Chapter 176 ONE-HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-SIX

Chapter 176 ONE-HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-SIX


“I love you, Isabelle.”

Alessandro couldn't believe that those words had just come out from him. But there was no denying it now because the signs had been there all along.

When he found out she pulled a disappearing stunt on him, his heart felt like it had been split into two. He couldn't focus. Nothing anyone said made sense anymore.

He was only concerned about finding his wife.

Even at this moment, with him all tied up, despite everything his mind tried to counter, his heart knew he couldn't hurt her. 

He fell in love with her, but didn't know when or how it happened.

He loved her.

And not in the normal kind of way but in the twisted, fucked up, ride or die kind of way.

How didn't he realize this?

For someone who picked up on people so fast, it was disappointing that he didn't realize his feelings on time and what they meant.

“I love you, Isabelle,” he repeated with more force than earlier, as if trying to convince her that the words were true in every sense of it. 

Heart pounding. She blinked at him. “Y-you… you love me?”

Alessandro raised his hand to her face and wiped the tears that she didn't even realize had fallen from her eyes with the pad of his thumb. “So fucking much. I don't know how or when, I just know I love you and I can't breathe when you're not near. I love you with everything I am. I am yours, Isabelle. Every part of me, even the broken ones. You're way too fucking good for me, but that doesn't mean am letting you stay married to him. You are mine, and I'll spend every day showing you just how much I love you.”

She didn't believe him. She wouldn't.

He was lying.

Lying!

Isabelle shook her head in disbelief. “No, it's not—”

“If I could rip my chest open just so you could have my heart in your palms to determine if I'm lying or not, I would do it without a second thought.” He paused, took a deep breath before proceeding, “At first, the plan was to keep you miserable as much as your father did to my mother. I couldn't bear the thought of a Conti living a happy life while my mother didn't get to live hers because it was cut short. I can't tell when everything changed. I have no fucking idea when I started developing feelings for you, but all I know is my life hasn't been the same since you wrecked your way into it.”

What was he saying?

This couldn't possibly be Alessandro Moretti talking.

Had the substance messed with his head too?

“I didn't think I was capable of love. No one did. It's like you do something to me when you're close. I can't think properly, I can't function properly and am prune to doing irrational things when you're not near.” 

He caressed her cheekbones for moment, pulling her closer. “When I saw how shattered your apartment was, it felt like I was drowning… like my own world had collapsed right in front of me. You know… I tried to convince myself that you being dead didn't matter to me… tried to convince myself that you were better off dead than in my life. But that was only me trying to be in denial of what really had been staring at me in the face… of what my feelings truly meant. 

She opened her mouth to speak again. “You…”

But he didn't let her finish,

“You called me a monster. I've heard words worse than that, but you saying them caused me to spiral out of control and I became too desperate… desperate to prove just how much of a monster I could be. That shows how much power you have over me. People know me as Don Alessandro Moretti—the powerful and ruthless don, but with you, I’m nothing. I can take a thousand bullets to my heart for you and I'll still die happy, seeing you're satisfied. I don't know if I'm capable of being loved. Every woman I've every loved ended up leaving me the moment they had the chance. I know I'm a fucking lunatic… I'm a monster… I'm everything your nightmare entails, but I'm your own lunatic, your own monster and you have the ability to bring me to my knees if you want to.”

Isabelle's breathing became light, her mouth opened to speak up again and she shuddered in his hold. 

No.

No.

No.

This wasn't how it was meant to go. He wasn't supposed to say this, wasn't supposed to lie like this.

Alessandro looked at the chains for the quickest moment and back at her. “You want control right? Take all of it. Take everything you need. I'm nothing without you and if you need control, you can have it. But just get three things straight— I'm not signing those fucking divorce papers. Not now, not ever. Secondly—

“I love you, I love you so fucking damn much, Isabelle Moretti. You are the bane of my existence. Please, please don't you think of pulling the escaping stunt on me again. Don’t ever leave me again.”

“And lastly…” He took her hand gently, leading it to his chest and pressing it hard against his chest. “Now… now you have the utmost power over me, because now, you have the ability to hurt me… you have the ability to kill me, and I'll die a happy and fulfilled man.”

She couldn't say anything else. What could she say?

There was nothing to say because she didn't believe him. 

He said he would never love her. He did—multiple times than she could count. This was only a ploy to get her back to Italy with him and she wasn't going to fall for it. 

But then, why did it all sound too real. Alessandro confessing his feelings sounded too real to her, sounded too real to be faked. She had to give it to him. He was good at this… good at this lying stuff.

“You're not saying anything, firecracker.”

“That's because I don't… I don't know what to say.”

He placed a finger to get lips, shutting her from speaking any further. “You don't have to, mia cara. If words won't work, then actions probably will. Let me show you what I mean when I say I'm in love with you.”

Goosebumps rose all over her skin, she was still in shock because she couldn't believe what he was saying at this moment.

Reaching with his hand, he moved the long strand of hair that had fallen over her face, holding her at the nape, he leaned in and placed a kiss on her slender neck. With his other hand, he found the path leading to her core and heard her sharp intake of breath when he started moving his fingers up her naked thigh.

“Alessandro,” she moaned out. It came out as half plea, and half hesitation.

He paused, and looked up at her with pleading eyes. “I need you, Isabelle. It's been long.” 

His eyes searched her face for any form of feedback but she looked away from him.

“I know you want control, and you can have it… all of it. But please, please, I fucking need you and I'm definitely going to go crazy if I can't have you.”

She returned her eyes back to him, but still didn't say anything.

“Do you wish for me to beg?” he groaned, rocking his hips upward in desperation. “Because I'll fucking beg if that's what you want.” 

“Alessandro—”

He paused, exhaled. “I'm begging you, Isabelle. Suck my cock, Isabelle… please.”

Isabelle rocked her hips, coating his shaft with her slick heat and grinding her pussy on him. Alessandro shifted his hips, trying to slip inside her, to take what she was willing to give but she pulled back, continuing her torture.

“Beg me again,” she demanded, voice low and daring.

He groaned out in frustration, throwing his head back, panting. 

She watched him thrust his hips helplessly, and satisfaction overwhelmed her completely.

“Please, Isabelle. Please, suck my cock.”