It came down on some obscure airstrip carved out in the outskirts of Istanbul, its lights glowing afar, while Isabella had spoken barely a word to Alejandro since the confrontation on the plane. The journey was long and tense, silent in fact, her anger and fear still swirling.
The jet finally stilled, and Alejandro rose, turning to face Isabella; his features all composed and serene, but firmly set. "We're here," he rasped in an even voice. "This is where we begin."
She was silent. Without a word she stood and preceded him off the plane, into the alien scenes. The tiny airstrip had been little, ill-lit, and two armed men now stood to attention. The sense of just how far from home she was started to make Isabella's heart beat faster and faster. She had no idea where they were, no notion of what Alejandro had in mind for her, and all she knew was that she was trapped-captive of a man who would do whatever it would take to hold her by his side.
Alejandro led her down to a waiting car, very deliberate in every movement. Then he opened the door for her, his eyes terse. "Get in," he said-a calm, soft voice, and yet firm.
For a moment, Isabella hesitated, the notion of flight racing in her mind. But she knew there was no escape-not yet. She got into the car, her heart pounding in her chest, as Alejandro slid into the driver's seat and started the engine.
The drive to wherever he was taking her was conducted in silence. The air between them thickened with tension.
Isabella stared out of the window, her mind racing with what lay ahead. Deep down, she knew Alejandro was biding his time, thinking out each minute detail of how their escape would go down. Still, she knew equally that she couldn't be his beck-and-call person; she needed a way to slip from under his firm grasp and regain control.
As they approached a secluded mansion on the outskirts of the city, Isabella's heart sank. The house was surrounded by high walls and guarded by armed men, a fortress designed to keep her in and the rest of the world out. She knew this was where Alejandro intended to keep her, a gilded cage far from the life she had known.
The car drove up to the gates; Alejandro entered some kind of code, and they swung open to let them through. Isabella began to scan across the property-lush gardens, swimming pool, outside of mansion-not bad if a little much. To her, it felt like a beautiful prison.
Alejandro parked the car in front of the house and turned to Isabella with a cool yet firm face. "This is your new home," he said in a firm, steady voice. "You'll be safe here. No one will find you."
Isabella did not say a word. She got out of the car and into the house, the wheels in her mind running nonstop with means of escape. She knew she could not allow Alejandro to win over her; that somehow she had to break loose. Now all she could do was play along and await the proper time.
Alejandro's Vision
As they made their way deeper into the estate, Alejandro toured Isabella in a low soothing voice around it. The high ceilings, marble floors with various expensive pieces of artwork framed on the wall, made it comfortable and discreetly far away from all hustles of outside life.
Alejandro then showed her the living room, took her to the kitchen, through the library, and finally to her bedroom. The room was large, richly decorated with a huge bed, sitting area, and a balcony view of the gardens. It was a beautiful room, but to her, it was another cage.
"This is your room," Alejandro said in a soft tone. "Here, you have everything you could want; besides, if there's anything else you want, just let me know.
The silence from Isabella was resounding. Standing in the middle of the room, her arms crossed across her chest, her expression cold and vague. She knew Alejandro was trying to win her over, to make her feel comfortable and safe, but she also knew his kindness was just another form of control.
Alejandro watched her a moment, his face about as expressionless as a clean slate. He knew that Isabella was angry and that she did not trust him, but also that with time, she would realize he had done this for her, had given her an opportunity for a new life away from the violence and control of the cartel world.
"I know this is hard for you," he said calmly but firmly. "This, however, is where your freedom begins. You don't have to live under the control of your father anymore. You can start over here, live a life you always wanted.
Isabella turned to him, her eyes ablaze in an instant. "You think this is freedom?" she burst out, her voice quivering in anger. "You think kidnapping me and locking me up in this mansion is a choice being given to me?
Alejandro's jaw clenched, but he said nothing. He knew Isabella was furious, that she didn't understand his motives. But he also knew he could not let her go. She belonged to him now, and he would do whatever it took to keep her by his side.
As Isabella stood in the middle of the room, her head was racing with ways of trying to escape. She knew that she couldn't let Alejandro dominate her, she needed to get herself out somehow. For the time being, there was nothing she could do but play the game and await the perfect timing.
Isa's Defiance
In the days that followed, Isabella fell into her new life within the mansion, but the fire of rebellion never left her. She just would not speak to Alejandro nor acknowledge his presence even. Most of the time, she spent staring out at gardens while her mind thought of ways she could be free.
He tries to win her with gestures of goodwill, bringing her favorite food, books, and art supplies. He even had a piano brought to the mansion, knowing it was one of Isabella's passions. Yet, everything he does cannot warm Isabella's cold, icy heart, for inside, she was still angry and fearful.
One evening, Alejandro came to Isabella's door, holding a tray of food. "I brought you dinner," he said calmly but firmly. "I thought you might be hungry."
Isabella didn't say a word. She merely turned her back on him, her arms crossed over her chest. Alejandro set the tray down on the table and watched her for a moment, his expression uneasy.
"I know you're angry," he said softly. "But I'm not your enemy, Isabella. I did this to protect you, give you a chance at a new life."
