Chapter 2

Selene pov

The car sped through the city streets, the interior still dark and suffocating. I was pressed against the leather seat, hands trembling, heart pounding so hard I thought it would burst out of my chest. Don Lorenzo sat right next to me, his presence heavy and suffocating, radiating pure power and arrogance. He didn't look at me, but I could feel his gaze burning into the side of my face.

"You are shaking, Selene," he said, his voice low and smooth, like velvet covering a blade. "Are you afraid? Or are you remembering every detail of that night?"

I turned my head sharply towards him, my eyes blazing with hatred despite the fear coursing through my veins. "How can you ask me that? You are a monster! You are his father! You took something that wasn't yours, something that belonged to your son’s world! Do you have no shame at all? No conscience?"

He let out a deep, mocking laugh, turning his body fully towards me. He reached out, and before I could stop him, his cold fingers gripped my chin, forcing me to look straight into his ruthless eyes.

"Shame? Conscience? My dear girl, those are words for weak people, for poor people, for people who have nothing. I am Don Lorenzo Moretti. I own half of this city. People bow when I walk past. People tremble when I speak. Why would I be ashamed of taking what I desire? Especially when it is something my own foolish son threw away like trash."

"Adrian didn't throw me away! He... he just... he made a mistake!" I defended weakly, even though I knew deep down it was a lie.

Don Lorenzo scoffed, his grip tightening slightly. "Made a mistake? Oh, you naive little thing. Listen to me carefully. Adrian never loved you. Not even a fraction of what you gave him. He kept you because you were convenient. You cooked for him, you listened to him, you gave him your body, your time, and your soul. And what did he give you? Lies. Promises that meant nothing. And the moment his precious Elara returned, he discarded you without a second thought."

Tears welled up in my eyes again, hot and stinging. "Why are you telling me this? To hurt me more? Haven't you done enough? You ruined my heart, you ruined my body, and now you are ruining my mind too! What more do you want from me?!"

"I want you to understand your place," he answered coldly, releasing my chin only to trail his hand down my neck and shoulder, making me flinch in disgust. "Adrian is a boy playing a man’s game. But me? I am the king. And you... from the very moment you stepped out of those gates crying on his birthday... you belonged to me. I saw you first in your true vulnerability. I took you first. And I decide when you leave."

"I will never belong to you! I would rather die than be near a man like you!" I spat out, pushing his hand away with all my strength.

He didn't get angry. He just smiled—that terrifying, charming smile that hid pure evil.

"Death is too easy, Selene. Death is an escape. And you, my dear, are not going to escape. You know my secret. You know what I did. Do you honestly think I would let you walk free to tell the whole world? Do you think I am stupid enough to leave a witness alive?"

"I won't say anything! I swear! Just let me go and you will never hear from me again! I will leave the country! I will disappear!" I begged, desperation taking over.

"Too late for that. I told you, you know too much. And besides..." He leaned closer, his face inches from mine, his scent overwhelming me. "I have decided that I like having you around. You have fire. You have spirit. Adrian was right about one thing—you are easy to love, easy to keep... but unlike him, I know exactly how to use you properly."

"Use me? You already used me! You violated me! You treated me worse than an animal!"

"And yet here you are, breathing, alive, and sitting in my car," he replied smugly. "I could have killed you that night. I could have left you bleeding in a ditch somewhere. But I didn't. I kept you. I saved you. You should be grateful."

"Grateful?! You are sick! You are twisted!"

"I am powerful. And in this world, power is the only thing that matters. Adrian has my name, but he lacks my hunger. Elara has beauty, but she is empty inside. But you... you have something I haven't seen in a long time. You have pain. And pain makes people strong... or breaks them completely. I wonder which one you will be?"

The car suddenly slowed down and turned into a long, private driveway lined with tall iron fences and security guards. I looked out the window and realized where we were. It wasn't the main Moretti mansion where Adrian lived. This was an older, grander, and more isolated estate—Don Lorenzo’s private residence, hidden far away from the city center. A place where no one could hear you scream.

"Where are you taking me?!" I yelled, panic rising in my chest. "Take me back! Please, Don Lorenzo, I beg you! I have a family! People will look for me!"

"Your family?" He chuckled darkly. "You mean the people who let you run off with Adrian two years ago without a second thought? The people who didn't question why you never came home? The people who didn't even search for you when you disappeared for days? Oh, Selene... wake up. You have no one. Just like you told yourself before. You are alone. And now... you are mine."

The car stopped in front of the massive entrance. The doors opened, and two large men in uniform stood waiting.

"Get out," Don Lorenzo ordered, stepping out first.

I refused to move, gripping the seat tightly. "No! I won't get out! You can't force me!"

He bent down, his head inside the car, his eyes turning dark and dangerous. "Do not test my patience, girl. You can walk out on your own two feet, or my men will drag you out and carry you inside like a sack of potatoes. And believe me... if they touch you, I won't be responsible for what happens next. You belong to me. No one else touches what is mine."

My blood ran cold. I knew he wasn't bluffing. I knew there was no escape. Not now. Not yet. With trembling legs, I stepped out of the car, standing on the gravel driveway, looking up at the cold, stone walls that would now become my prison.

Don Lorenzo walked around and stood right in front of me, towering over me. He reached out and wiped a tear from my cheek with his thumb, his touch rough and possessive.

"Stop crying. Tears don't work on me. I have seen enough tears to fill oceans. From this moment on, you live here. You stay here. You answer only to me. You speak when spoken to, and you do exactly as I say. Do you understand?"

"I will never understand you. I will never obey you," I whispered, glaring at him through wet lashes.

He grabbed my arm, pulling me flush against his body, his grip bruising.

"We will see. We have a long time together, Selene. Months. Years. Maybe even a lifetime. And by the time I am done with you... you will forget Adrian ever existed. You will forget your old life. You will forget everything except my name, my rules, and the fact that you belong to Don Lorenzo Moretti."

He pulled me towards the entrance, dragging me step by step into the darkness of his world.

"But let me give you one warning, my little rebel," he said, his voice dropping to a terrifying whisper. "Do not try to run. Do not try to fight. And definitely do not try to betray me. I have built this empire on the bones of people who thought they could beat me. Adrian thinks he is the winner because he got his first love back... but he is just a puppet. You... you are my new plaything. And remember this: I break things just as easily as I collect them."

"I am not a thing! I am a human being!"

"Are you?" He smirked, pushing the heavy double doors open. "Because from where I stand... you look exactly like everything else I own."

As I was pulled inside and the heavy doors slammed shut behind us, sealing my fate, I looked back one last time at the small glimpse of freedom outside.

He thinks he has won. He thinks because he locked me behind these walls, he has broken me.

I clenched my fists, the hatred burning brighter than ever before.

But he is wrong. Just like Adrian was wrong. They think I am weak because I loved too hard. They think I am easy to crush because I cried. But they don't know... that every tear they made me shed is turning into fire. And one day... I will burn this whole mansion down with them inside it.

TO BE CONTINUED...