All Chapters of Obsessed (Forbidden Desire): Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The pounding on her door wouldn't stop."Elena." Dante's voice came through the wood, low and dangerous. "Open the door.""Go away," Elena said, staring at the ceiling from her bed."We need to talk.""We have nothing to talk about.""Open. The. Door."Elena sat up slowly, her jaw clenching. "No."The silence that followed was worse than the pounding. Then his fist hit the door again, harder this time."Elena, I'm not asking….""And I'm not listening!" She stood up, walking to the door but keeping it firmly locked. "You want to talk? After you let your girlfriend and her little sidekick tear me apart at dinner? After you sat there like a king watching his subjects fight for scraps?""That's not what happened.""That's exactly what happened!" Elena's voice cracked. "You summoned me down there like I was your dog. Made me sit across from the woman who's probably warming your bed, and you said nothing. You did nothing. So no, Dante, I'm not opening this door."She heard him exhale, a sou

Elena was reading when she heard voices outside her door. Female voices."Let me in," Isabelle said. "I need to give her something.""Mr. Valenti said no visitors." That was Adrian's voice, firm."I'm not a visitor, I'm family. Dante's practically my fiancé."Elena's stomach turned."Mr. Valenti didn't mention you being allowed in," Adrian said."Are you really going to make me call him in Milan and tell him his bodyguard is refusing to let me deliver a message?" Isabelle's voice turned sharp. "He won't be happy."Silence.Then the lock clicked.Elena stood quickly as Isabelle swept in, Victoria close behind her. Adrian stood in the doorway, his expression unreadable."We'll just be a moment," Isabelle said sweetly to Adrian. "Girl talk."Adrian's eyes found Elena's. She saw the question there: Do you want me to stay?But she didn't know how to answer. If she said yes, Isabelle would tell Dante she was being difficult. If she said no..."It's fine," Elena heard herself say.Adrian hes

Elena sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her hands. They were trembling slightly. The adrenaline from the garden was fading, replaced by a strange calm. She had found her weapon. Not a knife. Not a gun. Something far more powerful.Emotion.The door opened. Adrian stepped inside, closing it quietly behind him."That was incredible out there," he said, but his voice held worry. "But also dangerous. Isabelle's going to tell Dante everything."Elena looked up at him and smiled. It was a tired smile, but real."Let her."Adrian frowned. "Elena, what are you planning?""Don't worry about it," she said gently. "Really. I have it under control.""That's what worries me." Adrian moved closer, studying her face. "What did you mean back there? About figuring out the game?"Elena stood up and placed a hand on his arm. The gesture was warm, grateful."Thank you," she said softly. "For everything. For seeing me as a person. For standing up for me. For giving me hope when I thought I had none l

Elena woke to the sound of voices outside her locked door.Her wrist throbbed beneath the makeshift bandages Adrian had tied. Her head felt heavy, stuffed with cotton. The morning light streaming through the window told her she'd been unconscious for hours.The voices grew louder. Footsteps. Then the click of the lock.The door swung open.Dante walked in first. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, stained with dried blood. Isabelle's blood. His face was drawn, exhausted, but his eyes found Elena immediately where she sat on the bed.Behind him came Isabelle.She walked slowly, carefully, one hand pressed to her side. Her white designer dress was gone, replaced by oversized shirts and loose pants. A thick bandage bulged beneath the fabric at her waist. Her face was pale, her hair slightly disheveled, but her eyes... her eyes were sharp and alert when they landed on Elena.Victoria followed close behind Isabelle, hovering like a protective shadow.Elena's heart hammered in her chest. She

Pain throbbed behind Elena's eyes before she even opened them. Her head felt stuffed with cotton, her mouth dry as sand. She tried to swallow and her throat protested. What the hell happened?She blinked. Once. Twice. The ceiling above her was cream-colored, ornate molding curling along the edges like waves frozen in plaster. Not her room. Not Dante's compound. Her pulse spiked.Elena pushed herself up on her elbows and the room tilted violently. She gasped, squeezing her eyes shut as nausea rolled through her stomach. Chloroform. The memory slammed back. The ambush. The cloth over her face. Dante's voice roaring her name."Dante."Her voice came out cracked and hoarse. She forced her eyes open again, fighting through the dizziness. The room spun into focus slowly. Luxury. That was the first word that came to mind. Silk sheets beneath her fingers, butter-soft and expensive. Floor-to-ceiling windows draped with heavy velvet curtains. A chandelier hung overhead, crystal teardrops catchi