BELLA’S POVMoreno gave us a little distance which I appreciated, it took everything in me not to break down in tears, but I didn’t want to do that in front of this man whom I had spent my whole life with only to learn that my whole life was built on lies. “How have you been?” I managed to ask, “Good, good.” He replied arrogantly “And you? How’s your husband treating you?” He asked and I replied forcing a smile “Good.”I took a sip of the glass of water that Moreno had ordered for me before he left, it helped to serve as a little distraction from the intense conversation I was about to have with my father. I held onto the glass tightly, using the cool feel of the water to calm my anger. I wanted to lash out, to yell and scream at my father for what he had done. But I knew that wouldn't be wise. I swallowed my anger and tried my best to remain calm and in control.I gently placed the glass on the table and asked, “How’s your new family?” He looked at me surprised, then his expression c
MORENO’S POVI glanced at the document one last time, unsure of how to break the news to Bella about her condition but I couldn’t, I was terrified she would blame me and hate me all over again, I didn’t want that, the thought of it was too much to bear so I made the difficult decision to keep it from her, I convinced myself that it was for the best. If she found out the reason it could make her mentally unstable again and it was a risk I couldn’t take.I placed the document on the table and left in a hurry after I received a call from my mother’s caretaker that she was causing a disturbance again, I didn’t kill her because Bella begged me not to, unfortunately, my mother's erratic behavior was as a result of her failure to take her medication, she was struggling with drug addiction.As I entered the compound, my men greeted me with a nod. “Take me to her,” I instructed one of them. With a swift response of “Yes, boss,” I followed him to her room. Upon entering, I saw her lying on the
BELLA’S POVI tried my best to hold in the tears that were threatening to drop from my eyes, while I lay on the bed thinking of everything that had been going on in my life. I was grown and beginning to understand some things. I knew my parents were doing the best they could do for me as their only child, they wanted to give me only the best in everything, I wasn't even allowed to get a job when I insisted that I wanted to help them, they believed they should be the ones providing for me. I’ll be starting college next month and I found out that my dad told Uncle Noah to help him borrow some money from the bank for my college tuition, my uncle was the only sibling my dad had and my dad trusted him with his life. I overheard their discussion in Dad’s study room, but I pretended that I didn’t know anything about it. We were a middle-class family living in the city of San Francisco but my parents made me go to an elite school for the rich. And my dad insisted that I study business educa
Isabella’s POVI couldn't bring myself to accept the fact that my mother was gone. I kept thinking that maybe she had just run away, or maybe she had been kidnapped. I clung to these thoughts, even though they were far-fetched and unlikely. It was easier to believe in these fantasies than to face the truth. The grief and the pain were like a weight on my chest, crushing me from the inside.The funeral was a blur. I watched the proceedings with a numbness that I couldn't shake. It all felt like a terrible dream, and I kept waiting for someone to wake me up. But as I watched my mother's casket being lowered into the ground, I knew that this was real. And it was too much to bear. I felt like I was shattering into a million pieces, and I didn't know how to put myself back together.As I watched the casket disappear into the ground, I felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest. I sank to my knees and the tears came in waves. The sobbing was uncontrollable. The world seemed to be s
Isabella’s POVI opened my eyes, to an unfamiliar ceiling above me. I was in a large, dimly lit room, and I couldn't remember how I got there. The last thing I remembered was a sharp pain in my neck. I wasn't sure where I was or what had happened to me.As my senses returned, I remembered that some men had come to my house and taken me away. I couldn't recall their faces, but I remembered the terror I felt when they grabbed me. And then I remembered the pain in my neck before everything went dark. I sat up, my heart pounding in my chest. I was in a strange house, and I didn't know where I was. I felt a wave of panic wash over me. I had to get out of there, but I didn't know where to go or what to do.I stood up, my legs shaking underneath me. I took a step forward, and my eyes fell on a man sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. He was staring at me with a smirk on his face. I froze, my breath catching in my throat. I didn't know who he was or what he wanted from me. But I knew
Trigger warning (This chapter contains sexual abuse)ISABELLA’S POVI was in a state of shock as we got out of the car and walked into the airport towards what looked like a private jet. I had never been on a private jet before, and I couldn't believe that this was happening to me. I felt like I was in a dream like this wasn't real, but it was.I'm trying to stay out of sight, to not draw attention to myself, to not make any sudden movements, but I'm trying to keep my cool. I just want to get through this, to get out of this situation. “Welcome Mr Moreno” some ladies who I assumed were the flight attendants said smiling.He ignored them and dragged me to a room in the private jet, grabbing a fist full of my hair from behind, I flinched in pain it was all too sudden. “You whore!” He shouted and I looked at him confused“Were you trying to get drunk? And what’s with this dress you’re wearing? You couldn’t wait to show your true colors huh” What was he talking about I looked at him whi
ISABELLA’S POVI opened my eyes and realized that it was morning and I wasn’t in the same room as before. The room was still dark because the curtain was not open but I could tell that it was morning. “Don’t move” I heard from behind me. He held me closer to himself, I couldn’t breathe, he already got what he wanted couldn’t he just let me go already. I felt something poke at my butt from behind. No no no no no, I thought as I realized what it was. He turned me to face him and started kissing me, he had his way with me again. I needed to get his touch off me. He made me feel things last night and this morning, it was making me sick how I was able to get that pleasure. I almost cried out when he made his way out of the bed. I was afraid, my body could not seem to stop shaking. I was freezing…..Suddenly, I realized that I was not in the same room as yesterday. It was as if I had been transported to a new location while I slept. I was disoriented and confused, and I couldn't remember h
ISABELLAS POVI was completely taken aback by what I saw. Instead of the hospital room I was expecting, I found myself in a large, luxurious office. And sitting behind the desk was a woman who looked nothing like I had in mind. She was impeccably dressed, with perfectly coiffed hair and makeup. She could have been a model or a movie star, not a doctor.Moreno sat on the chair across from her, he looked almost meek and mild sitting in front of this elegant woman. He was completely different from the cold and ruthless man I had met earlier. I stood there, unsure of what to do as she got up from her desk and walked over to me looking at me with concern. Before I knew it, she had put her arms around me and was hugging me. I could smell her perfume, and itwas intoxicatingly sweet. "Welcome to the family dear,” she said hugging me again, I stood there confused.As if on cue, I looked at Moreno and he gave me a warning look, I tried to play it cool, putting on my most convincing smile as I