lower now. "But you've been looking for her for more than four years, and now you finally see someone that looks like her, you feel like you have to punish her for what Lara did to you years back."

He stared into his whiskey and say nothing Cole leaned forward.

"Isabella is not the cold mafia boss that slaughtered your dad right in front of you when you were fifteen. She is not the Volko or JANZA gang that has been after you or trying to take what your father left for you”

Adrian laughed, but it was a cold, bitter laugh. “thank you for reminding me my past”

But Cole didn't stop. "I'm just telling you to let her go. You cannot punish her for someone else's sin”

Adrian got angry "Stop saying nonsense. If you don't have anything to say, keep quiet and drink."

“ just let her go please “ he added

"You want me to be cool to her? You want me to be cold like before, while I watch people take away the things I've built for years? You want me to be cold while the people that killed my dad come for me too? You want me to be cold to her so she can take advantage of me the same way Lara did?"

Cole shook his head. "I can’t tell you to be cold becauseI know why you are like this."

He took a deep breath "But we have to focus on how to get this COLD mafia out of the way. You know they are coming for you. They have been trying to get rid of you ever since they killed your father. I don't want you to focus all your energy on this Isabella girl”

He leans back “ You can focus on getting back the territory/land VOLKO gang took from you. You can focus on getting revenge for your dad. Or find the one that killed your mum, like you claim."

Adrian picked up his wine glass again

"I'm not here to talk about that," he said quietly. "I'm just here to rest for the day."

Then — the door of the bar opened. Two big guys in black suits walked in.

Not like any guy they have seen before in that state

Something is definitely going on