Bound by Vengeance!

Isabelle's Pov The door to Father’s studies made of some dark heavy oak shut with a loud bang that echoed in my very marrow. Though the raised voices sent my heart racing, that finality added a knot in my stomach. “Isabella, get in here right now!” Father’s raw fury echoed loudly after hours of stillness. My hands trembled and I had to iron the wrinkles on my skirt before entering the den. Father was slumped over his desk, his wrinkled face tense with anger. Standing right next to him was a well-groomed man dressed in a black tuxedo with black eyes like the pupils of the night. Those malicious orbs drilled into me like I was something unpleasant stuck to the bottom of his shoe. I shrank back instinctively from the sheer intensity of his penetrating gaze. "You summoned me, Father?" I spoke in a trembling whisper, unable to tear my eyes away from the intimidating stranger. "Isabella, this is Luca Castellano," Father growled, not bothering with niceties. "The arrangement we discussed has been finalized. From this day forward, you belong to him as his wife." The room started spinning. Surely I hadn't heard him correctly. Me? Sold off like a piece of property? "B-But I don't even know this man!" My voice cracked with shock and fear. "You can't just trade me away like a slave, Father!" "You'll do as I say, ungrateful girl!" he roared, slamming his fist down with a bang. "I am the head of this household, and my decision is final!" Luca Castellano's thin lips curled into a cruel smirk as I shrank away from my father's wrath. The bastard seemed to be enjoying my misery. "Now go pack your things," Father snarled. "Mr. Castellano will be taking you off my hands immediately. Perhaps his discipline will finally teach you some respect." My heart shattered into a million pieces. I was being callously discarded like yesterday's trash all because of Father's mistakes. God only knew what horrors awaited me as this gangster's possession. I wanted to get down on my knees and beg for mercy. But one look at Luca's pitiless glare stopped the words in my throat. Instead, I jerked my head in a nod, forcing myself to remain composed and graceful despite the hurricane of anguish ripping through me. As I turned my wobbling legs to exit, Luca's penetrating voice stopped me cold. "One more thing, wife." His tone was laced with quiet menace. "Any attempts at defiance or escape will be dealt with severely. I trust I've made myself clear?" His eyes promised unspeakable punishment if I dared cross him. I bobbed another frantic nod, then scurried out before my composure shattered completely. The long walk to my bedchambers passed in a sickening blur. I could scarcely process how my life had been flipped upside-down in a manner of moments. One minute I was just another bridal prospect awaiting a suitable match. The next, I was the personal chattel of a mobster straight out of a nightmare. My tiny hands shook uncontrollably as I threw my belongings into a box. I packed even down to all my delicate wear without hesitation. A soft rapping came at the door. "Isabella? May I come in?" It was Maria, the beloved maid who had been more of a mother to me than my own. "Y-Yes," I stammered, hastily wiping tears from my cheeks. The door creaked open to reveal her round, careworn face creased with heartbroken sympathy. Without a word, she shuffled over and engulfed me in a warm, comforting embrace. I clung to her matronly form as the floodgates burst. My shoulders shook with hoarse, ragged sobs as all the injustice and despair came pouring out. Maria just stroked my hair and made soft hushing sounds, letting me unleash the torrent of misery. After several minutes, I managed to regain some semblance of composure. Gently disentangling myself, I wiped my running makeup and gave a watery smile of gratitude. "I don't understand why Father would do this to me," I whispered in a tremulous voice. "That man downstairs...Luca...his eyes were utterly without mercy. Like I was merely a slab of meat being delivered for slaughter. What sort of monster have I been condemned to?" Maria pursed her lips grimly. "I daren't speculate on the depravities of that family, child. The Castellanos are spoken of only in whispers and shudders around here, and for good reason." She clasped my hands tightly, her intense stare boring into me. "But you must stay strong, Isabella. No matter how dire the circumstances may appear, you cannot allow that man to break your spirit. Promise me!" My chin trembled but I gave a resolute nod. "I promise to persevere, Maria. No matter how dark the days ahead may get." "Attafiglia," she whispered fiercely, pride burning in her russet irises. Giving my cheek one last tender caress, she