Contract to Hell's Den

The univited guest

Elena's pov

The dining room went dead silent the moment Serena burst through the door.

She was beautiful, tall, perfectly made up, wearing a tight red dress that screamed confidence. But the moment her eyes landed on Giovanni, she froze. All that screaming and yelling disappeared. She straightened her back, lowered her head slightly, and forced a calm smile.

Giovanni’s face turned dark with rage. He slammed his hand on the table and stood up so fast his chair scraped loudly against the floor.

“What the hell are you doing here?” he barked, voice low and dangerous. He looked ready to explode.

I held my breath. The air suddenly felt thick.

Alex stood up quickly, placing a firm hand on his father’s shoulder. He gave Giovanni a hard look that clearly said “I’ll handle this.”

Giovanni’s jaw clenched, anger flashing in his eyes, but he slowly sat back down.

Alex walked straight to Serena without saying a word to anyone. He grabbed her arm, not gently, and ushered her toward the door.

“Come outside,” he said coldly.

Serena glanced at me for a split second, her eyes full of hate, before she let Alex lead her out.

The moment the door closed behind them, everyone at the table went back to eating like nothing had happened. Forks clinked against plates. Giovanni picked up his wine glass as if nothing was wrong. Isabella even smiled sweetly and asked for more wine.

But I couldn’t eat.

My stomach was in knots. Who was that woman? Why did Alex rush to take her outside so fast? And why did Giovanni look like he wanted to kill her the second he saw her?

I kept stealing glances at the door, my heart beating faster with every second that passed. Alex had been cold to me since I arrived, but the way he handled Serena… there was something familiar in the way he touched her arm. Something possessive.

Jealousy twisted inside me even though I hated myself for feeling it.

I forced myself to pick up my fork and continue eating, but my hand was shaking. The food tasted like nothing. All I could think about was what was happening outside that door.

What kind of relationship did Alex have with that woman?

And why did it suddenly feel like my one-year contract had just become a lot more complicated?

I was still thinking about what was going on and what they were talking about when I heard Serena’s angry voice cut through the air.

“Alex, did you seriously choose that b***h over me? That nasty looking frog?”

My fork froze halfway to my mouth. The whole dining table went quiet. I strained to listen.

Alex’s voice came back, low and controlled. “Serena, this is just for one year. It’s a contract. I was never truly in love with her. You know I love you and I can never chest on you with Elena. She is not my type, she is poor, ugly and useless.”

“Elena's that is the b***h name.”

“Yes.” Alex replied calmly like a loyal dog.

Serena sounded furious. “Then why did you marry her? Do you sleep in the same bed? Do you touch her? Tell me the truth!”

“No,” Alex replied sharply. “We don’t sleep together. It’s not like that.”

“I’m moving in with you,” Serena demanded.

“No baby you cannot move in with me, it is not right and moresoe-” Serena cut Alex short.

“It's not right. Seriously? Are you kidding me?” Serena asked

Alex’s tone hardened but remained calm. “That is not what I mean, babe. My father won’t agree to that.”

The voices were loud enough that everyone at the table could hear. Isabella smiled and giggled a lot. Giovanni’s face turned red with irritation. He gripped his wine glass so tightly I thought it might shatter.

Serena kept pushing. “What about the party tomorrow? Is it true you’re introducing her as your new bride?”

“Yes,” Alex said. “But it’s just for show. Nothing more.”

“You didn't tell me you were hosting a party Alex. I saw it on insta anyways I’ll be there,” Serena snapped. “Give me an invitation.”

Alex tried to refuse. “Serena, don’t—”

She raised her voice even louder, making a big fuss. “If you don’t give me one, I’ll cause a scene in front of everyone!”

There was a moment of silence. Then Alex sighed heavily. “Fine. That’s the invitation.”

Their argument was so loud it felt like they were still in the room with us. My chest tightened. Every word hurt more than I expected.

Giovanni finally lost his patience. He slammed his hand on the table and yelled, “I give you one minute to get back in here or you shall bear the consequences!”

I heard Alex give Serena a loud peck on the cheek. “See you tomorrow.”

The door opened and Alex walked back in, his face cold and closed off. He sat down like nothing had happened.

But I couldn’t pretend anymore.

From everything I had just heard, Serena was clearly Alex’s real girlfriend. My stomach twisted painfully. I suddenly had no appetite. This was supposed to be just a contract, yet the jealousy burning inside me felt too real.

I stood up quickly, my chair scraping loudly against the floor.

“Thank you for dinner, Father,” I said to Giovanni, forcing a small smile. “Please excuse me.”

I didn’t wait for a reply. I turned and walked out of the dining area, my heels clicking fast on the marble floor. Behind me, I heard Isabella laughing loudly, clearly enjoying my discomfort.

I rushed to my room, shut the door hard behind me, and collapsed onto the bed. I stared at the ceiling as if it could give me answers.

Why did hearing Alex say he didn’t love me hurt so much?

Why did the thought of him with Serena make my chest ache?

This was only a contract. One year. Nothing more.

So why did it suddenly feel like my heart was breaking?