Chapter 6: Velvet and Gunpowder

The room was cold, and the air was thick with tension. Aaravi’s eyes darted around as Matteo moved to stand between her and the man she had never wanted to see again — the one whose presence now threatened everything she held dear.

“I’ve kept her in the dark for a reason,” Matteo’s voice was calm, but there was an edge to it, the kind that signaled he was ready for a fight.

The man chuckled darkly, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table in front of him. “That’s the problem, isn’t it, Matteo? You’ve kept her in the dark too long. And now she’s in the way.”

Aaravi could feel her heartbeat in her throat, each pulse reminding her that she was in a world that she didn’t belong to, a world that didn’t care about her innocence or her desires. It was a world ruled by power, and everything she had once believed in had already been shattered.

The man’s gaze turned to her, sharp and assessing. “You don’t understand, do you, Aaravi? This isn’t about you being innocent. It’s about what you’re worth.”

She shook her head, her chest tightening as she tried to steady her breath. “What do you mean? What am I worth to you?”

He smirked, stepping closer, but Matteo was quicker, stepping in front of her, blocking her view of the man. “Don’t listen to him,” Matteo said in a low growl, his voice filled with a ferocity that made her flinch. “He’s trying to manipulate you. He’s not part of this anymore.”

The man laughed, a cruel, almost mocking sound. “Manipulate her? I’m not the one who’s been doing the manipulating, am I?” His eyes flicked to Matteo, then back to Aaravi. “No, Matteo, you’ve been playing her, keeping her in the dark about everything. You’re in too deep to get out now.”

Aaravi felt a chill run through her as she looked at Matteo, his face hard, unreadable. His eyes flickered with a storm of emotions — guilt, anger, something darker — but it was gone in an instant, replaced with that same cold indifference.

“This is about your father’s debt,” the man continued, his voice dripping with venom. “A debt that’s been passed down to you, Aaravi. And whether Matteo likes it or not, it’s time to pay up.”

Aaravi’s world seemed to tilt on its axis as the weight of the man’s words hit her. “No,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “No, my father—he didn’t owe anyone. He didn’t—”

“Your father was involved with people who are far more dangerous than you could ever imagine,” the man interjected, cutting her off. “He made deals, deals that you’re going to have to honor.”

Matteo’s hand shot out, grabbing the man by the throat and slamming him against the wall with a force that made the air crackle with violence. “I told you to stay the hell away from her,” he growled, his grip tightening as the man struggled against him. “This is between me and you. Leave her out of it.”

Aaravi’s heart pounded as she watched the scene unfold before her. Matteo’s fury was palpable, the raw power he exuded terrifying and magnetic at the same time. She could see the danger in him now, in the way he was willing to break the rules to protect her — and yet, she couldn’t ignore the gnawing feeling that maybe he wasn’t just trying to protect her. Maybe he was trying to control her, to keep her in a place where she couldn’t escape.

The man’s voice was strained, barely audible. “You can’t protect her forever, Matteo. She’s already a part of this. You’ve already tied her to it. The moment she accepted your kiss, she became mine too.”

Matteo’s expression darkened further, his jaw clenched as he threw the man back into the chair. “You’re not getting anywhere near her,” he said, his voice low and dangerous.

Aaravi’s legs felt weak, her body trembling as the weight of everything pressed down on her. She wanted to scream, to run, to make sense of everything, but all she could do was watch. Watch as the man who had once made her feel safe, made her feel loved, now stood before her as a man willing to fight anyone — even her own father’s debts — to keep her close.

She swallowed, her mouth dry. “Why?” Her voice cracked, but she didn’t care. “Why did you keep me in the dark, Matteo? Why didn’t you tell me any of this?”

Matteo’s eyes softened for a moment, a flicker of regret crossing his face, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. “I wanted to protect you. From them. From all of this.”

Aaravi’s chest ached as she stepped back, away from him. “And yet, here I am,” she whispered, “caught in the middle of a war that’s not even mine.”

Matteo reached for her, but she stepped further away, shaking her head. “No, Matteo. You don’t get to just decide what’s best for me. You don’t get to decide what I’m a part of.”

The words stung more than she expected, and she saw the brief flicker of something cold cross his face. But his voice remained steady. “I didn’t want you to be part of this,” he said, each word carrying the weight of a truth he had been too afraid to admit. “But you are. Whether you like it or not.”

Aaravi’s throat constricted as she looked at him, really looked at him. The man who had kissed her, the man who had promised to protect her, was the same man who had tied her fate to his. And though she was terrified, there was something inside her — something that hadn’t been there before — that wanted to stay. To see this through.

But she couldn’t shake the feeling that Matteo was hiding something from her. Something more than just her father’s debt. Something darker, more dangerous than she was ready to understand.

“What now?” she asked quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Matteo took a step toward her, his hand outstretched. But he didn’t touch her. He couldn’t. Not yet.

“Now,” he said, his voice low and steady, “now you stay with me. Because this fight is just beginning. And I won’t let you go through this alone.”

Aaravi didn’t know what to say. Didn’t know if she could trust him anymore. But one thing was certain — she was too deep now to walk away. Too deep to escape.

And the truth was, she didn’t want to.

She only hoped that in the end, Matteo’s promises would be enough to keep her safe from the storm that was coming.

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