CHAPTER 7: Pressure point

Alessandro's POV

      I watched her from behind the tinted glass of my office.

Rosalie Bianco. She moved through the room like someone pretending. Controlled, quiet, almost too polite, the perfect face of submission. But it was a lie, I saw it in her eyes the first day she screamed at me. I admired the audacity.

Most women fell over themselves to please me but not her.

I leaned back in my chair, the morning sun burning through the sky of Laos, Italy. My coffee had gone cold, Ididn’t notice. My mind was occupied not with meetings or property acquisitions, but with the girl typing furiously at her desk, jaw tight, eyes tired.

Rosalie had a mother who was dying, that gave her strength and weakness and I was going to test both.

"Rosalie" I said into the intercom watching her flinchthrough the glass "Come in."

She entered quietly lips pressed together, a notepad in her hand "Yes, Mr. Moretti."

"I need these contracts reviewed, translated into French, and summarized by five"

Her eyes didn’t widen, she didn't mumble or complain, she simply nodded.

"I understand" She turned and left

By lunchtime, I sent two more files. Then another batch of files after her break. I watched her lips move as she talked  to herself, fingers  dancing all over the keyboard, ignoring the ache in her back, the weight in her chest. Her hands trembled slightly by 3 PM but she didn’t ask for help or for a break.

She didn’t cry, she didn’t complain.

She refused to break.

And that made her fascinating.

  By 7 PM, the office had emptied, lights dimmed.  My world, once full of voices, now sat in silence.

I poured myself a glass of scotch and stepped into the empty conference room.

The windows faced the city. Lights like  diamonds blinked across the hills and valleys. I took off my tie, unbuttoned the top of my shirt. Let out a sigh of relief.

I heard the softest footstep behind me.

"Why are you still here?" I asked without turning

"You said to finish by five" she replied, sounding tired "but then you sent thirty more pages, I finished five minutes ago."

I turned.

She looked exhausted, but proud. Eyes sharp, chin up. Still in those plain clothes. Still fighting like her spine was made of steel

"You're a slow reader, then" I said, sipping the scotch.

She frowned. "You're an impossible boss."

We stared at each other, long enough for the silence to discomfort her

"Come here" I said.

She walked over, careful.

"Your mother needs surgery."

She held her breath.

"I spoke to the hospital, it's scheduled for next Tuesday, I've arranged everything. Private room, the best doctors."

Rosalie stood very still "Why?"

I moved closer, leaned over to her ear "Because I want to see how much you'll let me own"

She looked up, breathing hard.

"You’re cruel" she whispered, I could hear her heart pound.

"And you" I said "are still here"

She didn’t flinch when I moved. My hand held her waist, Her body stiffened, but she didn’t step back

"Say thank you, Rosalie."

Her lips parted slowly "Thank you."

"Good girl"

Her breath was shaky now. So was mine.

I didn’t kiss her.

I walked over to my desk and sat on it, she stood there, trembling.

I stared at her, Shoulders slouched, eyes glassy with tears, No makeup, no coat. She was beautiful.

"Do you want to leave, Rosalie?" I watched her, she stood straight and looked me in the eye.

“No, I’ll do it” she said, not out of duty but of desire. She wanted me.

I nodded once, slow. "Good."

I didn’t get up from behind the desk. I watched her.

She didn’t fidget.

Didn’t leave.

She just stood there, still and proud and.. breakable

   I rose, walked around the desk. My steps echoed off the marble floor as I stopped a step away from her.

 She didn’t back up, just lifted her chin like a challenge

“I want to make one thing clear, Rosalie” I said. “i own you”

She flinched then nodded

I didn’t touch her yet, I wanted her to ask for it.

 Not out loud, but with her body, with her breath, with her silence.

She gave me all of it.

    I brushed her hair back, let my fingers dance through her cheek. Her skin was soft, too soft for this world. She didn’t look up. Not yet.

“I’ve handled the hospital” I said. “you have nothing to worry about”

“Thank you,” she muttered but there was no gratitude in her voice

Good, I didn't care

I reached for her hand, guided it to my shirt buttons.

 She didn’t pull away from me, she undid them slowly, like her fingers didn’t belong to her anymore. I could feel her hands tremble when her fingers brushed my chest. Terrified.

Still, she didn’t stop.

When I kissed her, she didn’t kiss back, not at first

 Her lips stayed still, Cold. Until I moved slower, until I took my time. Felt every inch of her mouth.

And then... she gave in

Her hands gripped my shirt, Her mouth opened, she kissed back, aggressively. And that anger in her?  I could feel it.

  I backed her into the dark corner of the office,  away from the windows, away from the desk. No cameras here. Just us, just this.

  I laid her down on the couch. She stiffened under me when I pulled her skirt up, when I took her velvet panties off. 

"You can still say no," I said, voice low.

Her eyes met mine, no fear, Just anger.

“I already said yes" she snapped.

I felt how wet she was, how much she wanted me. 

I pushed into her slowly, carefully, at first. Her breath quickened and I paused.

 Her nails dug into my arms, not to stop me, but to hold herself back

She didn’t cry, she didn’t moan, didn’t pretend

And neither did I.

This wasn’t about pleasure, not tonight.

It was about power.

It wasn’t glamorous, It wasn’t soft, It was real. And I didn’t want to make this feel like a fantasy, I wanted her to remember exactly where she was and why she was here.

The couch creaked beneath us. Her legs tightened around me. Her breath came faster, she was restraining herself.She was still trying to keep something of herself intact.

I admired that.

Because even as I thrust deeper, even as her body reacted the way bodies do, her eyes never stopped challenging me,never stopped daring me to feel guilty

I didn’t.

I finished before she did.

I pulled out, stood up, tucked myself back into my pants like this was just another transaction

She sat up slowly, legs still trembling. She didn’t look at me when dressed up

I walked to the bar and poured her a glass of water.

She didn’t take it.

“Next time,” she said quietly “don’t pretend to care”

Then she left.

And I let her,not because I was done with her.

But because I knew this was only the beginning.

And she had no idea how deep she was in