Bound by Fate (Bound Duology Book#2)

Unraveling the Threads

The moment Matteo's phone buzzed with Calista's message, he felt a wave of anxiety roll through him. He had just had the most intense conversation with his father, and the implications of what his father had said still hung in the air, suffocating him. The warning had been clear: he couldn't defy the expectations placed on him. Not without consequences.

But he couldn't walk away from Calista now. Not after everything they'd shared. She was the one thing that felt real in the sea of lies and manipulation they were caught in.

Without hesitation, he responded: *"Where are you?"*

Her reply came quickly: *"Meet me at the park. It's important."*

---

When Matteo arrived at the park, he found Calista sitting on a bench by the fountain, her arms wrapped around herself as if trying to hold everything together. The moonlight cast a soft glow on her face, but the shadow of uncertainty that had been following her lately was unmistakable.

She looked up when she heard his footsteps, her eyes scanning his face for answers. "Matteo..." she began, her voice trembling. "I don't know what to do anymore."

He sat down beside her, his gaze softening. "Talk to me, Calista. What's going on?"

She exhaled shakily, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "I don't know what I'm supposed to feel. One minute, I think I'm okay with everything—okay with *us*, with what we're doing. And the next, I feel like I'm drowning."

Matteo's chest tightened, and he reached for her hand, gently holding it in his. "You're not drowning, Calista. You're just scared. This isn't easy. But we're in this together."

Her eyes filled with tears, and she looked down at their intertwined fingers, the emotion too raw for her to mask. "I know you're trying to be strong for both of us. But I don't think I can keep pretending. Not when it feels like everything is falling apart around us."

The words cut into him, but Matteo refused to let her pull away. "What's falling apart? What do you mean?"

She glanced at him, her face pale with worry. "My parents are pushing harder. They keep talking about the wedding plans, and it feels like it's happening without me. And your father..." Her voice trailed off as she swallowed the lump in her throat. "I don't know if I can handle what he's going to do to us. He's made it clear that I'm just a tool to him. He doesn't care about what we want."

Matteo felt a cold rush of anger flood through him. His father had already tried to warn him, to remind him of the family legacy and the "greater good" of the arrangement. But hearing it from Calista, hearing how his father's manipulations were affecting her, made the truth even harder to swallow.

"I know," he whispered. "I know my father has been trying to control everything. He's been pushing me too, telling me to remember my duty. But I won't let him do this to you. I won't let him turn this into a transaction."

She shook her head, the tears threatening to spill over. "I don't think I can be the person they want me to be anymore, Matteo. I'm not that person. I never was."

"You don't have to be," Matteo said firmly, his hand squeezing hers. "You don't have to be anyone but yourself. And neither do I. This isn't just about what they want. It's about us. About what we want. We're not pawns in their game, Calista. We're real people, with real feelings, and I'm not going to let anyone take that away from us."

For a long moment, she was silent, the weight of his words sinking in. Finally, she turned to face him, her eyes wide with uncertainty. "But what if they *don't* let us be real? What if they *force* us into this?"

The raw fear in her voice hit him hard, and Matteo felt a surge of determination. He wouldn't let their families' expectations suffocate them. They had a chance to take control, to choose a different path, and he wasn't going to let it slip away.

"Then we fight," he said, his voice low but unwavering. "We fight for each other. We fight for what's real. Because no matter what they do, I'm not going to lose you."

---

Later that night, as Matteo sat alone in his room, the full weight of his conversation with Calista settled in. The stakes had been raised. His father wasn't going to back down, and neither was Calista's family. There was a storm coming, and they were both caught in its path.

The door to his room creaked open, and Matteo turned to find his mother standing in the doorway. Her expression was calm, but the tension in her eyes was unmistakable.

"You've been avoiding me," she said, stepping inside and closing the door behind her. "We need to talk."

Matteo didn't have the energy for another confrontation, but he knew it was inevitable. "What about?"

She sat down on the edge of his bed, folding her hands in her lap. "About you and Calista. About this whole... *situation*."

He stiffened. "What about it?"

"You know what your father expects," she said softly. "And you know what's at stake here. This is more than just an engagement. This is about your future, about the future of the family."

Matteo felt a fire stir inside him. "I'm not a puppet. I'm not going to let you or Dad control my life anymore."

His mother's gaze softened, and she let out a quiet sigh. "You think I want this for you? Do you think I want you to be unhappy?"

Matteo blinked, taken aback by her response. "Then why are you letting it happen? Why don't you stop him?"

His mother looked away, her expression a mix of sorrow and resignation. "I tried, Matteo. I tried to protect you. But there's more at play here than you understand. Your father... he's not just thinking about the business. He's thinking about everything—about the legacy we've built, about what's at stake if this doesn't happen."

Matteo felt his chest tighten. "So, what? I'm just supposed to give in? Let them destroy everything that feels real to me?"

She looked back at him, her voice barely a whisper. "Sometimes, sacrifices have to be made, Matteo. Sometimes, the things that seem like choices... are not."

Matteo stared at her, his heart heavy. It was the first time he'd heard her speak this way, as though she was trapped in the same game he was. But he refused to accept that there was no way out. He had to find a way to break free.

"I don't care what it costs," he said, his voice steady with conviction. "I'm not going to let them dictate my life. Not anymore."

His mother's eyes glistened with unshed tears, and for a moment, Matteo saw her as just a woman—trapped in her own web of decisions, unable to escape.

"I hope you understand the price of that choice, Matteo," she whispered. "I hope you understand what you're up against."

Matteo didn't respond. He couldn't. But in his heart, he knew one thing for sure: he wasn't backing down. Not from his family. Not from Calista.

The game had only just begun. And he was ready for whatever came next.