The city's neon lights blurred past Isabella's vision as the black SUV raced through the streets. She struggled against the restraints binding her wrists, but it was useless. Every attempt only tightened Alek's control, though he didn't seem to mind her resistance.
"Let me go!" she spat, her voice sharp, full of fire. "You have no right—"
Alek's gloved hand pressed against her arm. "Sit still," he interrupted, his voice calm, icy. "Everything I'm doing is for your safety. You'd do well to remember that."
Her laughter was bitter. "Safety? You call this safety? I could've—my father—" Her words caught in her throat. Fear and anger warred inside her. She had thought she was prepared for danger, but nothing had prepared her for this… for him.
Alek didn't reply. His dark eyes were fixed on the road ahead, but she could feel his gaze on her anyway, like a shadow pressing into her skin. Every nerve in her body screamed that this man was danger incarnate, but strangely… she couldn't look away.
"You think I'm scared of you?" she demanded.
Alek finally glanced at her, his eyes narrowing. "You should be."
The words should have terrified her. Instead, they ignited a spark of defiance. "I'm not afraid of anyone, least of all some mafia prince who thinks he can control everything."
Alek's lips twitched—not quite a smile, but close enough to unsettle her. "Good," he murmured. "I like a challenge."
The SUV swerved around a corner, and Isabella gripped the seat to steady herself. Her mind raced. How had her life come to this? One night, and everything she knew—her family, her security, her plans—was gone.
And yet… there was something about Alek that made her pulse quicken. His confidence, the way he moved, the sharp intelligence in his gaze—it was maddening. She hated herself for noticing.
"Where are you taking me?" she asked, trying to sound braver than she felt.
"To a place where no one can hurt you—or me," he replied, his tone clipped. "Questions can wait. For now, just stay alive. That's your first lesson in surviving this world."
Isabella's jaw tightened. "I don't need your lessons."
"Noted," Alek said, leaning back slightly, eyes returning to the road. "But you will learn them. Eventually."
She glared at him, fury and fear mingling, yet somewhere deep inside, a part of her wondered if she could survive this… and what it would cost her heart.
The SUV slowed, pulling into a quiet, dimly lit alley. She could make out a large, unmarked warehouse ahead. Two men jumped out and quickly opened the back door. Alek helped her out with surprising gentleness.
The warehouse interior was stark, cold, and eerily quiet. Chains of shadows stretched across the walls. He turned to her, expression unreadable.
"Inside," he said. "Sit. Don't move."
Isabella hesitated. Every instinct screamed run, but she had nowhere to go. Not tonight.
She stepped inside, feeling the weight of the silence. And then she realized something terrifying. The very man she had sworn to destroy… the one she hated more than anyone else in the world… had her completely in his control.
And yet, as he watched her, there was something in his eyes she couldn't name. Something softer, almost… protective.
Her heart thudded. She hated that, too.