Once my Ex, now my stepson

Chapter One The Unexpected GroomIsabella's POVThe second time I saw Salvatore Moretti in five years, I was standing beside his father in a wedding dress. I wish I could say I handled it well.That morning, I woke up in the bridal suite of the Langham Hotel, with ivory silk draped across the chair and my mother's pearls on the nightstand. I sat on the edge of the bed for a long time, doing nothing. Just sitting there and thinking about my life.You are doing the right thing.I said it out loud because all I needed was to hear myself say encouraging words.Richard Moretti was not the man I loved. I knew that walking in. He knew it too, I think, and had the grace to never say so. What we had was simpler than love and more honest than most marriages I had witnessed — he needed a wife, I needed a way out, and somewhere in the negotiation we had found something that felt, like we had simply served ourselves.After all, Love had never kept the lights on anyway.Love had not been in that

Chapter Three:Don't you dare.Isabella's POVSalvatore’s words lingered in the heavy silence of the library like a promise wrapped in threat. “My dad’s asleep. Now we can bond.”He moved closer, slow and purposeful, like a predator who knew exactly how much space he had to close before his prey broke.The air between us grew thick, charged with memories I had tried so hard to bury. His broad shoulders blocked the soft glow of the reading lamp, casting long shadows across the Persian rug. I backed up until the sharp edge of the mahogany bookshelf pressed into my spine, the scent of aged leather and polished wood mixing with his — citrus soap, faint cologne, and something darker swung took over my whole nose.My body betrayed me first. A traitorous warmth spread through my chest, my stomach fluttering the way it used to when he would pull me close at the lake house. Part of me wanted to stay quiet. Wanted to let his hand reach out and touch my face. Wanted to feel that dangerous elec

His Ex wife,My stepson.Isabella's POV.Before I could process the threat, Khole pushed through the grand entrance doors with purpose. Her heels clicked sharply against the marble floors as she made a beeline straight for our long dining table. The laughter died instantly, replaced by stunned silence. My family froze mid-bite, forks hovering in the air. Khole stopped at the head of the table, her eyes blazing with fury and triumph."I'm back!" she shouted, her voice echoing off the crystal chandeliers. "For my son, for my husband—and for you!" She jabbed a perfectly manicured finger directly at me. Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and stormed deeper into the mansion.Richard sat speechless beside me, his face drained of color. My father, Gerald, shot up from his chair immediately."Isa, go pack your things. We're leaving this place right now.""No." Richard rose to his feet, his voice leaving no room for argument. "She's not going anywhere. Isabella is my wife,