Chapter Four

Lorenzo's POV

There's no way Isabella could be missing, not after I've locked her in my closet. She has to be pulling some stunts here, because I still don't understand how she suddenly disappeared, despite being behind shut doors.

“Where's she?” I roared at my guards, desperation creeping up my cheek.

They all froze and said nothing. Their inability to give me a decent answer made me more furious. I pulled out my shotgun from my pocket and fired it at one of them. He dropped down instantly, causing the others to gasp and double in fear.

“Y'all would give me an answer now, huh?” I taunted them, pointing the gun towards them.

They stared at each other for a while, their faces draped with fear and anxiety of what would happen next.

“I have no idea about that, sir. Maybe she's hiding in the bathroom or wardrobe, or something else,” one of the men finally spoke.

“No, I don't think so. She must be downstairs, lurking around one of the rooms,” the second man countered.

“That’s not true. She's somewhere outside this house. I saw her exit through the main door,” the last guard retorted.

“Enough of it!” I thundered, fury and anxiety coursing through my veins. “I give y'all only five minutes! If she doesn't come back to me in five minutes, then consider yourselves dead!”

“Yes boss!” They all answered in unison and bowed.

Gesturing to the man that just dropped dead from my warning shot, I ordered, “Now, get rid of this!”

They bowed once again and quickly did as I bade them, exiting the room.

Left alone, I took a deep breath and gazed at the papers in my hand. It was the contract papers that would finalize the transaction between Isabella’s opportunistic dad and I. She had to sign it to make her exclusively mine, but now, she's nowhere to be found.

I pulled out a cigarette from my pant's pocket and lit it, puffing it heavily in order to relax my nerves. Staring at the wall clock, I watched the seconds tick away. The guards had less than two minutes left, and yet I can't see or hear any hint of Isabella in this house. Seems, they're already prepared to be doomed, since I'm ever ready to waste anyone who defies my orders.

Just then, I heard the door swing open and there she was, the woman I've long been searching for!

“How dare you escape from where I kept you? And where the hell did you go?” I howled at her.

Isabella's face remained resolute, as though my words fell on deaf ears. My gaze glued to her, stunned by her calm composure.

“You!” She began, her chest heaving up and down in quick successions, like she was about to have an asthmatic seizure.

“You killed her! You're evil! I hate you!” she spat, with so much disgust on her face.

“I killed her?” I grinned lightly. “You think so? Well, I don't give a damn about that! Where the hell did you go? And how dare you leave without my permission?”

“My whereabouts shouldn't be your business!” She rebuffed.

“I own you! Stop acting silly.” “Now sign this, quickly!” I demanded, with a hint of urgency in my words, passing the papers in my hand to her.

“What are those?” Her eyes scanned the papers I had just handed to her.

“This is the contract papers and you have to sign them right away,” I answered.

“I won't!” Isabella said, with clenched teeth.

I took a few strides closer to her and held her by means of her upper arm. Peering into her eyes, I urged, “You just have to. To make this official.”

“But I don't want to! And you can't stop me!” She blurted out, with fierceness in her eyes.

“The deed has been done already. Your dad sold you off to me and I paid for you in full. The transaction can't be revoked and so you belong to me,” I deemed it necessary to explain things to her, although she was too defiant to listen.

“Never! I can't belong to a cruel heartless man as you are!” Isabella was at it again.

“Watch your tongue, Isabella!” I chided. “Saving you from the hands of Giovanni was just enough to prove to you that I'm not what you think I am. I'm here to protect you, Isabella. Stop making things more difficult for me.”

Isabella's face paled, she was seemingly touched by my words and I meant every bit of it. I'm here to protect her from the claws of her enemy. She's mine to care for and to protect, while she does my biddings.

“Lorenzo,” she began in a soft, endearing but mindful voice. “Thank you for protecting me, but that still doesn't change anything. I wouldn't sign those papers!”

It was the very first time she had called me by my name and I was stupefied by her wits. She's the only woman I know, who wasn't intimidated by my presence. No one dared to call me by my name, except for my fellows in the mafia world, but she just did. Was she the same woman that quivered at Giovanni's subtle threats?

I won't deny that I felt annoyed by her words. I clenched my fist and hit hard against the table. I stared at her and she met my gaze with her piercing eyes, the fiercest eyes I've ever seen.

“Look Isabella, I'm not here for some silly jokes, if you don't want to sign the contract, then you'll pay back the money I purchased you with, in order to secure your freedom,” I spelt out, in a serious tone.

“How much is that, by the way?” She arched her brows and leaned backwards, listening attentively to hear what I'd say next.

“50 million dollars! Can you ever afford that?”

Isabella didn't say a word. Her eyes widened with shock, and her jaw dropped. There was no way she was going to afford such a huge amount and she knew it. Thanks to her father's dubious selfish interests. He might have lavished the money, or perhaps, spent it off at the betting casinos.

“You can now see why you really have to sign this. You can't afford that, even if you were given two lifetimes. I'd own you and protect you for the rest of your life, while you'll be mine forever. Isn't that simple enough?” I teased.

“Okay fine, I'd sign this. But you don't own me for the rest of my life! I'd stay with you for only one year, after which I would secure my freedom. Agreed?” She requested.

I exhaled deeply and thought about it for a while. There was something about Isabella that made me find it a hard put to let go of her. I felt obliged to accept her demands, despite the transaction status between her father and I. Maybe she'd be useful to me and to my business.

Gently pinching the bridge of my nose, I shrugged and said, “Alright, fine. From now henceforth, I own you!"