chapter 4

Sienna sat on the edge of the bed, her arms wrapped around her knees as hunger gnawed at her insides.

She had lost track of how many meals had come and gone untouched. It had to have been at least two days, maybe three. Her body felt weaker with each passing hour, her limbs heavy, her mind sluggish.

But she didn’t care.

Not eating was the only thing she could control.

She refused to let Luca win.

Every morning and night, a tray of food was placed on the small table in her room—fresh, fragrant meals that she stubbornly ignored. Sometimes she’d pick at the bread or take a sip of water, but never enough to truly sustain herself.

She wouldn’t eat.

Not while she was his prisoner.

A knock echoed against the door, then the familiar click of the lock.

Sienna tensed.

Luca stepped inside, moving with his usual quiet confidence. He wore another dark shirt, sleeves rolled up to his forearms, his presence a stark contrast to the coldness of the room.

But something was different this time.

He wasn’t carrying a file, wasn’t dressed for business. Instead, he held a tray—one of the same silver trays the maids had been bringing in, but this time, he carried it himself.

Sienna’s stomach twisted.

“I see you’ve lost your appetite,” he said, setting the tray down on the table.

She stayed silent, glaring at him from her spot on the bed.

Luca pulled out a chair and gestured toward it. “Come. Eat.”

Sienna didn’t move.

His jaw tightened slightly, but he didn’t force her. Instead, he let out a slow breath and sat down, leaning back against the chair. “I’ll wait.”

Her fingers dug into the sheets.

The tray held roasted chicken, creamy mashed potatoes, and warm bread. The scent made her stomach ache with longing, but she clenched her teeth, willing herself to ignore it.

Minutes passed in silence.

Luca rested an elbow on the table, watching her with a calm patience that both infuriated and unsettled her.

“I can do this all night, dolcezza.”

Her hands curled into fists. “Then I hope you enjoy wasting your time.”

His lips twitched. “Time spent with you is never wasted.”

A chill ran down her spine.

She forced herself to meet his gaze, her voice sharp despite the weakness in her body. “You can’t make me eat.”

Luca tilted his head. “Can’t I?”

Before she could react, he stood, closing the distance between them in a few effortless strides.

Sienna barely had time to scramble away before he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to her feet.

“Let go of me!” she snapped, trying to yank free.

He ignored her, guiding her toward the table with controlled force. She struggled, but he was too strong, his grip unyielding. With one firm motion, he pulled out the chair and pushed her down into it.

Sienna glared up at him, breathless with fury. “You think forcing me to sit will change anything?”

Luca didn’t answer. Instead, he picked up the fork and sliced a piece of the chicken.

She stiffened as he brought it toward her mouth.

“Eat.”

She turned her head away, jaw clenched.

Luca let out a soft sigh, setting the fork down. He leaned forward slightly, placing both hands on the table. “Do you think this is a game?”

Her throat tightened, but she refused to look at him.

“This isn’t some act of rebellion, dolcezza,” he continued, his voice quieter now, almost patient. “This is survival.”

Sienna squeezed her eyes shut.

Don’t listen to him. Don’t let him get inside your head.

She felt her body swaying slightly, the dizziness from hunger catching up to her.

Luca watched her for a long moment before picking up the fork again. He cut another piece of chicken and placed it back in front of her.

“Eat,” he repeated, softer this time.

Her lips parted, a sharp retort on the tip of her tongue, but her body betrayed her. Her stomach clenched painfully, and her hands trembled against her lap.

She hated him. Hated that he had done this to her. Hated that he knew she would break eventually.

Sienna snatched the fork from him, her movements stiff and jerky.

Luca didn’t react, didn’t gloat—he simply leaned back in his chair and watched as she took the first hesitant bite.

Warmth filled her mouth, rich and savory, and her body responded immediately. She forced herself to eat slowly, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of her desperation.

She refused to look at him, but she could feel his gaze on her, unwavering, unshaken.

Minutes passed in heavy silence as she ate.

When she finally set the fork down, her stomach no longer burning with hunger, Luca nodded approvingly.

“Good,” he murmured.

Sienna swallowed the last bite with difficulty, her pride feeling more wounded than her body.

Luca stood, picking up the tray. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

She shot him a glare. “Go to hell.”

His lips curved slightly, but there was something deeper in his expression. Something unreadable.

As he reached the door, he paused, glancing over his shoulder. “Survival,” he said, his voice quiet, firm. “That’s the first step to accepting your new reality.”

Then he left.

And this time, the door didn’t lock behind him.

But Sienna knew better.

There was no freedom in an unlocked door when the entire world outside it still belonged to him.

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