**Elena’s POV**

The sound of the leather belt sliding through the denim loops was a sharp, rhythmic hiss, like a snake coiling around my throat. Raffaele didn't look like a man in a rush; he looked like a predator who had finally cornered his prey and wanted to savor every second of the kill.

I scrambled backward until my spine hit the cold headboard.

"Stay away from me," I choked out, my voice cracking.

Raffaele ignored me. He tossed the belt onto a nearby armchair and stepped onto the ...