Chapter 5 His Bride !

Amelia lay upright, staring at the ceiling of the lavish bedroom that had now become her prison. She yawned lazily, her lips twisting into a small smirk. This wasn't nearly as bad as the time she had been kidnapped years ago. Back then, she had been locked in a filthy basement with nothing but fear for company.

Her father had saved her then, and she held faith he would do so again. Hopefully, this time, without unnecessary bloodshed.

She shifted onto her side, the pillow cool against her cheek. A dull pain spread along her arm where Gabriel's unforgiving grip had bruised her. The memory of his roughness lingered, making her jaw clench.

"Gabriel Russo," she muttered under her breath.

She had heard whispers about him before today-the fierce, Strong leader of the Russo family. The stories painted him as a man of ruthless ambition, someone who crushed anyone who dared to oppose him. Amelia had dismissed them as exaggerations, the kind of tales people told to give men the aura of monsters. But she had been wrong. He was indeed a monster.

The sound of the lock turning snapped her out of her thoughts. Amelia froze, her fists clenching as the door swung open. Gabriel stepped inside, his presence immediately dominating the room.

"Miss me already?" Amelia said dryly, standing up and crossing her arms over her chest.

Gabriel ignored the taunt, his expression cold. In his hand was a tray of food. He placed it on the small table by the window.

"Eat," he said flatly.

"Worried about my well-being? How touching," Amelia retorted.

Gabriel's jaw tightened, but he still didn't utter a word. Instead, he leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, studying her.

"You think you're clever, don't you?" he finally said, his tone nonchalant. "But your little quips won't save you here. You're at my mercy."

Amelia met his gaze, unflinching. "Mercy? That's rich, coming from a man who kidnaps women to punish their brothers."

His eyes darkened, and for a moment, she thought he might hit her, but instead, he stepped closer, his towering frame filling the space and forcing her backward.

"Let's see how sharp that tongue of yours stays," he began, his voice low and cruel, "when I bend you over and make you scream my name."

The words hit her like a slap, stripping away her bravado. She instinctively stepped back, her heart pounding as her breath caught in her throat.

Gabriel's smirk deepened at her reaction, "Not so bold now, are you?"

She swallowed hard, summoning the last remnants of her strength. "Look, what my brother might have done to your cousin is unforgivable," she began, her voice trembling despite her efforts to steady it. "But how does punishing me bring her peace?"

His smirk faltered for a fraction of a second before his expression hardened again. "It doesn't," he admitted, his tone devoid of remorse. "But that doesn't mean I won't enjoy every moment of it."

Amelia's stomach twisted. But she refused to back down. "Do what you want, then," she said quietly, lifting her chin. "But it won't break me. And that would take away the enjoyment you crave."

Gabriel's eyes burned with something she couldn't quite place-anger, amusement, or perhaps even admiration-but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

"Don't tempt me, Sweetheart," he said, his voice a dangerous whisper. "You won't like where it leads."

"I'm not afraid of you," Amelia said with a smile, even though she was lying through her teeth.

"Good," Gabriel replied. "Fear is boring. But desire... now that's something I can work with."

"Desire? If you think I'd ever desire you, then you must be out of your goddamn mind."

Gabriel didn't reply. He just moved closer, and closer, forcing Amelia to retreat until her back hit the edge of the bed. She held her ground, even as her breath quickened. His towering frame seemed to envelop her, and the intensity of his gaze pinned her in place.

He leaned in, his lips so close to her ear that she could feel the warmth of his breath. His voice dropped to a dark, sultry whisper.

"I wonder how long it'll take, sweetheart" he murmured. "How long before you're begging me to touch you. Before you're moaning my name, falling apart under my hands. I'll make you crave me in ways you can't even imagine."

Amelia swallowed hard, her body betraying her as a heat she didn't want to acknowledge spread through her. Her pulse quickened, and her knees felt weak.

She jerked back, glaring at him with a mix of fury and humiliation. "You're disgusting," she spat.

Gabriel straightened, a smug smirk tugging at his lips as he noted her reaction. "And yet," he said smoothly, his tone dripping with arrogance, "your body seems to think otherwise."

"Go to hell," Amelia hissed, clenching her fists to stop them from trembling.

He chuckled darkly, the sound sending an unwelcome shiver down her spine. "We're already in my version of it, sweetheart," he said.

Amelia's jaw tightened. "You think you can break me? Good luck. I'm not some fragile little flower."

Gabriel's smirk deepened, and he leaned in again, just enough to remind her of how close he could get. "Oh, I don't want to break you anymore," he murmured. "I want to watch you fight... and lose."

Amelia didn't utter another word.

Satisfied with her silence, Gabriel stepped back, adjusting his cuffs as though nothing had happened. "Now," he said with calm authority, "it's time to meet the rest of my family."

"Your family?" Amelia asked confused.

"Yes," he replied, his tone clipped. "They need to meet my new bride."

Amelia blinked, the words not registering at first. "Your what?"

"My bride," he repeated, his expression unreadable. "You didn't think I was keeping you here just for fun, did you?"

Her mouth opened, but no sound came out. "You're joking," she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"No," Gabriel said coldly. "I'm in control. And you'll do exactly as I say."

She shook her head, anger and disbelief flooding her. "This has to be a joke. You can't just decide something like that-"

"I can, and I have," Gabriel interrupted, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Get ready, Sweetheart. We leave in an hour."

Before she could respond, he turned and walked out, the door clicking shut behind him.

Amelia stood frozen, her hands trembling, her heart racing as his words echoed in her mind. His bride? His bride?!