Chapter 5

If she had though seeing Luca was over for the day, she had been sorely mistaken, because just as she had prepared to lay down and rest her sor muscles, a servant had knocked on her door, informing her that Luca had asked to see her in his study.

Talk of bad timing.

Elena stood in the huge stufy, ignoring how huge it was and focused on the man in front of her. Arms crossed, she watched Luca move with calculated ease. He removed his jacket, unbuttoning his cuffs as he turned to her with a cold smirk.

“There are rules in my house, Elena,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “You will follow them.”

She arched a brow, refusing to show fear. Rule? Of course a man like Luca had rules in his house. “I’m not your slave.”

His smirk deepened. “You’re my wife. That means you belong to me in every way that matters.”

Her jaw tightened, but she remained silent. She had to pick her battles.

“First rule,” Luca continued, stepping closer. Yeah, he had to come into her space again. “You will respect my authority. I will not tolerate disobedience.” Oh she had heard that one over and over again.

She lifted her chin. “And if I do?”

His blue eyes darkened. “You won’t.”

A shiver ran down her spine, but she refused to look away.

“Second,” he said, walking past her, “you do not leave this house without my permission. Your safety is my concern, whether you like it or not.”

Elena’s hands curled into fists. Who did he think he was to dictate how she moved? She was his wife, not his paid servant.

Luca continued. “Third, do not meddle in my business. What I do, who I deal with. It is not your concern.”

She scoffed. “I wasn’t planning on it.” She had alreadyhad enough of that with her father.

He turned back to her, his expression unreadable. “Good. Then this should be easy.”

“Fourth,” he continued, his tone becoming more icy, “you will be present at all family events. Whether it’s a dinner, a gathering, or a meeting, you will attend. No arguments.”

Elena narrowed her eyes. “Why? To play the perfect wife?”

“To show respect,” Luca corrected smoothly. “And to remind everyone exactly who you belong to.”

She clenched her teeth but said nothing.

Was she nothing more than a mere throphy to him? It was alway about her belonging to him!

“Fifth, you will not embarrass me or our union in public. If you have grievances, we handle them privately.”

Elena let out a bitter laugh. “Because appearances are everything, right?”

“In this world, yes.”

She shook her head, hating how logical his words were.

“Sixth, if you have an issue, you come to me first. I don’t want you running to anyone else, thinking you’ll find sympathy. Not even Don Alberto”

Her stomach twisted. “But he is my father?” Not like she had forgiven the man who had used her as a pawn in business, but still..

Luca exhaled, stepping closer until he was mere inches away. “You have me.”

She met his gaze, searching for mockery, but found nothing. Elena couldn't help but feel uneasy.

“Seventh, my bedroom is always open to you. But yours is yours, for now. Don’t mistake my patience for weakness.”

Her breath hitched, but she kept her expression blank. She wouldn’t let him see how that rule affected her.

Did that mean they wouldn't be sharing a bedroom through their marriage? It was at the tip of her tongue to ask, btu she reigned it in.

Some things were best left unsaid.

“Eighth,” he went on, his voice turning darker, “you do not lie to me. I don’t care what it’s about. One lie, and there will be consequences.”

Elena swallowed but held his gaze. “And what happens if I do?”

She wasn't sure why, and how she kept talking back at him, when the man scared the hell out of her. But something in the way he spoke, and made her feel just elicited this deep irritation in her that  caused her tongue to grow loose. And the fact that it infuriated him clearly, made her reel with joy inside her.

He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a near whisper. “Don’t make me find out.”

Okay, mabe she needed to calm down a little and not provoke him further.

A tense silence stretched between them before he continued.

“Ninth, you will not try to escape. There is nowhere you can go where I won’t find you.”

A lump formed in her throat. “I wouldn’t give you the satisfaction.” So many fucking rules. Maybe she should have brought a damn pen and paper to remember all of them.

But sje had the sinking feeling that she wasn't going to forget a single one.

Luca smirked, clearly amused by her fire. “Good.”

Then his expression turned serious. “Tenth and final rule, Elena." he paused, looking straight at her. If only he was not the next thing to a fucking grenade, she would have said his eyes were beautiful.

The thought made her blink and try to look away, but Luca held her gaze, pinnin her to the spot as she awaited his last rule. "No one touches what’s mine.”

A chill ran down her spine as she processed his words.

His gaze continued to hold hers, his meaning unmistakable. “That includes you. No one else lays a hand on you. Not a friend, not an enemy, not anyone. Understand?”

Elena’s breath became shallow. The possessiveness in his voice rattled her more than she wanted to admit. She hated how a part of her burned at the intensity of his words.

She wanted to talk back. Wanted to say something defiant to rile him up. He couldn't win just like that.

But words failed her.

In that moment, with them looking straight at each other, something seemed to give, and it was coming from her.

Luca said nothing, as if waiting for her to strike back, but she just couldn't do it.

In that momet, she knew, then and there, that he had power over her. He had won, and he knew because a smirk tugged on his lips.

She forced herself to nod. “I understand.”

Luca studied her for a moment before stepping back, satisfied. “Good. Now, get some rest. Tomorrow, your life as my wife truly begins.”

With that, he turned and left the room, leaving Elena standing there, heart pounding, a mixture of rage and something far more dangerous coursing through her veins.

How had she landed in this situation?

Why did it feel like her life had just become a living hell, and this was just the begining?

Every single one of Luca's ten rules, played in her head, imprinting themselves permanently in her brain. And they mocked her. Each one of them.

She was his.

His for the taking.

His to do whatever it is, he wished to do.

Just how, had she gone and gotten herself into this mess?