Chapter 4: Mi Esposa

SEVASTIAN

The weight of the gun that points at my chest makes my body feel tense not because of fear that gripped me but it was the fascination that I  felt. 

My wife stood before me like a storm who’s ready to destroy everything, the unyielding fire in eyes did not waver, her aim was steady as if one wrong move she would pull the trigger. 

However, I am not afraid that she will do something. I am confident that she needs me. 

I leaned against the table, crossing my arms with casual confidence. “If you were trying to impress me, mi esposa, I have to admit, it’s working.”

Her sharp eyes narrowed, “I’m not here to impress you, Sevastian. I’m here to make it clear. I’m not yours to control.”

The defiance in her voice stirred something primal in me, a challenge I hadn’t expected but found myself eager to meet. 

“Is that what you think this is?” I asked, tilting my head slightly. “A battle for control?”

She stepped closer, the cold steel in her hand is still fixed. “It’s not a battle, it’s a fact. I don’t bow to anyone, least of all you.”

My lips curled into a slow, deliberate grin. “Brave words for someone standing alone in a room with me. Do you know what men like me do to people who threaten us?”

Her expression didn’t flinch, not even a flicker of hesitation. “You belittle, mock, and insult the wrong woman, mio caro.”

That was new. 

Most people, hell! Everyone—knew better than not to push me this far.

But Celestina? She was all sharp edges and a steady storm of fire, refusing to give me even an inch. 

It was irritating and infuriating, yet thrilling.

I have to admit that I expect to control Carson’s porcelain doll. However, I was a fool not to notice that she wasn’t just a doll because she’s more than that. 

“Underestimate you?” I repeated, letting a mocking laugh slip through. “Let me make something clear, mi esposa. I don’t underestimate anyone. But you? You’re out of your depth.”

Her lips twitched into a smirk, it was sharp and sarcastic. “And you’re overconfident.”

I pushed off the table, closing the distance between us until the barrel of the gun pressed against my chest.

Her grip didn’t falter, but her breath hitched—just barely. I caught it, of course.

“You have no idea who you married,” I murmured, my voice low, almost a growl.

“And you have no idea who you’re dealing with,” she shot back.

I laughed, a quiet, dangerous sound that could send her a warning not provoked me any further. 

“Oh, I do. I married the daughter of a desperate man with more ambition than sense. A woman who thinks pointing a gun at me proves she’s in charge.” I leaned closer, my gaze boring into her. 

“But here’s the truth. I don’t care about your fire. I don’t care about your defiance. Sooner or later, you’ll submit, Celestina. You’ll kneel, and you’ll thank me for it.”

She didn’t flinch, not even a flicker of fear crossed her face. Instead, her smirk widened, slow and deliberate, like she knew exactly how much it would push me to the edge.

Her eyes locked with mine, daring me to move, to say something, to strike first. 

But she wasn’t afraid. No, the spark in her gaze wasn’t fear, it was determination that she could win. 

“Before that happens, mio caro,” she said, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade, sharp and unforgiving, “I’ll make sure you’re the one kneeling before me.”

Her words hung in the air, a challenge so bold it made my chest tighten. I stepped closer, letting the space between us shrink.

The air grew heavier, thick with unspoken threats and something neither of us could name.

“You’re bold,” I said, my voice low, almost a snarl. 

My hand moved, fingers brushing against her chin, tilting her face up so she couldn’t look anywhere but at me. “But boldness only gets you so far. You don’t want to know what happens when you cross me.”

She didn’t pull away, instead, she leaned into my touch, her alluring smirk never faltering. “And what makes you think I’m afraid of crossing you?”

Her voice was soft now, almost teasing, but there was steel beneath it, strong and stubborn. 

I hated the way it made my blood boil, hated the way she made me want to push her, to see just how far she was willing to go.

“You should be,” I said, my fingers tightening just slightly, enough to let her feel the weight of my warning. “I don’t play games, and I don’t lose.”

“Good,” she whispered, her lips curving into an even deadlier smile. “Because neither do I.”

The audacity. 

The sheer gall of this woman, it should have enraged me. It should have made me put her in her place.

But instead, I found myself grinning, like a devil who’s challenging his prey.

“You’ve got spirit,” I admitted, my tone dripping with insult. “I’ll give you that. But you’re delusional if you think you can win this.”

She stepped closer, the gun between us now almost an afterthought. “Delusional?” she echoed, her tone daring me to underestimate her further. “Or determined?”

