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“No! Fuck. Stop this fucking madness, Belle. Papi’s body isn’t even cold yet and you’re trying to fuck me?” I hissed. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
She stopped undressing and her face turned hard, annoyed at my refusal. “I was just trying to help you, Alessio. All I ever do is try to help you. You know that!”
“Well, enough. I don’t need your help. I never have, Isabelle. All you have ever done is made my life so fucking complicated. It ends now.”
Her unforgiving gaze narrowed on me, “You don’t mean that. You are in shock. You will see… when you’re thinking clearly that you are free now to make your own choices. You can take the North the way you want to and we can be together. Not to the world, obviously, but perhaps I could spend half the year here in the South. Or, when you no longer need Lorenzo, when he’s served his purpose, you could just have him killed. Then I can come home. Live with you,” she paused when she saw my expression of utter disbelief.
I stared at her, not knowing whether to fucking laugh hysterically or lose my fucking head. I took a deep breath, before I spoke with calmness but complete authority and purpose.
“What have I ever done or said to give you the impression that I want to be with you, Belle?”
Her eyes glazed over as her breathing started to become more erratic, “You love me.”
I shook my head, running my hand over my hair as I started to pace the floor. “No. Belle. I don’t love you. Not like that. I care about you. You are my family. But I do not love you.”
“Alessio,” she stood up, stepping towards me, her voice soft as she reached for me. “You don’t know what you’re saying right now. This is a lot. I just wanted you to know, so you don’t feel forced to make any awful decisions in order to take the North.”
I stepped back from her with my hands raised, watching her carefully as she paused. “How do you know what decisions I have to make?”
Her eyes flickered away from mine guiltily. “I-I overheard your conversation with papi. I know he told you to make a marriage alliance with the Buccinis. To have to marry our enemy! It’s absurd.”
A small laugh rumbled from my chest as I ran my hand down my face, “I’m still going to marry her, Belle. Regardless of the fact papi is dead or if it creates an alliance or not. I don’t care. I will still marry her.”
“What?” she hissed, fury blazing in her hazel eyes. “Why?”
“Because I want to,” I shouted, losing my temper. The hurt was evident in her features. I closed my eyes and took a moment to calm myself. I didn’t want to hurt her, but she had to understand that whatever fucked up thing was going on between us before would never happen again.
“Belle. This isn’t right. It never has been. I was a fucking kid when it started. I didn’t know what I was doing and we were both lonely. We found comfort in each other. But it hasn’t been like that for a long time. I just want you to try and move on. Because I care about you, but this is never going to happen between us. I don’t belong to you, Isabelle. I never did.”
Fresh tears spilled out of her eyes as her bottom lip trembled and my chest tightened. I hated doing this. But it had to be done. It was long overdue. I sighed and held her gaze. “I’ll always be there for you, Belle. But not in the way I have been. Go home. To your husband.”
I went to turn away from her, but her icy words stopped me in my tracks. “I will tell them. I will tell them all, Alessio! That you aren’t really of Barbieri blood.”
I turned slowly, my eyes meeting hers as she lifted her chin. Her words from earlier replayed in my head. She had been right. The decisions I made from now on impacted everything. But I would no longer be manipulated by her.
“Go ahead,” I said calmly as her eyes widened.
“What?”
“You want to tell the world the truth, go ahead. It will only prove to me what I already know. That you aren’t in love with me. That you never truly cared for me. Because you know what will happen to me if you do. And my blood will be on your hands. So, go ahead, Belle. Do your worst.”
“Why are you doing this?” she blubbered, the tears rolling down her cheeks as she held my gaze.
“Because I am taking a stand. Showing the world who I really am,” I answered, holding out my arms at the side before dropping them down. “And I am no one’s bitch. Especially not yours.”
Twisted
I woke up to the soft sound of the bedroom door closing and stretched out in Alessio’s enormous bed. Realising he wasn’t by my side and his strong arms weren’t wrapped tightly around me, I opened my eyes to blink around the room.
“Good morning sleepyhead,” the soothing sound of his deep voice instantly made me relax when I saw him striding towards the bed in a three-piece, light grey suit. Holy shit. This man could wear the shit out of a suit. To be honest, he could wear anything he liked and still look mouth-watering, but there was something about seeing him so formal and intimidating that made me a weak woman. Maybe it was because this wasn’t his usual attire and I knew he was wearing it to show he meant business.
He reached the bed, leaning over my body and rested his fists either side of me on the mattress. His ocean blue eyes sparkled like diamonds as he gave me that cocky smile that told me he knew exactly what was running through my mind.
“Like what you see?” he teased, raising one eyebrow.
“Who are you trying to impress?” I smirked, running my hand inside his jacket and over the waistcoat that fit his torso perfectly.
“I thought I should dress up for the occasion if I am going to ask for your brother’s permission to marry you,” he smirked.
