Between Love and War

The echo of shattered glass vibrated through Alejandro’s office, but it wasn’t enough to calm the storm devouring him from within. With a clenched jaw and eyes clouded by rage, he walked to the window overlooking the back garden. The night was dark, but not as dark as his soul at that moment.

He pulled out his phone and dialed again.

—I want Dino. Alive. I want him in front of me before the night is over.

The voice on the other end hesitated.

—Boss… that won’t be easy. The guy disappeared.

—Then find him! What the hell do I pay you for? —His tone was lethal—. And make sure he never opens his mouth again.

—Does that mean we cut out his tongue, boss?

—After I talk to him.

He hung up with a grunt, his mind already devising all the ways he would make Dino pay for his betrayal. But for now, his priority was Isabela.

She couldn’t leave. She couldn’t walk away from him.

His queen.

His love.

His only weakness.

Alejandro closed his eyes in frustration. He knew she was shattered, that the betrayal she felt was eating her alive. But so was he. He was not a man who bowed to anyone, and yet, for her… he was willing to do it.

With firm steps, he left his office and climbed the stairs. Outside Isabela’s room, two of his men stood guard.

—No one goes in or out —he reminded them coldly.

He entered without knocking.

Isabela stood by the window, arms crossed, her gaze lost in thought. Despite everything, she still looked beautiful. With that aura of royalty that made her untouchable, that strength that made her unique.

When their eyes met, Alejandro saw something that made his stomach churn. It wasn’t just pain. It was determination.

—You have your thugs outside —she said in a low voice—. Are you going to keep me locked up forever, Alejandro?

He didn’t answer immediately. He walked toward her slowly, his steps echoing in the room.

—I don’t want you to leave —he finally admitted.

—But I will —she whispered, her voice cold with resolution.

Alejandro felt his blood freeze.

—You can’t.

—Yes, I can.

—Damn it, Isabela! —His control snapped as he moved closer, stopping inches from her—. You are mine!

She let out a bitter laugh.

—I am not an object, Alejandro.

—No, you are my wife. The mother of my children. The only woman I love.

—And also the only one you have betrayed… Or did the others not know you were married when you slept with them?

He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to control the torrent of emotions consuming him.

—I can’t lose you, Isabela… You know I love you… Only you.

She swallowed hard, her expression hardening.

—You’ve already lost me.

Alejandro felt the ground open beneath his feet.

Fury and fear consumed him. The thought of not having her, of watching her leave with their children, of knowing she could start a life without him, was unbearable.

—I won’t allow it —he growled.

Isabela looked at him with a trace of sadness.

—You can’t force me to stay, Alejandro.

—Wanna bet?

A shiver ran down her spine.

—What will you do? Lock me up here like a prisoner?

He didn’t respond. He just looked at her, that dark fire burning in his eyes.

—If that’s what it takes to keep you from leaving… yes.

Isabela felt her breathing become erratic.

—This isn’t love, Alejandro.

—It’s all I know.

Silence stretched between them like an abyss.

—Take your time to think, Isabela —he finally said, his voice dangerously cold.

—But make one thing clear… I won’t lose you. I won’t let you leave… Not you, not my children.

He turned on his heels and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Outside, his men were waiting.

—Increase security… On every door and window. No one comes in or out.

And with that command, Alejandro Moretti sealed their fate.

Meanwhile, in the darkness of her room, Isabela felt a tear roll down her cheek. She had underestimated just how far Alejandro was willing to go.

And now… she was trapped in his world.

When she met him, she thought he was her prince charming. She couldn’t deny she loved him more than her own life. But the prince had turned into a villain. Alejandro Moretti had gone from angel to demon in just minutes.

Two hours later, Alejandro returned to their room. He had been drinking and looked dazed.

Upon entering, he found Isabela standing still, staring out the window, looking like a cold marble statue, as beautiful as the goddess Venus, her silk robe draped over her body, and her hair cascading in soft waves down her back.

Alejandro remained silent. His dark eyes studied her, analyzing her every move.

He could tell she was afraid of him. And that infuriated him more than he wanted to admit.

—I'd never hurt you, Isabela —he said in a low but firm tone.

She stood tall, without looking at him.

—You don’t need to lay a hand on me to hurt me, Alejandro. You already did—by lying to me, deceiving me, by hiding what you really are.

Alejandro felt a knot in his chest. He was not a man to be swayed by sentimentality, but hearing her say those words with such coldness burned in his chest like nothing before.

—Everything I’ve done has been for our family.

—That’s not true. Everything you’ve done has been for yourself. To keep your empire, to remain the feared capo that everyone dreads.

Alejandro’s breathing grew heavier. Isabela was furious, and when she got like that, she had no filter. She spoke the truth without sugarcoating it, without caring how her words might wound him.

That was something he had always loved about her. That’s why he called her his queen. Because her word was law.

But this time, things were different. The rules had changed, and though she was still his queen, what she wanted… could not be.

—You can’t leave, Isabela.

—You can’t force me to stay.

Alejandro took a step forward, and she moved slightly back. He noticed the subtle movement, and something dark ignited inside him.

—Do you have any idea what would happen if you left? How many enemies I have out there just waiting to catch you, just to get to me?

