Unbreak me

ISABELLA’S POINT OF VIEW

I didn’t even think twice. I left Morgan’s house in a rush, storming through the streets until I reached Felix’s mansion. My legs were moving faster than my mind, but all I could feel was the boiling anger tearing through me. By the time I pushed through the doors, my chest was heaving, my face hot with rage.

“Felix!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. My voice echoed through the hallway.

It didn’t take long before he appeared at the top of the stairs, calm as ever, like the devil himself had all the time in the world. His eyes flicked over me, and that infuriating smirk pulled at his lips.

“Well, look who decided to come back,” he said, voice smooth and cold. “I was starting to think you actually believed you could escape me.”

“I don’t want to escape,” I yelled, my fists clenching. “I want to be free. Do you understand that? Free! You’ve ruined my life, Felix. Ten years. Ten whole years I wasted in this marriage, and you still find ways to chain me down.”

He started walking down slowly, each step deliberate, his gaze locked on me like a predator sizing up prey. “Chain you down? Isabella, you should thank me. Without me, you’d have nothing. No name, no protection, no respect. You’d be nothing.”

My throat tightened, but I refused to back down. “Nothing? At least nothing is better than being your prisoner! You’ve taken everything from me, and now you’re blocking my future too. Why won’t you just let me go?”

His jaw tensed. “Because you belong here. With me.”

I shook my head violently, tears spilling over. “No! I don’t belong here. I hate you, Felix. Do you hear me? I hate you. I hate you!” My voice cracked, raw and broken, but every word was real.

His smile faltered for the first time, a flash of something sharp and dangerous in his eyes. He reached me in three strides, his hand shooting out to grab my arm. His grip was crushing, cutting into my skin as he yanked me closer.

“You can scream, you can cry, you can throw tantrums all you want,” he hissed into my face. “But you are mine. And as long as I say so, no one will hire you, no one will touch you, no one will dare go against me.”

I struggled against his hold, pulling with all the strength left in me. “You’re sick, Felix. Keeping me here doesn’t prove love, it proves how weak you are. Only a coward controls a woman’s life like this.”

His face darkened, and for a second, I thought he would hit me. But instead, he leaned in, his breath hot against my ear. “Weak? No, Isabella. You’re the weak one. You’re the one who can’t survive without me.”

That broke me. My chest heaved, fury clawing up my throat. “I would rather die than live another second under your shadow.”

For a moment, silence filled the room. Then he released my arm with a sharp jerk, sending me stumbling back. His eyes lingered on me, unreadable, before he muttered in a low, menacing tone, “You’re not going anywhere.”

I stood there, shaking, tears blurring my vision, but inside me something hardened. He thought I was weak. He thought I would break. But he was wrong.

So very wrong.

I thrashed against their grip, screaming until my throat burned, but it didn’t matter. Felix’s voice was like cold steel.

“Take her upstairs.”

Two men grabbed me by the arms, ignoring my kicks and curses. I felt my feet scrape against the floor as they dragged me like I was nothing more than baggage. My heart slammed against my ribs, my nails dug into their sleeves, but they didn’t flinch. The next thing I knew, I was shoved inside a room. The door locked behind me with a loud click.

I threw myself at the door, pounding with both fists. “You can’t keep me here! Do you hear me, Felix? You can’t keep me like this!”

My voice echoed back, empty and broken. I slid down the door and pulled my knees to my chest, trembling with rage. My face was hot with tears.

Minutes passed. I don’t know how many. All I could hear was the rain hammering outside, and the silence pressing in on me.

Then a knock.

My whole body stiffened. Slowly, the handle turned, and the door opened. My breath caught in my throat when I saw who stepped inside.

Julian.

He closed the door quietly behind him, his face unreadable. For a second, I just stared at him, trying to understand. My chest rose and fell too fast, my lips trembling as I forced the words out.

“W… Why?”

He didn’t move closer. He just stood there, his hands in his pockets like he wasn’t part of the storm tearing me apart.

“Why what?” he asked softly.

I shook my head, tears blurring my vision. “Why are you here? Why are you with him? Why did you let them drag me like an animal? Why are you part of this madness?”

Julian’s jaw tightened. His eyes flickered, like he was holding something back.

“I don’t have a choice,” he finally said.

My laugh came out broken. “Don’t have a choice? You could have stopped them. You could have opened your mouth and said something. But you didn’t. You just stood there. Just like now.”

“I’m protecting you,” Julian said, his voice firmer this time.

“Protecting me?” I shot back, standing up on shaky legs. “Is this protection? Being locked in a room like a prisoner? Having my life blocked by Felix at every turn? Losing every chance of freedom? That’s your idea of protection?”

He looked at me then, really looked, and something in his expression made me pause. There was guilt. Deep, heavy guilt that he couldn’t mask.

“Felix… he’s not going to let you go,” Julian said quietly. “If you keep fighting him this way, you’ll only get hurt worse. I’m trying to keep that from happening.”

I stepped closer, searching his face. “Then tell me the truth, Julian. What are you to him? Why are you helping him trap me?”

He hesitated. His lips parted like he wanted to say something, but no words came.

My chest ached. The betrayal sat heavy in my stomach, curling like poison.

“Please,” I whispered. “If you ever cared about me at all, tell me why.”

Julian looked away, his silence louder than any answer he could give.