Page 27 of Twisted Vows

As dawn broke, streaks of soft gold slipped through the curtains, casting long shadows across the room. The warmthof the night still lingered between the sheets, but reality had already crept in, unyielding and sharp.

Matteo sat at the edge of the bed, rolling his sleeves with precise, practiced movements. He didn’t glance back, didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to. The silence between them was enough.

Isla shifted beneath the sheets, her body sore, her mind a mess of things she refused to untangle. She watched him, her fingers twitching against the fabric, the weight in her chest heavier than it should have been.

His voice came, quiet but firm. "This still changes nothing."

She let out a slow breath, tilting her head just enough for a smirk to mask the sting. "I never thought it would."

But as he walked out, leaving her alone in the silence, she knew they were both lying.

She lay back against the pillows, her body still humming from his touch, her mind a storm of conflicting emotions. Matteo had claimed her in more ways than one, but the truth still loomed between them, unanswered and unspoken.

And Isla wasn’t sure how much longer she could pretend this war between them had only one possible ending.

But Isla wasn’t the only one left reeling.

****

Matteo stormed down the hallway, his fists clenched at his sides. The scent of her still lingered on his skin, the memory of her touch burned into his mind. He had lost control, had given in to something he had sworn to keep buried. And worse, he had let her see it.

He reached his study, slamming the door behind him, his breath ragged. Luca sat in the corner, already nursing a drink, his gaze sharp as it flicked over Matteo’s disheveled form.

"So," Luca drawled, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. "Rough night?"

Matteo shot him a glare, running a hand over his face. "Not now, Luca."

Luca smirked but didn’t press. He leaned back, studying Matteo carefully. "She’s getting under your skin."

Matteo didn’t respond. He didn’t have to. The truth was written in the way his jaw clenched, the way his fingers twitched at his sides as if resisting the urge to reach for her again.

Luca exhaled, setting his drink down. "You can fight it all you want, but we both know how this ends."

Matteo met his gaze, his expression unreadable. "Do we?"

Luca smirked, standing. He poured a fresh glass of whiskey and placed it on the desk in front of Matteo with a knowing look. "Yeah. And so does she."

Matteo clenched his jaw as Luca left, leaving him alone with the weight of the truth he didn’t want to face.

Because despite everything, despite the lies, the betrayals, the war raging between them—he knew he wasn’t letting Isla go.

And that terrified him more than anything.

The glass in his hand shattered under his grip, shards embedding into his palm. He barely registered the pain. Instead, his mind was consumed with the memory of her—the fire in her eyes, the way she had defied him, challenged him, and yet, melted under his touch.

He cursed under his breath and grabbed a cloth, pressing it against the bleeding wounds. His body ached, but not from the glass. No, this was a different kind of ache—one that had been festering since the moment she walked into his life.

He had spent years mastering control, ensuring no one could ever wield power over him. And yet, here he was, unraveling because of her.

Luca stood by the window, watching Matteo's response with quiet scrutiny. He arched a brow at the blood on Matteo’s hand. "You keep breaking things, you’re going to run out of whiskey glasses."

Matteo didn’t look up. "What exactly did you need this morning?"

Luca hesitated, something rare flickering across his face. "She’s not like the others. She fights. You respect that. Hell, maybe you even love that."

Matteo stilled. Love. The word was foreign to him, meaningless. Love was weakness. Love was a chain. Love was the weapon his enemies would use to destroy him.

"She’s a complication," Matteo muttered, his voice colder than he felt. "One I should have never entertained."

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