THE TEMPTRESS

||Possessiveness||

•STEPHANIE•

My conversation with Romanio suddenly hit a roadblock when two of Kaden's guys appeared behind him. They whispered something urgent in his ear, causing all the color to drain from his face. Then, they grabbed his arm and ushered him out of the room.

I furrowed my brows, puzzled, as I watched them exit and disappear into a private room down the hallway. Kaden and his friends were nowhere in sight either, and a sudden wave of unease washed over me.

Without overthinking it, I decided to leave the party and follow the same path they had taken. I hesitated briefly outside the room where they had taken Romanio, unsure if it was any of my business. Despite my reservations about Romanio's flirtatious behavior during our hour-long conversation, something just didn't feel right, especially with Kaden's men involved. 

It was clear that Kaden was part of this.

My suspicions were confirmed when I heard Kaden's voice from inside the room. I wasted no time and grabbed the doorknob, entering without warning. The scene I stumbled upon froze me in my tracks, my heart racing with nausea.

Romanio was on the floor, blood on his face, with Kaden crouching before him. Kaden's two henchmen held Romanio down. Kaden turned to face me, his eyes burning with anger and frustration.

He slowly stood up and approached me, his icy gaze locking onto mine, sending a shiver down my spine. I had only a few seconds to compose myself and act shocked, even though witnessing someone getting beaten was not that surprising. 

What really intrigued me was the reason behind it.

"Do you know who that is?" Kaden growled, and I glanced at Romanio.

"That's Romanio Alvarez," I replied, feigning a bit of hesitation.

"What did he do to you?" He asked, a sudden realization dawning on me about the cause of this confrontation.

"Nothing. We were just talking—"

My breath was cut off as he gripped my neck and forcefully pinned me against the wall. The urge to fight back was strong, but I remained calm, meeting his intense gaze head-on.

"Oh did you? Did he flirt with you, or touch you inappropriately? Did he make you enjoy it?" he hissed with jealousy clouding his judgment.

Jealousy, that was the root of it all.

"Kaden, I don't know what you're talking about."

"I didn't touch her!" Romanio shouted from the back, his voice muffled by his injured mouth.

"I turned away for just five minutes, and he was right in front of you. Anything could've happened during that time. So, tell me, what did he do?" Kaden demanded.

I scoffed and removed his hand from my neck.

"Nothing happened. You're being ridiculous, you know that?"

"I'm sorry, man," Romanio started, his voice trembling. "I didn't know she was with you."

Kaden clenched his jaw, his expression hardening, wiping away any remnants of emotion.

"Well, even if he didn't do anything, he still looked at you like every other guy in that room."

I glared at him and took a step forward.

"Looked at me how?"

He leaned in, his lips hovering close to mine, and said, "Like they all want to fuck you in that tight pretty dress."

Gritting my teeth and clenching my fists, I watched him turn away and return to Romanio.

"I'm sorry, Kaden. Really, I am," Romanio stammered, tears streaming down his face.

But I wasn't sorry for him. 

I knew exactly what kind of person he was long before he came to talk to me. I had done my research on all of Luca's close associates, so Romanio's presence wasn't a shock. My intention was to provoke Kaden, to make him jealous. And it worked, though I hadn't anticipated his possessive streak.

"I don't like the way you looked at her. Frankly, I don't fucking like you at all. So you'll serve as an example to others, a warning about what happens to people who even glance at her, let alone talk to her."

Kaden stepped aside, shooting me a smile that sent chills down my spine. One of his men let go of Romanio, reaching for a machete on a nearby table. He handed it to Kaden, who examined it with the curiosity of a child discovering a new toy.

The blade gleamed under the room's lights as Kaden ran his thumb along its sharp edge, cutting himself. He glared at Romanio, his eyes unhinged and terrifying.

"Your hands don't know how to behave, Romanio. You've always disappointed me," Kaden said, his voice chilling. One of his men restrained Romanio's arm.

I felt bile rise in my throat, realizing what was about to happen.

"You didn't touch her, but I knew you planned to. That alone infuriates me. The mere thought of your filthy hands on someone who belongs to me is reason enough for you to lose them."

It happened in an instant.

Kaden didn't give a warning. He raised the machete and severed Romanio's limb as if cutting a tree branch. The sound of bones and flesh being torn apart filled the air, and blood sprayed across the floor and walls.

The severed arm thudded loudly onto the floor, accompanied by Romanio's piercing scream.

I'd seen my share of blood and death, but this was brutal enough to make me queasy.

Kaden repeated the horrifying act with Romanio's other arm. The two men released Romanio, who fell to the floor, writhing in pain and screams. I couldn't bear to watch, so I turned away.

"Clean up this mess," Kaden ordered, his footsteps approaching me.

I flinched when he wrapped his arms around me from behind, his bloody hands still warm. His chin rested on my neck, his touch both intimate and terrifying.

"I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean to scare you. I just couldn't stand how he looked at you all night and wanted to touch you," he murmured.

I exhaled shakily, trying to compose myself. He slowly turned me to face him, his hands stained with blood but gentle on my waist.

"You know I'd kill for you, right?"

"Mmm-hmm," I replied softly as he lifted my chin with his finger.

"Good. I'd wipe out every single man at the party tonight if they even looked at you. It's not your fault you're beautiful, but you're beautiful for me and no one else. Do you understand?"

I forced a smile and nodded slowly. I hadn't anticipated his dangerous possessiveness when I included him in my plans. 

Was it a mistake to get him involved in all of this?