Chapter 6

When Isabella woke again, the cold antiseptic sting of the hospital was the first thing to crawl into her senses.

She froze for a few seconds. Her first instinct was, unexpectedly, relief.

She was still alive.

Soon, a hoarse male voice came from beside the bed.

"Bella, you're finally awake."

Isabella turned her head toward the voice.

Enzo sat beside her bed, his eyes threaded with red. He looked like he hadn't slept all night.

The moment she opened her eyes, his face twisted with something unreadable. The relief was there, but something else was still weighing him down.

Isabella remembered the figure that had rushed toward her before she lost consciousness and guessed it had been Enzo who brought her to the hospital.

He stared at her for a long time, his Adam's apple rolling once.

Then, in a low and raspy voice, he asked, "Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant too?"

Enzo was an orphan, so from a very young age, he had longed for a family of his own more than anyone else.

Over the years, they had talked about having children more than once. Either a boy or a girl would be wonderful, but ideally, they wanted twins.

They had even picked out names.

However, Isabella had suffered an injury when she was young that left her with a fragile constitution, so getting pregnant wasn't easy for her.

By the time she finally conceived this child, Enzo had already fallen in love with someone else.

Isabella didn't answer right away. Her gaze drifted toward the window, and she asked softly, "If I had told you earlier, would you have cut ties with Sofia and come back to me?"

The color gradually drained from Enzo's face. He was silent for a very long time, so much so that Isabella had already guessed the answer.

Then, she heard him say, "I'm sorry."

Those same words again.

What looked like remorse was actually a clean break. That hurt worse than simply hearing he didn't love her anymore.

In the end, a rare trace of guilt surfaced in Enzo's eyes. He pressed a finger against his brow, then took out his phone and made a call.

"Bring her in," he ordered coldly.

Not long after, two Soldati escorted Sofia into the hospital room. She was in a hospital gown and looked like hell, but her eyes still had that smug little gleam.

She barely spared Isabella a glance before turning to Enzo, looking thoroughly annoyed.

"What did you call me here for?"

Sofia came from the gutter and had never received any proper education. She had worked in the lounge of Enzo's casino and kept clients company in the private rooms.

Relying on her youth and looks, she'd always barreled through life. Her cruelty was as blunt as it was dumb.

Enzo had always indulged her before.

But this time, perhaps because Isabella had lost the baby, his expression was uncharacteristically cold.

"Apologize to Bella right now."

Sofia froze for a second, then her eyes widened. "You want me to apologize to her?"

She acted as if she'd been dealt the worst insult imaginable, and her chest heaved with rage.

"Enzo, I'm pregnant with your baby! And here you are, keeping vigil at another woman's bedside all night, and now you want me to apologize to her? You swore up and down that you'd be good to me, yet you turn around and give most of your assets to her? Do you still have feelings for her?"

What Sofia was best at was hysterical manipulation.

Enzo was visibly getting a headache from her antics. His expression was dark and grim, yet he still suppressed his temper to explain.

"Sofia, you crossed the line this time. Bella nearly lost her life, and she also lost her baby. You should at least say you're sorry."

Isabella hadn't spoken a word since the moment Sofia entered. Instead, she simply watched the two of them with calm detachment.

She had nearly died, her baby was gone, several of her ribs were broken, and her body was covered in injuries.

Yet, all Enzo could manage to fight for on her behalf was a flippant apology from Sofia. And even that, the latter refused to give.

Sofia registered Isabella's near-indifferent stare, and it only made her angrier. Her eyes reddened in an instant, and she fixed Enzo with a glare, chin lifted in defiance.

"It's her own fault for being greedy. If she hadn't tried to take my money, would I have wanted her dead? I'm not apologizing. What are you going to do about it?"

Enzo's face turned dark and stormy.

"Sofia Farina!"

Sofia stared back at him stubbornly with reddened eyes.

The two were locked in a standoff for a long time.

In the end, it was Enzo who backed down first. The look on his face struck Isabella as deeply, bitterly ironic.

Enzo had so many methods at his disposal. He could carve a bloody path through the filthiest places, secure his seat as the Don of the Caro family, and make the whole Millbrook fear him.

Yet, when it came to Sofia, he couldn't even force her to say "I'm sorry".

It wasn't that there was nothing he could do. Rather, he just didn't have the heart to.

Sofia saw Enzo's resolve waver and immediately smiled.

She leaned in and kissed the corner of his lips, her voice softening at once.

"I didn't sleep well last night, so I'm heading back to rest. You can handle things here on your own."

After speaking, she deliberately threw Isabella a provocative look over her shoulder. Then, she strutted out of the room, utterly triumphant.

Enzo stood frozen in place for several seconds before he turned back to look at Isabella. That one look made his chest seize violently.

Isabella was watching him. Yet, her eyes held nothing now. No love, no hate. Just the calm, cold detachment reserved for a stranger.

Enzo's throat tightened, and he called out in a low voice, "Bella—"

Isabella finally spoke, her voice soft but steady.

"Enzo, Sofia killed my baby. I want her to pay with her own."