MADDEST OBSESSION - Chapter 48: Chapter 48
You are reading MADDEST OBSESSION, Chapter 48: Chapter 48. Read more chapters of MADDEST OBSESSION.
The café was quieter than yesterday.
Same seats. Same soft clatter of dishes. But everything felt… different.
Because Aria wasn’t here to laugh.
She was here to accuse.
Matteo arrived five minutes late, a little breathless, like he had run the last block.
She didn’t smile. She didn’t stand.
She placed the black envelope on the table between them like a loaded gun.
“Someone left this at my door last night.”
Matteo froze. His face didn’t twist in surprise — and that was the problem.
He just stared at it.
Then at her.
“Did you open it?”
“No.”
He reached for it. She stopped him with a single word.
“Don’t.”
Matteo sighed and leaned back. “Why would I send something like that?”
“You tell me.”
The silence stretched long between them.
Aria watched her brother’s face, looking for cracks, tells, anything.
When they were little, she could always tell when he was lying.
His left eye would twitch. His fingers would tap his thigh.
Right now? He was still.
Too still.
“I haven’t told anyone where you are,” Matteo said finally.
“That’s not an answer.”
He looked down. “You think I’d help him hurt you again?”
“I think you don’t know how deep he’s gotten into your head.”
His jaw clenched. “I’m not his puppet.”
“You were raised to be.”
She regretted it the moment it left her mouth.
Matteo flinched like she’d slapped him.
They sat in cold silence for a moment, two broken children pretending they weren’t still bruised.
“I didn’t send that envelope,” Matteo said finally. “But I know what it means.”
She tensed.
“It’s from the obedience program.”
Aria blinked. “What?”
Matteo lowered his voice. “Father’s developing a system. A method of controlling disobedient wives. Contracts. Triggers. Psychological compliance.”
“You’re lying.”
“I wish I was.”
Aria’s stomach twisted.
The envelope hadn’t been a warning.
It was a reminder.
A leash — coiled and ready.
Matteo looked at her, expression fractured. “You were the first trial, Aria. You just didn’t know it.”
Her hands trembled beneath the table.
“And now that you’re slipping out of line,” he whispered, “he’s activating the protocol.”
She looked out the window, t
he city suddenly colder, sharper.
Dominic had broken her.
But Leonard De Luca was trying to erase her.
Same seats. Same soft clatter of dishes. But everything felt… different.
Because Aria wasn’t here to laugh.
She was here to accuse.
Matteo arrived five minutes late, a little breathless, like he had run the last block.
She didn’t smile. She didn’t stand.
She placed the black envelope on the table between them like a loaded gun.
“Someone left this at my door last night.”
Matteo froze. His face didn’t twist in surprise — and that was the problem.
He just stared at it.
Then at her.
“Did you open it?”
“No.”
He reached for it. She stopped him with a single word.
“Don’t.”
Matteo sighed and leaned back. “Why would I send something like that?”
“You tell me.”
The silence stretched long between them.
Aria watched her brother’s face, looking for cracks, tells, anything.
When they were little, she could always tell when he was lying.
His left eye would twitch. His fingers would tap his thigh.
Right now? He was still.
Too still.
“I haven’t told anyone where you are,” Matteo said finally.
“That’s not an answer.”
He looked down. “You think I’d help him hurt you again?”
“I think you don’t know how deep he’s gotten into your head.”
His jaw clenched. “I’m not his puppet.”
“You were raised to be.”
She regretted it the moment it left her mouth.
Matteo flinched like she’d slapped him.
They sat in cold silence for a moment, two broken children pretending they weren’t still bruised.
“I didn’t send that envelope,” Matteo said finally. “But I know what it means.”
She tensed.
“It’s from the obedience program.”
Aria blinked. “What?”
Matteo lowered his voice. “Father’s developing a system. A method of controlling disobedient wives. Contracts. Triggers. Psychological compliance.”
“You’re lying.”
“I wish I was.”
Aria’s stomach twisted.
The envelope hadn’t been a warning.
It was a reminder.
A leash — coiled and ready.
Matteo looked at her, expression fractured. “You were the first trial, Aria. You just didn’t know it.”
Her hands trembled beneath the table.
“And now that you’re slipping out of line,” he whispered, “he’s activating the protocol.”
She looked out the window, t
he city suddenly colder, sharper.
Dominic had broken her.
But Leonard De Luca was trying to erase her.
End of MADDEST OBSESSION Chapter 48. Continue reading Chapter 49 or return to MADDEST OBSESSION book page.