Isabella

After two nights in a row of pressing my luck, Stephan fucked me so hard I could still feel him, and then he drove me home. He parked his car three blocks from my house, and still, it didn’t seem far enough. My body shook from fear the closer we walked. With our hands threaded together, Stephan sensed it and squeezed my hand tighter.

“Don’t be scared.” He rubbed my skin with his thumb to soothe me. “It will all be okay. I already handled your father. It’s only a matter of time before he comes to see me.”

“I don’t see how threatening him will do either of us any good. He doesn’t respond well when he’s being cornered.”

“Neither do I. He’s controlled both of our lives for long enough, even if I didn’t realize how much of mine he had a hold over until recently. Soon enough, we will be free of him. Of this place. Free from all of this shit.”

“I know, Stephan, but you don’t understand what it’s like to live under the same roof as him. He’s awful. And so cold. When he talks to me, it’s to yell about something. Working for him only makes it worse. He’s dead set on my engagement to Karl Vos.”

“You will never marry that asshole. I’ll kill him and your dad before that ever happens.”

“I know you will. But I hope it doesn’t come to that.” I sucked in a deep breath and let it out, preparing myself for another night of sneaking up the back stairs, with my shoes in hand and just fucked hair all over the place.

When we reached the back of my family’s massive property, Stephan pressed a kiss to my lips. It was quick, a little more than a peck. I missed his warmth the second he peeled his lips from mine.

“Be careful,” he warned. “Text me once you’re in your bedroom so I know you’re okay.”

“I will.” I kissed him on the cheek, and then he hoisted me up, so I could pull myself over the back fence that spanned the property.

I climbed down, my feet hitting the ground hard. Using the wrought iron for support, I gripped it in my hand to give myself a few seconds to recoup. It pained me to look at Stephan through the slits in the fence and see him staring at me with sadness in his eyes. His feelings mirrored mine. I hated that we had to act like children when we were adults. This was stupid but necessary to get around my father and his rules.

Turning my back to Stephan, I crept along the edge of the property, doing my best to avoid the cameras, hiding behind bushes or trees whenever possible. There were only so many times I could repeat this before I would get caught. Being present but never seen was one of Stephan’s strong suits but not one of mine.

I placed my hand on the doorknob, the entrance right off the kitchen, hoping Carmella had left it open for me. Sucking in a deep breath, I blew it out and turned it. The door creaked open, relief washing over me. Cloaked in darkness, the kitchen was empty, the house devoid of any sound. It was hard to remain so quiet in a house that had vaulted ceilings, which echoed from the slightest noise.

Closing and locking the door behind me, I took off my sneakers and tied the laces together before throwing them over my shoulder. I walked through the kitchen on my tiptoes and down the back hallway, taking each stair one at a time. Once my feet hit the top landing, I was thankful I’d made it that far without anyone noticing.

With my back flat against the wall, I slinked down the hallway, hiding in the dark shadows, as I moved toward my bedroom. Focused on the door in front of me, I took a few more steps, about to reach for the handle, when I heard the floorboards behind me creak, followed by someone cupping my shoulder with their hand.

I already knew who I would find behind me. My father’s musky aftershave filled my nostrils, and my stomach burned from the acid rising. I spun around to face my father, letting out the air I was holding in. He flicked the light switch on the wall.

His eyes were dead, his jaw set like stone. “You think you’re so smart, don’t you? No matter how much you rebel, I will always be there to force your hand. Keep fighting me, and I will make sure your secret boyfriend pays the price for your defiance.”

I narrowed my eyes at him, my teeth gritted in anger. “Don’t you dare go near Stephan. He has nothing to do with this.”

His face scrunched, the red from his cheeks spreading down to his neck. “He has everything to do with his. You refuse to listen to reason. Maybe you will see things my way once I take him away from you. I’ve been nice so far.”

I laughed and folded my arms across my chest. “Get real, Dad. You’ve never been nice a day in my life. Mark and I lived in fear of you since birth. And I know your secret. Go near Stephan, and I will run to the press. I will ruin your re-election without so much as a thought.”

He scratched the stubble along the corner of his jaw. “Stephan thought he could get away with sending me a message. Well, I received it. And he’s going to suffer because of it.”

Stephan wouldn’t tell me what he did, or how he got to my father, but somehow, he found a way to let him know he knew about Mark’s paternity test and the fact it gave him the motive to kill my brother. I warned Stephan not to press him too hard. Clearly, he’d gotten under my father’s skin. I had no doubt we would both pay for it.

“I love him,” I confessed. “I gave Stephan my virginity the night of the charity ball, and he’s been fucking me ever since. Deal with it.”

He raised his hands above his head in anger and took a few steps back from me, shoving his fingers through his dark hair. “Stop it. I don’t want to hear another word out of your whore mouth.”

My mouth flew open in shock. He’d always been an asshole but never called me hurtful names, mostly because I’d never disobeyed him. At least not until Stephan came into my life.

Not wanting to look at him for another second, I opened my door and slammed it shut behind me. He turned the knob, jiggling it as I tried to lock it.

“Open this door right now, or I will wake up Javier and have him remove the hinges.”

“Go right ahead,” I shot back. “See if I care.”

“Fine,” he growled. “I hope you’ve enjoyed having your privacy because you won’t have it after tonight.”

Once inside the safety of my bedroom, I dropped my shoes to the floor and sat on my bed. Waiting for my father to do as he’d promised, I undressed and slipped into pajama shorts and a tank top. I climbed into bed and propped my head up on a stack of pillows. My father stomped off and went straight to the servant’s quarters on the south side of our property. He returned five minutes later with Javier, as promised.

I didn’t bother to move when Javier took the door off its hinges and set it against the wall to allow my father access.

“That will be all for now,” my dad told Javier, waving him off.

With his gaze fixed on me, my father stepped into my room. “Until you stop acting like a child, I will continue to treat you like one. Brian or one of his men will sit outside your bedroom while you’re sleeping. You will have someone accompany you everywhere you go. And you will accept Karl’s engagement in the morning. The two of you will announce your engagement on Saturday at the dinner party I have planned.”

“Well, I won’t be there,” I countered. “Have fun at your stuffy dinner party. If you like Karl so much, maybe you should marry him.”

He bent down to turn on the lamp on my bedside table, the soft glow casting its shadow across his face. “Don’t test me, Isabella. My mercy has limits.”

I waved my hand to dismiss him. “I’m tired. Go wake up Mark if you want someone to talk to. Oh, wait, you killed him. I forgot.”

“I did no such thing,” he yelled.

“Even if you didn’t push him off that roof, you had a hand in his death. There’s nothing you can do or say to make me think otherwise.”

“There’s no talking to you when you’re like this.” He gave up on our fight and turned off the lamp. “If you don’t see things my way, I will make an example of Stephan that much I can promise. Don’t force my hand.”

Stephan didn’t want me to bend to my father’s will. He’d insisted that he bear the brunt of his wrath. So, I did as he had asked of me and held my ground.

Once my father left my bedroom, I closed my eyes and wondered what he would do to Stephan if I didn’t follow his orders. I couldn’t handle the thought of anything happening to him. But I either had to listen to Stephan or my dad, and I knew who would win that battle.