Page 17 of The Bonventi Secret
"That's an interesting question," he says and takes a sip, "why not you? Are you not worthy of a union between?—"
"Union," I repeat, the word tasting bitter on my tongue. "You mean this forced marriage. Let's not sugarcoat it, shall we?”
His eyes harden, and he sets his drink down. I see a crack in his composure, a flash of something raw and human. But it's gone as quickly as it appeared. "Forced is such an ugly word, Livia. Let's call it an arrangement of mutual benefit.”
"Mutual benefit? What benefit do I get from this?" I ask, my voice rising. "Besides losing everything I've worked for?”
Enzo moves closer, and I resist the urge to shrink back. He towers over me, his presence overwhelming. "Protection," he says softly. "Power. Money, a place in this family that no one will dare challenge."
"I don't want power, money, none of it," I spit out. "I want my life back. My research, my friends, my freedom."
To my surprise, Enzo laughs. It's a rich, deep sound that might be attractive if it didn't belong to the man destroying my life.
"Ah yes, your research. Victorian literature, isn't it? Tell me, Livia, are you familiar with Thomas Hardy's work?"
I blink, caught off guard by the unexpected question. "Of course," I reply.
He nods. "'If way to the Better there be, it exacts a full look at the Worst,'" he quotes softly, his eyes never leaving mine. "Hardy understood the necessity of facing harsh realities, didn't he?"
I replay the quote in my mind, each time it takes a new, ominous meaning in light of my situation. Is this my "full look at the Worst"? Is Enzo suggesting that by facing this nightmare head-on, I might find a way to something better? Or is he warning me that things could get even worse if I resist? Literature has always been my refuge, my passion - and now it's being used as a tool to unsettle me further. I feel like I'm standing on shifting sands, unable to find solid footing in this new reality where even my beloved books can be turned against me.
And I will admit the casual display of literary knowledge he just gave throws me off balance. I hadn't expected this man, this monster who's upending my life, to quote poetry. It's jarring, like finding a rose growing in a crack in the concrete.
"You've read Hardy?" I ask, unable to keep the surprise from my voice.
Enzo's smile widens slightly. "I'm not just a thug in an expensive suit, cara mia. There's more to me than you might think." His eyes harden again, the moment of vulnerability passing. "Just as there's more to you than a scared girl in over her head."
The air between us shifts, charged with an electricity that wasn't there before. Enzo's eyes, which had softened during our literary exchange, now darken with something else entirely. The scholar disappears, replaced by the predator I first encountered.
"You see, Livia," he continues, his voice dropping to a low, intimate tone, "it's precisely your mind, your passion for literature and learning, that makes you so - intriguing.”
He takes a step closer, and I instinctively press back into my chair, the leather creaking softly. He reaches out, running a finger along my jawline. I want to pull away, but I'm frozen in place.
His touch sends conflicting signals through my body. My mind reels, caught in a whirlpool of contradictions. How can I be repulsed and attracted at the same time? It's like my body and brain are at war, each pulling me in opposite directions. I want to slap him, to run, to scream - but there's also a traitorous part of me that wants to lean into his touch, to explore this dangerous electricity between us. I'm a scholar, damn it. I should be above these base instincts. But in this moment, I'm acutely aware that I'm also just a woman, facing a man who exudes power and danger in equal measure. And God help me, some primal part of me responds to that.
I hate myself for it, for the way my breath catches when he leans in close, his lips nearly brushing my ear. "and to answer your question, It’s the things you don’t want that lined my reasons for choosing you."
I glance up at Enzo as he pulls away, the scent of the lilies gone and in its place the smell of his cologne, a mix of sandalwood and something darker, more primal. It makes my head spin withits almost intoxicating combination, something that pulls at my subconscious.
Despite my fear, I can't help but study him. What kind of man orchestrates a forced marriage in the 21st century? His eyes, cold and calculating, reveal nothing. But the way he moves, the careful precision of each gesture, speaks volumes. This is a man used to control, to power. And now he wants to control me.
He steps back, his eyes still locked on mine. I don't think he's even glanced in my brother's direction.
Gabriel clears his throat, breaking the tension between us.
Enzo turns to Gabriel, and I feel like I can breathe again.
"Thank you, Gabriel, for making sure she arrived safely," Enzo says, his voice smooth.
Gabriel nods stiffly, his eyes darting between Enzo and me. I can see the conflict in his gaze, the hint of remorse that he tries to hide. Enzo steps closer to him, leaning in to whisper something I can't quite catch. Whatever it is, it makes Gabriel's jaw and shoulders tense.
"You're dismissed," Enzo says, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Gabriel hesitates for a moment. "Livia, I'll call you later, okay?"
I turn away, unable to look at him. The betrayal stings too fresh, too raw. I want to scream at Gabriel, to unleash a fury on him that would echo through this soulless mansion for days. But I bite my tongue, tasting blood, knowing it wouldn't change a damn thing. I hear him sigh, his footsteps heavy as he moves towards the door.
The sound of the door closing behind Gabriel is like a gunshot in the quiet room. It's final, definitive. The last tie to my old life, severed with a single, heavy thud.
