All Chapters of Marked By Him: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

143 Chapters

The Gilded Cage

I followed Enzo out of the office, my signature still burning on that contract like a brand on my soul."Hey," Enzo said, glancing back at me as we walked down the endless hallway. "I know that was heavy back there, but-""Heavy?" I cut him off "He threatened my sister. Forced me to sign away my entire life and you think heavy covers it?"Enzo's playful expression faltered. "Look, I get it. Gio can be... intense. But he's not going to actually hurt her if you-""If I what? Obey like a good little prisoner?" I laughed bitterly, the sound echoing off the marble walls. "Don't patronize me, Enzo."He stopped walking, turning to face me fully. For once, the easy smile was completely gone. "You're right. Maybe he was wrong about dragging your sister into but in this world, there are no heroes, Arya. Only survivors." His voice dropped. "And right now, signing that contract is what keeps you and your sister alive."I wanted to scream and to claw at the walls until my fingers bled. Instead, I

Dinner with the Devil

The sound of a soft bell echoed through the hallway and I knew it was announcing dinner.I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the door. Part of me wanted to stay here, pretend I hadn't heard it. But deep down, I knew better. Ignoring Giovanni wouldn't be brave, it was stupid.A gentle knock followed."Miss?"The voice was unfamiliar so I walked to the door and opened it to find a middle-aged woman in a crisp black uniform, her graying hair pulled back in a neat bun. Her eyes were kind but guarded, the look of someone who'd learned to keep her head down and her mouth shut."Mr. De Santis requests your presence in the dining room," she said quietly, her gaze dropping to the floor as if looking at me directly might be dangerous.I took a slow breath, pushing a few loose strands of hair behind my ear. "Tell him I'll be there soon."She nodded quickly, stepping aside as I walked past.The hallway felt endless, lined with paintings that seemed to watch as I moved. My footsteps echoed of

The Guard and the Prisoner

I tried to ignore the feeling but I eventually gave in, and took a sharp turn, heading towards the secrets I hoped I would find. I moved quietly down the corridor, my bare feet silent against the marble. When I reached the end of the hallway, I came face to face with his office door.Now or never. I thought to myself. Through the keyhole, I could see the laptop light was still on and curiosity won.I pushed the door open and headed straight for his desk. There were papers scattered like maps, handwritten letters with logos I didn't recognize, and one black notebook.Curiosity tugged at me again and I picked it up and opened it.At first, I didn't understand what I was looking at, it contained lists of names, numbers, coded phrases. Then I saw mine.ARYA. Arrival: Unplanned.Status: Unstable.Observation: Unpredictable, but USEFUL.My blood ran cold. Useful for what?Before I could flip another page, a shadow moved across the wall behind me."Curiosity," Giovanni's voice drawled

A Bite of Trouble

The mansion was so quiet my footsteps echoed off the marble like gunshots. But the faint smell of coffee drifting from downstairs? That was the only thing keeping me from turning around and crawling back into bed."I hope this walk ends with caffeine," I said, following him. "If not, I might start screaming. Fair warning, I'm very loud when I scream."Enzo threw me a look over his shoulder, half-amused. "Relax. Kitchen's this way. I told them to make something decent for you.""'Decent' sounds suspiciously like prison food. Like gruel. Or mystery meat." I rebutted.He smirked. "Waffles and pancakes with caramel drizzle and coffee sound like prison food to you?"I stopped walking. "Wait… you're serious? That's not a joke? You're not about to lead me to a bowl of sad oatmeal?""Dead serious."He pushed open the kitchen door, and the sweet, buttery smell hit me like a warm hug from my childhood A plate of golden waffles and fluffy pancakes sat waiting on the counter, steam curling into t

The Nurse and her Patient

I spent the rest of the day wandering the halls of the mansion like a ghost until I thought I might actually lose my mind.Enzo checked in periodically but they felt like scheduled programming. By the time it was late into the noon, the silence was suffocating. I'd tried everything.Reading books from Giovanni's library (all in Italian, naturally), rearranging furniture in my room (pointless), even counting the crystals on the chandelier (two hundred and forty-seven, in case anyone cared).Nothing worked. The quiet pressed against my skull like a vice.I need to hear a familiar voice. Just one. Just for a second.The thought consumed me until I couldn't ignore it anymore.I'd seen a landline in one of the sitting rooms during my supervised wanderings with Enzo. An actual telephone with an actual cord, like something from a museum. At the time, I'd filed it away as useless information.Now, it was a lifeline.I waited until Enzo left after lunch, citing "business to handle." The momen

