Chapter Three
1646 Words
Her thoughts shattered when the door suddenly swung open.
A massive figure stepped inside.
Elisa stiffened as she recognized Justin, the towering man who had stood beside Emiliano the day before. His face was blank, unreadable, his presence alone enough to make the air feel heavy.
“Boss wants to see you,” he said, his voice flat.
Before she could react, his thick hand wrapped around her arm, yanking her up with no effort.
Her legs wobbled beneath her, weak from hunger, but Justin didn’t care. He dragged her forward, ignoring her struggle, his grip like iron. She had no choice but to follow, her mind racing for a way out, for any opportunity to break free.
They moved through the dimly lit halls, each step echoing through the massive estate. The place was elegant, lavish even, but to Elisa, it felt like a prison.
And then, she was shoved inside his presence.
Emiliano sat at the head of a grand room, leaning back in his chair like he owned the world. His resemblance to Ricardo was striking the same sharp jawline, the same piercing blue eyes. But where Ricardo’s gaze burned with silent intensity, Emiliano’s felt cold, calculating.
His lips curled into a smirk as he eyed her from head to toe. “You look terrible.”
Elisa said nothing. She refused to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.
Emiliano pushed himself to his feet, stepping toward her with slow, deliberate strides.
“I’ll make this easy for you,” he murmured, tilting his head. “Marry me, and you’ll be treated like a queen. You’ll have food, water, luxury and everything a woman could want.”
Elisa’s stomach twisted in disgust.
She lifted her chin, meeting his gaze with defiance. “I would rather die.”
Emiliano’s smirk faltered.
“I would rather marry Ricardo,” she continued, her voice steady. “Not because he isn’t dangerous, but because at least he’s a man with honor. At least when I saw him, my heart….” She stopped herself. She wouldn’t let Emiliano see the effect Ricardo had on her. But deep down, she knew the truth. From the moment she had locked eyes with Ricardo Castillo, something inside her had shifted.
Emiliano’s jaw tightened.
And then suddenly a sharp c***k rang through the room , Pain exploded across her cheek, then again on the other side. Her head snapped back, and the taste of blood filled her mouth.
Elisa gasped but refused to fall.
Emiliano’s face twisted in fury. “You little w***e,” he hissed, his breath ragged.
Elisa’s body trembled, but she forced herself to look him in the eyes, refusing to let him see fear.
His grip tightened on her chin. “You think Ricardo will save you?” he taunted. “He only wants you because our father told him to marry you. He’ll use you and discard you like every other woman.”
Elisa didn’t flinch. “I’d still choose him over you.”
Emiliano’s nostrils flared. His control snapped.
“Take her back,” he barked at Justin. “No food. No water.”
Justin grabbed her roughly, dragging her away.
As she was pulled through the hallway, Elisa kept her head high.
She didn’t know how she would escape.
She didn’t know if Ricardo would come for her.
But she knew one thing, she would never belong to Emiliano. Never.
And she prayed that Ricardo would come before it was too late.
Ricardo sat in his study, the weight of the situation pressing down on him like a storm he couldn’t control. The firelight flickered against the walls, but it did nothing to warm the cold rage settling in his chest. His hands were clasped together, his knuckles white as he stared at the documents on his desk, plans, maps, strategies all leading to one thing: getting Elisa back.
A knock at the door broke the silence.
Antonio stepped inside, his face tense. “We’ve received word.”
Ricardo’s sharp gaze snapped to him. “From whom?”
“Our informant inside Emiliano’s estate.” Antonio hesitated for a moment before continuing. “Elisa is being mistreated. She hasn’t eaten or had anything to drink since she was taken.”
The air in the room shifted.
Ricardo’s jaw clenched, his fingers digging into the edge of his desk. For a moment, he said nothing, but the silence was suffocating, thick with restrained fury.
In one swift motion, Ricardo grabbed the glass of whiskey beside him and hurled it against the wall. The shattering sound echoed through the room, matching the chaos inside him.
Antonio remained still, watching him carefully. He had known Ricardo for years, had stood beside him through countless battles, but this… this was different.
Ricardo turned away, running a hand through his hair. His chest rose and fell heavily. Elisa. His Elisa. Locked away, hungry, alone.
