CHAPTER FOUR: BOUND BY A PROMISE
638 Words
Chapter Four: Bound by a Promise.
The hospital was colder than Isla expected.
The sterile white walls and soft beeping of machines made her chest tighten as she followed Alessio through the hallways. His presence was intimidating, but for once, she wasn’t focused on him.
All she could think about was the woman in the operating room.
Her grandmother.
The only family she had left.
A doctor approached them near the waiting area, glancing between her and Alessio. “The surgery is in progress,” he informed them. “We have the best team working on her.”
Isla nodded, her throat too tight to speak.
Alessio, on the other hand, exuded pure authority. “There will be no mistakes,” he said, his voice low but firm. “I made sure of that.”
The doctor visibly swallowed, nodding quickly before excusing himself.
Isla turned to Alessio. “Did you threaten him?”
His lips twitched, but he didn’t confirm or deny it.
She sighed, rubbing her temples. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
Alessio studied her. “You should sit. It might take a while.”
She wanted to argue, to tell him she didn’t need his concern, but the truth was, her legs felt like jelly.
She sank onto one of the chairs in the waiting area, clasping her hands together.
Alessio sat beside her, his long legs stretched out as if he had all the time in the world.
Silence stretched between them.
It wasn’t exactly comfortable, but it wasn’t hostile either.
After a few moments, he spoke. “You never told me how she got sick.”
Isla hesitated. “She has a heart condition. It started a few years ago, but we couldn’t afford the surgery. I did everything I could—worked multiple jobs, applied for loans—but it was never enough.”
Alessio hummed. “And your parents?”
The question sent a dull ache through her chest.
“They died in a car accident when I was ten,” she admitted. “After that, it was just me and Nonna.”
Alessio didn’t say anything right away.
When he finally spoke, his voice was softer than usual. “You’ve been fighting for a long time.”
Isla swallowed hard, keeping her gaze fixed on the floor.
“Yeah,” she whispered. “I have.”
She expected him to make some arrogant remark, to tell her she was lucky he had come along.
But he didn’t.
Instead, he leaned back against the chair, closing his eyes as if he, too, was lost in thought.
For the first time since meeting him, Isla saw something beneath the cold, ruthless exterior.
Something almost… human.
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Hours passed.
Isla barely moved from her seat, her nerves eating away at her.
Alessio had made a few phone calls, speaking in hushed Italian, but he never left her side.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the doctor returned.
“The surgery was a success,” he announced. “She’s stable now.”
A breath Isla hadn’t realized she was holding escaped her lips.
Relief crashed over her like a tidal wave.
“T-Thank you,” she stammered, her vision blurring with tears.
The doctor nodded. “You can see her soon, but she needs rest.”
Isla wiped her eyes, nodding quickly.
Alessio stood, stretching slightly before looking down at her. “I’ll give you a moment.”
She blinked up at him.
“You’re leaving?”
He smirked. “I held up my end of the deal. Now, you owe me, remember?”
Her stomach twisted.
She had almost forgotten—almost.
Her freedom was no longer her own.
She was bound to him now.
And something told her that was more dangerous than anything she had ever faced.
- Writer
