Amelia's hands shook as she scrubbed the marble floor of the great hall. The faint scent of polished wood and expensive cologne clung to the air, mixing with the ever-present buzz of the activities in the mansion. She tried to keep her mind on the task at hand but couldn't help drifting right back to Mr. Romano-that dark, magnetic force which had commanded her attention and, more disturbingly, her thoughts.
Her breath caught at the sound of footsteps-heavy, deliberate, and unmistakably his. She froze, her spine straightening reflexively, but she didn't dare look up. Not again. Not after the way he'd made her feel in his study.
A shadow fell across her as he appeared, his tall form looming just behind her. His voice cut through the air, low and dangerous. "Amelia.
She swallowed hard and made herself lock eyes with him. Undeniable power seemed to encase his eyes, and in that instant, she knew she was at his mercy.
"Yes, sir?" she managed, her voice giving away the tremble of fear which had crept into her chest.
I told you that you belonged to me," he said, his voice near a whisper, yet laced with so much command that her pulse quickened at the mere sound. He reached down, his fingers curling beneath her chin as he tilted her head back to look fully up at him. "But you've been avoiding me. Is there something you're not telling me?
Her heart was racing as his thumb touched along her jawline. She should pull away, she should scream. But the power he had over her rendered her incapable of anything other than standing still, letting him mark his territory without resistance.
"I-I'm not avoiding you, Mr. Romano. I'm just. I'm doing my duties."
He leaned in, his warm breath dancing across her ear. "You're lying, Amelia," he purred low. "I've seen the way you glance at me. The way you avoid me only to glance back. You want to deny it, but your body tells me everything." His fingers danced down the line of her neck, and a jolt of heat coursed through her despite herself. "You're intrigued by me. And I'll make sure you regret not submitting sooner.
There was no time for an answer, because a firm knock cut them off. In came Mrs. Delgado, her face all business. "Mr. Romano, the meeting is about to start," she said briskly, her eyes darting momentarily to Amelia before returning to him. "The council is waiting for you.
He didn't break his stare from Amelia's. The world seemed to stand still for a moment. Then, silently, he let her go, turning to the door.
"Finish what you started," he said over his shoulder, tone cold, commanding. "I'll be watching.
Amelia stood frozen for one long moment, her body still tingling from his touch. She did not know whether she was shaking due to fear or something else entirely. She got back to work with dispatch, racing her heart as it tried to calm itself. But his words remained in her mind: I will be watching.
---
The evening brought more tension than she would have thought possible.
She was stirring dinner in the grandiose kitchen when her mind still seethed with the early encounter. The dead silence in the room further grew her anxiety. She painfully knew the weight of this mansion, Enzo's presence when he wasn't even there.
The kitchen door creaked open, and she looked up. Her breath caught in her throat. Enzo stood in the doorway, his eyes following every move, watching her as if his absolute focus, his complete scrutiny of everything in him was predatory.
All the rest had slunk away for the night, leaving them to themselves.
"Done with your duties, Amelia?" His voice soft as a summer breeze, sent a shiver down into her spine.
"I'm just finishing, Mr. Romano," she said, her voice faltering.
He stepped closer, his shoes clicking on the tiles. He'd practically be standing over her, inches from her very nose. She went still, as if holding her breath. Heavy tension streamed between them and in this silence made her feel like she was holding her breath. His eyes moved to the food she was preparing, but his thoughts were not on the food but her.
Without a word, he plucked the knife from her hand, his fingers grazing hers. She flinched at the touch but didn't pull away.
"You think you can hide from me?" he asked softly, his lips barely moving as he leaned closer. "That you can keep your distance?" His hand closed around her wrist with enough force to make her breath hitch. "It's too late for that.
He flipped over her hand, his eyes deepening as he brushed his thumb across the inside of her palm, tracing out the faintest lines. His movements were slow, deliberate, and she could not look away, even as heat between them flared anew.
He spoke, his breath warm against her skin: "Do you know what happens to a person like you when he refuses to see the truth?" She could hear the menace now, a warning. "You get lost. And once you're lost, there's no coming back."
The silence between them was heavy and thick. Amelia's heart was racing furiously, her brain not really able to make head or tail of what was happening. Her body seemed to move on its own accord, gravitating toward him for absolutely no reason. The tension hung between them unbearable-threestrings could have strung her up and snapped her. She almost forgot who she was-where she was.
Then, in one swift instance, the door burst open.
One of the guards, a tall, muscular man, appeared at the door. His face was stern. "Mr. Romano, the meeting is about to start. They await you."
Enzo did not tear his gaze off Amelia. He only released her, his holds loosening before he curtly nodded at the guard. "I'll be there in a moment.".
The guard appeared to stumble, eyes darting back and forth between them, before he turned and disappeared into the shadows as the heavy door clanged shut behind him.
Enzo rose, his eyes never once leaving Amelia's face. "We're not done here, Amelia," he whispered quietly, full of intent. "You're mine, whether you like it or not."
And with just as much of a flash as when he'd appeared, he was gone.
Amelia was unable to move, unable to run; the rush in her chest was her heart pounding, her emotions so overpowering that she could not untangle them. She felt strangled by his presence, an entire stranglehold by his power, completely at his mercy. And she knew, deep inside, no matter how hard she wrestled, she was already caught in the vortex from which there was no return.