Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 68858 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68858 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
“Sit,” Mateo instructed, his hand gesturing towards a plush couch that curved around a sleek black table. I hesitated, still absorbing my surroundings, before finally taking a seat. The couch was as soft as it looked, enveloping me in its luxurious embrace.
Mateo remained standing, his eyes locked on mine, a hint of something unreadable in his gaze. I waited, heart pounding, uncertain of what was to come next.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Mateo remained standing, his eyes locked on mine, a hint of something unreadable in his gaze. I waited, heart pounding, uncertain of what was to come next. He moved away from me; his footsteps silent on the glossy floor as he headed toward a gold-trimmed bar. The sound of glass clinking softly against glass filled the space as he poured himself another drink, the amber liquid catching the light.
As he took a sip, he turned slightly, his gaze sharp and probing. “What did you show Melody on your phone earlier?”
His question caught me off guard. How did he know about that?
“Cameras in the car,” he answered my unspoken question, his tone as casual as if we were discussing the weather.
I swallowed, feeling a lump form in my throat. The truth wasn't going to do me any favors, but a lie would be worse. I knew that much.
“I… I asked her about getting some medication,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.
Mateo’s eyes darkened slightly, though his expression remained composed. He set his glass down with deliberate care, the soft clink echoing in the silence between us. He took a slow breath, his features betraying a hint of displeasure that sent a chill down my spine.
“Medication,” he repeated, his voice low and controlled. “May I ask why you felt the need to discuss such matters with someone other than the one responsible for your wellbeing?”
I felt a flicker of anger. “She isn’t someone, she’s my best friend.”
“Is she?” He swirled the ice in his glass. “What if she wasn’t?”
“What?”
“Her and that boy. I’m beginning to wonder if I made the right decision by allowing them to stay close to you.”
His words hung in the air like a heavy fog, suffocating me as I struggled to comprehend their implications.
“You have no right to dictate every aspect of my life.”
"Your life belongs to me now. I can do whatever I want with it.”
I steadied myself, my hands trembling with a mix of fear and defiance. Mateo's gaze bore into me, unwavering and intense, as if assessing my every move. A flicker of something unreadable passed through his eyes before being replaced by a cold calculation.
"You seem to have forgotten our talk from this morning," Mateo said softly, his words laced with a dangerous edge. "I can make everything you hold dear disappear without uttering a word." His expression remained stoic, giving nothing away as he watched me closely. "You will have privilege beyond anything you can fathom," Mateo began slowly, his tone measured and deliberate. "But do not mistake it for freedom. Your choices are not yours alone to make anymore."
"I never asked for any of this," I retorted, my voice stronger now despite the trembling in my hands. "I never wanted to be a part of your world."
Mateo's features remained impassive, but a glint of something unreadable flashed in his eyes before he masked it once more behind a veil of indifference. "Yet here you are," he remarked, his tone neutral. “Wearing the ring I slid on your finger. Wearing the marks I left on your skin like a pretty collar. Sitting in my suite with the view of the city you’ll be staring at as I fuck you tonight.”
I wanted to lash out, to resist, but what choices did I have? None that mattered, it seemed.
He took another sip of his drink. “Now why don’t you tell me what you really asked her about? If you’re feeling shy, I can get the answer out of her myself. Actually,” he pretended to consider something. “Angel would love a go at your friend. I’m the only thing that’s stopping him from making a whore of her.”
I swallowed hard, my throat dry and my mind racing. That was a threat wrapped in a promise. The Bellucci's were a powerful family but against his? They would be wiped out entirely. “I…” I glanced away, then met his penetrating gaze. “I asked her about birth control.”
His lips curved into a smile, revealing a hint of satisfaction at my admission. I realized then; that he’d somehow already known. "Ah, so you were hoping to outsmart me, were you?" he mused. “So our little chat this morning has already been forgotten.”
“No—it hasn’t.”
He leaned back against the bar, the hint of a smile still playing on his lips. “Fortunately, I’m always one step ahead.” He finished off his drink and then began to roll back his sleeves. “Stand up, anjinho.”