Chapter 25: The Hidden threat.

ISADORA’S POv

"You think that simple gold ring on your finger makes you a real wife, Isadora?" Rosalind spat, as she clapped her hands together with a dry laugh that sent cold fear straight down my spine.

I pulled my hand back slowly against my stomach, and my skin felt ice cold while my sister took two heavy steps closer to where I sat.

"I sold those shares to Valentina because you deserve to lose every single thing you own," Rosalind said, as she pointed her fingers straight at my me while her eyes burned with dark hatred.

"You have always been weak and stupid, and you think Rafael truly wants you for who you are," she continued, and she looked down at my face with total disgust.

My throat closed up tightly, and tears pooled under my eyelids while her cruel words tore through my remaining confidence.

I looked up at Rafael because I wanted him to step in and shut her mouth, but he stood completely still beside the bed with his hands clenched into tight fists.

"Get out of our room right now, Rosalind," Rafael said quietly, and he took a step forward to block her path, but his voice sounded strangely uncertain.

Rosalind did not back away at all, as she laughed right in his face while my heart sank deeper into my chest.

"Are you really going to order me around in front of your little trophy wife, Rafael?" Rosalind asked, and she raised one eyebrow while resting her hand on her hip.

"You are nothing but a thief who stole our father's land, Isadora," Rosalind turned her face back to me, and her voice grew louder and harsher in the quiet room. "You wear that cheap dress and act like a queen, but everyone knows you are just a big disappointment to this family."

"Shut your mouth, Rosalind!" I screamed, and I stood up from the bed while my whole body shook with anger and humiliation.

"Or what will you do to me?" she sneered, stepping right into my personal space to a point I could feel her hot breath on my skin. "You cannot do anything because you have always depended on men to fight your battles for you."

I turned my eyes toward Rafael again, expecting him to drag her out of the room by her arm and protect my honor like he promised just minutes ago.

"Rafael, tell her to leave me alone," I begged, and I reached out to touch his arm while my chest heaved up and down with deep pain.

Rafael looked down at my face with eyes full of agony, but he did not move a single muscle, and he did not say a word to defend my name.

"Look at him, Isadora," Rosalind mocked, and she tapped Rafael on his chest with her long fingernail while I watched in utter disbelief. "He cannot even open his mouth to defend you because he knows what will happen if he tries to play the hero today."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, as my voice cracked because the silence from Rafael was cutting me deeper than any insult from my sister.

"Well, If you must know ask your precious husband about the contract he signed five years ago," 

Rosalind whispered, and her lips curled up into a dangerous smile that made my stomach twist into hard knots.

Rafael then took a quick step back from her hand, and his face turned completely pale while he looked at Rosalind with sheer terror in his eyes.

"Rosalind, do not do this here," Rafael said, and his voice trembled so badly that my legs nearly gave out under my weight.

"I will do whatever I want," Rosalind replied, and she crossed her arms tightly over her chest while looking at Rafael like a cat playing with a small mouse. "If you say one more word to defend this useless girl, I will call the newspapers immediately and release the full documents about what we did together."

The room fell into a heavy silence, and I stared at Rafael while waiting for him to tell her that she was lying to my face.

But he stood there with his head lowered, staring at the wooden floorboards, and he refused to look into my eyes.

"Tell her she is lying, Rafael," I sobbed, and I grabbed his shirt with both hands, shaking him with all the small strength left in my body.

He swallowed hard, but his mouth remained completely shut, and his silence confirmed my worst fears right in front of my sister.

"He cannot say anything because it is all true, my dear sister," Rosalind said, and she stepped back toward the open doorway with a proud grin on her face. "He holds a secret that can destroy his whole life and send him straight to prison, and I own the only copy of that proof."

My hands slipped away from his shirt, and I felt so small and embarrassed that I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole.

Rosalind looked at my crying face one last time, feeling completely victorious after tearing my dignity into tiny pieces.

"Well, enjoy your fake marriage and your little gold ring, Isadora," 

Rosalind said, and she walked out into the hallway, leaving the heavy wooden door wide open behind her.

I stood alone in the center of the room with tears streaming down my face, feeling more humiliated than I had ever felt in my entire life.

Rafael took a slow step toward me, reaching out his trembling hand to wipe the tears off my cheeks.

"Isadora, please let me explain everything to you," Rafael whispered, with his voice was full of deep regret and sorrow.

"Do not touch me!" I yelled, and I took three fast steps backward away from his reaching hand while my chest burned with painful betrayals.

"Isadora, I did what I had to do back then to survive," he said, and he took another step forward with desperate eyes.

"You promised to protect me, but you stood right there and let her insult me like a dog because of your dirty secret!" I shouted, wiping my wet face with the back of my hand.

I looked at the gold ring on my finger, and the joy I felt earlier vanished completely, replaced by a cold realization that my whole life was built on dangerous lies.

I pulled the gold ring off my finger with all my strength, and I held it out in my hand while looking straight into his broken eyes.

"Tell me the truth right now, Rafael, or I will walk out of this house and never come back to you again," I said, and my heart stopped beating as I waited for his final decision.