Obsession

Rose POV

The knock on my door wasn’t friendly.
It was sharp, deliberate, like each rap carried a warning.

I froze halfway between the kitchen and the hallway, my pulse kicking up before I even asked, “Who is it?”

A pause. Then a low, familiar voice that curled in my chest like smoke.
“Rose.”

Vicenzo.

The sound of his name in my head was enough to turn my skin cold. I hadn’t seen him in weeks where I’d been trying to breathe without the weight of him on my neck, weeks where I thought maybe the distance would keep me safe.

I opened the door just enough to see him.

He was exactly the same, pressed black suit, shirt unbuttoned at the collar, dark hair slicked back like he’d walked out of a magazine and straight into trouble.

His eyes swept over me, slow and deliberate, before he stepped inside without asking.

“You’ve been hard to reach,” he said, scanning my apartment as though he owned it.

“I’ve been busy,” I replied, folding my arms.

He turned toward me, one brow lifting. “Busy with what?”

“My mom’s been sick. Work’s been crazy. And I needed… space.”

The word space seemed to irritate him. His jaw tightened, but his voice stayed calm. “Space from me?”

“You don’t need me to answer that.”

He moved closer, each step measured, as if giving me a chance to run but knowing I wouldn’t. “You think I’m just going to let you disappear?”

I forced myself to meet his eyes. “You made it pretty clear we weren’t… anything anymore.”

His gaze darkened. “I never said that.”

“You didn’t have to. You said enough.” My voice came out sharper than I meant, but I didn’t take it back.

His lips curved in the faintest, coldest smile. “Because of what you saw?”

I swallowed. “Don’t downplay it. You knew what you were doing.”

“I knew exactly what I was doing,” he said, and the casual way he admitted it made my stomach knot. “And I also know you’re still here, talking to me instead of throwing me out.”

My hands clenched at my sides. “Because throwing you out wouldn’t stop you from coming back.”

“You’re right.” He closed the remaining distance between us until I could feel the heat of him. “Rose, you and I… we don’t just end.”

“I want it to,” I whispered.

His expression barely changed, but I caught the flicker of something in his eyes — something dangerous. “You think you can cut me out of your life, and that’ll be the end of it? You forget who I am.”

I stepped back, but he followed, his shadow swallowing mine.

“Vicenzo—”

“You’re mine,” he said softly, like a statement of fact, not a claim. “I don’t care where you hide, who you talk to, or what excuses you make. I will always know where to find you.”

Fear crawled up my spine, but I kept my voice steady. “That’s not love. That’s control.”

He tilted his head slightly, studying me. “Love is control, bella. Love is keeping what’s yours safe.”

“I’m not yours anymore.”

His eyes dropped to my mouth, and for a second, I thought he might kiss me. Instead, his hand came up, fingers brushing my jaw in a touch that was far too gentle for the threat it carried.

“You’ll believe whatever you need to right now. But we both know you’ll open this door for me again.”

I forced myself to step sideways, breaking the contact. “You should leave.”

The corner of his mouth lifted. “This isn’t goodbye, Rose. Just… a reminder.”

Without waiting for an answer, he walked to the door, opened it, and stepped out.

The soft click of it closing behind him felt louder than the knock that had started it all.

I stood there, staring at the door, my body tense, my heart pounding.

He was right about one thing , this wasn’t over. But if I was going to survive whatever game he was playing, I needed to figure out my own moves.

The sound of the door clicking shut echoed in my head long after Vicenzo was gone.
I didn’t move for a full minute, just stood there, trying to steady my breathing.

My fingers were trembling from fear, anger, or both, I couldn’t tell.

Then I grabbed my phone and scrolled until I found Diana’s name.

She picked up on the second ring.
“Girl, you sound like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Not a ghost,” I muttered. “Worse.”

A pause. “Vicenzo?”

“Yes. And I’m not staying here alone tonight.” I didn’t even bother explaining. “Come over. We’re going out.”

“Out? Where?”

“Just get here first. I’ll tell you when you see what I mean.”

