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Chapter Thirty-Two (Matteo)

Author: Sabrina Noelle
last update publish date: 2026-03-01 07:20:26

The bell over the bookstore door rings, and for half a second my heart stutters.
Not because I expect Libby.
Because I don’t.
She hasn’t called back.
Hasn’t texted.
Hasn’t done anything except leave a hollow ache in my chest that won’t go away.
So when Mariela walks in instead—smiling, bright, almost buoyant—I’m caught completely off guard.
“Hey,” she says, like this is just another normal visit. “I was hoping I’d catch you.”
My stomach drops.
She looks… happy. Nervous, sure, but glowing in tha
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  • Bound By Chaos   Chapter Thirty-Two (Matteo)

    The bell over the bookstore door rings, and for half a second my heart stutters.
Not because I expect Libby.
Because I don’t.
She hasn’t called back.
Hasn’t texted.
Hasn’t done anything except leave a hollow ache in my chest that won’t go away.
So when Mariela walks in instead—smiling, bright, almost buoyant—I’m caught completely off guard.
“Hey,” she says, like this is just another normal visit. “I was hoping I’d catch you.”
My stomach drops.
She looks… happy. Nervous, sure, but glowing in that unmistakable way.
“I had my first ultrasound today,” she continues, already reaching into her bag. “I thought you might want to see.”
She holds out her phone and there it is.
A grainy black-and-white image. A small, unmistakable shape. Proof of something that might—might—be mine.
I stare at it longer than I mean to.
Awe hits first. Sharp and disorienting.
Then fear follows right behind it.
Because this—this is real now. Not theoretical. Not a conversation waiting for the right moment. This is

  • Bound By Chaos   Chapter Thirty-One (Libby)

    It’s Friday and there’s a knock on the door. It’s light and polite. That’s what makes it unsettling. I’m barefoot, still in leggings, hair pulled into a messy knot because I finally have a day off and I intend to enjoy it. Emma is at school. The house is quiet in that rare, precious way. I open the door without thinking.
Mariela stands on the other side. For half a second, my brain refuses to catch up. She looks… put together. Calm. Nervous in a way that feels rehearsed. Like she’s practiced this moment in the mirror and still doesn’t like how it goes.
“Hi,” she says. “Is Matteo here?”
There it is.
“No,” I reply evenly. “He’s at the bookstore.”
Her eyes flick past me, just briefly, like she’s taking in the house. The space. The life.
“Oh,” she says. “Okay.”
Silence stretches. I don’t invite her in.
“Can I ask why you’re here?” I say, keeping my tone neutral. Pleasant. Civil.
She shifts her weight. Hesitates.
“I think,” she says carefully, “that Matteo should probably tell you. Not me.

  • Bound By Chaos   Chapter Thirty

    I pull into the estate too fast.
I know it the second the tires crunch against the gravel harder than necessary, but I don’t slow down. My hands are tight on the wheel, jaw locked so hard my teeth ache.
Because this wasn’t theoretical.
This wasn’t a bad feeling or a maybe.
It was him.
My men were sure.
I was sure.
And she missed it.
I’m halfway out of the car before the engine’s even off. Libby’s just getting Emma settled inside when she looks up and sees me.
Her face tightens immediately.
“What’s wrong?” she asks.
I don’t soften it. I can’t.
“You,” I say. “You missed him.”
Her brow furrows. “Missed who?”
“Your father,” I snap. “He was there. Outside the school. My men saw him, Libby. They tracked him. And you didn’t notice a damn thing.”
Her color drains.
“That’s not possible,” she says quickly. “I would’ve seen him.”
“You didn’t,” I say. “And that’s the problem.”
Emma hovers by the door, eyes wide.
“Emma,” I say immediately, forcing my voice to steady. “Go inside.”
She hesitates, t

  • Bound By Chaos   Chapter Twenty-Nine (Libby)

