Pawn Of The Mafia Lords

Chapter Four

Bella walked into the darkness, where Luca Moretti awaited, one last, lingering glance at the two men who had once seemed so strong.

Bella felt as though she had visited another planet the instant she passed the large, wrought-iron gates guarding Luca's estate. Now the streets, with their typical clamour and anarchy, looked like a far memory. Rising magnificently in the dark, the stone façade of the mansion stood like a quiet guardian, the lights from the courtyard creating lengthy shadows. Bella's sneakers quietly clicked on the carefully maintained lawns as she strolled across the weight of the place down on her.

Luca spoke little as he walked her towards the door; his long stride easily exceeded her. He was commanding even without a word said. From his posture to the way his strong jawline caught the light to the simple manner he managed the area around him, every aspect of him appeared meant to radiate power.

As they arrived, the mansion's doors swung wide to expose a great interior. The lights above softly illuminated the polished marble flooring from the dark wood and gold walls. Though the location was lavish, the kind of affluence it suggested, that of power and control rather than warmth, spans across. The stillness of power, the kind of power accumulated over millennia, seemed to permeate every nook and cranny of the space.

Bella stopped at the door, her breath stopping in her throat as she considered the sheer enormity and beauty of the area. The fine furniture was placed with such accuracy that it felt almost like a show, not a house; the high ceilings seemed to go eternally above. Personal touches and a hint of life outside the austere elegance of it all were absent.

" This is... Where is your house? Bella asked, her voice almost above a whisper. In such a vast area, she felt like a tiny, meaningless person unable to contribute.

Luca turned to face her; his expression was impenetrable. "It's more than just a home," he remarked softly, his eyes darting over the space as though he were viewing its majesty from a distance. "That is where power resides."

He made no gestures of consolation or friendliness and did not extend a friendly welcome. Cold and analytical, his gaze skimmed over her like if she were an object under study rather than a guest. Bella shivered slightly; the warmth of the mansion ought to have made her feel safe. She wasn't safe; neither here nor in Luca's universe. The minute he entered her life, he had made that abundantly plain.

Luca motioned for her to follow him down a long hallway that headed more into the home without waiting for her reply. Expensive paintings, one more ostentatious than the next, adorned the walls; all of them showed men in suits, silent, strong figures who seemed to stare down her as she passed.

They stopped in front of a thick wooden door, and Luca swiftly pushed it open. Inside, the room was spacious with walls packed with bookcases loaded with leather-bound books and a bed that appeared way too huge for one person. Opposing the bed was a sizable fireplace with gently flickering flames creating shadows over the space.

Luca continued, his voice low and objective: "This will be your room for now. "It's fleeting."

Bella stood at the threshold still, her hand holding the door frame. "Temporary"? She repeated, a sour taste developing at the rear of her tongue. " What do you mean by that?"

Luca took her time responding. Rather, he moved forward into the room, his body creating a long shadow against the cosy fire glow. "This is a place of safety," he murmured softly, as though he were evaluating his words. "But make no mistake, Bella. While you're under my roof, you will follow my rules. This is my life to control. This is not your life anymore."

Her spine shivered from the cold in his voice. Her breath stopped as she tentatively entered; the door closed softly behind her. Though the hearth was ablaze with fire, the chamber felt as frigid as the mansion itself.

She knew nothing on how to reply. She wasn't sure if she should fight back, remain silent, or just let things be. She knew only that she was imprisoned here in a place she did not own and that a man had already started to assert possession over her.

As Luca watched her occupy the space, she could feel his gaze fixed on her. His eyes were fixed, as though he could watch every doubt and hesitancy flutter across her face. Like a physical force in the room, his strength was evident.

"One thing you should know, Bella," Luca's voice sliced through the quiet like a razor. Nobody walks this planet without damage. You will thus have to live by that fact as long as you are here and with me. Your choices and life... They are not only yours now.

Bella tightened her throat and swallowed forcefully. She wanted to say something, anything, to counter, to claim some sort of control. But the weight of his comments crushed any uprising that developed inside her.

Needing some distance between them, she turned away from him and towards the bed. Her fingertips stroked the velvet blankets, but they felt alien under her touch, as though the bed itself were another emblem of the force that had encircled her existence.

Between them, a minute of silence passed interrupted only by the fire's crackle. At last Bella ventured to look back at him. Though less menacing, his gaze stayed on her and there was something softer there.

"This is your definition of kindness? Bella asked, unable to stop herself even though her voice came out softer than she had intended. "To pretend I'm safe and lock me into this house? ”

Luca's eyes wavered, but his answer lacked any warmth. Bella, you are not here as you are a visitor. I created you a part of my universe, hence you are here. And in my world, kindness is not a luxury. It speaks of survival.

She felt the ache deep in her chest as his comments were like a slap to her face. Her reality now was more apparent than it had ever been. She had selected a life different from this one. She was thrust into this existence; there was no way out.

She stayed silent once more. Rather, she sat on the side of the bed and gently stroked the fabric of her dress with hands that shook slightly. Luca's enormous presence was oppressive even in the quiet between them. She had to acknowledge, though, that some of her indifference to the silence was natural. She refused to fan the Luca Moretti storm.

A few minutes later Luca broke the stillness with his voice remaining as frigid and consistent as always.

"Get some rest. The next day will be different.

Bella is silent. She had no idea what to say now. She might say: She was in his universe right now and had no idea the guidelines.

Bella was left alone in the room as Luca spun and headed towards the door. She could feel his weight hovering over her like a shadow even long after he left. She was lonely, but it was the kind of loneliness that made her doubt whether she had ever really been free.

She was nothing more than a piece in Luca's game at her mansion, and she wasn't sure whether she was meant to survive or be thrown aside when her usage was finished.

The cramped, messy dressing room's thick walls muffled the hum of the crowd outside, silencing the backstage section of the strip club. Bella stood in front of the mirror, fingers softly stroking over her messy hair. Though the sweat of the performance was only a faint memory now, the residual warmth from the stage lights still radiated in her flesh. Luca's eyes stayed in her head. She couldn't get rid of his presence, his wary eyes more like a brand than an observation.

The room's air was thick and smelt like cosmetics and perfume, the type that covered over the despair buried under. Though none of it reached her, the sound of distant conversation from the club, muffled laughing, and clinking glasses crept into the solitude. Her head was elsewhere, fixed on one person, one presence: Luca.

She had not anticipated his showing up tonight. She had not expected to feel the way she did under his eyes, cold, terrifying, yet somehow... active. She felt as though she was perched on the brink of a precipice, just waiting to tumble, something about him that transcended his obvious strength. And for a split second she considered if she would.

Her heart thumping against her chest, the quiet in the changing room choked her. It was the residual impression of the night before, that everything was about to change, that seemed stifling. Nor the flashing lights of the strip club nor the throng that caused her to feel this way. His was it. Moretti Luca. From the shadows, the mafia boss

had seen her; his icy, inscrutable eyes tracked her every action.