I leaned down, my face mere inches from hers, my voice soft with a cunning whisper. “Determined to lose. You’ll see, mi esposa. Everyone does eventually.”

“And when they do, they’re usually looking up at me,” she countered, her words cutting through the tension like a blade.

I laughed again, “You’re entertaining, I’ll give you that. But the day I kneel before you, Celestina, is the day hell freezes over.”

Her smile didn’t falter. “Better start preparing, mi esposo. Hell’s getting colder by the second.”

I didn’t move and didn’t blink. 

Celestina wasn’t backing down. Not even an inch, or even a pause. She wanted me to know she meant every word she’d said.

And I wanted to laugh.

Not because she was funny. Oh no, there was nothing amusing about this woman. 

She was a hurricane in human form. Deadly, calculated, completely unpredictable. But that’s what made this so damn entertaining.

“Still holding that gun,” I murmured, my voice low and taunting, “but you haven’t pulled the trigger. Is it because you’re scared, mi esposa?”

Her lips twitched, a slight upward curve that screamed confidence. “Why waste a bullet on someone who isn’t worth it?”

I chuckled, slow and deep, letting the sound fill the room.

She was quick, sharp-tongued and fearless but I could see through her. Beneath all that bravado, there was something else. 

A need to prove herself to show me she wasn’t just her father’s puppet.

I leaned in closer, enough to catch the faintest scent of her perfume. 

It was sweet, too sweet for someone this dangerous. “Careful, Celestina,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “If you keep talking like that, I might think you’re flirting with me.”

Her eyes narrowed. “If I was, you wouldn’t be able to handle it.”

I barked out a laugh, unable to stop myself, as I moved away from her. “You think so?”

“I know so,” she shot back, her voice firm.

Once again, I reached up, gripping the gun’s cold metal with one hand. 

My touch was slow, deliberate, as if daring her to shoot.

Her grip tightened, but she didn’t pull away.

“Let me tell you something,” I said, my voice dropping, each word like a deceptive snake luring its prey. 

“You don’t scare me, Celestina. If anything…” I smirked, pulling her hand closer until the barrel was pressed right over my heart. “You intrigue me.”

She didn’t blink and didn’t move. “You should be scared,” she said coldly. “I’m not like the other women who bow down to you, Sevastian. I’m not afraid of you.”

“Not yet,” I countered, my tone was a sharp knife. “But you will be.”

Her smirk widened. “The only thing I’ll feel for you is pity when you realize you can’t break me.”

“You really think that, don’t you?” I asked, shaking my head. “You think you can stand here, in my world, and not bend?”

“I don’t just think it,” she replied, her voice hard like a stone. “I know it.”

Her confidence, her fire, it was maddening. 

She was the first person in years who dared to look me in the eye without trembling. And for some reason, it made me want to push her even further to see what she looks like when she breaks. 

I suddenly twisted the gun from her grasp, quick and forceful, catching her wrist with my other hand. 

She stumbled forward, crashing against me, but I caught her easily.

“Careful,” I teased, holding her close, her chest rising and falling against mine. “You’re in dangerous territory, mi cara.”

She glared up at me, her eyes blazing with furious. “Let me go.”

I smirked, ignoring her command. “You like this, don’t you?” I asked in a teasing tone. “Being this close to me.”

She scoffed, trying to pull away, but I didn’t let her.

“Admit it,” I continued, my tone light but laced with mockery. “You enjoy our little games.”

Her jaw clenched, her pride keeping her from responding. 

I tilted my head, brushing my lips close to her ear.

“You’ll submit,” I whispered, each word being intended. “It’s only a matter of time. And when you do, Celestina, I’ll make sure you never forget it.”

She pulled back just enough to meet my gaze, her lips curving into a smile so sharp it could cut. “Before that happens, I’ll make sure you’re on your knees in front of me.”

I froze for a split second, caught off guard by her audacity. And then, I laughed, a dark genuine sound that echoed through the room.

“You’re bold,” I replied, releasing her wrist but keeping her close. “I like that. But don’t mistake your boldness for power. You’re in my world now.”

“And yet, here you are,” she shot back, her voice steady, “holding me like you don’t want to let go.”

Touché.

I loosened my grip, taking a step back but keeping my smirk intact. “Let’s see who’s gonna kneel on the floor, mi esposa.” 

Her response was immediate. “And I’ll make sure it was you.” 

Feisty and brave. I love to ruin that fucking confidence.