Owned By My Enemy

Episode2

The city streets were quieter now, the oppressive heat of the day easing into the cool shadows of dusk. The amber glow of street lamps flickered in the fog rolling off the distant ocean, painting the city in tones of gold and gray. It was a city of contrasts, just like the man walking beside her.

Alessia kept her distance, but Lorenzo De Luca seemed to move effortlessly within her personal space, his presence like a constant weight pressing against her chest. Every time she caught a glimpse of him—his jawline sharp under the moonlight, his eyes a dark mystery that seemed to promise destruction—she felt the pull of his power. The same power that belonged to the De Luca name, the same power that had destroyed her family.

She swallowed hard, pushing the thought aside, focusing on the sound of her own breath. She should’ve known this was a mistake from the beginning. Getting too close to him, allowing the attraction to grow, was a danger she had no business entertaining.

But damn it, you can’t resist him, can you?

Her mind wrestled with the truth of it. She hated him. She hated everything he stood for. But when he looked at her, that calculating, dark gaze, it left her feeling… vulnerable.

And yet, despite it all, she wanted him.

Alessia clenched her fists, the silk of her dress brushing her skin like a reminder of how out of control she was. Her heels clicked against the pavement, the only sound besides the occasional distant honk of a car. Lorenzo had been strangely quiet as they walked through the empty streets, his pace matching hers. He was letting the silence linger, and in that silence, it felt like everything was about to break.

She shot a glance at him. “You’re not much of a talker, are you?”

Lorenzo smirked, the expression barely visible beneath the shadows cast by his dark mask. “What’s the point of talking when silence speaks louder?” he replied, his voice low and smooth, like honey sliding across a knife. “Besides, I prefer watching. Watching you.”

Alessia froze. Her breath caught, the sting of his words hitting her harder than she anticipated. She didn’t want to admit it, but the way his gaze lingered on her felt almost… predatory. Like a hunter observing his prey.

She walked faster, her heartbeat picking up speed. Her eyes darted ahead, looking for any distraction, anything that could break the suffocating tension between them.

“Why are we out here?” she finally asked, her voice tight. “What’s your game, De Luca?”

Lorenzo didn’t respond immediately. His eyes never left her face, studying her with an intensity that made her skin burn under his scrutiny.

After what felt like an eternity, he spoke. “I’m not playing any game, Alessia. But you… You’ve been running from the truth, hiding behind the lies your family has wrapped you in. I’m just… offering you a way out.”

She stopped in her tracks, the words hitting her like a slap. “A way out?” she repeated incredulously. “You think you can offer me anything?”

Lorenzo turned toward her fully now, his shadowed figure towering above her. The space between them felt like a chasm, and yet his presence swallowed it whole.

“Yes,” he said softly, almost too calmly. “I can offer you a choice. A choice between loyalty to your family… or loyalty to yourself. You’ve always had a choice, Alessia. But you’ve never been allowed to make it.”

The challenge in his tone was unmistakable, a quiet dare that threatened to unravel her. She felt the anger rise in her chest, her hands trembling, but she forced it down. This was what he wanted, wasn’t it? To see her react, to see if he could break her.

“I don’t need you to ‘offer’ me anything,” she spat, trying to mask the unease creeping up her spine. “I’ve always known my path. My loyalty lies with my family.”

Lorenzo’s lips twisted into a faint smile, but his eyes remained cold, calculating.

“That’s the problem, Alessia,” he said softly. “You’ve spent your whole life following orders. Obeying rules that aren’t even yours. And yet, here you are—staring into the face of the man who’s your greatest enemy, and still, you won’t break free.”

Her heart skipped a beat as his words hit home. The truth of it was undeniable. She had been raised to obey, to carry the weight of her family’s name like a crown of thorns. But this—this was different. This wasn’t a family matter. This was a choice that only she could make.

She fought to maintain her composure. “I’m not your pawn, De Luca.”

“Then why do you keep following me?” he asked, his voice almost a whisper, full of dark amusement. “Why do you keep letting me draw you in?”

Alessia’s mouth went dry. She opened her mouth to argue, but the words wouldn’t come. His presence was suffocating now, too much, too overwhelming. His proximity threatened to unravel the walls she had spent her life building.

Lorenzo took a step closer, closing the gap between them, until she could feel the heat radiating off his body. He leaned in, his lips barely brushing her ear. “You want to know why I’m doing this, Alessia?” he murmured, his breath hot against her skin. “Because I know you better than you know yourself.”

The blood drained from her face as he continued, his voice dark and thick with threat. “You think you’re the one making the choices, but you’re not. You’re trapped, just like I am. And the only way out… is through me.”

Alessia’s heart hammered in her chest, and she struggled to breathe. She tried to step back, but her legs were frozen. This isn’t happening. This can’t be happening.

“I’m not like you, De Luca,” she managed to force out, her voice a mixture of defiance and fear. “You can’t control me.”

A dark laugh escaped his lips, low and dangerous. “I don’t need to control you, Alessia. You’re already mine.”

The words hit her like a jolt of electricity. Her body reacted before her mind could catch up. In an instant, he was kissing her—forceful, demanding, claiming her mouth like he had every right to. She tried to pull away, to push him off, but the moment his hands slid around her waist, everything inside her screamed to surrender.

Her mind was a whirlwind of confusion and desire. She knew this was wrong. She knew he was the enemy. And yet, there was something inside her, something primal and dark, that wanted this. Wanted him.

She pulled away, gasping for air, her chest heaving. She looked at him, her eyes wide with shock and something else—something that terrified her.

“What do you want from me, Lorenzo?” she whispered, her voice shaky.

His gaze softened, but only for a moment. He didn’t answer right away, his eyes searching hers, as though weighing something far beyond the question. Finally, he spoke.

“Everything.”

The single word hung between them like a threat, a promise. And for the first time in her life, Alessia felt as though her fate was no longer in her hands.