Chapter 5. In Matteo's Grasp
1258 Words
The sound of ragged breathing and hushed whispers drifted from the other side of the room.
"Oh... please..."
"Tell me... how badly do you want it?"
"So bad... I really want it."
"Then come closer."
"Yeah... just like that."
Their voices blended with the occasional creak of the desk. The air was thick with perfume, sweat, and the stuffy smell of the room, making Elena Carter's stomach churn.
She stood frozen by the door, her eyes fixed on the floor.
She had absolutely no intention of looking at what was happening.
She just wanted to get out.
But fear rooted her to the spot.
She knew the man in that room wasn't someone you could simply say no to.
The voices started up again. Heavy breathing mixed with soft moans, growing faster by the second. Before she realized it, Elena slowly lifted her head.
Her breath caught.
A woman was lying across the desk, her wrists still cuffed together. Matteo Moretti stood over her, completely unfazed by Elena's presence. His expression remained cold while the woman seemed completely lost in his embrace.
Elena immediately looked away.
Damn it...
Her heart pounded so hard it felt deafening. She squeezed her eyes shut, praying it'd be over soon.
A few moments later...
Silence.
"Clean this up, then leave."
Matteo's voice was flat.
Not long after, the woman hurried out, carrying her clothes and a few towels.
Elena still didn't move.
Only after she heard the sound of a zipper being pulled up did she slowly glance back.
Before she could react, her body slammed against the wall.
"What the hell?"
Matteo's hand wrapped around her throat. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to make it difficult to breathe.
"I told you to sit."
"You seriously think I'd just sit there and watch all that?"
Matteo stared at her without blinking.
"Watch your mouth."
Elena let out a sarcastic scoff.
"Or what?"
For a second, she thought he was going to lose his temper...
Maybe even hit her.
He didn't.
He just kept staring at her with those sharp, intimidating eyes that would've made anyone else back down.
Elena held his gaze anyway.
She refused to look scared.
Slowly, Matteo's eyes dropped to her lips.
Only then did Elena realize how close they were.
Their faces were barely inches apart.
"So..."
"You actually watched?"
Elena swallowed hard.
"Get your hand off me. You reek."
The corner of Matteo's mouth curled into a faint smile.
"So you were paying attention."
"You're disgusting."
"Then why are you blushing?"
That was it.
Elena shoved him in the chest as hard as she could, forcing him back a step.
"I'd think that's a pretty crappy way to treat your future daughter-in-law."
Matteo only smirked.
"Plans changed."
"Sit."
Elena glanced at the desk.
Even though it'd already been cleaned, there was no way in hell she was sitting there.
Instead, she grabbed another chair a few feet away and sat down, meeting Matteo's eyes without flinching.
"I'm listening."
The room fell silent again.
The AC hummed softly, but the atmosphere somehow felt even heavier.
Elena leaned back in her chair, trying to steady the breathing she'd been struggling to control.
She refused to let Matteo see even the slightest hint of nerves.
Matteo, on the other hand, looked completely relaxed.
His fingers tapped lightly against the desk in a slow rhythm, as if he were thinking something over.
His eyes never really left her.
The way he watched her made Elena feel like prey waiting for the predator to strike.
She hated it.
"Do you always look at people like that?" she finally asked, breaking the silence.
"Like what?"
"Like you already know what they're gonna do next."
A faint smile crossed Matteo's face.
"Because I usually do."
Elena clicked her tongue.
"Wow. Cocky."
"Not cocky."
"Experienced."
That short answer only irritated her more.
He talked like the whole world revolved around him.
"I'm not one of your men," Elena said firmly. "So stop acting like you can read my mind."
"Really?"
Matteo stood and slowly walked around the desk.
Every footstep echoed across the polished marble floor.
He stopped right in front of her, close enough that his shadow fell over her face.
"You're angry."
Elena stayed quiet.
"You're scared too."
"I'm not scared."
"You've been clenching your jaw since the second you walked in," Matteo said, looking her straight in the eyes. "People who are actually calm don't do that."
Without thinking, Elena relaxed her jaw.
She hadn't even realized she'd been doing it until he pointed it out.
That only made her even more annoyed.
He could read her body language way too easily.
Matteo gave her that same faint smile again.
It wasn't comforting in the slightest.
"Here's something you should learn, Elena," he said quietly.
"Lying is a lot harder than telling the truth."
Elena clenched her fists in her lap.
She wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of seeing her crack.
No matter what happened...
She had to hold her ground.
Matteo returned to his chair and casually crossed one leg over the other.
"You really don't know how to follow orders."
"What are you talking about?"
"I heard you tried to escape with one of the maids."
Elena rolled her eyes.
Matteo caught the tiny gesture instantly.
"Don't do that again."
"Do what?"
"Roll your eyes."
Elena let out a long sigh.
"You seriously pick fights over the dumbest things."
"That's enough."
His expression turned even colder.
"Your punishment is—"
"I'm not taking any punishment," Elena cut him off. "I'm not a little kid. Besides, one of the servants stopped me before I even made it out of the room."
"You disobeyed me."
"So?"
"Every act of disobedience has consequences."
Elena clenched her fists.
She wanted to smash everything in the room.
Matteo never took his eyes off her.
"It's only a matter of time, Elena."
"Sooner or later..."
"I'll make you obey."
Elena let out a cold laugh.
"Why are you so obsessed with controlling everyone? You want people kneeling at your feet like you're some kind of god."
A faint smile appeared on Matteo's face.
"I'm Matteo Moretti."
"That's not an answer."
"It's all the answer you need."
Elena shook her head.
"I'm not your toy."
"No."
Matteo stepped closer.
"You're mine."
"I paid for you."
Elena's jaw tightened.
"Then how much did you pay my mother?"
"A lot."
"Your mother made damn sure I didn't get you cheap."
Elena was about to fire back, but Matteo raised a hand, stopping her.
"Enough."
"Let's talk about something else."
He studied her for a few seconds.
"How was your night?"
Elena frowned.
"That's what you wanted to ask me?"
Matteo's gaze sharpened.
"You and Enzo..."
"Did anything happen?"
Elena hesitated for a moment.
"Why do you care?"
"I asked you a question."
She took a slow breath before answering.
"Nothing happened."
"I was just forced to sleep in the same bed as a complete stranger without my consent."
Matteo searched her face carefully.
The tears Elena had been holding back finally slipped down her cheeks.
"Wipe them away."
His voice remained cold.
"I don't like looking at weak people."
Elena didn't move.
She just stared at him with pure hatred as the tears kept falling.
She'd promised herself from the very beginning...
She would never cry in front of him.
But now she realized the truth.
She had no power to fight him.
She was alone.
Helpless.
And this...
This was only the beginning.
- Writer
