MADDEST OBSESSION - Chapter 14: Chapter 14

The drone footage played on a loop in Salvatore’s private study, the images crystal clear. He watched Dominic and Aria’s heated kiss again, his smirk widening with each passing second.
“They’re already unraveling,” he murmured to himself.
His lieutenant, Marco, shifted beside him. “You think this obsession will weaken Moretti?”
Salvatore chuckled. “It already has. A man like Dominic Moretti doesn’t fall in love—he conquers. But Aria? She’s not a conquest. She’s his addiction.”
He leaned back in his leather chair, steepling his fingers. “And addictions can be exploited.”
Marco hesitated. “And if he finds out about the drone?”
Salvatore’s grin was sharp. “That’s the point. He will find out. I want him paranoid. I want him questioning every shadow, every loyalty.”
Salvatore’s phone buzzed, interrupting the moment. It was a message from an unknown number.
The package is ready. She’ll be delivered to your safe house tonight.
Salvatore’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
“It’s time to test just how far Dominic will go for his queen.”
Later that night
Aria paced the penthouse, her mind spiraling. The kiss with Dominic had shaken her more than she wanted to admit. It wasn’t just lust anymore. It was something far more dangerous.
She couldn’t deny the way her body responded to him, but her heart? That was another battlefield entirely.
A knock at the door startled her. When she opened it, Gabriel stood there, a bottle of expensive wine in hand, dressed too casually for a man who didn’t belong here.
“Gabriel,” she said flatly. “Dominic isn’t home.”
“I know,” he replied smoothly, stepping inside without permission. “That’s why I came.”
Her spine stiffened. “You shouldn’t be here.”
He set the wine on the kitchen counter and turned toward her, his expression unreadable. “Relax, Aria. I’m not here to cause trouble.”
“Then why are you here?” she asked sharply.
He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “Because we both know the real trouble isn’t between you and me. It’s what’s brewing between Dominic and Salvatore.”
Aria crossed her arms. “You think I don’t know that?”
Gabriel’s gaze softened, surprisingly sincere. “I think you’re caught in a war you never wanted. And whether you like it or not, you’re the weapon they’re both fighting over.”
His words struck too close to home.
“Dominic won’t let Salvatore touch me,” she said firmly.
Gabriel smiled faintly. “Maybe. But obsession makes men reckless. And reckless men make mistakes.”
He stepped even closer now, his voice dropping to a whisper. “If Dominic falls… if this empire burns… you’ll need someone who can protect you when the smoke clears.”
Aria’s breath caught as she realized what he was really offering. Himself.
“You want to replace him.”
Gabriel’s eyes darkened. “I want you safe, Aria. However that needs to happen.”
The air thickened between them.
For a moment, she saw the power play clearly: Dominic’s possessive love, Salvatore’s ambition, Gabriel’s quiet hunger.
And she? She was the flame drawing all their moths.
“I’m not yours to claim, Gabriel,” she whispered.
His lips hovered dangerously close to hers. “Not yet.”
Suddenly, the security alarm blared. Red lights flashed. Aria’s heart leapt in her chest.
“What the hell—” Gabriel cursed, drawing his gun.
The security monitor lit up, revealing masked intruders forcing their way into the building.
Aria’s blood ran cold.
“They’re coming for you,” Gabriel growled. “Stay behind me.”