“She’s not strong enough for this,” he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. He could picture her now, her striking green eyes filled with fear but still burning with defiance. She had fought against him from the start, unwilling to accept the fate their fathers had decided for her. But she was his. And no one, especially not Emiliano was going to take her from him.
Antonio exhaled, stepping forward. “I know what you’re thinking. We need to be careful, Ricardo.”
Ricardo turned, his expression like stone. “Careful?” His voice was dangerously low. “She hasn’t eaten in days. She’s being punished because of me. I won’t sit here and wait for Emiliano to break her.”
Antonio studied him for a long moment. Then, a small, knowing smirk tugged at his lips. “You’re in love with her.”
Ricardo tensed.
Antonio chuckled. “You don’t even see it, do you? The great Ricardo Castillo, rattled over a woman.”
Ricardo shot him a warning glare, but Antonio only raised his hands in surrender. “It’s obvious,” he continued. “Ever since she was taken, you’ve been different. You’re distracted. Unfocused.” His voice softened slightly. “But you don’t have to hide it from me. You want her back and not just because she’s your fiancée, not because of your father’s will… but because she’s yours.”
Ricardo said nothing.
He didn’t need to.
He had felt it from the moment he first saw her. this angel in disguise, so flawless yet filled with fire. He had tried to ignore it, to remind himself that this was just business, just another power move.
But now? It was something more.
And Emiliano had just made the worst mistake of his life.
Ricardo straightened, his expression set. “Tell our informant to send her a message.”
Antonio nodded. “What should it say?”
Ricardo’s voice was steady, final.
“Tell her I’m coming for her.”
Antonio smirked. “She’ll like that.”
Ricardo didn’t respond. He had wasted enough time. Now, it was time to bring Elisa home.
Emiliano stood by the window, his sharp gaze sweeping across the estate. He could feel it , Ricardo was planning something.
Without George feeding him inside information, he had lost his advantage. That didn’t sit well with him.
Turning to Justin, his most trusted man, Emiliano spoke with certainty. “He’s coming. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but he will come for her.”
Justin folded his arms. “We’re ready. The estate is locked down, and the guards know the orders Elisa doesn’t leave.”
Emiliano smirked, adjusting the cuffs of his tailored suit. “Good. Let my dear brother come. I’ll make sure he regrets it.”
But Ricardo wasn’t the only thing on his mind. The Castillo empire should have been his, not Ricardo’s. That thought fueled his determination. While Ricardo was distracted, Emiliano would move forward with his plans.
He signaled to Justin. “Come. We have business to attend to.”
Before stepping out, he turned to his guards, his voice low but threatening.
“Watch her closely. If she tries anything, ensure you crush whatever hope she has left.”
Elisa sat by the window, staring at the endless line of guards stationed outside.
The message was clear, she wasn’t going anywhere.
Her stomach twisted with hunger, her body weak from exhaustion, but none of it compared to the feeling of helplessness that settled deep in her chest.
She had been taken from her home, thrown into this nightmare, and forced to face a cruel fate she refused to accept.
Marry Emiliano? She would rather die.
Her thoughts drifted to Ricardo.
The man who had shattered her world, yet somehow, he was the only thing holding her together.
She had wanted to resent him. Had sworn she would. But when she closed her eyes, all she saw was the way he had looked at her possessive, intense, as if she was already his.
And in a way… she was.
Her heart had made its choice the moment she laid eyes on him.
The sound of a door creaking open made her sit up.
A guard slipped inside, glancing around cautiously before stepping closer. His voice was barely above a whisper.
“Ricardo is coming for you.”
Elisa froze.
Her breath hitched, her pulse hammering against her skin. “What?”
The guard didn’t repeat himself, only giving her a firm look before stepping back.
Elisa stared after him, her mind racing.
Ricardo was coming.
A rush of warmth spread through her, pushing back the cold, creeping despair she had been drowning in.
Her fingers clutched the fabric of her dress as she swallowed the lump in her throat.
He hadn’t forgotten her. He hadn’t abandoned her.
For the first time since she was taken, she allowed herself to hope.
- Writer
