(Isabella’s POV) The silence that followed his words was a living thing, a suffocating presence that crushed the air from my lungs. The beautiful, warm bliss of moments ago had curdled into a cold, sharp-edged horror. I stood, clutching the silk sheet to my chest like a useless shield, my gaze locked on the man by the window. It was Alessandro’s face, his body, his voice… but the soul looking out of his eyes was that of a stranger. “What did you say?” I whispered, my voice trembling so hard the words were barely recognizable. My mind was reeling, scrambling for a logical explanation. Was this a test? A cruel, twisted game to gauge my loyalty? He turned fully to face me, his arms crossed over his powerful chest. The faint, loving smile he’d given me was gone, replaced by a thin, cruel smirk that did not reach his eyes. Those whiskey-colored eyes, which had looked at me with such adoration, were now two chips of ice. “I said a queen is a pawn,” he repeated, his voice smooth an
Last Updated : 2025-11-03 Read more