Page 23 of Velvet Chains

VINCENZO

The silence between us was so heavy that I could hear every little sound in the car as we drove back to my estate.

I could hear the low hum of the engine, the slight tremor of the metal when we went over a little bump, even hear Isabelle’s breathing. I wanted to turn on the radio, but I decided not to. I wanted her to stew in the tension, to know that I was upset with her.

I felt so angry at what had happened at the end of the ‘double date’ with Sarah and Mark. That Mark was crossing boundaries that were totally off limits as a married man. I knew very little of him, but I had a feeling he still had a thing for Isabelle. The way she carried herself and the way they looked at each other during the wedding, not to mention the little moment I interrupted today… I wondered if she also had a thing for him.

I drove past the guard on the perimeter saying anything. When we reached the entrance, I faced Isabelle. My mind was reeling with emotions, I was irritated and borderline furious but I was going to try my best to stay calm. I stared at her for a while.

“Care to explain what happened back there?” I asked in the calmest tone I could muster through the rage simmering under my skin. I just wanted the truth.

Isabelle’s head immediately snapped towards me, her eyes wide with surprise. Oh, the audacity to look surprised when she knew exactly what I was talking about. She knew that her interaction with Mark was far from normal and she had to explain herself.

“What?! No!” She protested, still looking shocked. “What do you mean?”

I stepped out of the car, slamming the door. If she was going continue playing dumb and treat me like a fool, I wasn’t going to sit there and listen to her lies.

I strode across the halls, my footsteps echoing in the large corridor. I was furious now. I tried to calm down but Isabelle was making me look like an idiot. If anyone in town had seen her with him, it would have been terrible for my reputation. It would make it look like my woman had a wandering eye. Was I a fool for giving her so much leeway?

The staff knew not to approach me when I was angry, so they were nowhere to be found, and neither was my brother. It was best that they kept their distance for now.

I could hear Isabelle’s small footsteps trying to keep up with my long stride, as I dragged her behind me, walking as fast as I could to my room. As soon as we entered it, I turned around and pulled her in, closing the door quietly behind me. I couldn’t hold it in anymore, I had to ask the question that was on my mind.

“Are you still in love with him?” I demanded, my voice low and menacing. I was very close to losing it, depending on the answer she would give me.

She was leaning against the door, her arms folded across her chest defiantly. Even if she knew I was angry, she was still being stubborn.

“Did you not hear me, Isabelle?” She kept still, not looking at me. I stepped closer to her then, closeting the distance between us in less than a second. It was then that she finally looked at me with fear in her eyes.

“Answer my question,” I demanded, looking down at her. In an instant the fear wiped from her face and was replaced with a look of defiance.

“What does it matter to you?” She retorted sharply, before I even finished my sentence.

“It matters to me because I need to know where your loyalties lie.” I was looking into her eyes now, looking for something, anything that could show me how she really felt. Her gaze was firm, but I couldn’t read her, no matter how hard I tried.

“Are you still in love with him?” I asked again.

Isabelle took a step closer then, her fists clenched at her sides. She looked like she was ready for battle. Did she really think she could take me on? This was going to be fun.

She just stood in front of me, her fists balled at her side. She looked angry, but adorable.

“Mark’s words affected me,” she admitted, her voice wavering a bit. Her gaze was uncertain for a while, then she blinked and it was gone. I hated that she hesitated, I hated that she thought about him, I hated that she even said his name.

“But I have no intention of going back to him. He is in my past, he will always remain in my past.” I let out a low scoff and shifted in place as she spoke.

“Then what was that at the hotel?” I still wanted to know.

“What do you mean?” She asked, even though I was sure that she knew exactly what I was talking about.

“Don’t play dumb, you know what I’m talking about. What was that between you and Mark? If he really was your past like you said, what was going on there?” My tone was harsh and unyielding.

“I told you, Mark is in the past and he will remain there.”

“So you say, but your actions at the hotel, they could have blown our cover.”

After I said those words, Isabelle looked stunned for a brief moment, the look on her face a mix between disbelief and amusement, before she suddenly started shaking her head with a smile on her face. Soon she started chuckling, I started to worry that she had suddenly gone mad.

“Are you alright?” I asked, but I realized that was a bad idea because she fired back immediately.

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