CHAPTER3
1128 Words
Elena stared at the note in her trembling hands. The words blurred, her mind racing.
“Be careful who you trust. The real danger isn’t Lorenzo.”
Her eyes darted around the dimly lit bedroom. The walls seemed to close in, the air suddenly too thick to breathe. Who had left this? How had they even gotten into Lorenzo’s house?
Her fingers tightened around the paper as a cold realization settled in—she wasn’t safe here. Not from him. Not from whoever wrote this.
A soft creak sounded from the hallway.
Elena’s pulse spiked. She shoved the note into the pocket of her dress, her body tensing. Footsteps. Slow, deliberate. Someone was outside her door.
She turned just as the handle twisted.
The door opened.
Lorenzo stepped in.
His sharp gaze locked onto her, scanning her face like he could see right through her. He was still dressed in his suit, the top buttons undone, his tie discarded. His presence filled the room like a storm waiting to break.
“You’re still awake.” His voice was calm, but there was something dangerous underneath.
Elena swallowed. “I couldn’t sleep.”
Lorenzo stepped closer, his gaze never leaving hers. “Why?”
She forced herself to stay still. “This isn’t exactly normal for me.”
His head tilted slightly. “No, I imagine it’s not.”
Another step.
Elena’s heart pounded.
Lorenzo’s eyes darkened, like he could sense her unease. “What’s wrong?”
She hesitated. Tell him about the note. See his reaction.
But something in her gut screamed no.
“I just… I still don’t understand why you wanted this marriage,” she lied.
Lorenzo studied her for a long moment. Then, without warning, he reached for her wrist.
Elena sucked in a sharp breath. His grip was firm, his thumb brushing lightly against her skin. Not painful, but possessive.
“You’re asking the wrong question,” he murmured.
Her pulse stuttered. “Then what’s the right one?”
Lorenzo’s lips curved into something almost cruel. “Why did your father agree?”
Elena stiffened.
A beat of silence.
Then Lorenzo’s grip tightened just enough for her to feel it.
“He didn’t just offer you to me out of desperation, Elena.” His voice was low, almost taunting. “He wanted something.”
Her stomach twisted. “You’re lying.”
His smirk didn’t fade. “Am I?”
Elena yanked her wrist free, her skin burning where he had touched her.
“You think you know your father,” Lorenzo continued, stepping even closer, forcing her back toward the wall. “But men like him don’t make sacrifices unless they get something in return.”
Elena’s breath came quicker now. “Then tell me. What did he get?”
Lorenzo leaned in, his voice barely above a whisper.
“A promise.”
The air between them crackled with tension.
Elena searched his eyes for the truth, but all she found was something unreadable. Something dangerous.
A sharp knock on the door shattered the moment.
Lorenzo’s expression darkened as he straightened.
“What?” he barked.
The door opened, and Marco stepped in, his usual composed face set with urgency. “We have a problem.”
Lorenzo’s entire demeanor shifted. He turned to Elena, his expression unreadable.
“Stay here.”
Then he was gone, leaving the room heavy with unanswered questions.
Elena exhaled shakily, her mind spinning.
Then she remembered the note.
Slowly, she pulled it from her pocket, rereading the words.
“Be careful who you trust.”
Lorenzo was hiding something.
Her father was hiding something.
And someone somewhere wanted her to know the truth.
But at what cost?
Elena folded the note carefully, but just as she was about to put it away, something caught her eye.
A shadow moved outside her window.
Someone was watching her.
Elena’s breath hitched.
She wasn’t imagining it.
There was someone outside her window.
Her pulse hammered as she stepped back, pressing herself against the wall. The curtains fluttered slightly from the night breeze, but beyond them, a shadow moved—a figure lurking in the darkness.
Who was it?
Was it the person who had left the note? Or someone else? Someone more dangerous?
She forced herself to breathe. Think, Elena. If she called for help, would it bring safety or more trouble?
She had no idea who she could trust.
Her fingers itched to pull the curtains aside, to see who was out there. But a deep voice in her head warned her to be careful.
Instead, she slowly reached for the lamp on her nightstand.
Then she switched it off.
The room plunged into darkness.
Her heartbeat pounded in her ears as she moved silently to the window, pressing herself against the side of the wall. She waited.
Seconds passed.
Then a shift. A flicker of movement. The figure outside hesitated, as if trying to see inside.
Elena held her breath.
Then, just as suddenly as they had appeared, the shadow disappeared.
Gone.
Elena exhaled shakily, her hands gripping the windowsill. Who was that? And why had they been watching her?
She had to find out.
But before she could think further, the bedroom door burst open.
“Elena.”
Lorenzo’s deep, commanding voice filled the room, his sharp gaze scanning for danger. His body was tense, his presence demanding.
“What happened?” he asked, stepping inside.
Elena hesitated. Should she tell him?
“I.., “ She swallowed, still shaken. “I thought I saw something outside.”
Lorenzo’s eyes darkened instantly. He turned toward Marco, who stood just outside the door. “Check the perimeter. Now.”
Marco nodded once and disappeared down the hall.
Lorenzo turned back to her. His expression was unreadable, but there was something else in his eyes, something she hadn’t seen before.
Concern.
“You’re shaking.” His voice was quieter now.
Elena hadn’t even realized it.
She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to steady her breathing. “I don’t know who it was.”
Lorenzo took a step closer, his gaze locking onto hers.
“From now on,” he said, his voice low, firm, “you don’t sleep alone.”
Elena’s eyes widened. “What?”
His expression didn’t waver. “If someone is watching you, we don’t take risks.”
She shook her head. “I don’t need a babysitter”
“You don’t have a choice.”
The finality in his tone made her stomach tighten.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The air between them was thick, charged.
Then Lorenzo turned, heading toward the door.
“Get some rest,” he said. “Because tomorrow, you and I are going to have a very important conversation.”
- Writer