Conflicting Emotions

GIOVANNI POV My gaze lingered on Arya as she worked on my wound, her fingers were steady against my skin. The lights from the chandelier above cast shadows across her concentrated face, and I found myself fighting a desire that had no place in any moment with her. The room was silent execpt for the metallic clink of instruments and her soft breathing as she leaned closer.I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to focus on anything else. I tried to think of the bastards who'd ambushed them but the warmth of her touch and the way she smelled made my thoughts spiral in dangerous directions.When she finally stepped back, there was a satisfied nod in her movement, almost proud. She held up two bloodied bullets between her fingers, the evidence of her handiwork. I glanced down at my torso. The stitches were neat, they might not even require a doctor's follow-up."You're useful after all," I said, my tone dripping with mockery.Her body stiffened immediately, and I saw the flash of hurt in h

Morning Training

The knocking pierced through my sleep like a hammer against glass. "Christabel," I groaned into my pillow, my voice muffled and thick with sleep. "Knock it off."But the knocking didn't stop. Instead, a voice filtered through the heavy wooden door."Rise and shine, sleeping beauty."Enzo.My eyes snapped open, my heart giving an irritated thump. I pushed herself up on my elbows and squinted at the room around me, frowning in dissatisfaction.I’d been here for three days, and this place still didn't feel real.I fumbled for the alarm clock on the nightstand and winced at the time on it. 6:00 AM."You've got to be kidding me," I muttered, throwing back the covers with more force than necessary. The cold air hit my skin like a slap, and I shivered as my bare feet touched the floor.Walking across the room, I yanked open the door, not caring that my hair was a tangled mess or that I was still wearing the oversized t-shirt I had slept in.Enzo stood in the hallway, looking maddeningly p

Duel with my captor

We left the training room side by side, and I couldn't help the smug grin spreading across my face."I believe that last takedown was particularly impressive," I said, wiping my face with the towel Enzo had tossed me. "You know, when I had you flat on your back-""I let you win," Enzo cut in smoothly, though there was a tightness around his mouth that suggested otherwise."Sure you did." I snorted. He shrugged. “I took pity on you. You're new here, and I didn't want to bruise that fragile ego of yours."I huffed and rolled my eyes. "My ego is just fine, thanks. Unlike yours, which seems to be bleeding out all over this hallway-"I stopped mid-sentence.We’d entered an open corridor, wider than the others, with tall arched windows on one side that let in streams of morning light. But it wasn't the architecture that caught my attention. It was the sound of the sharp crack of fists hitting flesh, the grunts of effort, and the heavy breathing of men locked in combat.My feet slowed, the

Dangerous Wager

Giovanni didn't turn around. "I’m not going to waste my time sparring with you.""Why not?" I moved to stand in front of him, forcing him to acknowledge me. "Afraid I'll make you look bad in front of your men?"Giovanni turned and looked at me, and there was something almost pitiful in his expression. "You're too small."Heat flooded my face, humiliation and fury mixing together. "I beat Enzo."Giovanni's eyes flicked past me to where Enzo stood. Enzo, to his credit, gave a single, reluctant nod.Something shifted in Giovanni's expression. He studied me for a long moment, and I could almost see him turning it over in his mind."Fine," he said finally.The guards immediately stepped back, creating a wide circle. I heard footsteps and I caught sight of the maids peering through doorways positioning themselves for a better view. "What's the wager?" I asked, surprised by how steady my voice sounded.Giovanni's lips curved into something that wasn't quite a smile. "You set the terms."I t

Once a monster…

My lips parted on a sharp inhale. Something warm flooded through me, pooling low in my belly, and for one terrible, devastating second, I forgot where I was. Drunk on the way he was looking at me, like I was a snack he wanted to devour.He moved.My instincts screamed at me, and I snapped back to awareness just in time. I twisted away as his arm came around me, felt the brush of his hand against my back, and threw myself into a backward roll. My shoulders hit the ground, but I used the momentum to spring back to my feet.My back hadn't touched the floor so it didn't count.Focus, I told myself fiercely. He's trying to distract you. Don't let him-He was behind her.My breath caught. I spun, but it was too late. He was coming at me with the full weight of his skill, strike after strike, forcing me to defend rather than attack.I blocked, dodged, and retreated but he kept coming.And then he was close again. His chest nearly brushed mine as he leaned in, his breath warm against my te

1 2 3 4 5 6

...

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP