THE DEVIL'S ANGEL

chapter 23

### Chapter Twenty-Three: A Moment of Passion

The day had been unusually quiet at the Falconi estate, with the sun hanging low in the sky as twilight began to fall. Isabella had spent most of her afternoon wandering the gardens, trying to gather her thoughts. There was something about the vastness of the estate that both calmed and unsettled her—like walking through a beautiful prison where every flower bloomed under the watchful eyes of guards and cameras.

Alessandro had been keeping his distance, respecting her need for space. Yet, despite his efforts to give her time, Isabella could feel his presence everywhere. He lingered in the corridors, his shadow stretching into her thoughts, filling the spaces between them with an undeniable tension.

As the evening settled in, Isabella found herself inside, making her way toward the library. Books had become her refuge in the past few weeks—a way to escape, even if only for a little while. But as she turned the corner of the long hallway leading to the library, she felt a sudden pull, a shift in the air that sent a shiver down her spine.

She stopped in her tracks.

Alessandro was there, standing in the dim light of the hallway, leaning against the wall as though he had been waiting for her. His eyes locked onto hers with a ferocity that took her breath away. He didn't say a word, but the intensity in his gaze spoke volumes—more than any conversation they had shared in recent days. There was something simmering beneath the surface, something neither of them had addressed but had both been feeling.

Isabella swallowed hard, her heartbeat quickening as she forced herself to keep walking. She could feel the weight of his stare with every step, pulling her in like a magnet. When she finally reached him, her hand brushed the door handle, but before she could push it open, Alessandro's hand caught her wrist, his grip firm but not painful.

"Isabella..." His voice was low, gravelly, filled with an emotion she couldn't quite place.

Her breath hitched in her throat, and for a brief moment, she was frozen, unsure of how to respond. She turned to face him, her heart hammering in her chest as she met his gaze. There was something dangerous in his eyes, something raw, and it made her feel both excited and terrified at the same time.

"What is it?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Alessandro didn't answer. Instead, he stepped closer, closing the distance between them in an instant. The air around them crackled with tension, and Isabella felt her pulse quicken as he leaned in, his breath warm against her skin.

And then, without warning, he moved.

In a swift, fluid motion, Alessandro pushed her gently but firmly against the wall, trapping her between his body and the cool surface behind her. The suddenness of the movement made her gasp, her mind spinning as she tried to process what was happening. But before she could say anything, his lips crashed down on hers in a fierce, possessive kiss.

The world seemed to tilt on its axis, and for a moment, everything else faded away. The only thing Isabella could focus on was the feel of Alessandro's lips against hers—urgent, demanding, yet somehow soft. His hands slid up her arms, pinning her against the wall, as though he were afraid she might slip away if he didn't hold on tight enough.

Isabella's mind went blank, her body responding instinctively to his touch. Her hands found their way to his chest, her fingers gripping the fabric of his shirt as she leaned into the kiss, her heart racing with a mixture of desire and confusion. There was nothing casual about this kiss. It was intense, filled with a passion that had been building between them for what felt like forever.

But as the kiss deepened, something shifted inside Isabella. Her emotions, which had been so carefully kept in check, suddenly surged to the surface. This wasn't just a kiss. It wasn't just physical. There was something more here—something she wasn't ready to confront. The kiss was filled with all the things they hadn't said to each other, all the pain, the anger, the love, and the uncertainty. It was overwhelming.

Without warning, Isabella broke away from him, her chest heaving as she pushed him back. Alessandro's eyes widened in surprise, but he didn't move to stop her. He stood there, staring at her with an intensity that made her feel exposed, vulnerable.

"I... I can't," she whispered, her voice shaking.

She didn't wait for his response. Before he could say anything, Isabella turned and bolted down the hallway, her heart pounding in her ears as she fled. She didn't know why she was running, but something inside her had snapped, and she couldn't face him—couldn't face the emotions that had been stirred up by that kiss.

She ran up the stairs, her feet barely touching the ground as she made her way to her room. The moment she reached the door, she slammed it shut behind her, leaning against it as she tried to catch her breath. Her hands were trembling, her mind racing as she replayed the kiss over and over in her head.

Why had she run? What was she so afraid of?

Isabella pressed a hand to her lips, still swollen from the kiss, as she tried to make sense of the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside her. There had been something so intense, so raw about that moment, and it had scared her. She had been trying to take things slow, to rebuild her trust in Alessandro, but that kiss had shattered all her carefully laid plans.

It wasn't just a kiss.

It was a reminder of everything they had been through, everything that still lay between them. Alessandro had always had a way of making her feel things she didn't want to feel, of pushing her to confront emotions she wasn't ready to face. And now, after everything that had happened, after all the pain and betrayal, that kiss had opened a floodgate of emotions she wasn't prepared for.

She couldn't deny the chemistry between them, the undeniable pull that had always existed. But was that enough? Could they rebuild their relationship on passion alone, without addressing the deep wounds that still festered beneath the surface?

Isabella felt a tear slide down her cheek, and she wiped it away angrily. She didn't want to cry. She didn't want to feel this way. But she couldn't shake the fear that had gripped her when Alessandro kissed her—the fear that she might lose herself in him again, that she might fall back into the same pattern of pain and betrayal.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. This was too much. Too soon. She needed time to think, to process everything that had happened. She needed to figure out what that kiss had really meant—for her, for Alessandro, and for their future.

But most of all, she needed to figure out why she had been so afraid.

As she sat down on the edge of the bed, her mind still reeling, she realized that running away hadn't solved anything. It had only made her more confused, more uncertain. And sooner or later, she would have to face Alessandro again.

But for now, all she could do was sit in the silence of her room, her thoughts tangled and her heart aching with the weight of everything she couldn't yet say.

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This chapter explores the intensity of Alessandro and Isabella's first kiss since their reconciliation. The kiss stirs up a whirlwind of emotions in Isabella, leaving her confused, scared, and unsure of how to move forward with Alessandro. Her internal struggle reveals the deep complexities of their relationship, as she grapples with the lingering fear and desire she feels toward him.