LOGINDante Galante’s POVShe was close to me. The noise was supposed to be quiet. But it was loud.I knew why. Because her heart wasn't steady. It was bleeding.She was shaking there with those papers in her hand. She seemed so small, made of secrets and miseries, yet holding the light that could burn her alive. I hated that I felt it too“And my mother?” She asked. “What about her?” Hope trembled in her voice.I felt a little ache in my chest, a sensation I had spent years coding out of my system. I wanted to lie. I wanted to give her a name, a face, anything to stop that look.“I checked everything, Isabella.” I hated that I was being honest as I watched the light dim in her eyes. “Every offshore vault, every black-market registry, every shadow Gabriel Romano left behind.”I stepped closer to and the scent of vanilla clouded the cold logic I usually lived by.“There is nothing.” I admitted. “No name. No hospital. It’s as if she were erased the moment you took your first breath. Gabriel b
Isabella’s POV"Trust me. For your life. Even if it’s not for your heart."The words felt so heavy.He was drawing a line and I knew I forced it. He would be my bodyguard, my soldier, my protector… but he wouldn't be my lover. I swallowed the lump in my throat. I wanted to scream at him that my heart and my life were tangled up in the same mess, but I didn't."I trust you." I whispered. It was the truth. It was the only truth that mattered.Dante nodded once before he took the laptop from the coffee table and tucked it under his arm. "Stay inside. With Irene. I wil bring you the box."He turned and walked out.Two Days LaterHe hadn’t shown up in two days. He didn’t tell me where he was going or what he was going to do.The waiting was a torture.Then he came back to the penthouse. I saw him get off his car. He looked even more handsome. My heart was beating so fast I thought I would collapse. I didn't know if it was because I hadn't seen him in two days. Maybe, it was because the de
Isabella’s POVSomeone had paid Gabriel five million dollars to take me. To hide me? Or to keep me in prison?I scrolled through the years. The payments were monthly. Maintenance fees."Who are you?" I hissed, typing furiously. "Who is behind Mariposa?"I tried to trace the routing number for Mariposa Holdings. It hit a wall. High-level bank encryption. But Gabriel was old-school. He kept copies of everything.I dug deeper into his "Correspondence" folder. I found a scanned PDF dated four months ago… right before I ran away. It was a legal letter. The letterhead was embossed with a silver crest: Vargas & Associates - Attorneys at Law, Panama City.I opened the document. Most of it was edited with heavy black lines so I couldn't read, but one paragraph was visible.> "Client X is displeased with the news of the death. The contract is void from now on."My blood ran cold. I felt a painful slap against my heart.Gabriel hadn't just lied to me… he had used me to keep his cash flow alive
Isabella’s POV"Go lay down." Romeo said as we stepped into the foyer of the penthouse. "Don’t faint.""I am fine, Romeo. I just want to change.""Fine." He sighed, hands on his hips. "I will need to go to the clinic. I will leave Irene with you. If I hear anything from her, I am coming in with a medical kit."I nodded absently and walked toward the master bedroom. I needed to get out of these clothes. I entered the bedroom and stopped. The bedsheet was changed into a new one, replacing the one we… I Dante and spent the night on. Good.I walked to the closet and pulled out the soft cashmere sweater Dante had given me earlier. My fingers lingered on the fabric.Tactical error."He is right.” I whispered to the empty room. "It is better this way."I went into the bathroom, splashed cold water on my face and forced myself to straighten my back. I couldn't afford to be distracted.I spent the next two hours in the living room, staring at a laptop Romeo had set up for me.He had told me
Isabella’s POVDante who was confused by my sudden response, raised a brow. "About the Panama lead? Michele is already running algorithms on…""No.” I cut him off. Frustration was building up inside me. "About last night."His jaw tightened. A muscle feathered in his cheek. He looked at me with blankness. “What’s there to talk about?”“I am sorry.” I looked down at the floor, unable to meet his dark eyes now. "I shouldn't have let that happen.”“Let what happened?” He waited.My heart was sinking as the words left my mouth. "Last night. You.. Me.. I was scared. I was vulnerable. I... I know we were just looking for an escape."I was lying. It felt like an escape. Instead, it felt like a homecoming. But I couldn't say that.I was a woman with a red target on her womb and a father who killed his last child. I didn't have room for a heart and I certainly didn't have room for a man like Dante Galante.Dante let go of my face. He stepped back, putting that cold distance between us that I h
Isabella’s POVRomeo drove the car into the loading bay of the warehouse."Stay here." He ordered after killing the engine. "I mean it. I am going to check first." He got out.I waited exactly ten seconds before I opened the door.The warehouse smelled of rust and oil. It was huge, dark, and silent.Except for a voice.My heart began to pound hearing Dante’s voice.It was coming from a glass-walled office above the main floor.I climbed the metal stairs. I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt I had found in my bag. I kept my hair pull back. I touched the necklace at my throat for courage.I reached the top of the stairs. The door to the office was cracked open.I looked inside. My eyes immediately widened spotting Bianca. She was tied to a chair. She looked terrified, mascara running down her face. She wasn't beaten, but she was clearly broken.Dante stood over her. He had his jacket off, sleeves rolled up. He was holding a phone in front of her face. "Who is the contact?" Dante asked. Hi







