"Good. Very good," Enzo said. "Then let me remind you something, Chloe Bennett. Without me, you'd either be dead in that club orlocked in Silvio's bed. The house you live in—I gave you that. The money you spend—I gave you that. Every piece of clothing on your body—I bought it. Your safety, your life, your ability to stand here and argue with me—I gave you all of it. For a stripper, I paid you well enough."
I froze completely. Every word was a knife.
"Until I lose interest in you," Enzo's cold gaze moved from me to Liam, then back again, "you're not going anywhere."
My ears were ringing. Blood rushed to my head, then drained away. My hands and feet went ice cold. Enzo's words echoed in my brain over and over, every syllable clear enough to suffocate me.
Everything I had, he gave me.
Until he lost interest, I couldn't leave.
So that's how it was.
From beginning to end, he saw me the same way as those men who stuffed bills in my top at the club. I thought I was different to him. I thought those late-night conversations, those talks about the future, those kisses where he promised not to lie—I thought they were real.
But actually, he just saw it as a transaction. He thought he'd bought me.
This relationship was even more degrading than I'd imagined. My heart started hurting violently, pressing down so hard I could barely breathe.
"You son of a bitch, how dare you say that!" Liam immediately reacted, swinging his fist at Enzo.
But before he could get close, the two bodyguards rushed forward. They grabbed Liam's arms from both sides. Liam struggled desperately, but they were at least twice his size. They slammed him against the iron railing beside the church, one pressing his shoulder, the other grabbing his right wrist.
"Break his hand," Enzo spoke like he was arranging the most ordinary task.
"No!" I rushed forward.
I threw myself at Enzo, grabbing his arm with both hands, mynails digging deep into his suit fabric. I didn't care about anything anymore. Nothing mattered.
"Please." My voice wouldn't stop shaking. "Enzo, please, leave Liam alone. He didn't do anything. He just came to find me."
Enzo looked down at me. His expression didn't change.
"He held you." He said calmly.
"It was my fault!" I was almost yelling. "I held him! He was just comforting me, Enzo, he didn't do anything!"
"Ha, if you started it, then he deserves it even more." Enzo laughed lightly, but there was no humor in those eyes. They looked frosted over.
The bodyguards had already pried Liam's fingers apart, flattening his hand against the iron railing. The other one pulled a gun from his waist. Liam's face flushed red, but he clenched his teeth and didn't make a sound.
He looked at me. His eyes were telling me not to worry about him.
But how could I not?
I let go of Enzo's arm and dropped to my knees.
My knees slammed onto the cold, wet stone. It hurt so much I gasped. My stomach compressed from the movement, and the baby kicked once, like it was protesting.
I abandoned all dignity, kneeling before Enzo and clutching his pants, barely managing to lift my head to look at him.
"I won't leave." My tears dripped down my chin onto the ground. "From now on, I'll know my place. I'll just be a good little mistress. I'll do whatever you want me to do. I'll go back to the villa. I'll listen to you. I'll do anything. Please, leave Liam alone."
Enzo looked down at me kneeling before him. For that instant, his expression almost cracked. He seemed shocked I'd done this. A vein jumped at his temple. His jaw clenched tight.
His gaze moved between me and Liam. Finally, he raised his hand slightly.
The bodyguards immediately understood and released Liam.
