Chapter 4 Warm Welcome

Gabriel yanked Amelia out of the car without a word, his grip bruising her arm. The Mansion before them was enormous, far grander than her family's, but cold and unwelcoming. Staff paused in their tasks, glancing nervously as he dragged her through the grand entrance, but no one dared intervene.

He pulled her upstairs, his movements rough, until they reached a heavy oak door. Gabriel shoved it open and threw her inside with enough force to make her fall to her knees.

The room was richly furnished but devoid of warmth. To Amelia it was her new prison. She straightened, brushing herself off, her expression calm as she faced him.

"That wasn't very welcoming." She said sarcastically.

"I wasn't trying to be." Gabriel replied slamming the door behind him, his dark eyes burning. "Your brother thought he could lay his hands on my cousin and walk away. Now, you'll pay for what he's done."

Amelia's heart began to race, but she forced herself to remain calm. "So, this is how you handle things? Taking it out on someone who had nothing to do with it?"

Gabriel's jaw tightened. "You're here because of him. Every bit of pain he caused her, you'll feel. Night after night."

She didn't flinch, refusing to give him the satisfaction of fear. "You think hurting me will fix anything? You think it makes you powerful? It doesn't. It makes you pathetic."

His steps closed the gap between them in an instant. Grabbing her arm, Gabriel yanked her forward, his face inches from hers. "You don't get to talk to me like that," he snarled.

Why?" Amelia challenged. "Afraid of a little truth? Or does it sting to know you're just as vile as the man you accuse my brother of being?"

His laugh was cold, his breath hot against her skin as he leaned in closer. "You really don't know when to shut that pretty little mouth, do you? Maybe I should teach you some respect."

Amelia tilted her chin higher, even though her stomach twisted. "Go ahead," she taunted. "Show me just how low you're willing to go, Gabriel. Prove to everyone that you're nothing but a scared little boy playing at being a king."

His hand dropped from her arm, only to grab her wrist and twist it behind her back, forcing her body against his. His voice was a growl in her ear. "I should lock you in here and make you beg for mercy. You think you're untouchable, but you're in my house now. You'll learn who's in control."

Amelia winced at the pain but refused to cry out. "You're right," she ground out, her breath hitching. "I'll learn. I'll learn just how desperate and weak you really are."

For a moment, the room was silent except for the sound of their labored breathing. Gabriel's grip loosened slightly, though his anger didn't fade. His eyes burned into hers, his expression caught between rage and something he couldn't name.

Finally, he shoved her away, sending her stumbling backward. "You have no idea what you've just done," he muttered, his voice filled with venom.

She straightened, brushing her hair out of her face as if his rough handling hadn't affected her. "Neither do you," she shot back.

Gabriel stared at her for a moment, his jaw clenching as he battled the storm of emotions threatening to consume him. Without another word, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him and locking it with a sharp click.

Amelia stood there, her wrist aching and her heart pounding, but her defiance remained intact. She sank onto the bed, breathing heavily. She might have pushed him too far, but she refused to be scared of him.

Outside, Gabriel leaned against the door, his fists pressed to the wood. He hated her fire, her sharp tongue, and the way she stood there, calmly daring him to do his worst.

He would break her. He had to. Because the alternative-admitting she was stronger than him-was unthinkable.

******

Paul's cane came down hard against Rodney's shoulder, the sound echoing through the room. Rodney winced but didn't move or make a sound. It wasn't the first time his father had lashed out in anger, and he doubted it would be the last.

"You selfish, reckless fool!" Paul yelled angrily. "Your sister, your innocent sister. Is paying the price for your stupidity!"

"I didn't touch her!" Rodney growled through gritted teeth. "I swear to God, I didn't!"

Paul's cane struck the floor this time, his knuckles white as he gripped it. "And yet, you've dragged this family into a war we can't afford to fight! Do you think I care whether you're innocent or not? Gabriel Russo doesn't care! The damage is already done!"

Rodney's jaw tightened, he felt extremely guilty. "You're not seriously going to let that bastard keep her, are you?"

Paul's glare was cold, but his voice dropped. "Of course, I'm not going to let him keep her. But going after her recklessly will destroy us all. It's a matter of survival."

"Survival?" Rodney's voice rose, his frustration bubbling to the surface. "He took Amelia, Dad! How can you sit here and strategize while she's in his hands?"

Paul's cane hit the floor again, silencing him. "You think I don't know what's at stake? You think I don't want to burn Gabriel Russo's estate to the ground and drag her out of there myself?" He leaned in closer, his voice low. "But we don't survive in this world by acting on emotion. We survive by being smarter than the other man. And right now, that man is Gabriel Russo."

Rodney clenched his fists. "So what's the plan, then? Because every second we waste is a second he could be-"

"Don't." Paul's voice cut like a knife. "Don't you dare finish that sentence."

Rodney sighed looking away, his shoulders slumping. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen," he muttered.

Paul scoffed, "You never do. That's the problem."

Silence fell between them, the weight of Amelia's absence pressing down on them both. Finally, Paul straightened, his voice cold and commanding. "Get out of my sight. If you want to help your sister, you'll do exactly what I tell you. Not one move without my permission. Do you understand?"

Rodney nodded stiffly. "Yes, sir."

As Rodney left the room, Paul sank into a chair. His mind raced with plans and contingencies. No matter what it took, he would get his daughter back. But it had to be done carefully. One wrong move, and the Russo family could destroy them.

The Russos had more resources, more allies, and far-reaching influence that dwarfed his own. Gabriel Russo may have been young and brash, but he had the weight of a powerful legacy behind him.

Paul had stood his ground during their confrontation, not out of fearlessness, but because he knew Gabriel's father, Anton, would have respected the truce they'd forged years ago. To break that agreement now would be suicide for his family.

Paul was many things-ruthless, cold, calculated-but he wasn't a stupid man. A war with the Russos would be the end of them, and he wasn't about to let pride or emotion drive him into destruction.

No, this needed to be handled with precision. Amelia's life depended on it, and Paul would do whatever it took to bring her home safely.