BETWEEN LOVE AND RUIN

017

(Maria's POV)

The training room was dimly lit, the air thick with the scent of sweat and the faint metallic tang of the weapons lining the walls. Leonardo stood across from me, his sharp blue eyes locked onto mine, his expression unreadable. We had been at this for hours, and my body ached with exhaustion, but I refused to give up. I couldn’t. Not when every strike, every block, every move brought me closer to the strength I needed to survive in this world.

“Again,” Leonardo said, his voice low and commanding.

I didn’t argue. I lunged at him, my fists flying in a flurry of strikes. He dodged each one with ease, his movements fluid and effortless. It was infuriating, but I refused to let it show.

“You’re too predictable,” he said, his tone laced with disdain. “You need to think ahead, anticipate your opponent’s moves.”

I gritted my teeth and pressed the attack, my movements becoming more aggressive, more desperate. Finally, I saw an opening. I ducked under his arm and landed a solid punch to his ribs. He grunted in surprise, and for a moment, I felt a surge of triumph.

But it didn’t last. He recovered quickly, his expression darkening. He grabbed my arm and twisted it behind my back, forcing me to my knees.

“Better,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “But not good enough.”

I glared up at him, my chest heaving with exertion. “I’m not giving up.”

He smirked, his grip tightening slightly. “Good. Because I’m not going easy on you.”

He released me, and I stumbled to my feet, my arm throbbing. I didn’t let it show, though. I refused to give him the satisfaction.

“Again,” he said, his tone cold and commanding.

I didn’t argue. I took a deep breath and prepared myself for the next round.

The next few minutes were a blur of movement and exertion. We were both sweating, our breaths coming in short, sharp gasps as we traded blows. The tension in the room was palpable, a silent battle of wills between us.

Finally, Leonardo caught me off guard. He grabbed my wrist and spun me around, pinning me against the wall. His body pressed against mine, his breath warm against my neck. My heart raced, and for a moment, I couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe.

“You’re getting better,” he said, his voice low and husky. “But you still have a long way to go.”

I didn’t respond, my chest heaving with exertion. His eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, the world seemed to fade away. There was something in his gaze, something dark and dangerous, that made my skin crawl and my heart race at the same time.

“You’re too controlled,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “You need to let go, to embrace the chaos.”

I shook my head, my jaw tightening. “I can’t.”

He smirked, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—something that looked almost like understanding. “You will. Eventually.”

I didn’t respond, my mind racing. I hated how his words resonated with me, how they stirred something deep inside me that I had tried to ignore.

The moment was broken by the sound of the door slamming open. I turned to see Alexander standing in the doorway, his expression a mix of shock and disbelief. His eyes darted between me and Leonardo, and for a moment, he just stood there, frozen.

“What the hell is going on here?” he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.

Leonardo stepped back, releasing me, and I stumbled away from the wall, my chest heaving. I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks, and I hated how flustered I felt.

“Training,” Leonardo said, his tone casual but with an undercurrent of something I couldn’t quite place. “What does it look like?”

Alexander’s jaw tightened, and he took a step closer, his eyes burning with anger. “It looks like you’ve crossed a line, Leonardo.”

Leonardo smirked, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—something that looked almost like amusement. “Relax, Alexander. It’s just training and besides she's my wife.”

Alexander didn’t respond, his gaze shifting to me. “Are you okay?”

I nodded, my voice barely above a whisper. “I’m fine.”

He didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t press the issue. Instead, he turned back to Leonardo, his expression dark. “Father summons for Maria.”

Leonardo’s smirk faded, and he nodded, his expression unreadable. “Very well.”

I didn’t respond, my mind racing. I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew it couldn’t be good. The Von Grimm family didn’t summon people for pleasant conversations.

---

As I followed Alexander out of the training room, my chest burning with a mix of emotions I couldn’t quite name, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had just crossed a line. The tension between me and Leonardo was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore, and I hated how it made me feel.

But deep down, I knew that I couldn’t afford to let my guard down. Not in this world. Not with these people.