Chapter 4

Selene pov

Maria led me down long, endless hallways lined with expensive paintings and heavy velvet curtains. The silence in the house was suffocating; every step I took echoed against the marble floors, reminding me that I was walking deeper into a place where no rules applied except Don Lorenzo’s.

We stopped in front of a massive set of double doors made of dark mahogany. Maria pushed them open, and I stepped inside. It was a room fit for a queen—king-sized bed with silk sheets, velvet armchairs, a fireplace, and a balcony overlooking the vast gardens. But to me, it looked exactly like what it was: a luxurious cage.

"This is your room now, Miss Selene," Maria said softly, standing by the door with her head bowed. "The bathroom is through there. I have prepared clothes for you. Don Lorenzo said you have one hour to get ready. He does not like to be kept waiting."

I walked further inside, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. I turned to face her, my voice sharp and filled with anger.

"Ready? Ready for what? To sit across that monster and pretend everything is fine? To smile and act like I am honored to be here? Maria, do you know what he did to me? Do you know who he is?"

Maria flinched, glancing nervously at the closed door before stepping closer and lowering her voice to a terrified whisper.

"I know enough, Miss. I have worked here for fifteen years. I have seen women come and go. I have seen what he does to people who cross him or displease him. Please... listen to me. Do not fight him right now. He enjoys it when you fight. It fuels him. It makes the game last longer. If you resist, he will only make your life a thousand times harder."

"Impossible! It cannot get any worse than this! He took everything from me! He humiliated me! He kidnapped me! And now he expects me to sit at his table like a good little pet?!"

"He expects obedience, Miss. That is all he has ever wanted. He owns this house, this land, and everyone in it. To him, you are no different from the furniture or the paintings. You are his property. And property does not argue, does not cry, and does not rebel."

I let out a bitter, hollow laugh, walking over to the large mirror on the wall. I looked at my reflection—eyes red and swollen, face pale, expression full of hatred.

"Well then, he is going to be very disappointed. Because I am not property. And I will never be anything like what he wants me to be."

"Miss... please," Maria pleaded, her eyes filled with genuine worry. "He is not just a powerful man. He is dangerous. He has eyes everywhere. Even here, in this room. Every word you say, every move you make... he knows. Just survive tonight. Survive this week. Bide your time. That is the only way you will ever have a chance."

Her words struck me hard. She was right. He was powerful, he was cruel, and he was watching. If I wanted to hurt him, if I wanted to escape, I couldn't do it while I was screaming and crying. I had to be smart. I had to be cold. Just like him.

I took a deep breath, wiping the remaining traces of tears from my face. My expression hardened, turning into something cold and empty.

"Fine," I said, my voice flat. "I will get ready. I will go down there. I will play his little game. But mark my words, Maria... he thinks he has tamed a wild bird. He doesn't realize he has brought a viper into his nest. And sooner or later... I will bite back."

Maria looked at me, surprised by the sudden change in my demeanor, then nodded slowly, a glimmer of respect in her eyes. She left the room, closing the doors softly behind her.

I walked into the bathroom, turning on the shower until the water was steaming hot. I scrubbed my skin until it was red, trying desperately to wash away the feeling of his touch, the memory of that dark night, the smell of his expensive cologne that still seemed to cling to me.

You think you own me, Lorenzo? You think I am broken? Watch me. I will pretend. I will act. And while you are busy admiring your new possession... I will be studying you. I will find your weaknesses. And I will use every single one of them to destroy you.

 

Exactly one hour later, I walked down the grand staircase. I was wearing a simple yet elegant emerald green dress Maria had chosen—modest, covering everything, yet beautiful enough to catch the eye. My hair was styled neatly, my face devoid of any emotion.

At the bottom of the stairs, Don Lorenzo was waiting. He stood tall, wearing a black suit that fit his broad frame perfectly. As I descended, his eyes locked onto me, roaming over my body with that possessive, hungry look that made my skin crawl. But I didn't flinch. I didn't look away. I held his gaze with cold, empty eyes.

He clapped his hands slowly, slowly walking towards me.

"Beautiful," he purred, stopping right in front of me. "You see? When you stop crying and fighting, you are absolutely stunning. You were meant to be here, Selene. You were meant to wear these clothes, stand in this hall, and belong to me."

"Is this what you wanted? A doll to dress up and show off?" I asked, my voice calm and icy. No anger, no fear. Just coldness.

He raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by my tone. He reached out, running a finger along the neckline of my dress.

"I want many things from you, my dear. But obedience comes first. And tonight... you are doing very well. Much better than I expected. Have you finally come to your senses? Have you realized that resistance is useless?"

"I realized that fighting you when you hold all the cards is just exhausting myself for nothing," I lied smoothly, looking him straight in the eye. "You are right. You are powerful. You have everything. And I... I have nothing. So what choice do I have but to accept my fate?"

A wide, arrogant smile spread across his face. He believed me. He thought he had won.

"Smart girl. Very smart. You will learn to enjoy this life, Selene. You will learn that being mine is the greatest privilege you could ever have. Now come. Let us dine. Tonight, it is just us. No servants, no guards. Just the two of us."

He offered his arm. I looked at it—the arm of the man who destroyed my life, the father of the man who broke my heart. With every ounce of self-control I possessed, I placed my hand on his arm and let him lead me into the large dining room.

The table was massive, set for only two people. Candles flickered, casting dancing shadows on the walls. He pulled out a chair for me at one end, then sat at the head of the table, looking like an emperor on his throne.

We ate in silence for a few minutes. The food was exquisite—dishes I could never afford, wines that cost a fortune. But to me, it tasted like ash.

Finally, Don Lorenzo put down his fork and leaned back, studying me.

"You are wondering about Adrian," he stated, not asking. "You are wondering why I took you, why I kept you, when my own son threw you away."

I lifted my glass, taking a small sip of water, my expression unreadable.

"It has crossed my mind. After all, you are his father. You are supposed to protect him, support him... not take the things he discards."

He laughed, a low, rough sound.

"Protect him? Support him? Adrian is a disappointment. A weak, sentimental boy who thinks love is the most important thing in the world. He thinks money grows on trees, that power is given, not taken. He loves that girl, Elara... and she loves his name and his money. She doesn't love him. Just like you didn't love him either."

I slammed my glass down on the table, the water sloshing over the rim. I couldn't hold back anymore.

"I did love him! I loved him more than anything! I gave him everything I had! I was loyal! I was faithful! And he threw it all away for a girl who left him once and will leave him again! I was real! She is just a fake memory!"

Don Lorenzo’s eyes lit up. There was the fire again. Exactly what he wanted to see.

"There it is! There is the passion! Yes, you loved him. You loved a boy who didn't deserve to be loved by someone like you. And that is exactly why I am doing this. Adrian gets everything handed to him on a silver platter. He gets the name, the money, the status... and he wastes it. He wasted you."

He leaned forward over the table, his voice dropping to a growl, intense and possessive.

"I watched you, Selene. I watched you love him with everything you had. I watched you suffer for him. I watched you cry for him. And I thought... what a waste. Such devotion. Such loyalty. Such passion... given to a boy who doesn't even know what to do with it."

He pointed a finger at himself.

"I am the man of this family. I am the one who built this empire from nothing. I am the one who fought, killed, and conquered to get where I am. And I decided... if anyone is going to have that kind of devotion, that kind of love, that kind of loyalty... it will be ME."

"You are sick! You are obsessed! I don't love you! I will never love you! You are the devil himself!"

"Love?" He scoffed, standing up and walking around the table until he stood right behind my chair, leaning down close to my ear. "I don't need you to love me. Love is weak. Love changes. Love dies. But fear... fear stays. Hate... lasts forever. And I know you hate me, Selene. I know you despise every breath you take in my presence. And that is fine. Because hate is just as powerful as love. Maybe even more."

He placed his hands on the back of my chair, trapping me.

"As long as you are thinking about me... as long as I am the only thing in your mind, day and night... then I have you exactly where I want you. Adrian is gone from your heart. He is gone from your life. From now on... your whole world revolves around me. Your pain, your anger, your existence... it all belongs to Don Lorenzo Moretti."

I gripped the arms of the chair so hard my knuckles turned white. I wanted to scream, to claw his face, to kill him right then and there. But I remembered Maria’s warning. I remembered my own vow.

I turned my head slightly, looking up at him with a cold, terrifying calmness that even surprised me.

"You think so? You think you can replace him? You think you can own my mind just like you own this house? Be careful, Don Lorenzo. You say hate is powerful. You say you want to be the center of my world. But remember this... the things we hate the most... are the things we dream of destroying."

His eyes widened slightly, a flicker of something—surprise, interest, maybe even respect—crossing his face. Then he smiled, wider and more dangerous than ever.

"Good. That is exactly what I want. Destroy me then. Try. Fight. Plot. Scheme. Do everything you can to bring me down. Because only then... will you prove that you are worthy of being mine. Only then... will this game be fun."

He straightened up and walked back to his seat, gesturing to the food.

"Finish your dinner, Selene. You will need your strength. Because tomorrow... the real lessons begin. Tomorrow, I will teach you exactly what it means to belong to a monster."

I picked up my fork, my hands shaking slightly, but my mind completely clear.

You want a game, Lorenzo? Fine. Let's play. But you started this war. And I promise you... I will be the one to end it.

TO BE CONTINUED...