His sin, Her salvation

chapter nine

Serena sat in the dimly lit room, her heart pounding as the door clicked shut behind Alessio. His presence had been suffocating, his gaze like a blade slicing through her every defense. She knew she was running out of time—running out of ways to resist him.

Ever since she'd been dragged into his world, every second had been a war—a battle between her desperate need for freedom and his ruthless determination to break her.

Tonight was no different.

Alessio had made it clear: there would be no escape. No mercy.

Her body ached from the punishments he’d dealt, from the way he forced obedience out of her. He thrived on dominance, and the more she defied him, the more he seemed to enjoy tearing her apart.

Serena wrapped her arms around herself, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. This wasn’t how her life was supposed to be. She had dreams, hopes—none of which involved being locked away in a mansion, a prisoner to a man who thrived on control.

She squeezed her eyes shut, memories of her father flashing through her mind. The man who had gambled away her future, who had made her a pawn in a game she never agreed to play.

She wanted to hate Alessio, but she hated her father more.

Her stomach twisted in rage and helplessness.

Just then, the door creaked open.

Alessio stood there, his expression unreadable. But in his dark eyes, there was something—something she couldn’t quite place.

Fear spiked through her as he took slow, deliberate steps toward her.

“You can hate me all you want, dolcezza,” he murmured. “But you belong to me now.”

She clenched her jaw, refusing to look at him.

“I have nothing to say to you.”

Alessio chuckled darkly. “That’s new. You always have something to say, even when you shouldn’t.”

She bit the inside of her cheek, swallowing back the retort that burned her tongue. He was waiting for her to snap, to fight—he enjoyed it.

But tonight, she had no fight left in her.

He knelt down, his fingers gripping her chin, forcing her to look at him. His dark eyes bore into hers, filled with something dangerous.

"You can still hate your father all you want, dolcezza," he murmured, his breath ghosting over her lips. "afterall, he’s the reason you’re here. Not me."

Serena’s chest tightened.

She wanted to tell him he was wrong. That he was the monster in this story.

But deep down, she knew—her father had created this fate for her.

And there was no way out.. This evil man was right there was no way, absolutely no way for escape. ANd even at that one thing is for sure and that she will never given in to him..she rather die in here that become submissive to him.

He can be a monster, he can control nad manipulate souls..he might have a mysterious aura, he would be all to himself and not to her. She has to fall in line with his ways for now, then plan her escape letter, right.

***********

Serena's wrists ached, the cold metal of the chain digging into her skin as she stumbled forward. The iron collar around her neck clinked with every hesitant step she took. The dimly lit corridors of Alessio’s estate felt suffocating, the walls closing in as she struggled to keep her balance. Her body screamed in protest, weak from exhaustion and the torment she had endured. But she refused to break—not yet.

As she moved, she stretched her arms slightly, trying to shake the numbness from her limbs. The guards escorting her barely acknowledged her presence, their expressions unreadable. She was nothing more than a possession, a pet being allowed a momentary breath of air before being locked away again.

Then she saw it.

A door, slightly ajar, leading to a darkened room. Inside, muffled voices murmured, low and chilling. A sharp cry followed—a sound of pure agony. Serena hesitated, her heart pounding against her ribs. She shouldn't look. She couldn't look.

But she did.

Through the small opening, she saw him. Alessio stood like a shadowed figure of death, his white dress shirt splattered with crimson. A man knelt before him, his face battered beyond recognition, whimpering through a bloodied mouth. Alessio held a knife, its blade glinting under the dim lights, his expression unreadable as he slowly ran it along the man's throat—not enough to kill, just enough to make him squirm.

Serena’s stomach churned. She slapped a hand over her mouth, suppressing a scream. Her legs trembled as she stumbled backward, the horror of the scene making bile rise in her throat.

She turned and ran.

The chains rattled as she fled, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She didn't know where she was going, only that she needed to get away. Back to her room. Back to the only place where she could at least pretend to be alone.

When she reached her chambers, she collapsed onto the floor, her body shaking uncontrollably. Tears stung her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

Then she felt him.

The air shifted, an overwhelming presence filling the room. Serena didn’t have to look up to know who it was.

Alessio.