Chapter 3: Angry

Isabella sat on the edge of the bed, her arms folded and her determination unwavering as the morning sun broke through the thick curtains.

Despite the scent of freshly baked bread and eggs filling the air she was not particularly tempted by her unfinished breakfast tray sitting on the table.

Even though her stomach rumbled in protest she refused to give in and hadn't eaten since the previous day.

She was just too angry to eat anything and wished she could just vanish into thin air or just cease to exist.

She thought of Grandpa Harold, if he was just okay, if the whole family knew the kind of situation she was right now.

If Grandpa Harold knew she had been kidnapped he would surely go into a fit, she just couldn't imagine him collapsing on hearing that she had been kidnapped.

And what would happen to Clara?

Her step mother though angry at her sometimes would definitely be sad

Isabella sniffed and wiped here face with the back of her palms.

With a sharp startling sound, the door opened abruptly.

The intimidating mafia lord, Luciano Ortiz entered his face unreadable and his sharp blue eyes searching, as if this was the first time he was coming into the room

Before focusing on the unopened food, his piercing dark blue eyes swept over the space.

"You're trying to test my patience." He said in a gravelly low voice .

Isabella's eyes blazed with defiance as she met his.

"I am not eating. I'm not going to stay here. You can't keep me and I don't belong here."

Laughing without humor, Luciano Ortiz moved closer.

"You're brave for someone who is completely dependent on me."

Her jaw tensed.

"Mercy?  is that what you mean Instead? How is this mercy when you kidnap me, put me in this gilded cage and insist that I obey all of your wishes? Let me go!. "

A mixture of amusement and frustration crossed his face as his lips quirked.

"Your step mother sold you to me, Carina and  am now your owner."

" Liar!" Isabella yelled her voice shaking with anger and disbelief. "She would not— You're lying.."

He snorted as he cut her off.

"Wouldn't she? You believe she is concerned about you and your future but she sold you out the minute you started to cause problems. " He scoffed." You are just a silly, little girl. Only the heavens knows the amount if trouble you must have caused."

Isabella felt a pounding sensation in her chest.

"No. You're lying. She is a member of the family. And she won't possibly harm me."

"Oops, Family." He said it again smirking bitterly ."For years that woman has been plotting on how to get rid of you. She made a deal with me because she couldn't bear the thought of you inheriting the business. I can now command you as I wish."

For the first time, doubt started to seep in as her breath caught.

Clara can be mean sometimes, yelling the house down because she had no child of her own but selling Isabella off?

No.

She firmly shook her head." You are not someone I should believe. "

As he leaned closer and loomed over her ,the mafia lords eyes darkened

" You'll eventually believe it. Yes indeed." He called for one of his men as he turned to face the door. "Get the phone for me."

Isabella felt her heart race. "Why are you doing this?"

" Verifying my argument." he stated icily. He was given a phone by one of his men a moment later.

He put the call on speaker and dialed a number. When Isabella realized who was speaking her heart fell.

Her stepmother was the one responsible. Luciano called  Isabella's name with ease and without taking his eyes off of hers.

"Why don't you pay close attention to what she has to say?"

The voice on the other end sounded impatient and cold.

"Is she still alive?"

Isabella froze her blood freezing.

" What was that?" the mafia lord questioned pretending to be shocked. "It seems like you'll need to explain. Did you just ask about the death of your stepdaughter?"

After a moment her stepmothers voice growled .

"Yes I did. She is an annoyance. Something that bothers me. As long as she's not here. I don't care what you do with her. Make sure she doesn't return please. "

Isabella felt the truth hit her like a tidal wave and tears filled her eyes.

She had been kidnapped by her stepmother who had acted as if she cared for her, smiling and giving her a farewell hug before she left.

With a victorious smirk on his thin lips, Luciano hung up.

" Are you happy now?"

As Isabella tried to understand what she had just heard, her hands began to shake. The icy poisonous words of her stepmother replayed in her head.

She experienced a rush of rage and betrayal , but she also felt more safe. "You were right" she said in a barely audible whisper.

An eyebrow went up.

"I'm always right." She looked up into his eyes with a fresh sense of anger .

"But in this case you are not innocent. For accepting her deal you bear equal responsibility."

Calm and unconcerned, he shrugged.

" I never said that I was innocent. I own a business. I seized an opportunity when I saw it."

Isabella moved to slap him across the face before she could stop herself.

Everything went silent for a moment as the sound echoed throughout the space. When he turned back to face her ,his eyes were blazing and his head had tilted slightly from the impact.

" That was a mistake ." He said slowly.

Isabella remained unflinching.

"I'm not interested. You can do as you please but I won't play along with you. I refuse to be used as a pawn by anyone. "

His face was unreadable as he gazed at her and then he laughed softly.

"I'll give it to you that you possess a sweet  fire. But don't think that my patience is a sign of weakness. You'll regret pushing me ."

Breathing heavily, she balled her fists. "You can make as many threats as you like. Never will I bow to you."

"Bow?" he asked again taking a step toward them until they were just inches apart.

"I don't need  you to bow. I want you to realize where you stand. Whether you like it or not Isabella you are now mine."

Tears were on the verge of streaming from her eyes but she fought the urge. She would never give him the satisfied of seeing her cry.

No.

Because neither of them was prepared to compromise, there was a lot of tension in the room. Sharp and ready to cut through the walls of the room.

He took a step back at last his face hardening. Using, his other hand, he rubbed the side of his face where she had slapped him and smirked.

"Suit yourself." he said icily. "Starve if you'd like. I don't care about it. But don't even this that you can ignore me and get away with it."

The door behind him slammed as he turned and walked out of the room. Isabella's body shook and she fell to the ground.

The mafia lords threats and her stepmother's betrayal were too much. She put her arms around herself in an attempt to contain the sobs that threatened to spill out.

But as the minutes went by her desperation started to give way to rage.

They couldn't win because what they had done to her She refused to let the control of the mafia lord or the hatred of her stepmother break her spirit.

She would fight. She was determined to escape this nightmare at all costs.

She would make them all pay when she did.

They should just wait.