Page 14 of Velvet Chains

“I’m leaving, whether you like it or not,” I said, folding my arms across my chest. Vincenzo continued to eat, ignoring me. I was fed up at this point, I did not want to be a part of Vincenzo’s world of crime and deception. There were too many unknowns. I couldn’t keep up with his lifestyle, I didn’t want to. And if risking my life was the price for freedom, then so be it.

The undeniable attraction between us added to my frustration. Why wouldn’t he listen to me?

“I can’t stay here, Vincenzo,” I said, my voice firm. I intended for it to be me standing my ground, but it sounded more like a plea. “It’s dangerous, I can’t stay here. I have work, I have commitments. I refuse to be a prisoner in your world.” I raised my voice a bit at the end, and it was then that he finally looked up.

Vincenzo, who was seated at the head of the table, leaned back in his chair, his gaze steady and unyielding.

"I'm offering you protection, Isabelle. You will have access to my life and all the luxuries that come with it. You wouldn't be a prisoner. You'd simply be under my protection,” he said in a final tone. He was staring at me, daring me to talk back.

My eyes narrowed. "I don't need or want a sugar daddy. I value earning my own way."

Vincenzo smirked, and in that moment he looked like a lion, about to pounce.

“Sugar daddy, uh? Is that what you think this is?”

“Call it whatever you want,” I said, crossing my arms, “I refuse to be bought.” I stared at him, maintaining eye contact.

I feared that if I didn’t speak my mind to him, I would lose my voice. My voice had been something I had worked hard to find. I wasn’t willing to lose it now or ever.

We continued to stare at each other for a while, basking in the tension. Before either of us could say anything, my phone rang from Vincenzo’s pocket.

“You know the rules,” he reminded me as he handed my phone to me. I picked it up and glanced at the caller ID. When I saw that it was my boss, I sighed. I knew that I wasn’t ready for the conversation we were about to have, but I knew that I had no choice.

I was allowed to have phone calls and emails only if I allowed Vincenzo to control them. Every call I made had to be put on speaker and every email and text I wrote would be detected by a virus that he made his clan hacker put into my phone.

It was very intrusive, but I was looking on the bright side. I was at least allowed to keep my phone.

I stared at my cell in dread, ready for my boss to start berating me. With everything that had happened so far, I hadn't been able to perform any of the tasks she had assigned to me. Under Vincenzo's watchful eye, I finally got the nerve to answer the call, only to get the shock of my life.

If I was going to tell anyone about my current situation, it wouldn't be my boss. The woman only thought about herself and anything that inconvenienced her usually pushed to the side. I was still annoyed about her assignment getting me into this mess, but that didn't mean I wanted to lose my job.

My boss was a selfish person, but she made up for it by being exceptionally good at her job. She always had her finger on the pulse and had a way of pumping out articles that were well received. That made it easier for us to endure the stress that came with working for her.

“Isabelle darling!” My boss started out. I felt my jaw drop at that, my boss rarely ever sounded so excited and happy to speak with me.

Nonetheless, I didn’t feel happy about it, it only made me feel more worried. I had spent enough time with her to know that her moods were extremely changeable.

“I saw the photos. Who would have thought that I practically had to twist your arm to get you there. Now who is that handsome Italian boyfriend of yours?” Her loud excited voice filled the room. I found myself looking around in shock. Vincenzo looked amused by the whole thing.

She continued talking but I couldn't hear her, it felt like my ears were ringing. The words “Italian boyfriend” kept echoing in my head..

“He's not… he's not…” I found myself stuttering in response. My real life was colliding with the mess I got myself into in Palermo. I could feel the walls closing in around me, but I couldn't let my boss sense my distress, and even if she did, I suspected that she would not care.

“This is perfect! I always thought you were a bit boring, darling, but this, we can use.” She interrupted me, sounding excited.

“Use?” I asked, my voice still shaky.

“Yes. Stay in Palermo and write about your relationship with your Italian boyfriend.” She proposed, and I found myself frowning.

“He's not…”

“And we can finally talk about that promotion,” she interrupted me once more. Her words made my eyes widen again. I had been angling for a promotion for over a year now, so the thought of it finally being within reach was too tempting.

“Do you mean…?”

“Yes! Make sure the details are juicy,” she cut me off. I could picture her sitting in her office, with her hair done up in whatever ridiculously intricate hairstyle she had picked for the day, tapping at her computer.

I felt torn. All I had wanted to do for the past few days was get as far away as I could from Italy, but this offer was too tempting.

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