Page 19 of Chains of Obsession

He grabs my wrist, gently but firmly, pulling me back toward him. “What’s going on with you, Amelia?” he demands, his voice softer now, almost concerned.

“Nothing,” I lie, refusing to meet his eyes.

“You’re a terrible liar,” he mutters, his fingers tightening around my wrist. “Tell me.”

“I’m fine, Matteo. Just tired.”

He studies me for a long moment, his dark eyes searching mine. Then, to my surprise, he releases me, stepping back with a sigh.

“Fine,” he says, his voice clipped. “But don’t think for a second that I’m not paying attention.”

As he walks away, I feel a pang of guilt, quickly followed by frustration. Matteo has no right to make me feel this way, no right to occupy so much space in my mind. But he does. I’m walking through the garden, seeking a moment of peace, when a explosion rocks the estate. The ground shakes beneath me, and I barely have time to scream when another explosion hits right beside me, smoke and something burning grazes my shoulder. The air is thick with smoke, the acrid smell burning my lungs as I stumble forward.

“Amelia!” Matteo’s voice cuts through the noise, and I turn to see him running toward me, his expression frantic.

Before he can reach me, a third explosion erupts, sending debris flying in every direction. Pain blooms in my side as I’m thrown backward onto the ground, the impact knocking the breath from my lungs.

“Amelia!” Matteo’s arms are around me in an instant, his face pale as he checks me for injuries. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine”

“Please don’t argue with me.”

His voice shaking with barely contained rage. As he carries me inside, a sharp pain lances through my abdomen, and I cry out, clutching my stomach.

“Amelia?” Matteo’s voice is filled with panic now, his hand covers mine. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know,” I whisper, tears streaming down my face. “Something’s wrong.”

The next moments are a blur of shouting and movement. I’m taken to a room, surrounded by unfamiliar faces, as the pain gets worse. And then, just as suddenly as it started, it stops. The room starts to get dark as my eyes close leaving me in darkness.

When I wake, the room is silent. Matteo is sitting beside me, his head in his hands. He looks up when he hears me stir, his eyes red and filled with something I’ve never seen before. He looks as if he’s been crying, I look at him with a questioning look.

“Amelia,” he says softly, his voice breaking.

“What happened?”

His silence is the answer I feared. I lost my child, I’m sure of it. The one thing that was keeping me together is gone. The weight of the loss hits me like a tidal wave, and I turn away from him, tears streaming down my face. I feel empty, hollow, like a part of me has been ripped away.

“I’m so sorry,” Matteo says, his voice thick with emotion. His hand reaches for mine, but I pull away, the pain too raw, too overwhelming.

His face hardens, a storm brewing behind his eyes. “Luca,” he growls, his voice low and dangerous. “This was his doing.”

I shake my head, my tears falling harder. “Don’t make this about revenge,” I plead, my voice breaking. “This isn’t about him. It’s about what we lost.”

For a moment, Matteo’s mask cracks, and I see the man beneath the ruthless exterior. He sits beside me, his hand reaching out to take mine.

“I’ll protect you, Amelia,” he says, his voice raw. “I swear I’ll never let this happen again.”

I want to believe him. I want to believe that in this moment, we’re more than enemies, more than two people trapped in a web of power and hate. But the pain is too fresh, the wound too deep. So, I close my eyes, letting the darkness take me once more, knowing that nothing will ever be the same.

“Leave me alone,” I whisper, my voice shaking.

“Amelia—”

“Please, Matteo. Just go.”

For once, he listens. I hear the door close behind him, and I’m left alone with my grief, the shattered pieces of my heart scattered around me.

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