Isabela let out a bitter laugh.

—Oh, of course. Now it turns out you're doing this for my safety.

—Of course I am! —he exploded—. I won’t let anything happen to you.

She crossed her arms, defiant.

—I’d rather take that risk than stay here locked up like a prisoner.

Alejandro stared at her, his fists clenched.

—You’re not locked up, Isabela.

—No? Then tell me, can I walk out that door right now without your men stopping me? —Or without one of your henchmen following me like a shadow?

Alejandro didn’t answer.

—Exactly —she murmured, her eyes filled with unshed tears—. I’m trapped… I’m your prisoner.

The silence between them became deafening. Alejandro could see the pain on her face, the disappointment, the anger… but also something else. Something that disturbed him more than anything.

She was giving up.

Isabela—the strong woman, the woman who had challenged him from day one, who had been his greatest strength and his greatest weakness—was losing hope. Losing faith in their love.

And that terrified him.

—You can’t leave me —he murmured, more to himself than to her.

—You’re not giving me a choice, Alejandro.

Her voice sounded tired, defeated. And for the first time in his life, Alejandro felt panic.

Because if he lost Isabela, he lost everything.

Alejandro closed his eyes for a moment, feeling his world crumble. He had never feared anything. Not death, not betrayal, not war. But the thought of losing Isabela… that terrified him.

The silence between them was thick, heavy with unspoken emotions. Alejandro looked at her, trying to see beyond her anger, beyond her pain. But all he found was distance.

—Don’t do this to me, Isabela —his voice was hoarse, more of a plea than a command.

Isabela let out a shaky sigh, but her resolve remained firm.

—I’m not the one who started this, Alejandro. You did.

He took another step closer, and this time, she didn’t back away. She faced him with her chin held high, with the same dignity she had always carried as the wife of a man like him.

—You know it's not that simple, —he murmured. —You can't just walk out that door and pretend you were never here.

—I'm going to do it.

Alejandro let out an incredulous scoff and ran a hand through his hair.

—You don't understand how this world works, Isabella.

—No, Alejandro, you don't understand how I work.

The way she said it, with that sharp coldness, made his jaw tighten.

—And what do you think will happen if you walk out that door? —he asked harshly. —Do you think you can take my children and that I’ll do nothing?

Isabella felt the air grow heavy in her lungs.

—Are you going to stop me? —she asked without hesitation.

Alejandro held her gaze for long seconds. What he saw in her eyes enraged him. No fear. No plea. Only determination.

—I decide what happens in this family, Isabella. And my children are not leaving. Neither are you.

A shiver ran down her spine, but she forced herself to stay composed.

—You're a damn dictator.

—I'm a man who protects what’s his.

—No, Alejandro. You’re a man who doesn't know how to lose.

Her words were a direct shot to his pride. His breathing grew heavy, and his hands clenched into fists.

—You don’t get to decide this, Isabella. Not like this.

She crossed her arms, defiant.

—What will you do? Lock me in this room? Threaten me?

Alejandro took a step closer, closing the distance between them until their faces were just inches apart.

—If that's what it takes to make you stay… yes.

Isabella's breath hitched in her throat. Her eyes searched his, looking for something—anything—of the man she once loved.

But all she found was Alejandro Moretti.

Her husband.

The capo.

The villain of her story.

—If you cross that line, Alejandro… there will be no turning back.

Alejandro tilted his head, watching her like a hunter analyzing its prey.

—Then don’t force me to cross it.

Silence filled the room again. Two souls trapped in a game of power, love, and war.

Outside, the night stretched with the promise of a new day.

A day in which Isabella didn’t know if she would still be a queen… or a prisoner. Everything was so confusing now, not just in her mind, but in everything around her.

Her house was surrounded by armed men. Her husband was no longer a successful businessman. He was now a mafia boss.

For a moment, she felt herself breaking. Her legs wavered, and her heart seemed to stop.

She was trapped between the wall and Alejandro’s imposing figure.

She could see a blurred image in him—the man who loved her and the beast capable of killing.

Her head was spinning, but she refused to appear weak before him. She would stand her ground.

—You know what’s best for you, Isabella. Don’t do anything reckless.

Approaching her, Alejandro stole a kiss. Though she didn’t return it, she didn’t refuse it either.

For an instant, Isabella felt breathless. Her mind screamed at her to run, but her damned heart… her heart still beat for him.

Alejandro remained there, standing before her, with the shadow of a threat in his eyes—but also the fire of a love that refused to die.

—Isabella… —his voice was barely a whisper.

She closed her eyes, feeling the tears burn her skin.

—If you love me, let me go, Alejandro.

Alejandro shook his head, stepping back as if his own emotions were suffocating him.

—I don’t know how.

His confession struck her harder than any yell. For the first time, she saw the man behind the monster, the boy who never learned to lose, the king who feared losing his kingdom.

But she couldn’t keep being his prisoner.

—Then you’ll have to learn, —she whispered with a hint of sorrow.

Alejandro looked at her as if those words had just sentenced him. And maybe they had.

The war between them was just beginning.

And only one would come out victorious.

With a wounded soul, Alejandro left Isabella’s room to see his children, leaving strict orders for his men not to let her leave.