She groaned. “Rose, if you’re dragging me into some mafia soap opera—”

“It’s not a soap opera. It’s my life, and right now, it’s dangerous.”

That got her attention. “I’m on my way.”

By the time Diana arrived, I’d changed into jeans, sneakers, and a hoodie — something I could move in if I had to. I opened the door before she even knocked.

She stepped inside, eyes scanning me up and down. “Okay, you’re in full survival mode. Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

We didn’t waste time. I grabbed my bag, locked the door behind us, and we headed outside to order a taxi. While we waited, Diana folded her arms.

“This better not be one of those impulsive, regret-later situations.”

“It’s not. It’s… preparation.”

“Preparation for what, exactly?”

“For the possibility that Vicenzo decides to lose his mind.”

Her brow shot up. “And by ‘preparation,’ you mean…?”

I didn’t answer, just climbed into the taxi when it arrived. She followed, still giving me that look that said she wanted answers.

When the car pulled into the main street, she couldn’t hold back anymore. “Okay, Rose, spill it before I go crazy. What happened?”

I exhaled slowly. “He came here. Just walked in, like nothing happened. Said I was still his, that I couldn’t just disappear from his life. Like he owns me.”

Diana’s mouth twisted. “Classic Vicenzo.”

“And the way he said it, Di… I believe him. I believe he’d do something stupid if he thought I was slipping away for good. I don’t trust him not to show up at my job, my mom’s place, anywhere.”

“So you’re getting…” She leaned back, eyes narrowing. “…what? A taser? Pepper spray?”

“Both,” I said without hesitation. “And maybe something louder. An alarm, something that makes people look. I’m not taking chances.”

Diana let out a low whistle. “Wow. You’re really serious.”

“Wouldn’t you be? He’s unpredictable, and I’m not waiting for him to prove it.”

She studied me for a moment, then nodded. “Alright. I’m in. Let’s make you untouchable.”

The taxi dropped us near a small self-defense store tucked between a laundromat and a coffee shop.

The inside smelled faintly of rubber and new leather. The walls were lined with stun guns, sprays, collapsible batons, and even small personal alarms shaped like keychains.

The man behind the counter looked up. “What can I help you ladies with today?”

I stepped forward. “I need something that will keep a man away from me. Preferably without getting me arrested.”

Diana snorted. “That narrows it down.”

The man chuckled politely and began showing us options. I picked up a sleek black taser, feeling the weight of it in my hand. It was heavier than I expected, but solid.

“This one’s easy to use,” the man explained. “Point, press, and he won’t bother you for a while.”

Diana wandered to another section and came back holding a can of pepper spray in neon pink. “This one’s cute. At least you’ll blind him in style.”

I grabbed it too. “Done. I’ll take both.”

“And this,” Diana added, tossing a small round alarm on the counter.

“Pull the pin, and it screams louder than a toddler in a toy store. People will look.”

“Perfect.”

As the man rang up our purchases, Diana leaned closer. “So… you gonna tell me the part you’re not saying? Because I can see it in your face.”

I hesitated. “The part where… when he was standing in my apartment, I couldn’t even breathe? That part?”

Her voice softened. “Rose…”

“I don’t want to be scared of him,” I said quietly. “But I am. And I hate it.”

Diana rested a hand on my shoulder. “Then let’s make sure the next time he tries something, he regrets it.”

We left the shop with a small bag that suddenly felt like the most valuable thing I owned.

Walking back to the taxi stand, I kept glancing over my shoulder, half expecting to see Vicenzo’s black car somewhere in the distance.

Diana noticed. “Relax. He’s not following us.”

“Yet,” I muttered.

She gave me a sideways look. “You know this isn’t gonna stop him, right? If he’s set on bothering you—”

“I know,” I cut in. “But it’s a start. And right now, I need a start.”

The taxi pulled up, and we climbed in. As we drove back toward my apartment, I gripped the pepper spray in my bag like it was a lifeline.

One thing was certain Vicenzo’s visit tonight was just a warning.
And warnings don’t come without a storm.