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

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

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

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

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

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