MasukZayden’s POVI closed the door and stood there.The silence pressed in around me, heavy and suffocating. I could still hear her footsteps fading down the hallway — slow, unsteady, broken. Each one felt like a defeat.I leaned my forehead against the wood and closed my eyes.I could still taste her on my tongue.Sweet. Salt. Something darker underneath. She had been so wet, so ready, so desperate. The way she had pushed back against my face, the way she had sobbed my name— It was everything I had wanted. Everything I had been waiting for.And yet, I had sent her away.I pushed off the door and walked to the window, my body still aching, my dick still hard and straining against my sweatpants. The city sprawled below me, dark and indifferent. It never slept and right now — neither could I.Because all I could think about was her.She had looked at me in a way that sent shivers down my spine. Her voice had cracked on her pleading words. Her body had trembled beneath my hands.She had mean
Bella’s POVZayden stared at me for a second, then grabbed my wrist and dragged me inside, slamming the door shut behind us.“What do you mean by that?” he asked, backing me against the wall, his body caging me in.I opened my mouth to speak. My heart was pounding so loud I could barely hear myself think."I—" I swallowed. "I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking about—" I stopped. Shook my head. "Never mind. This was a mistake."I tried to move past him but he didn't let me."Bella." His voice was low and patient. But I could hear the edge underneath. "It's 3 a.m. You banged on my door like the house was on fire. Now you're standing here in nothing but silk, shaking like a leaf, telling me you couldn't sleep." He tilted his head. "What exactly do you want?"I looked away. "I don't know.""Try again.""I—" My voice cracked. "I don't know how to say it.""Yes, you do." He stepped closer, his chest almost brushing mine. "You know exactly what you want. You just don't want to admit it."My thr
Bella’s POVI couldn't even cry in peace. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his face. The way he had looked at me after I slapped him. The way his cheek had reddened beneath my palm. The way his voice had dropped when he said "I've had enough."I touched my lips.I could still feel him there. The pressure. The heat. He had kissed me so forcefully yet so gently like I was his chaos and his calm at the same time.Why could I still feel it? I hated that I could still feel it.I sat up in bed, pulling my knees to my chest. I wiped the tears from my eyes and took in deep short breaths.The room was dark. Silent. But my mind was anything but that. Why did I go to him?I had told myself it was because I was worried. Because he looked broken. Because I was just being a decent human being.But that was a lie.I went because I wanted to see him. Because something in me had pulled me toward his study like a magnet. Because watching him walk away from that dinner table had made my chest ache i
Zayden’s POVThe slap stung my cheek in a way that made me feel utterly embarrassed.She had done it again. Once more, Bella had pushed my buttons.I looked up slowly and saw her hand covering her mouth. She looked as though she had committed the biggest mistake of her life… and frankly, she probably had."I… I didn't mean to do that," she said, her voice shaking. "But you did."“I didn’t mean to.” She shook her head.I stepped closer to her. "How many times do I have to tell you not to disrespect me?"Bella stepped back. "I wasn't disrespecting you. I was just—" She paused. "I told you to stop.""And how long do you want to keep saying that?" I asked."As long as it takes for you to understand," she replied.“There’s nothing for me to understand,” I said. “But it seems like you’re the one who needs clarity here.”"Clarity?" She let out a sharp breath. "I don’t need clarity Zayden, you do. You're a man who thinks he can own people. Control them. Break them until they fit into whateve
Bella’s POVWe all watched Zayden go.And then Noemi scoffed. "Typical Zayden."I sat there for a moment, my heart pounding.“What is wrong with you?” Emerald said, angrily. “Nothing is wrong with me Mamma,” Noemi answered. “And it’s been years now, maybe you can finally be my mother instead of always taking Zayden’s side.”“Well for one, Zayden is not an embarrassment to me,” Emerald said sharply. “You always cause chaos, Noemi. End this now.”Noemi smiled, although she was clearly hurt. “Fine. Whatever you say.”I didn’t wait to finish eating. I couldn’t spend another second at that table.After a while, I stood. “I have to go.”They didn’t stop me. I left the dining table and went to my room. I closed the door, but I couldn't sit still. The dinner replayed in my head — the accusations, the pain, the way Zayden's face had gone cold when Noemi mentioned their father.I paced for a while. Then I stopped.He was angry.I didn't know why that mattered. I didn't know why I cared. But I
Bella’s POVThe woman smiled brightly. “Hello, brother.”My breath caught.Brother?I stared at her. The dark hair. The sharp green eyes. The elegant posture.Then recognition slammed into me.She was the woman from the gala.The woman who had sat beside me and spoken to me like we were old friends.The woman who had known things about Zayden.Except now she wasn’t some stranger from a party.She was standing in the middle of the Romano villa calling Zayden her brother.What the hell?“Can you please tell these gorillas to let me go?” she complained. “Their fingers are digging into my arms.”Zayden blinked.For the first time since I’d known him, he actually looked surprised.The guards immediately glanced toward him.“Let her go.” He said.The moment they released her, Noemi rubbed both arms dramatically.“Finally.” She frowned. “What do you people feed them? Steroids?”A few guards looked offended.Noemi ignored them, her gaze fell on Emerald. “Oh, Mamma! It’s so good to see you.”
Bella’s POVMatteo looked at Zayden with an anger that stopped the entire room.“Zayden…” he started smoothly. “I would say it’s a pleasure but I’m not a very good liar.”Zayden chuckled. “Come on, Matteo.” He said. “Let’s not be like that tonight. In fact.” He paused, sitting across from us, cross
Bella’s POV I woke up two hours ago, getting ready for my night out with Matteo. I slipped on my heels, taking one last look at myself in the mirror. The dress was black silk, clinging like a second skin, neckline plunging just enough to make my father pretend he didn’t notice. I took a deep
Zayden’s POV I’d had more one-night stands than I could count. Faces I forgot before the sun rose. Names I never asked for. But her? Bella. She was different. In my mind. On my skin. In the silence between my thoughts. There was something in the way she fell apart that night—quietly and desperate
Bella’s POVThat night, I stood outside my father’s office with my hand lifted, knuckles hovering inches from the door.My pulse wouldn’t slow.Everything in me screamed that what I was about to do was dangerous—but danger didn’t scare me anymore. Not after Zayden Romano. Not after the slap. Not a







