Chapter 14 Checking The Pieces

• (POV: Mateo Castillo)
• I felt a cold, sharp satisfaction as I watched Isabela Montoya tremble slightly when I traced the black diamonds on her throat. Her skin felt surprisingly soft under the heavy gold choker. Beneath my finger, her pulse leaped erratically – a frantic flutter like a trapped moth, completely betraying her outward attempt at stillness. Good. Terrified, just as I thought. But crucially, she hadn't jerked her arm away, hadn't made a sound. Holding it together. Just that stiff posture, her eyes widening slightly, her breath catching sharply before she hid it behind a calm face. It was a perfect mix: terror trying hard to obey. My words – "Beautiful. But temporary." – hit exactly right. A small sting hidden in a compliment, meant to unsettle her, to remind her this was only the beginning.
• I looked around at the faces nearby – Signora Vieri watching closely, Don Ricardo's fake friendliness, the obvious curiosity of the others. They understood. They knew what the gesture meant, the touch I gave her in front of everyone under the bright lights. They saw the Castillo gold, heavy and obvious, around my future wife’s throat. The message was easy to read: She is mine. This deal is sealed. Try to interfere, and you’ll pay.