All Chapters of THE DEBT OF DESIRE: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Matteo stood in the hallway, his body tense, his mind working furiously to push away the strange stirrings her proximity caused. This was a transaction, nothing more. The sooner he reminded himself of that, the sooner he could finish his business here and leave without further complication.But Isabella Thornton wasn’t making it easy. The way her soft voice lingered in the air, the way her eyes challenged him in ways no one else ever dared—she was getting under his skin.He glanced at her father, still standing awkwardly by the door, a silent plea written all over his face."I’ll take care of it," Matteo said sharply, dismissing the man with a wave. He had no time for Richard Thornton’s cowardice. The deal had been struck, and now Matteo needed to make it clear that there would be no further attempts to bargain.Richard nodded weakly and disappeared down the hall, leaving the two of them alone. Matteo’s gaze shifted back to Isabella, who hadn’t moved from the door. She stood there, he

The moonlight slanted through the tall windows of the Thornton mansion, casting long, eerie shadows on the polished floors. Inside, Isabella stood near the grand fireplace, her back rigid with tension. Her hands twisted nervously, the delicate lace of her sleeves pulling at her fingertips as her mind raced. Matteo’s words echoed in her ears, and though her body was still trembling from the proximity of his touch, her thoughts couldn’t seem to focus on anything but him.He’s right. She could almost feel it, deep in her chest. She was drawn to him, no matter how much she hated herself for it.But she was weak. She had always been weak. Weak in the eyes of her father, weak in the eyes of her peers. And now, weak in front of him. She had no choice but to admit it. Matteo DiCarlo wasn’t just a mafia lord; he was a force that had come to claim what was his—and whether she liked it or not, she was part of that claim.She pulled her eyes from the flickering fire and stared at the door. For a

Isabella’s footsteps echoed softly as she wandered back to her room, her mind a tangled mess of emotions. The conversation with Matteo had left her shaken, the intensity of his gaze still lingering on her skin like an invisible mark. She couldn’t stop replaying his words over and over in her mind—You’re mine now. The more she thought about it, the more she wondered if it was true. Had she truly become entangled in his world, or was she just another piece in his game?As she reached her room, she paused, her hand hovering over the doorknob. The house was very quiet, the silence pressing in on her. Something just didn’t feel right. It was as if the walls themselves were hiding secrets, whispering to her of things she was better off not knowing.Her instincts told her to turn back, to escape before it was too late, but she couldn’t. She was already too far gone, and the pull of Matteo’s power had a grip on her she couldn’t escape. It was like an addiction, a dangerous desire she couldn’t

Isabella’s world felt like it was slipping through her fingers. One moment, she was a forgotten daughter, overlooked and discarded. The next, she was the center of a war she never knew existed. Morelli wanted her. Matteo refused to let her go. And somewhere in between, her fate was being decided without her consent.Her lips parted, the air around her thick with an unspoken challenge. "If I say no, what happens to me?"Matteo’s dark gaze flickered with something she couldn’t quite place. "Then Morelli gets what he wants. And believe me, Isabella, you don’t want that."A chill crawled down her spine. She didn’t doubt him. Dante Morelli had looked at her like she was a possession he was already claiming. A trophy he had been robbed of."But why me?" she whispered. "I don’t understand. I’m no one. Just the daughter of a pathetic man who sells what he can’t afford to keep."Matteo studied her, the tension in the room growing unbearable. Then, after what felt like an eternity, he exhaled,

The night air was thick with smoke and the lingering scent of gunpowder as Matteo led Isabella away from the burning estate. His grip on her wrist was firm, guiding her through the shadows, away from the bloodshed they’d barely escaped.Isabella’s heart pounded in her chest. Every step she took felt like another part of her past crumbling beneath her feet. She had chosen to leave everything behind, to disappear into the unknown with a man just as dangerous as the one hunting her.They reached a sleek black car parked just beyond the tree line. Matteo yanked the door open and ushered her inside before sliding in beside her. The driver, a burly man with a scar across his cheek, didn’t ask questions. He simply started the engine and peeled away from the destruction behind them.Isabella exhaled, pressing her back against the leather seat, her pulse still frantic. "Where are we going?"Matteo’s gaze was dark, unreadable. "Somewhere safe."She bit her lip, unsure if such a place existed. "