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My feet carry me swiftly to Isabella's room. I find her pacing before the window, frustration etched into every line of her body. At the sight of me she whirls around, green eyes flashing.
"What happened?" she demands. "Can we go for another run tomorrow?"
The hopeful note in her voice is a knife to my heart. I shake my head, unable to meet her gaze. "I'm sorry. He has forbidden it. You are to remain confined to the mansion from now on."
"What?" She strides over to stand before me, close enough that I can feel the heat radiating from her skin. "You can't do this to me, Stefano. I need to get out of here. I'm going mad cooped up in this place day after day."
Her proximity unravels my composure. I reach for her hands, cradling them in my own. "I know this is difficult for you, Isabella. But it's too dangerous. The Capo is already suspicious. If I defy him again..."
I trail off, loath to voice the threats against her.
She searches my face, her expression softening. "You're afraid for me." Her fingers tighten around my own. "You care for me."
I close my eyes against the truth written in her gaze. "Isabella, please. Do not say such things."
My heart pounds at the feel of her hands in mine, a sweet ache that both excites and terrifies me. I cannot portray such weakness, not now.
"Why?" Her voice drops to a whisper. "Because you know it's true?"
I wrench myself away from her, shaken.
"Guard her door at all times," I order the men stationed outside. "Do not let her out of this room for any reason."
Their "Yes, sir" follows me down the hall, like a gavel sounding the finality of my choice. But her safety is all that matters now. Even if it means breaking her heart to ensure it.
I pause outside the Capo's study, steadying my nerves before entering. He looks up from his desk, eyes narrowed.
"The girl is secure?"
I incline my head. "She will not leave her room again without your permission."
"Good." He leans back in his chair, scrutinizing me. "You seem...distracted, Stefano. Your mind is not fully on your duties."
My heart lodges in my throat but I keep my expression impassive. "I assure you, my focus is entirely on serving and protecting you, Capo."
"Yes, of course." He waves a hand, dismissing me. "Return to your post. I will call on you if I require anything further."
I breathe again as I step into the hall, releasing the tension in my shoulders.
He suspects nothing, yet, but I must be more careful. Isabella is a weakness he could exploit, a vulnerability I cannot afford. And yet...I find myself walking past her room again, pausing to glance at the closed door. I know she is safe behind it, secure. But the thought brings me no comfort.
I close my eyes, listening for any sound within. But the room remains silent. She has accepted her fate, then, resigned to the prison I have made for her.
The realization fills me with a hollow ache. I curl my hands into fists, hard enough for my nails to bite into flesh. She may be protected but that safety has come at too high a cost. I need to check on her.
I return to Isabella's room later, after a few hours, steeling myself for the confrontation to come. She looks up as I enter, her eyes brightening for a brief moment before she remembers—and looks away.
"Isabella." My voice is rough, strained with reluctance. "I cannot allow you to leave the mansion again. The Capo has forbidden it."
She whirls on me, eyes flashing. "You can't keep me locked away in here forever! I'm not some caged bird for you to control."
"I do not wish to control you." The words burst from me in a rush. "But your safety is my responsibility. As long as the Capo sees you as a threat, I cannot let you go."
"A threat?" She shakes her head. "I'm just a girl who wants to live her own life. What harm could I possibly do?"
"You do not understand." I run a hand through my hair, grasping for the right words. "As long as you are under the Capo's protection, your life is not your own. I swore an oath to keep you safe, Isabella, even if it is against your will."
"My father would not want this for me." Her eyes shine with tears and my chest tightens. "He would not want me to be a prisoner."
