Chapter 17: The Threshold of Possession
The descent into Milan was as turbulent as the storm brewing in Élise's chest. The private jet's wheels kissed the tarmac with a violent screech, a jarring reminder that her life as a quiet, invisible intern had officially ended. Throughout the flight, Adriano had been a statue of fury and focus, his fingers flying across his phone as he coordinated a media blackout to contain the photos Lucia had revealed.
As they stepped off the plane, the humid Milanese air felt heavy with the scent of rain and ozone. Adriano didn't wait for the terminal transport; a sleek, armored SUV was already idling on the runway.
"The apartment," Adriano commanded the driver, his voice like grinding stones. "Quickly."
Élise sat in the back, her hands tucked between her knees to hide their trembling. The city lights blurred past the tinted windows. "Adriano, please. You're overreacting. I can just talk to Pedro, tell him to stop..."
"You will not speak to him," Adriano snapped, his eyes flashing with a possessive fire that made her breath hitch. "You don't understand the game he's playing. He isn't 'friendly,' Élise. He's a parasite. And I'm going to make sure he has nothing left to latch onto."
"But what about Lucia?" Élise's voice was a frantic whisper. "She is your fiancée. She saw those photos. If I go with you, if I disappear to your estate, it looks like a confession. I don't want to be the reason your relationship falls apart. I don't want to be the 'other woman' in some corporate scandal."
Adriano leaned into her space, his presence overwhelming the small cabin. He placed a hand on the leather headrest behind her, effectively caging her. "Lucia is a contract. You are a reality. Do not confuse the two. My relationship with her is built on paper and ink; what is happening between us is built on something far more volatile. Let me worry about the fallout. You worry about being ready to leave in ten minutes."
The car screeched to a halt in front of her modest apartment building. The sight of it the peeling paint, the familiar flower boxes usually brought her peace. Now, it looked like a trap.
"Go," Adriano said. "My men are already in the lobby. Pack only what is essential. I will buy you the rest."
Élise ran up the stairs, her heart thudding in her ears. She fumbled with her keys, her mind racing. She needed her passport, her laptop, the locket her mother had given her.
As she burst into her small living room, she stopped dead.
The window was open. The sheer curtains fluttered in the breeze, and the smell of expensive, familiar cologne hung in the air not Adriano's sandalwood, but something lighter, sharper.
On her coffee table sat a single, white lily. Beside it was a small, hand-written note in elegant, looping script.
"He's downstairs, isn't he? The big, bad CEO coming to rescue his damsel. Did he tell you why he's so afraid of me, Élise? Or is he still keeping his secrets in the dark? Don't let him lock the cage too tight. I still have your spare key."
A shiver of pure terror raced down her spine. Pedro had been here. While she was in Florence, he had been in her sanctuary.
"Élise! Time is up!" Adriano's voice boomed from the hallway. He stepped into the room, his eyes instantly scanning the perimeter. He saw the open window. He saw the lily.
In two strides, he was at the table. He snatched the note, his knuckles turning white as he read it. The roar that escaped his throat was primal.
"He was here," Adriano hissed, his gaze fixated on the lily as if he could set it on fire with his mind. "He was in your home."
"Adriano, he said... he said he has a key," she whispered, her voice failing her.
Adriano turned to her, his expression a terrifying mixture of protective rage and raw, unbridled possession. He stepped toward her, his hands framing her face with a gentleness that contradicted the storm in his eyes.
"This ends tonight," he whispered, his thumbs tracing her cheekbones. "You are not a pawn. You are not a neighbor. You are the only thing in this godforsaken city that I care about, and if I have to burn every bridge in Milan to keep him away from you, I will."
He didn't wait for her to pack. He grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the door.
"Wait! My things..."
"Leave them," Adriano commanded, his voice dropping to a low, heated growl. "I'll have the building cleared and your belongings moved to the estate by morning. Right now, I need you out of his reach."
As they reached the hallway, the elevator dinged. The doors slid open to reveal Pedro.
He wasn't in his Logistics uniform. He was wearing a sharp, tailored jacket, looking every bit as refined and dangerous as his brother. He stood there, a smirk playing on his lips, his eyes dancing with a chaotic light.
"Leaving so soon?" Pedro asked, his voice smooth as silk. "I was just coming up to see if you liked the flowers."
Adriano pushed Élise behind him, his body a literal shield. The tension between the two men was so thick it felt like it could be sliced with a blade.
"Stay away from her, Pedro," Adriano warned, his hand reaching into his coat, likely for a phone to signal his security. "If you ever step foot near her again, I won't just fire you. I'll erase you."
Pedro laughed, a cold, hollow sound. "You always were the dramatic one, Adriano. But you can't erase blood. And you can't keep her in the dark forever. She's going to find out eventually. And when she does, she'll realize that the 'Ice CEO' is just as much of a monster as the brother he despises."
He flicked his gaze to Élise, his smile widening. "See you at the office, neighbor. If he ever lets you out again."
Adriano didn't trade another word. He grabbed Élise's waist and forced her toward the stairs, bypassing the elevator and the man standing inside it.
As they plummeted down the stairwell, Élise felt the world shifting beneath her feet. She was caught between two titans, two brothers who shared a name she didn't know and a hatred she couldn't comprehend.
"Adriano," she gasped as they reached the car. "Why does he hate you so much?"
Adriano shoved her into the back seat and climbed in after her, slamming the door.
"Because I have everything he wants," Adriano whispered, his face inches from hers in the dark of the car. "And right now, Élise... he thinks you're one of them."
The car roared to life, racing away from the apartment, leaving the "neighbor" standing on the sidewalk, watching them disappear into the night.