Bound by Fate (Bound Duology Book#2)

Breaking Point

The tension between Matteo and his father had reached a breaking point. The pressure to conform was suffocating, and every day felt like a battle between duty and desire. But nothing—not his father's warnings, not the weight of family expectations—could make him walk away from Calista. She was his choice, his fight, and he wasn't ready to give up on her yet.

Still, as the days went on, it became clearer that the stakes were higher than either of them had anticipated. Every conversation with Calista seemed more desperate, more fraught with the knowledge that their time was running out. Neither of them could keep pretending everything would work out.

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It was late one evening when Matteo found himself standing at the door of Calista's house. The weather had turned colder, and the night air was sharp against his skin, but the chill was nothing compared to the unease gnawing at his insides. He hadn't heard from Calista in a couple of days. Their usual meetings had become sparse, their conversations tense. He feared something was wrong, that something had shifted in her that she hadn't shared with him yet.

His hand hovered over the doorbell, but before he could press it, the door swung open. Calista stood there, her expression unreadable. She was dressed in a loose sweater and jeans, but there was something fragile in her posture, as if she were bracing herself for something.

"Matteo," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't stay away," Matteo answered, his voice full of a determination he wasn't even sure he felt anymore. "I've been worried about you."

Calista stepped aside to let him in, and as he crossed the threshold, he immediately noticed how tense the air was in her house. It wasn't just the usual tension between them—it felt heavier, darker, as if something unspoken was suffocating the space around them.

"What's going on, Calista?" Matteo asked, his tone more insistent now.

She closed the door behind him, not meeting his gaze. "I think we need to talk," she said, her voice strained.

They moved to the living room, and Matteo took a seat on the couch, his mind racing with worry. He could feel the distance between them growing, despite the fact that they were in the same room. Something was different. Something had changed, and he needed to know what it was.

"Talk to me," he said, his voice softer now. He couldn't stand seeing her like this, closed off and withdrawn.

Calista took a deep breath and finally looked at him, her eyes tired and clouded with something darker than the usual fear and uncertainty she carried. "I overheard a conversation between my parents last night," she said, her voice shaking. "I think... I think they're planning to go through with the wedding, Matteo. Whether we want it or not."

Matteo felt his stomach drop. He had known it was coming, but hearing it from her, hearing the devastation in her voice, made it feel like a knife to the chest. "What do you mean, 'go through with it'?"

She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. "I'm not just some pawn in their game, Matteo. I'm not going to be forced into a marriage I don't want. But they don't care. All they care about is their reputation, their financial security. They don't even care about what *I* want."

Matteo stood up, anger and frustration building inside him. "That's not fair. You don't deserve this."

Calista's eyes filled with tears, but she held them back with all the strength she had left. "I know. But there's nothing I can do. And neither can you."

"That's where you're wrong," Matteo said fiercely, walking toward her. "We're not powerless in this. We can fight back."

She shook her head, the sadness in her eyes making it clear how hopeless she felt. "You don't understand, Matteo. My father's connections, the pressure from both families—it's not something we can just fight. They're already putting the wheels in motion. They've made their decision, and I'm just supposed to follow."

"You don't have to," Matteo said, his voice breaking as he reached out for her hand. "You don't have to follow anyone's plan but your own. We can make our own choices. Together."

Calista pulled her hand away, her voice shaking as she spoke. "I want to believe that. I really do. But I don't think we can change anything anymore. They won't let us. And I... I don't think I can keep doing this."

Her words felt like a punch to the gut, and Matteo's heart hammered painfully in his chest. He couldn't let her give up—not like this, not when they still had a chance. But he saw the fear in her eyes, the defeat that had settled deep into her bones.

He took a step back, trying to calm the storm inside of him. "I'm not giving up on you, Calista. And I'm not giving up on us. You don't have to carry this weight alone. Whatever they try to do, we'll face it together. We'll figure out a way."

She looked at him with tears in her eyes, and for the first time, Matteo saw the cracks in her façade—the walls she had built up to protect herself from the inevitable pain of this situation. He wanted to hold her, to tell her everything would be okay, but he couldn't lie to her. He didn't know if everything would be okay. He didn't know what their future held.

But he knew one thing for sure: he would fight for her. He would fight for their chance at something real, something that wasn't dictated by their families or their pasts. They deserved more than that.

"Please, don't give up on me," he said softly, his voice filled with raw emotion.

Calista wiped her eyes and nodded, but there was something in her gaze that told Matteo she wasn't entirely sure anymore. She was scared. And he couldn't blame her.

"I won't," she whispered. "But I don't know how much longer we can keep doing this."

The silence that followed hung heavy between them, each of them feeling the weight of the decision they had to make.

And just as the quiet stretched on, the doorbell rang, interrupting the moment. Both of them turned toward the sound, and Matteo's heart skipped a beat when he saw the look of fear flash across Calista's face.

"I'll get it," she said quickly, her voice shaky.

But Matteo grabbed her wrist before she could move, his grip firm. "Don't. Don't open that door."

But Calista pulled away, shaking her head. "It's them, Matteo. It's my parents. They're here."

The doorbell rang again, louder this time, more insistent. And Matteo knew, with a sickening certainty, that whatever happened next would change everything.

This was it. The moment they could no longer pretend they had control.

Calista turned away from him, her face pale as she moved toward the door, but Matteo stayed behind, his heart pounding in his chest. He didn't know what would happen when that door opened.

But he knew he would be ready to fight—whatever it took, whatever the cost.

For her. For them.