Chapter 16

My heart raced like a wild stallion, thudding against my ribcage as if it were trying to escape. The room seemed to shrink, the walls closing in on me, suffocating with an overwhelming sense of dread. The air crackled with an electric tension, making it difficult to breathe.

Summoning every ounce of courage I had left, I mustered a shaky voice, my words quivering in the air. "What... what do you want?" I managed to utter, my eyes locked in a desperate stare with Carmine's icy, calculating gaze.

Carmine's lips curled into a smile, revealing a glimpse of the darkness that resided within him. His voice slithered out like a venomous serpent, dripping with a chilling menace. "Ah, my dear Isabella," he taunted, his words laced with a sadistic delight. "You ask what I want? It's simple. I want power. Control. And you, my dear, are merely a pawn in my game."

With each word, Carmine took a calculated step closer, invading my personal space, his presence suffocating me like a heavy fog. The int