Chapter 4
1376 Words
Elena didn’t go straight home after the park.
She walked for almost two hours, circling blocks, taking random turns, trying to lose the feeling of being watched. But every time she glanced over her shoulder, she half-expected to see that black car again. Or worse — Luca standing somewhere in the shadows, watching with those cold eyes that seemed to see straight through her.
By the time she finally pushed open the front door of their brownstone, the sun was already setting. The house smelled like burnt coffee and old arguments. Marco was in the kitchen, cleaning a gun on the table. He looked up sharply when she walked in.
“Where the hell have you been?” he demanded. “Dad’s been calling nonstop. He’s losing his shit.”
Elena dropped into a chair, exhausted. “I needed air.”
Marco wiped his hands on a rag and studied her face. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. What happened?”
She hesitated, then told him everything. The park. Luca showing up. The way he spoke like her life was already decided. The ring. The photograph of her sleeping.
Marco’s face went pale. He sat down heavily across from her.
“Jesus Christ, Elena. He’s been in the house. In your room. While you were sleeping.”
The words made her go numb. She had felt safe in that room her whole life, even when everything else was falling apart. Now, that safety was gone.
“I’m telling you, we need to run,” Marco said, “Tonight. I have a contact in Jersey who can hide us for a couple weeks. We’ll figure out the rest later. Cash jobs. New names. Anything.”
Elena rubbed her temples. “And Dad?”
Marco’s expression hardened. “Dad made his choice when he offered you up like a f*****g prize. Let him deal with the consequences.”
She wanted to say yes. She wanted to pack a bag and disappear before Luca could tighten the noose any further. But something held her back. The memory of Luca’s calm voice. The way he looked at her like he already knew how this story ended.
Before she could answer, the front door opened. Their father walked in, looking worse than usual — tie loose, eyes wild, sweat staining his shirt.
He saw Elena and relief flashed across his face for half a second. Then it turned to anger.
“Where the f**k have you been?” he shouted. “Rossi’s people called. They said you met with him today. What did you say to him?”
Elena stood up slowly. “I didn’t say anything. He found me. He’s watching me, Dad. He had a picture of me sleeping in my own bed.”
Her father waved a hand dismissively. “That’s just how these people operate. They like to know what they’re buying.”
“B-buying?” Elena’s voice cracked. “I’m not a car! or a goddamn property, Dad”
Her father slammed his fist on the table. “You think this is a game? Four million dollars, Elena! Four million! If I don’t deliver you, they’re going to come for this house. For Marco. For all of us. You want that on your conscience?”
Marco stepped forward. “Dad, stop. You’re scaring her.”
“I’m trying to save us!” their father roared. “Rossi is the only one offering a way out. The others want blood. You should be on your knees thanking me.”
Elena felt tears burning behind her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. “Thanking you for selling your daughter?”
Her father looked away, unable to meet her gaze. “It’s just marriage. You’ll learn to live with it.”
The words hung in the air like poison.
Elena turned and walked upstairs without another word. She locked her bedroom door, even though she knew it wouldn’t stop anyone who really wanted to get in. She sat on the edge of her bed and stared at the floor for a long time.
Later that night, Marco knocked softly.
“I’m serious about running,” he whispered through the door. “I can have a car ready by midnight. We can be gone before sunrise.”
Elena pressed her forehead against the wood. “Give me until tomorrow. If I can’t change Dad’s mind, then we go.”
Marco was quiet for a long moment. “One day, Elena. That’s it. After that, I’m dragging you out myself.”
She didn’t sleep.
The next morning, rumors had already started spreading through their circle. People were talking. Her phone buzzed with messages from old acquaintances — some asking if it was true, others offering fake sympathy. One message stood out.
Unknown number: *He’s been watching you for years. Be careful.*
Elena deleted it immediately with her hands shaking.
By afternoon, her father came home with new clothes... Expensive ones. Dresses, shoes, jewelry. He dropped the bags on her bed like it was a gift.
“Rossi sent these. He wants you to wear something nice when he comes for dinner tonight.”
Elena stared at the bags. “He’s coming here?”
Her father nodded. “Be ready by eight. Smile. Be nice. This is our chance, Elena.”
She wanted to scream. Instead, she nodded silently.
When eight o’clock came, she wore the simplest black dress from the pile. No makeup. Hair pulled back tight. She wasn’t going to pretend to be happy.
Luca arrived exactly on time.
He walked into their living room like he owned it, black coat draped over one arm. His presence made the small space feel even smaller. Her father practically bowed.
“Mr. Rossi, welcome. Dinner is almost ready.”
Luca didn’t look at her father. His eyes went straight to Elena.
“You look… restrained,” he said. There was a hint of amusement in it, but no warmth.
Elena lifted her chin. “I’m not here to impress you.”
Luca’s lips curved slightly. “Good. I prefer honesty.”
Dinner was tense. Her father talked too much, trying to sell the alliance. Marco sat silently, glaring at Luca the entire time. Elena barely touched her food. She could feel Luca watching her between every bite.
After dinner, her father suggested they talk business in the living room. Elena tried to excuse herself, but Luca spoke before she could.
“I’d like Elena to stay.”
Her father hesitated, then nodded. “Of course.”
Luca waited until her father and Marco left the room. Then he turned to her fully.
“You’ve been trying to run,” he said. Not a question. A statement.
“What makes you think that?”
Luca stepped closer. “Because I would run too if I were in your position. But you won’t make it far. Not from me.”
The words should have scared her. They did. But there was something else underneath the fear — a dark curiosity she hated herself for feeling.
“Why me?” she asked again. “There are a thousand women who would kill to marry you. Why force someone who hates you?”
Luca studied her face for a long moment. “Because you’re the only one who looks at me like I’m the monster. And I like that.”
He reached out and brushed his thumb across her lower lip, slow and deliberate. “Ninety days, Elena. That’s what I’m offering. Ninety days to decide if you can live with me. If you still want to leave after that, I’ll let you go.”
Her mind reeled. *Ninety days*.. A clock. A test.
But the way he was looking at her made her wonder if she would even last that long without breaking.
Luca leaned in, lips brushing her ear.
“Tick tock,” he whispered.
Then he stepped back, turned, and left the house without another word.
Elena stood there long after the door closed, skin tingling where he had touched her, heart racing with a mixture of fear and something far more dangerous.
She had ninety days.
And she was already terrified she might not want them to end.
- Writer