straightened and refocused on the task at hand. After Maria helped me quickly pack what few belongings I could take, I heard heavy footsteps approaching down the hall. A sickening knot formed in my gut - he was coming for me already. The door burst open and Luca Castellano filled up the entryway, his broad-shouldered frame and severe aura commanding the space. Those cold, obsidian eyes did a casual sweep over me. "Ready to go, wife?" That last mocking word dripped with disdain. Before I could muster a response, he snatched up my small valise and spun on his heel. "Let's move. I don't have all night for these melodramatic farewells." Exchanging one last tearful look with Maria, I hurried after Luca's long strides. He led us out a side door to where a sleek black sedan was idling in the circular driveway. The second I stepped outside, icy evening air slapped my face and whipped my skirts around my legs. A snarling, vicious-looking man in a crisp suit jumped out to open the rear door. His cruel features and menacing scowl made my heart stutter in fear. I shrank back slightly but Luca gave me a not-so-gentle shove forward. "In the car, Isabella." He said in a tone that brooked no argument. Trembling, I slid across the leather seat as the hulking brute circled to take his place behind the steering wheel. A moment later, Luca climbed in beside me, his intoxicating but utterly terrifying presence overwhelming the confined space. The engine revved and we peeled out into the night, quickly leaving my childhood home and life as I knew it behind. For a long while, the only sounds were the growl of the engine and the muffled noise of the city night outside. Occasionally, Luca would murmur some clipped directions to the driver. I kept my eyes averted out the window, watching the flickering streetlights and neon signs blur past in silence. At one point, I risked a sidelong peek at my new "husband." Luca sat utterly motionless beside me, a relaxed but imposing figure in his exquisitely tailored suit. One long leg was crossed over the other, his arm draped casually along the backrest behind me. Not touching but staking his claim over his space. His chiselled profile was illuminated in flashes, his strong jaw tensed and his eyes narrowed slightly in thought. Even in stillness, he radiated a dangerous, primal intensity. My cheeks heated as I couldn't tear my gaze away from studying him, shamefully drinking in the sight of him against my will. There was no denying this man's ruggedly, brutal handsomeness or that inexplicable aura of dominant power. Suddenly, his eyes flicked over to meet mine. I gasped and whipped my face forward, my traitorous blush burning even hotter. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the barest ghost of a smirk play over those thin lips before they settled back into an impassive line. The driver pulled up to a set of imposing wrought-iron gates flanked by high brick walls. Luca leaned out his window, muttering something in rapid Italian to the guard posted outside. With a metallic groan, the gates swung inward and our car crept forward down a long, tree-lined drive. My mouth went dry as an immense Romanesque villa slowly came into view, illuminated by wrought-iron lamps. It loomed before us like a fortress, silent and forbidding. As we rolled up the semicircular driveway, I craned my neck to try and take in every dizzying detail of the palatial estate – the rows of curved windows, the pillared porticos, the carved statuary standing vigil at every corner and the alcove. It was opulent, overwhelming...and unmistakably the lair of a very powerful, very wealthy pack of wolves. The driver killed the engine and we idled in tense silence for a long beat. Then Luca turned those hypnotic dark eyes directly on me, his expression inscrutable. "Welcome home, Isabella." His deep baritone caressed the words with a hint of dark irony. Without waiting for a response, he opened his door and exited in one smooth movement, the driver hurrying around to open mine as well. I swallowed hard and placed a tentative foot out onto the cobblestone drive. Before I could gather myself, Luca's arm snaked around my waist, tugging me flush against his solid frame. His lips brushed my ear and I went utterly rigid against him. "Remember our discussion about obedience and what will happen if you ever test me," he growled in a tone of quiet, chilling menace. "Comport yourself well and we'll get along just fine." Then, as abruptly as he seized me, Luca released me and strode up the front steps toward the entrance, leaving me to trail meekly in his imposing wake. Two hulky men in expensive tuxedos opened the massive doors that revealed the beauty of this mansion. My jaw literally dropped.