Damian turned his head slowly, gray eyes glinting like steel. "And she's not yours to save."
The standoff charged the air. Isabella's heart pounded so loudly it drowned out her own thoughts.
Then Antonio spoke, his voice lower, colder. "You're playing a dangerous game, Damian. The Commission won't tolerate this much longer. You think you can bend her without consequence?"
Damian's lips twitched into something between a smile and a threat. "Watch me."
He pulled back suddenly, leaving Isabella trembling against the shelves, her skin burning where his touch had lingered. Straightening his cuffs, Damian moved past Antonio toward the door. Before leaving, he paused, his voice soft but lethal.
"Tonight was mercy," he murmured without looking back. "Next time she defies me, I won't stop until she begs for the punishment."
And then he was gone.
The door shut, sealing the promise behind him.
Isabella sank to the floor, shaking. Antonio crouched beside her, his face gravely. "Bella," he whispered, "you need to decide. Either you fight him now… or you'll lose yourself to him forever."
Her pulse raced. Tears blurred her vision.
But even through the fear, the memory of Damian's voice clung to her skin like fire.
And that terrified her more than anything else.
The silence after Antonio's entrance was razor-sharp.
Damian's hand tightened on Luca's throat, but his gaze shifted, cool and unbothered, to the older man now blocking the doorway.
Antonio Ricci didn't need guns to command a room. His presence alone made the guards stiffen, and made Isabella's stomach twist in dread. His tailored suit, his sharp jaw, the cold steel in his eyes it was power carved into flesh.
"Damian," Antonio said slowly, each syllable dipped in warning. "Release him."
For a heartbeat, Damian didn't move. His grip flexed once more, and Luca gasped for air. Isabella's chest constricted as panic clawed at her.
Then Damian shoved Luca away. He staggered, coughing, clutching his throat.
Antonio's gaze cut between them Damian's stormy calm, Luca's defiance, Isabella's trembling form caught between. He sighed, but the sound was more dangerous than anger.
"This is how you handle family business?" Antonio asked, stepping inside with measured strides. "In front of the girl?"
"She's not just a girl," Damian snapped, and the raw edge in his tone made Isabella's heart lurch.
Antonio's brows lifted, amused. "Careful, nephew. The way you're looking at her, people might mistake obsession for weakness."
Damian's jaw ticked, but he said nothing.
Antonio turned to Isabella then, and her breath hitched under his assessing stare. Unlike Damian's consuming fire, Antonio's attention was sharp, cold, deliberate as though stripping her down to her bones.
"You," Antonio said. "Do you know what you've stepped into?"
Her lips parted, but no words came. Her throat was dry, her pulse frantic.
Damian stepped closer, placing himself between them. "She knows enough."
Antonio's smile was small, dangerous. "Does she?" His gaze lingered on Isabella. "Innocence doesn't survive long in this world. You should decide quickly, ragazza. Which one of us do you trust with your life?"
The question sliced through the air, heavier than the threat of guns.
Isabella's heart pounded so hard she thought it might break her ribs. Damian's hand brushed her wrist, subtle but grounding. The heat of his touch made her shiver. Luca, still breathing ragged, shook his head at her, silently begging her not to fall into Damian's trap.
Antonio watched it all, his smirk deepening. "Interesting."
He glanced at Luca, dismissive. "Take him out. He's no longer needed."
The guards moved.
"No!" Isabella's cry tore from her throat before she could stop it. She lunged forward, only to be caught by Damian's hand gripping her waist, dragging her back against him. His lips brushed her temple as he whispered, dark and low, "Careful, bella. Every plea you make… binds you tighter to me."
Her body burned at the nearness, betrayal of heat twisting with terror.
Antonio's eyes narrowed, watching them. "Exactly what I thought."
He stepped closer, close enough that Isabella could feel the weight of two predators circling her. "She's your weakness, Damian. And weakness… destroys kings."
Damian's laugh was low, dangerous, curling like smoke through the room.
"Weakness?" He turned, pinning Antonio with a gaze sharp enough to cut glass. "No, zio. She's not my weakness."
His arm tightened around Isabella's waist, pulling her flush against him. She gasped, her palms pressed against the hard wall of his chest. "She's the leash I choose to wear and the weapon I'll use to gut anyone who tries to take her from me."
Isabella froze, her stomach twisting violently. A weapon. Was that all she was to him?
Antonio tilted his head, considering his smirk fading into something colder. "That sounds like the arrogance of a man who's already blind. And blindness, Damian, is fatal in our world."
He stepped closer, the air tightening with each stride. Isabella felt Damian stiffen, his grip anchoring her in place.
"Tell me, Bella," Antonio murmured, his gaze sliding to her, bold, probing. "Do you believe he can protect you? Do you believe he would sacrifice his empire for you?" His eyes darkened. "Or will you discover too late that you're only the prize he'll burn the world to keep?"
Isabella's lips parted, but her voice caught in her throat. The heat of Damian's hold clashed with the icy precision of Antonio's stare, suffocating her. She didn't know the answer. And that was the worst part.
Damian's jaw ticked. "Careful, Antonio. If you want to test me, don't do it through her."
"Why not?" Antonio smirked, unbothered. "She's already on the battlefield, Damian. And you're bleeding more than you realize."
The words hit like a strike of lightning. Damian's grip tightened, his fury vibrating through his body. He leaned down, his lips brushing Isabella's ear.
"Don't answer him," he whispered. "Not a word."
Her pulse hammered so hard it made her dizzy.
Antonio gave a mocking bow. "Enjoy your game while it lasts, nephew. But remember the Commission doesn't tolerate distractions. And neither do I."
With that, he turned, his footsteps echoing against marble as he strode out, his guards trailing behind. The door closed with finality, leaving the air thick and suffocating.
For a long moment, neither Isabella nor Damian moved.
Then slowly Damian turned her in his arms, pressing her back against the shelves, caging her in. His eyes burned, gray storm clouds, his control hanging by a thread.
"You hear him?" he rasped, his voice low, jagged. "They see you as my weakness. They'll try to use you. To break me through you." His forehead touched hers, his breath hot against her lips. "And I won't let them."