Chapter 10

ISABELLA’S POV

The walls were beginning to feel like they were closing in on me.

It had been at least a week since I’d last seen Luca. 

A week of nothing but silence, the only interaction I had being with the maid who brought my meals three times a day. 

She never spoke, never!

Never acknowledged me beyond bringing the tray into the room and walking out.

A goddamn prisoner I am indeed.

At first, I had tried to be polite.

"Good morning." I greeted her the first time she brought breakfast, offering a small smile despite my frustration with this entire situation.

No response.

Just great!

She placed the tray on the table, turned on her heel, and left without so much as a glance in my direction.

I had tried again at lunch.

"Hey, uhm… could you tell me where I am exactly?" I asked, hoping to get something—anything—from her.

Silence.

Sad enough.

Dinner arrived, and I decided to be more persistent.

"Look, I get it. You probably have rules. You’re not allowed to talk to me, right?" I tested. "But surely a simple answer won’t get you in trouble."

Nothing.

The following day, I attempted to be friendlier.

"You must get tired of doing this every day. Is this the only thing you do?"

Her blank expression didn’t change. She set the tray down and walked out, closing the door with a soft click.

By the fifth meal, my patience was wearing thin.

"Are you mute, or do you just enjoy ignoring me?" I snapped as she placed lunch on the table.

Still nothing.

I glared at her retreating back as the door shut.

It was infuriating.

It wasn’t even that I wanted deep conversations—I just needed some sort of interaction. 

Some proof that I wasn’t invisible, that I wasn’t just a prisoner here.

By the second day of this routine, I gave up trying. 

I sat by the window, stared at the trees outside, and ignored her presence as much as she ignored mine.

But today, I had no choice.

A dull ache had started in my lower abdomen the night before, and when I woke up this morning, the familiar heaviness and discomfort made it clear—I had gotten my period.

Shit! I know right? Shit!

I had absolutely no supplies.

When breakfast arrived, I turned to the maid with urgency.

"Wait," I blurted out, stepping closer to her. "I need—um, I need some supplies. Sanitary products. You're a woman like me you should know."

She didn’t even acknowledge that I had spoken. She simply set the tray down and left.

“Really?” I called behind her.

Frustrated, I went to wash up in the bathroom then I waited until lunch. 

This time, I stepped in front of the door before she could leave.

"Please," I said, trying to keep my voice calm. "This is important. I need sanitary products. Do you understand?"

She looked past me, refusing to meet my gaze, and with a weird level of detachment, sidestepped around me and walked out.

I stood frozen, hands clenched at my sides.

This was ridiculous.

By dinner, I had lost any patience I had left.

As soon as she entered, I blocked her path and spoke as firmly as possible.

"You can’t keep ignoring me. I know you hear me."

Nothing.

"Are you even allowed to speak?" I demanded, frustration lacing every word. "Do you just not care? Or is this some twisted game?"

She placed the tray down and turned away.

"Jesus Christ, say something!"

Yeah, you can guess…

She didn’t.

The door closed, leaving me alone with my anger and a growing humiliation.

I swallowed hard. I wasn’t going to beg.

I wasn’t going to keep talking to a brick wall.

The next time she came, I didn’t say a word.

And the next.

And the next.

If she wanted to pretend I didn’t exist, fine. I could pretend she didn’t either.

But that didn’t change the fact that I needed supplies.

At least I could wash up every now and then in the bathroom.

And if the maid wasn’t going to help me, I needed to find someone who would.

That left only one person.

Luca.

I had no idea where he was, but I couldn’t stay locked in this room forever. 

So, for the first time in over a week, I stepped out.

The hallway was eerily quiet, dimly lit by the warm glow of light. 

My bare feet padded against the cool wooden floors as I wandered, trying to remember the layout of the villa. 

It took longer than I expected, but eventually, I found myself in front of a heavy set of double doors.

Luca’s bedroom wing. I pushed open and went to his room.

I hesitated before knocking.

No answer.

I knocked again, louder this time.

Still nothing.

Annoyed, I reached for the handle and found the door unlocked. I pushed it open and stepped inside.

I had only been here once before, but I hadn’t paid much attention to my surroundings at the time… 

Now, I took it in.

The space was massive, but not in a weird way. 

The walls were painted a deep, muted gray, and the decor was modern, clean, and masculine. 

A sleek black leather couch sat near a glass coffee table, a large bookshelf lining the far wall. 

Unlike his rude and dark persona, Luca’s space felt contemporary.

Then my eyes drifted to the bed—very large, neatly made, with black sheets and a dark gray comforter.

But before I could take in any more, movement caught my attention.

Luca stepped out of the bathroom.

I gasped.

Holy hell.

A towel hung low around his hips, droplets of water trailing down his chest and disappearing beneath the fabric. 

My eyes following the drops.

His hair was damp, slightly tousled, and his tattoos—black tattoo ink that stretched across his arms, his chest, his torso—stood out even more against his wet skin.

I swallowed hard.

He looked like something straight out of a sinful fantasy, and for a moment, I completely forgot why I had even come here in the first place.

My breath stopped when his sharp eyes landed on me, dark and unreadable, and for a brief second, I thought I saw a flicker of something—surprise? Amusement?

Then his gaze hardened.

"What are you doing here?"

His voice was low, rough, still edged with the remnants of exhaustion.

I opened my mouth, then closed it, momentarily speechless.

I had been so determined to find him, so frustrated with being ignored, but now that he was standing in front of me, half naked and looking like sin itself, my brain had short circuited.