Bound by Fate (Bound Duology Book#2)

The Unseen War

The tension in the days following the engagement party was palpable. Matteo and Calista had learned to navigate the undercurrents of their families' expectations while also fostering something deeper between them—something that neither of them had anticipated. Every shared moment, every secret smile, felt like a rebellion, a declaration that they were no longer just puppets in a game their parents had set up. But the game wasn't over. Far from it.

Matteo had expected the pushback from his father, but the cold silence and subtle threats that followed were harder to ignore. His father, ever the manipulator, had made it clear that the engagement, as real as it had felt to him and Calista, was still a business deal in his eyes. Every day, Matteo faced the pressure of his family's legacy, the weight of their expectations threatening to crush everything he was beginning to care about.

---

That morning, Matteo had planned to meet Calista at a café downtown, a small place away from the prying eyes of their families. He needed to talk to her, to figure out what was happening between them, and whether they could truly keep their promises in the face of everything threatening to pull them apart.

When he arrived, he found Calista already sitting at their usual table, her fingers tracing the rim of a coffee cup, lost in thought. As he approached, she looked up, and her face softened when she saw him. There was no hiding the vulnerability in her eyes, a silent admission that they were both struggling with the weight of their situation.

"Hey," Matteo greeted softly as he slid into the seat across from her. "You okay?"

She gave him a small, tight-lipped smile, but the worry still lingered in her eyes. "I don't know. I feel like everything's changing, and I'm not sure if I'm ready for it."

Matteo reached across the table, taking her hand in his. He squeezed it gently, offering the only reassurance he had. "Neither of us is ready for this. But we're in this together, Calista. No matter what happens."

She nodded, but the doubt in her gaze remained. "What if... what if this is all just a mistake?"

Her words cut deeper than she probably intended, and Matteo felt a sharp pang in his chest. The idea of losing her, of being forced back into the roles they had spent their lives playing, terrified him. But he couldn't show it—not now. Instead, he leaned forward, his voice steady and firm.

"It's not a mistake. Not for me, anyway." He paused, looking her straight in the eye. "I know what we're up against. I know what my father wants, what your parents want. But this—" he gestured between them, "—this is real. I promise you, I'm not going to let them control this."

Calista's fingers tightened around his. Her gaze softened, but the weight of her worries still hung between them. "I want to believe that. I really do. But what if they never let us go?"

"I don't know yet," Matteo admitted, his voice low. "But I won't give up on us, Calista. Not for anyone. Not even for them."

She met his gaze for a long moment, and he could see the decision forming in her eyes. She had always been strong, even when she pretended otherwise. And maybe, just maybe, she was starting to believe in them too.

---

Later that evening, after their conversation, Matteo returned home to find a message waiting for him. It was from his father, a terse note that read: *"Meet me in my office in one hour. We need to talk."*

The message made his stomach churn, and as he made his way to his father's study, he couldn't shake the feeling that something bigger was about to unfold. Matteo had been expecting his father to take action, but this... this felt different.

He walked into the study, where his father was already sitting at his desk, the harsh lighting casting shadows over his face. There was an icy calm in the air, an unmistakable tension that told Matteo this conversation would not be easy.

"Sit," his father ordered, not looking up from the papers on his desk.

Matteo did as he was told, his jaw clenched, waiting for the storm to break.

After a long pause, his father finally spoke, his voice cold and calculated. "You've been spending more time with Calista than is necessary. I've noticed."

Matteo met his gaze, refusing to back down. "I'm not blind, Father. I know what you're trying to do. But I won't just follow your orders anymore. I care about her."

His father's eyes hardened. "You think your feelings matter in this? This is not some teenage romance, Matteo. This is business. Our families are in this together for one reason only—power. Wealth. Influence."

"I know what it is," Matteo snapped, his voice rising with frustration. "But I'm telling you right now, I'm not playing by your rules anymore."

His father's lips twisted into a sneer. "I didn't think you'd be so naive, son. You've made this personal. And when you make something personal, you lose sight of what matters. Calista is a means to an end. Don't forget that."

Matteo's breath caught in his throat, and for a moment, all he wanted was to walk away, to break free of the suffocating pressure his father was trying to impose. But he held his ground, his voice low but unwavering.

"You don't get to control me anymore, Father. You never did."

The words hung between them, and for the first time, Matteo felt like he was truly standing up to the man who had shaped his life for so long. But his father didn't seem surprised by his defiance. Instead, his gaze softened slightly, and for a moment, Matteo thought he might be seeing a flicker of something else—something more personal. But it was quickly gone, replaced by the calculating coldness that Matteo had grown so familiar with.

"I'll let you have your moment, Matteo. But you'll soon see that life doesn't care about your desires. It only cares about results." His father leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowing. "I've made arrangements with Calista's father. There are decisions being made that you have no control over. It's already too late for you to back out now."

Matteo's stomach twisted in a knot, but he refused to show weakness. "You think I'll just let you dictate my future? You're wrong. I'm not going anywhere."

"You will," his father said coldly. "It's already decided. You'll do what's best for the family. You'll do your duty, just as I have. I suggest you start thinking about the consequences of defying me."

The finality in his father's voice made Matteo's blood run cold. But he wasn't going to give up, not now. Not when it felt like he was finally on the edge of something worth fighting for.

---

As Matteo left the study, the weight of his father's words clung to him like a shadow. But as he walked back to his room, his phone buzzed with a message from Calista: *"Can we meet? I need to talk to you."*

His heart raced. He didn't know what was coming, but he knew one thing for sure: they were no longer just playing by their families' rules. The stakes were too high, and if he was going to make this work with Calista, he'd have to be ready for whatever came next.

And somehow, he knew that the war wasn't just about to come for him—it was coming for both of them.

Bisou,