Chapter 5 - The Velvet Trap
The tension between Enzo and me shifted after the incident with David.
It was no longer just the dynamic of a protector and a victim.
There was a heavy, electric pull between us that made the air in the mansion feel incredibly thick.
He started seeking me out during the day, joining me in the library while I read.
He would sit in silence, working on his laptop, simply demanding that I be in the same room.
I found myself wearing the expensive silk dresses he had ordered for me.
I found myself looking for his dark eyes whenever he entered a room.
I was falling for a crime lord, and the realization terrified me.
One evening, a violent thunderstorm rolled over the city, shaking the windows of the estate.
I was sitting in my bedroom, reading a novel by the light of a small lamp.
The power suddenly cut out, plunging the entire mansion into complete darkness.
My heart hammered in my chest, my mind flashing back to the night at the restaurant.
I hated the dark.
I hated the feeling of being vulnerable.
Before I could reach for my phone, the bedroom door opened.
A large silhouette stepped into the room, illuminated by a flash of lightning.
"Clara," Enzo’s deep voice called out over the crash of thunder.
"I'm here," I whispered, sitting up in bed.
He walked across the room with perfect confidence, sitting on the edge of my mattress.
"The backup generators will kick in soon," he said, his voice softer than usual.
"I wanted to make sure you were not afraid."
"I am fine," I lied, my hands trembling slightly in my lap.
Enzo reached out in the darkness, his warm, rough hands finding my shaking fingers.
He pulled my hands toward his chest, pressing them over his racing heart.
"You are a terrible liar," he murmured.
"I am not used to people caring if I am afraid," I confessed, my voice breaking.
"I have spent my whole life being invisible, Enzo."
"You are not invisible to me," he replied fiercely.
He leaned in closer, his breath warm against my cheek.
"You are the brightest thing I have ever seen."
His lips brushed against mine, hesitant at first, as if he expected me to pull away.
I didn't pull away.
I leaned forward, closing the distance, and kissed him back.
The kiss exploded into something desperate and consuming.
Enzo’s arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me firmly against his solid chest.
He kissed me with the same ferocious intensity he applied to everything else in his life.
It was a kiss that claimed ownership, demanding every single broken piece of my soul.
When we finally broke apart, we were both breathing heavily in the dark.
"You are mine now," Enzo whispered against my lips.
"And I will burn this city to ash before I ever let anyone hurt you again."
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The lights flickered back on, illuminating the fierce, unmistakable love in his eyes.
I knew, in that exact moment, that there was no going back to my old life.