Isabella turned on him, her eyes flashing fire. "You call this protection?" she yelled, her voice shaking with fury. "You think kidnapping me and locking me up in your mansion keeps me safe? You're insane, Alejandro. This is not freedom; this is a prison.
Alejandro's jaw clenched, but he did not say a word. He knew very well that Isabella was angry, that she did not understand his motives. Yet, at the same time, he also knew that he could not let her go, would do anything it took to keep her by his side.
She stood in the middle of the room, her mind racing with plans of how she could be free. She knew she just couldn't give in to Alejandro and let him keep her under his control; she needed a way out. For now, all she could do was play along while waiting for an opportune time.
Alejandro's Manipulation
But then days went by, more days, and Alejandro continued digging into her by using each and every tool in the book to knock down her guard. He had talked about his childhood: troubled and hateful of that life in a cartel, dreamily wanting someday to be free from it for someone he will love. Sharing with her was an attempt in getting her mindset to change against him as some monster.
But Isabella refused to back down, her anger and fear still simmering just below the surface. She knew Alejandro's kindness was just another form of control, a way to manipulate her into submission. She refused to let herself be swayed by his words, no matter how sincere they seemed.
One evening, Alejandro found Isabella in the library, sitting by the window with a book in her hand. He came toward her carefully, his face calm yet firm. "I thought you might like this," he said, extending a small box. "It is a necklace. I thought perhaps it would remind you of home."
Isabella said nothing. She simply turned her back to him, her arms folded across her chest. Alejandro put the box down on the table, regarded her for a few moments, his face impassive.
"I know you're furious," he said, his voice low. "But I am not your enemy, Isabella. I did this to keep you safe, to give you a chance to start anew."
Isabella whirled to him, her eyes blazing with indignation. "You call this protection?" she burst out in a shaking rage. "Kidnapping me and then keeping me in lock and key here in your mansions are methods of keeping safe? You really are insane, Alejandro. I am not experiencing freedom but another prison. You haven't done anything different from my father."
Alejandro's jaw clamped tight, and he did not reply. He knew that Isabella was angry, and that she could never understand why. Yet he knew also that he couldn't turn her loose, not now that she was making difficulties, but until she was finally his. Whatever it would take, he'd make her understand she would stand beside him.
As Isabella stood in the middle of the room, her mind was running wild with the thought of trying to escape. She knew that she could not let Alejandro succeed with his plans and that somehow, she needed a way out. For now, all she had to do was play along until the time would be just right.
Isa's Struggle
But as the days wore on, despite her defiance, a flicker of doubt began to assail Isabella. Alejandro was kind and vulnerable, and she found herself wondering if she had misjudged him. She hated him for what he had done, taking her from her home and thrusting her into this alien life. But she couldn't even deny anymore that a part of her was drawn to him, that saw pain and loneliness in his eyes.
One evening, it was in the garden, sitting and staring upwards to the lacing of stars across the sky that the wave of emotion washed over her. Tired of fighting, tired of running, tired of living in fear-she was tired of it all. And while she wanted to believe Alejandro when he told her this was for her protection, deep inside she knew she could not be left at his mercy; she needed an out.
Alejandro joined her in a few moments, his face expressionless. "I know this is hard for you," he said softly, "but I want you to know that I'm here for you. Whatever you need, it's yours. You're not alone in this.
Isabella didn't say anything. She just turned away from him, crossing her arms over her chest. Alejandro watched her for a moment before turning and walking away.
The moment he disappeared into the mansion, an edge of guilt pierced Isabella's heart. She knew Alejandro was only trying to help her, actually believing in what he was doing. Still, she knew she could not be ruled by him; she had to somehow get herself free.
But days slipping by did not dampen Isabella's spirits one bit. She knew well that she just couldn't be at Alejandro's mercy, and she had to find a way out. For the time being, there was nothing to do but play along and wait for an opportune moment.
The War Begins
Meanwhile, as Isabella and Alejandro settled into their new life in Istanbul, the war between the Moretti and Vega cartels was heating up. Giovanni Moretti had declared all-out war on the Vegas, launching a series of violent attacks on their operations. Safe houses were raided, shipments destroyed, and allies betrayed. The body count was rising, and both families were suffering heavy losses.
Giovanni stood in his study on the Moretti estate, a grimace twisting his face as he listened to the reports that came from his men. This war was growing more destructive, yet he refused to back down. He would do whatever it would take to find Isabella and bring her home, no matter the cost.
As the sun set below the horizon, casting one last orange glow over the estate, Giovanni vowed silently. He would find Isabella, no matter the cost. And when he did, Alejandro Vega would pay for what he had done.
Sitting in her room in Istanbul, surrounded by the lights of the faraway city, Isabella sat alone. She knew the war between the cartels would get worse, that her father wouldn't stop until he got her back. Still, she also knew she could not allow Alejandro to put her behind his high walls like her father and control her; she had to find some way to be free.
She sat, momentarily in a muse, speaking low to herself: "It's not over". She realized the road upfront was treacherous; there she would have to fight her way for her freedom. Even so, she knew that giving up would betray her will and the struggle was worth the price she was likely to pay.
The more the night wore on, the firmer Isabella's resolve became. She would escape, and she'd get her life back on. And when she did, Alejandro Vega would pay for what he'd done to her.