    The car rider line is a nightmare.
It always is.
Cars inch forward in fits and starts, parents craning their necks, teachers waving laminated signs like traffic conductors in some deeply underpaid orchestra. I check the clock on the dashboard for the fifth time and drum my fingers against the steering wheel.
I just want Emma in the car. I just want to get home.
My phone buzzes in the cup holder.
Matteo: We need to talk.
My stomach drops so fast it feels like I’ve missed a step on the stairs.
We need to talk.
That’s never good.
I stare at the screen, pulse picking up. My brain doesn’t wait for logic—it launches straight into panic.
Did I do something wrong?
Am I too much?
Did he change his mind?
Is this about Mariela?
The line moves. I jerk forward, barely stopping in time as a teacher opens the back door.
“Libby?” she asks brightly.
“Yes—yes, sorry.”
Emma climbs in, backpack thumping against the seat, braid a little looser than it was this morning but still intact.
“Hi, SisterMom!” sh

  • Bound By Chaos   Chapter Twenty-Eight (Matteo)

    The bookstore is deceptively calm.
Midday light slants through the front windows, dust motes drifting like everything in the world is exactly where it should be. Luca is behind the counter, sleeves rolled, helping a customer choose a cookbook like this is just another ordinary afternoon.
I hate how convincing it is.
The second the customer leaves, I move closer.
“Anything?” I ask quietly.
Luca doesn’t look up right away. He finishes tapping something into the register, waits until the bell jingles, then reaches into his pocket.
“Yes.”
He pulls out his phone and angles it so only I can see.
The first image hits me like a punch.
Libby’s father.
Older than the last time I saw him in court photos. Thinner. Meaner. That same hollow-eyed stare that makes my skin crawl. The kind of face you don’t forget once you’ve seen it.
The next image is grainier. A security still. Hoodie up. Side profile.
“Local sighting,” Luca says. “Gas station. Two towns over. Yesterday morning.”
My jaw tightens.
“Th

  • Bound By Chaos   Chapter Twenty-Seven (Matteo)

    Emma is practically vibrating by the time I cut the engine.
“Libby’s here,” she says, already halfway out of her seatbelt.
“Whoa, speed racer,” I laugh, opening my door. “Let’s not face-plant on day one.”
She bolts anyway.
Libby’s outside the bookstore, sleeves rolled up, hair pulled back like she’s been working nonstop. The second she sees Emma, her whole face softens.
“Hey, baby!” she says, dropping to her knees just in time for Emma to crash into her arms.
“It was good!” Emma announces immediately. “Like really good.”
Libby laughs, squeezing her. “Yeah? Tell me everything.”
Emma does.
Every single thing.
She rehashes the entire day with the same enthusiasm she gave me. She talks about Mrs. Hanley, Steve the plant, Lucy and her sparkly shoes, the crayons, the lunchroom. Word for word in places.
I hang back a step, watching them, smiling when I’m supposed to. Nodding when Emma looks to me for confirmation.
Libby glances up at me mid-story.
Her smile fades.
“What’s wrong?” she asks qu

  • Bound By Chaos   Chapter Seventeen (Libby)

    The bell over the door chimes and my head lifts on instinct, my body already moving into the customer service version of myself—polite smile, steady voice, no flinching.Then I see her.She’s dressed neatly, her dark hair curled like she took time with it. She pauses just inside the entrance, scann

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-03-22

  • Bound By Chaos   Chapter Nineteen (Matteo)

    A week later, my house is loud. That alone feels like a victory. The pool is alive with splashing and laughter, sunlight flashing off the water like it’s showing off. Sofia is stretched out on a lounge chair pretending she’s relaxed while still tracking Renata’s every breath. Luca is in the pool, s

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-03-23

  • Bound By Chaos   Chapter Sixteen (Matteo)

    I’m cooking Chef Boyardee. Emma stands on a chair at the stove like she’s my sous-chef, wearing one of Libby’s old T-shirts as an apron, wooden spoon gripped like this is serious business.“Rule number one,” I tell her solemnly, opening the can. “Italian cooking is about respect.”She nods gravely.

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-03-22

  • Bound By Chaos   Chapter Fourteen (Matteo)

    The bell over the door rings, soft and familiar. I don’t look up right away. I’m halfway through re-taping a cracked dust jacket, the store quiet in that end-of-day way where everything feels suspended—like if I move too fast, I’ll break the calm.“Hey,” someone says.The voice lands wrong. Too fam

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-03-21
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