CHAPTER THREE: NO TURNING BACK

The lights flickered back on, chasing away the darkness, but the heaviness in the air stayed.

My breath came fast, shallow, and I could hear the thundering of my heart in my own ears.

Lorenzo stood at the foot of the bed, his tall frame blocking the soft city glow spilling in through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

His eyes pinned me in place, sharp and unreadable, like a predator ready to strike.

“Still scared?” His voice was low, smooth, but dangerous enough to make my stomach twist.

I swallowed hard. My lips trembled, but I managed a small nod.

He smirked, slow and deliberate, like he owned me already. “Good. Fear keeps you obedient.”

My chest tightened. I clutched the sheets so hard my knuckles turned white. This wasn’t how I imagined giving myself to someone. I had dreamed of love, of warmth, of someone who would hold me gently. Instead, here I was, about to give everything to a man who saw me as nothing more than a contract.

But I thought of Grandma’s pale face in that hospital bed, of her whisper asking me not to let go of the house. I couldn’t let her down.

I forced myself to meet his gaze. “I’ll… I’ll do it.”

“Of course you will.” His voice was firm, leaving no room for doubt. “You signed yourself over to me, Luciana. And I don’t break deals.”

He removed his jacket, setting it neatly on the chair, then began unbuttoning his crisp white shirt.

My throat went dry watching his tanned skin reveal itself little by little.

His chest was broad, his body lean but strong, every movement so controlled it made me shiver.

I wanted to look away, but his voice cut through the air. “Eyes on me.”

My gaze snapped back to his, heat rising to my cheeks.

He sat down beside me on the bed, close enough that the warmth of his body made me tremble.

His grip was firm, his thumb brushing lightly against my skin.

“You’re shaking,” he murmured.

My chest rose sharply. The truth slipped out before I could stop it. “I’ve… I’ve never… not even a boyfriend.”

His hand tilted my chin up, forcing me to meet his eyes. “From tonight on, you belong to me. Your body, your innocence, every moan you make—it’s mine.”

Before I could breathe, his lips crashed against mine. The kiss was deep, claiming, leaving no space for air. I gasped, but he only took advantage, his tongue sliding into my mouth, commanding, teasing.

My hands fisted against the sheets, my body trapped between fear and something I didn’t understand.

When he finally pulled back, my lips were swollen, my breaths shallow.

“You taste sweet,” he muttered, brushing his thumb over my lower lip. “Better than I imagined.”

My heart raced faster. I had never been kissed before, and now I was drowning in him.

He stood, his gaze never leaving me. “Stand up.”

I hesitated, my legs weak.

“Now.” His voice dropped lower, a command I couldn’t ignore.

I obeyed, standing shakily in front of him. His eyes raked over me slowly, deliberately, as if memorizing every detail. I felt bare even though I was still clothed.

“Undress,” he ordered.

My eyes widened. “W-what?”

“You heard me.” He stepped closer, his towering frame making me feel so small. “Take it off… or I’ll do it for you.”

My cheeks flamed, but with trembling hands, I reached for the zipper of my dress. My fingers fumbled, but his sharp gaze held me still.

Inch by inch, the fabric slid down my body, pooling at my feet. I stood there in only my bra and panties, my arms instinctively covering myself.

His lips curved in a smirk. “Don’t hide from me.” He stepped forward, pulling my arms down. “I want to see all of you.”

My breath hitched as his hands brushed my skin, hot and firm, sending shivers down my spine.

“Beautiful,” he murmured, his eyes darkening. “So pure. So untouched.”

He leaned down, his lips brushing against the curve of my neck, his voice low and possessive. “Do you know what that means, Luciana? It means I get to ruin you. Mark you. Make you mine.”

My body trembled violently, caught between fear and the strange heat spreading through me.

He guided me back onto the bed, his body pressing me into the soft sheets. His mouth found mine again, hungrier this time, and I whimpered against his lips.

“Good girl,” he murmured. “You’ll learn to take me.”

His hands roamed over me, sliding beneath the lace of my bra, his touch firm and demanding. I gasped as he cupped me, his thumb brushing over sensitive skin I’d never let anyone touch.

“Already trembling,” he muttered against my lips. “You’ll fall apart for me tonight.”

I whimpered softly, my heart pounding, my body betraying me with the heat pooling lower.

“Tell me you want this,” he demanded, his gaze pinning me down.

“I… I want—” The words tangled in my throat.

“Say it,” he growled softly. “Say you want me.”

Tears stung my eyes as I whispered, “I… I want you.”

Dark smile spread across his face. “That’s my girl.”

He unclasped my bra, tossing it aside, and my arms flew up to cover myself again, but he caught my wrists, pinning them above my head.

“Don’t you dare hide from me,” he said firmly. “Every inch of you belongs to me now.”

His mouth closed over my breast, and I gasped, arching under him as heat exploded through me. His hand slid lower, over my stomach, teasing the edge of my panties.

I bit my lip, trembling. “Lorenzo…”

He smirked against my skin. “Don’t worry, little virgin. I’ll be inside you soon enough.”

“Please…” I whispered, not even sure if I was begging him to stop or to keep going.

Lorenzo’s eyes glinted with satisfaction. “That’s better. Beg for me.”

His fingers slipped under the waistband of my panties, pulling them down slowly, deliberately, until I was completely bare beneath him. My face burned hotter than ever as I instinctively tried to close my legs, but his large hands held me open, unyielding.

“Don’t hide,” he commanded, his voice low, dark, and firm. “I want to see every part of you.”

My chest rose and fell rapidly. I felt so exposed, so vulnerable, and yet a strange heat coursed through me that I couldn’t explain.

He leaned down, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. “You’re mine now, Luciana. Every sound you make tonight, every shiver, every tear—it belongs to me.”

Then he kissed me again, harder this time, his tongue sliding against mine as one of his hands roamed lower. When his fingers touched me where no one ever had, I gasped sharply, my whole body jerking.

“So sensitive,” he muttered, smirking against my lips. “So untouched. You’ll break so beautifully for me.”

He teased me slowly, his fingers stroking until my body betrayed me with wetness I couldn’t control. I whimpered, clutching the sheets, overwhelmed by sensations I had never known.

“Good girl,” he murmured. “You’re ready for me.”

When he finally shed the rest of his clothes, my eyes widened at the sight of him, heat flooding my cheeks. He was thick, hard, and intimidating, and panic rushed through me.

“I-I don’t know if I can—”

“You can,” he cut me off firmly, positioning himself between my trembling thighs. “And you will.”

Tears prickled in my eyes as the tip of his dick pressed against me.

He brushed his lips over mine briefly, though his voice stayed commanding. “This will hurt. But remember—you belong to me now.”

With a firm thrust, he pushed inside, and I cried out, the sharp pain tearing through me.

“Shhh,” he whispered against my ear, though his hips stayed steady, unyielding. “That’s it. Take me.”

My nails dug into the sheets as tears rolled down my cheeks. The pain was intense, stealing my breath, but Lorenzo’s grip on my wrists kept me from pulling away.

“Look at me,” he demanded, his voice low and rough.

Through blurred eyes, I forced myself to meet his gaze. His eyes were dark, filled with raw possession.

“You’re mine now,” he said firmly, thrusting deeper. “No man will ever have you after this. Do you understand?”

I whimpered, nodding weakly.

“Say it.”

“I-I’m yours,” I whispered, my voice trembling.

A dark smile curved his lips. “Good girl.”

He began moving, slow at first, each thrust stretching me more, making me gasp and whimper. The pain mingled with a strange, growing heat that made my body arch into his without my permission.

“That’s it,” he murmured, his breath hot against my skin. “Feel me. Take all of me.”

His pace quickened, his body pressing me into the mattress as moans spilled from my lips despite myself.

“Such sweet sounds,” he growled softly. “You’ll never make them for anyone else. Only me.”

The heat inside me built higher and higher, until I was trembling, my cries filling the room.

“Lorenzo—” I gasped, my body tightening around him.

He smirked, his thrusts harder now. “That’s it. Come for me.”

He groaned darkly, his thrusts becoming harder, deeper, urgent. His hand gripped my hip, holding me still as he claimed me without mercy.

“You feel that?” he growled in my ear, his breath ragged. “That’s me… owning you. Filling you.”

My eyes squeezed shut, overwhelmed by the sensations crashing through me.

“You’re mine, Luciana,” he said through clenched teeth. “I’m going to make sure you carry my child.”

With one final, hard thrust, he buried himself deep inside me, holding me down as his release spilled into me. I felt the hot rush fill me completely, and a shocked whimper left my lips.

“That’s it,” he whispered roughly, not pulling out. “Take it all. Every drop stays inside you."

For a moment, the room was silent except for our heavy breathing. My body trembled, my legs weak, my chest rising and falling rapidly.

Lorenzo pulled out slowly, and I winced at the ache between my thighs.

He looked down at me, his expression unreadable, then grabbed a towel from the nightstand, wiping himself casually as if what just happened was nothing more than business.

I blinked at him through tired, tear-streaked eyes, my heart aching for something—warmth, comfort, anything.

But he only stood, pulling his shirt back on, his voice cold. “This is only the beginning, Luciana. You’ll stay here from now on. My men will guard you. No one else touches you. Ever.”

My chest tightened. “And… and if I want to go home? To see Grandma—”

“You’ll see her when I allow it,” he cut me off sharply. “Don’t forget why you’re here. You’re not my lover, not my girlfriend. You’re here to give me what I want.”

As he walked toward the door, he paused, glancing back once. “Rest. Tomorrow, we start again.”