Chapter Twelve.

Isabella.

I huffed as I pulled my hair into a tight ponytail, glaring at my reflection in the mirror. Training. Again. With Enzo. The only thing worse than Enzo’s cocky smirk was Matteo’s entire existence.

Matteo.

That insufferable, cold-hearted, arrogant bastard. If I had a dollar for every time his icy glare made my blood boil, I’d be rich enough to buy my way out of this mess. But no, I was stuck in his house, training with his men.

Well because apparently I needed to get strong enough to face my Murder of a father, and his bat shit crazy empire.

I shoved my feet into my boots and tightened the laces before strapping on my holster. I wasn’t new to guns.

I secretly trained with Luca, when I had the chance to, and uncle Valentino used to help me when I was a kid, my mum would always tell at him for that.

My heart aches at the memory that now seemed so distant in my heart.

Anyways, I won't sulk over spilled milk.

With one last glance in the mirror, I turned on my heel and stormed out of the room, making my way to the training grounds.

The second I stepped outside, the cool morning breeze kissed my skin, and I exhaled sharply. Maybe I was being dramatic. Maybe I should just focus on training and not on how much I hated Matteo’s stupid face.

“Isabella!”

I froze for a moment, my heart skipping a beat before I turned toward the voice. Luca.

The second my eyes landed on him, a grin spread across my face. “Luca!”

It had been days since I last saw him. Ever since we arrived at Matteo’s house, things had been… intense. Seeing a Lucas face made me smile.

I know Rocco said he was good, but seeing him actually looking alright, brought relief to me. .

Luca strode toward me with that same easy-going smile, his arms wide open.

Without hesitation, I rushed forward and wrapped my arms around him, hugging him tightly.

“I thought you abandoned me,” I teased, pulling back to look at him.

Luca chuckled. “Matteo’s house is a fortress, Bella. You’re lucky I managed to sneak out of my room without getting a death glare from him.”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh, trust me, I get those all the time.”

He laughed, shaking his head. “You look good. Training’s been treating you well?”

“More like torturing me,” I muttered. “Enzo is brutal.”

“Ah, speaking of Enzo,” Luca said, nodding toward the shooting range. “Looks like your torturer has arrived.”

I turned just in time to see Enzo approaching, his dark eyes sharp as ever.

He looked between me and Luca before smirking. “Well, well, well. A little reunion? How sweet.”

I've grown to like Enzo a lot, but the guys can be so annoying when he wants to be.

I crossed my arms and rolled my eyes.

“Can we just get this over with?”

Enzo chuckled, motioning for us to follow him. We walked toward the shooting range, and I felt Luca’s presence beside me, his warmth comforting.

It felt good having him here, at least I won't feel so alone. .

Once we reached the range, Enzo handed me a gun, his smirk never faltering. “Let’s see what you’ve got, princess.”

I took the gun from him, ignoring his smug expression, and checked the magazine.

Fully loaded. Good.

Luca leaned in slightly. “Do you need help?”

I shot him a look. “I know how to handle a gun, I haven't forgotten our secret lessons."

He grinned. “I know, but let me show you a better way to hold it.”

I hesitated before nodding, and in the next moment, Luca was behind me, his hands gently adjusting my grip on the gun.

His arms wrapped around me slightly as he guided my stance, his breath warm against my ear.

“Relax your shoulders,” he murmured. “And don’t tense your wrists.”

I exhaled, adjusting my posture as he directed. It wasn’t like I had never fired a gun before, but Luca’s presence made it feel different—less like training, more like learning with a friend.

“You’re doing great,” he said softly. “Now, take your shot.”

I focused on the target, my finger tightening on the trigger. Just as I was about to fire—

“What the hell is going on here?”

The voice sent a shiver down my spine, and my body tensed immediately. I knew that voice. That cold, clipped tone. That barely contained rage.

Matteo.

I turned my head slightly, and there he was, standing a few feet away. His jaw was clenched, his eyes dark and stormy as they flickered between me and Luca.

Luca let go of me and took a step back, but the damage was already done. Matteo had seen us.

“I was helping her,” Luca said calmly.

Matteo’s eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, I saw something flicker in them—something dangerous. He ignored Luca.

Matteo stepped closer, his presence suffocating. “You don’t need him hovering over you to shoot a damn gun.”

I clenched my jaw. “I wasn’t asking for your opinion.”

His gaze darkened. “And I wasn’t giving you an option.”

The air between us crackled with tension. My heart pounded in my chest, but I refused to back down. Matteo had no right to barge in here and act like he controlled me.

Luca sighed. “Matteo—”

“Stay out of this,” Matteo snapped, his eyes never leaving mine.

I narrowed my eyes. “What’s your problem?”

“My problem?” He let out a cold laugh. “My problem is that you don’t listen."

“I think you need to get off your high horse and stop acting like you own me,” I shot back.

His jaw tightened. "I don't own you, but you're in my house, and you'll do as I say ."

I glared at him. " What's your business with who I train and don't train with? "

He clenched his jaw hard, I feared it might break.

"I told you, if you train you train with Enzo and Enzo alone. I call the shots tesero."

Silence fell between us, thick and heavy. Luca shifted uncomfortably, and even Enzo, who usually found amusement in everything, stayed quiet.

I swallowed hard, my anger bubbling just beneath the surface. “i don't answer to you Matteo. "

Matteo’s eyes darkened even more. “You do now."

I hated the way his words sent a chill down my spine, hated the way they felt like an unshakable truth.

Luca cleared his throat. “Maybe we should all take a breath—”

“Training is over,” Matteo cut in sharply. “Isabella, you’re coming with me.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but something in his gaze stopped me. For all the anger burning between us, there was something else there, something unreadable.

Without another word, I turned and walked past him, my heart hammering in my chest. I didn’t know where this was going. I didn’t know what Matteo’s problem was.

But I did know one thing.

This wasn’t over.