Beauty and the don

Chapter Two: The offer

Isabella’s heart raced as she stepped into the elevator, her fingers gripping the cool fabric of the garment bag. She couldn’t shake the image of Alessio Moretti’s eyes—dark, calculating, as if he knew something about her that even she wasn’t aware of. It unsettled her, gnawed at the edges of her confidence.

The elevator doors slid shut, and for a moment, she was alone, just a woman trying to finish a job. But then, as if fate itself were mocking her, the elevator jolted to a stop. The soft hum of the building’s machinery went silent.

Isabella’s breath caught in her throat. She reached for the buttons, her fingers trembling, but nothing happened. She was stuck.

A quiet chuckle echoed from the back corner of the elevator.

"Not exactly the exit you were hoping for, huh?"

Isabella whipped around, her stomach dropping.

Alessio Moretti stood there, tall and imposing, as if he’d materialized from the shadows. His gaze locked onto hers with an intensity that made the air feel thick, oppressive.

“What do you want?” she asked, forcing her voice to steady despite the panic clawing at her insides.

He smiled, a slow, almost predatory grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “What I want is simple. You.”

Her pulse quickened, and her instinct told her to run. But where would she go? She was trapped, and he knew it.

“You’ve got it wrong. I’m just here to drop off a suit for your associate,” Isabella said, her words shaky but firm. She tried to keep the tone of authority in her voice, but she knew it was a lie. She wasn’t just here for a delivery. There was something far darker waiting for her in this man’s gaze.

Alessio took a step closer, the space between them closing rapidly. She could smell the faintest hint of his cologne, a rich, woody scent that lingered in the air long after he moved. He didn’t speak for a moment, his eyes studying her with unnerving precision.

“I’m sure you are,” he said finally. “But I see something else. Something... intriguing.”

He reached out, his hand brushing lightly against the garment bag. She instinctively pulled it back, her breath catching in her throat.

“Don’t touch that,” she snapped, her voice more forceful than she intended.

Alessio’s eyes flashed with amusement, but he didn’t press further. Instead, he leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest, still eyeing her like a hunter observing its prey. “You’re not from around here, are you?”

She hesitated. He didn’t need to know anything more about her life. “No. I’m just a designer.”

“A designer,” he repeated, his lips curling into a smile that made her stomach churn. “And yet, you’re here in the heart of my world, delivering a suit for one of my men. Tell me, Isabella, what’s your story?”

Isabella stiffened. She didn’t owe him any explanations. She was here on business, and that was it. She was not a part of his world, and she never would be.

“I think it’s time I go,” she said, trying to push past him.

But Alessio was quicker, his hand snapping out to stop her. His fingers curled around her wrist with a possessive grip that made her freeze.

“No,” he said softly. “Not yet. You’ve caught my attention. And once that happens, you belong to me. Whether you like it or not.”

Her pulse pounded in her ears, but something in his words made her freeze. There was no escaping this man. Not now. Not ever.

And for reasons she couldn’t explain, part of her didn’t want to.