She met his gaze, her chest rising and falling with shallow breaths. "Let go of me, Enzo," she said, her voice firm and unwavering.
For a moment, Enzo said nothing, his dark eyes studying her as if trying to gauge her resolve. His hand was still on her wrist, his grip unyielding, but there was something in his gaze a flicker of surprise that made her stand taller.
"I'm not going to let you pull away so easily," he finally murmured, his lips curling into a small, knowing smile.
Amelia jerked her wrist, trying to free herself from his grasp. "You don't own me," she shot back, her voice rising with an edge of frustration. "I'm here to do my job, nothing more."
Enzo raised an eyebrow, as if her words amused him. He tilted his head slightly, his lips parting as if to speak, but then he paused, his gaze never leaving her. There was a dangerous glint in his eyes, a sharpness that told her he was far from finished with her.
"You really believe you can just come in here, do your work, and then walk away?" His voice was laced with amusement, but there was a dark undertone beneath it, a warning that sent a chill through her.
"I'm not like the others," she responded quickly, her heart pounding. "I won't let you treat me like one of your playthings. I'm not some possession you can control."
Enzo's smile faltered, just for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. His grip on her wrist loosened, but he didn't let go completely. Instead, his hand slid to her shoulder, his fingers brushing against her skin with a force that made her body stiffen.
"Do you really think you have a choice in all this?" he asked, his voice smooth, almost too calm. "You think you can just waltz in here and refuse to play by my rules?"
Amelia's pulse raced, but she fought against the fear that began to creep in. She wasn't going to let him have that power over her anymore.
"I'm not staying here to be controlled by you," she said, her voice stronger now, even though her heart was threatening to beat out of her chest. "I came here to work, not to be owned by you or anyone else."
There was a moment of silence, and then, to her surprise, Enzo chuckled softly—a low, dark laugh that sent a shiver down her spine. He leaned closer, his breath warm against her ear as he whispered, "You have no idea what you're talking about."
Amelia turned her face away from him, her heart racing as she tried to steady her breath. She could feel the weight of his gaze, his eyes burning into her. But she didn't look back. She couldn't afford to show weakness now.
"I'm done with this," she said, her voice trembling slightly, but there was an undeniable firmness to her words. "I'm leaving. I can't stay here. This place... you... it's all too dangerous."
Enzo's hand, which had been resting on her shoulder, tightened suddenly, his fingers digging into her flesh. The force made her wince, but she didn't let him see her flinch.
"You think you can leave?" His voice was low, almost threatening, but there was something else there—something darker. "You think you can just walk out of here like nothing happened? That's not how things work, Amelia."
The tension in the room grew, a thick, suffocating force that seemed to press in on all sides. Amelia's mind raced, her thoughts scattered in all directions. She had never felt more trapped, but she refused to show him the fear that twisted inside her.
"I'll leave if I want to," she said, her voice stronger than before. "I don't care what you say or what you think you can do. I'm not staying here, not if it means living like this."
Enzo leaned in even closer, his lips brushing her ear as he spoke, his voice dangerously soft. "You think you can just walk away from me, Amelia? You think that's how this ends?"
She jerked her head back to look at him, her chest tightening as the fear she had been trying to suppress began to claw its way back to the surface. His gaze was cold, calculating, and it made her feel small—insignificant. But still, she held her ground.
"I'm not your prisoner, Enzo," she said, her voice trembling with the weight of the words. "I don't belong to you, and I'm not going to let you treat me like I do."
For a moment, Enzo didn't speak, his eyes narrowing as he studied her. The silence was thick, almost suffocating. It was as if he was deciding whether or not to believe her words. His fingers tightened briefly on her shoulder before he pulled back, his expression unreadable.
"You're a stubborn one, aren't you?" Enzo said, his tone almost admiring, but there was something cold in his voice that made Amelia's skin crawl. "You really think you can defy me? You think you can just walk away and everything will be fine?"
"I don't care what you think," Amelia snapped, her eyes narrowing as she stared him down. "I'm leaving. And you can't stop me."
Enzo's lips curled into a slow, sinister smile, but there was nothing playful about it. It was the smile of a man who had just been challenged and wasn't about to let the challenge go unanswered.
"You think you have the power to walk away from me?" he said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "You really believe I'll just let you go? You're mine now, Amelia. And no one leaves me."
The words sent a chill through her, but Amelia refused to back down. She was done with Enzo and his games.
"If you think I'm going to stay here and let you control me, you're wrong," she said, her voice shaking with a mixture of fear and determination. "I'll leave whether you like it or not."
Enzo stared at her for a long, tense moment, his expression unreadable. And then, with a small, almost imperceptible shake of his head, he finally spoke.
"We'll see about that, Amelia," he said softly, his voice filled with an ominous finality.
Before she could respond, he turned and walked away, leaving her standing alone in the kitchen. Amelia stood there for a long time, her heart pounding in her chest, her mind racing. She had taken a stand, but something in Enzo's demeanor told her that the battle was far from over.
And as much as she wanted to leave, a part of her couldn't help but wonder—was she really free?