Chapter4 - Under his Rules
1394 Words
Elena didn’t sleep.
Not properly, anyway.
Every time she closed her eyes, her mind replayed the same things over and over again.
Luca’s voice.
The photo on his phone.
Those three men were outside her apartment.
You belong to me now.
She sat up in the unfamiliar bed, staring out at the city through the massive glass windows. The view was beautiful.
Too beautiful.
It didn’t feel real.
Nothing about this felt real.
A soft knock sounded at the door.
Elena froze.
“Miss Russo?” a woman’s voice called gently. “May I come in?”
Elena hesitated before answering.
“…yes.”
The door opened slowly.
The same woman from earlier stepped inside, carrying a tray.
“Good morning,” she said politely.
Morning?
Elena blinked.
Sunlight had already filled the room.
She hadn’t even realized she’d fallen asleep.
“What time is it?”
“Just after nine.”
Elena ran a hand through her hair.
“I didn’t even hear anything.”
“This house is very quiet,” the woman replied.
That didn’t make Elena feel better.
The tray was placed on the small table near the window.
Coffee.
Toast.
Fruit.
It looked perfect.
Too perfect.
“Mr. Romano asked me to make sure you ate.”
Of course he did.
“Where is he?” Elena asked.
“In his office.”
“Does he always wake up this early?”
The woman smiled slightly.
“He doesn’t sleep much.”
That didn’t surprise her.
“Thank you,” Elena said.
The woman nodded and left the room silently.
Elena stared at the tray for a moment.
Then sighed.
“Well… at least I’m not starving.”
Twenty minutes later, Elena stood outside a large set of double doors.
His office.
She hesitated.
Then knocked.
“Come in.”
His voice was just as calm as always.
Elena pushed the door open.
Luca Romano sat behind a massive desk, a file open in front of him. He didn’t look up immediately.
He finished reading whatever was on the page before closing it.
Only then did his eyes lift to hers.
“You slept.”
It wasn’t a question.
“Barely.”
“You’ll adjust.”
“I don’t want to adjust.”
His expression didn’t change.
“That’s not how this works.”
Elena stepped further into the room.
“This whole situation is insane.”
“Yes.”
“And you’re just… fine with it?”
“I’ve lived in this world my entire life.”
That much was obvious.
She crossed her arms.
“So what now?”
Luca leaned back slightly in his chair.
“Now we establish rules.”
Elena frowned.
“Rules?”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t agree to rules.”
“You agreed to work for me.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
“It is in my world.”
Of course it was.
“Fine,” she said. “What kind of rules?”
Luca stood.
He walked around the desk slowly, stopping a few feet in front of her.
“You don’t leave this house without my permission.”
Elena’s eyes narrowed.
“That’s not a rule. That’s a prison.”
“It’s protection.”
“It feels the same.”
Luca ignored that.
“You don’t speak to anyone about me, my business, or anything you see here.”
“Obviously.”
“You don’t lie to me.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“And you won’t lie to me?”
Luca didn’t answer that.
Interesting.
“And finally,” he continued, “when I tell you to do something, you do it.”
Elena laughed softly.
“That’s not happening.”
His gaze darkened slightly.
“It will.”
“No, it won’t.”
They stared at each other.
Neither of them backing down.
The tension in the room shifted.
Changed.
It wasn’t just anger anymore.
There was something else there now.
Something sharper.
More dangerous.
Elena broke the silence first.
“What exactly am I supposed to be doing today?”
Luca stepped back slightly.
“Working.”
“Painting?”
“Yes.”
“And what am I painting?”
Luca studied her for a moment.
Then said, “Me.”
Elena blinked.
“…you?”
“Yes.”
She let out a short laugh.
“You’re serious?”
“Very.”
“That’s your big plan? I move into your house and paint your portrait?”
“It’s a start.”
Elena shook her head.
“You’re unbelievable.”
“Get used to it.”
He turned toward the door.
“Come.”
“Where are we going now?”
“My studio.”
“You have a studio?”
“I have everything I need.”
Of course he did.
The room he led her into was on the other side of the house.
And it was… perfect.
Natural light streamed through tall windows.
Blank canvases lined the walls.
Shelves filled with high-end paints and brushes.
Elena stepped inside slowly.
“This is…”
She didn’t even know how to finish the sentence.
“Acceptable?” Luca offered.
“It’s incredible.”
He watched her reaction carefully.
For the first time, something like satisfaction flickered in his eyes.
“You’ll work here.”
Elena walked further into the room, running her fingers lightly over one of the canvases.
“This must have cost a fortune.”
“Yes.”
“You did all this… overnight?”
“I had help.”
She turned to face him.
“Why?”
The question hung in the air between them.
Luca didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, he stepped closer.
“You said you’d do whatever it takes,” he said quietly.
Elena’s pulse quickened.
“I didn’t mean—”
“I know what you meant.”
He stopped just in front of her.
Too close.
Again.
“You’re here because you chose to be,” he continued.
“That’s not entirely true.”
“You could have walked away.”
“And gotten kidn*pped?”
“That’s still a choice.”
Elena exhaled slowly.
“You’re impossible.”
“So I’ve been told.”
For a moment, neither of them moved.
The air between them felt different.
Heavier.
Charged.
Then Luca spoke again.
“Start painting.”
Elena hesitated.
“Now?”
“Yes.”
She glanced at the blank canvas.
Then back at him.
“You’re just going to stand there?”
“If that’s what it takes.”
She rolled her eyes slightly.
“This is ridiculous.”
“Paint.”
Elena picked up a brush slowly.
Dipped it into the paint.
Then paused.
Her hand hovered over the canvas.
“You’re staring at me.”
“Is that a problem?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s distracting.”
A faint smirk touched his lips.
“Then don’t look at me.”
Easy for him to say.
Elena took a breath and finally pressed the brush against the canvas.
The first stroke.
Then another.
And another.
Minutes passed in silence.
Luca didn’t move.
Didn’t speak.
He just watched.
And somehow… that made everything worse.
After a while, Elena stepped back slightly.
Her heart skipped.
Even unfinished, the painting already looked like him.
Sharp.
Dark.
Dangerous.
She swallowed.
“You’re not going to like it.”
“I didn’t ask to like it.”
She turned to face him.
“Why me, really?”
The question came out softer this time.
More honest.
Luca studied her.
Then his gaze shifted slightly.
Past her.
Toward the window.
“For someone who claims not to trust me,” he said quietly,
“you ask a lot of personal questions.”
Elena frowned.
“That’s not an answer.”
“No.”
“It’s not.”
Silence stretched again.
Then—
A sharp knock echoed through the room.
Luca’s expression changed instantly.
All warmth gone.
All softness replaced by something cold and dangerous.
“Enter.”
The door opened.
One of his men stepped inside.
“Boss,” he said urgently, “we have a problem.”
Luca didn’t look away from Elena.
“What kind of problem?”
The man hesitated.
Then said,
“The Bratva is already in the city.”
Elena’s blood ran cold.
And Luca Romano…
smiled.
- Writer
