CHAPTER THIRTY

Isabella stormed into the house like a hurricane. The domestic workers who approached to collect her bag quickly stepped back as she barked at them without so much as a glance. Her heels echoed sharply through the hallway as she made her way to her room and slammed the door behind her.

She paced restlessly, fingers trembling with rage. Every nerve in her body burned with the image of Natalie’s smug, triumphant face.

The embarrassing event of the board meeting replayed over and over in her head, every single minute of it, every single second, every word resounded in her head, every disappointing glance Rafael threw her way, every word of doubt on her competence that left the lips of the board members—everything! As they had happened in the board meeting today.

“That witch,” Isabella spat, clenching her fists.

Every of her move against her was careful calculated and orchestrated, starting from Lorenzo's birthday party, and now.

Her voice shook with fury as she cursed Natalie, pacing faster, her thoughts spiraling. Natalie was slowly taking her place — not just in the company, but in Rafael’s life. A place she had fought tooth and nail to secure. A place she had once spilled blood for. She was gradually creeping her way into Rafael's life, gradually replacing her. Isabella knew that it was only a matter of time before she would be replaced.

She hadn't put all of these sacrifices into Rafael's life just to be replaced by a woman he met months ago—all the sacrifices she had made just to be the center of Rafael's life, all, including getting rid of Alina.

Her reflection in the mirror looked wild, unhinged. But her eyes were focused, dark with resolve.

“I’ll get my place back,” she muttered, her voice deadly calm now. “No matter what it costs.”

Isabella stormed into her study and made a beeline for the desk, her fingers trembling slightly as she flipped open her laptop. Her eyes burned with fury and obsession as she began typing furiously, digging up everything she could about Luca — his background, business dealings, known associates. The information she found was scattered, with gaping holes that only deepened her suspicions.

“This doesn’t add up,” she muttered under her breath.

Unsatisfied, she snatched her phone and dialed a secure number. When the call connected, she didn’t waste time.

“Dig up everything you can on a man named Luca,” she said sharply. “I want every detail — phone records, known associates, digital footprints. And check if there's any link between him and Natalie De Luca. I want proof.”

Without waiting for a reply, she hung up and returned to her laptop, this time pulling up files and archives on Natalie. Her eyes scanned the screen with ruthless determination. She was in the middle of cross-checking a suspicious detail when her phone rang. It was her spy.

“Don’t say anything,” she snapped. “Send me the address of a café. I’ll meet you there.”

Shutting her laptop with a snap, she grabbed her coat and keys, heels clicking fast as she made her way downstairs. Just as she reached the front door, she nearly collided with Rafael walking in.

She froze, caught off guard. She ran her eyes over his frame. “Where are you coming from?” she asked coldly, eyes narrowing. “Don’t answer that," she suddenly said bitterly. "You were obviously with her."

Rafael didn’t answer her question. His expression was stony, his eyes tired. “Where are you going? It’s almost midnight.”

She faltered. “It’s—It’s important. Business.”

Rafael gave a cold, dry chuckle. “Of course. Business. As always.”

The sarcasm in his voice sliced through her like a blade. Her hands clenched at her sides, and she glared at him. But before she could fire back, Rafael was already walking past her, leaving her simmering in silent rage.

Still fuming with anger, Isabella gripped the steering wheel tightly as she drove through the quiet night, her thoughts a storm of suspicion and rage. The city lights blurred past her, but all she could see was Natalie’s smug face and Rafael’s growing fondness for her. Her tires screeched slightly as she parked in front of the dimly lit café.

She stepped out, her heels striking the pavement with sharp purpose. Inside, she spotted her contact — a man in a hoodie hunched in the far corner, almost melting into the shadows. She marched over and slid into the seat across from him.

“Go straight to the point,” she said coldly, not bothering with pleasantries.

The man leaned forward, keeping his voice low. “His name is Luca Ventresca. Top of his class in cyber security. Studied in Milan, later got advanced training in the U.S. Known for taking high-risk freelance work, but keeps a low profile. I found old forum posts under a few aliases—”

“I know all that,” Isabella snapped, cutting him off. “I didn’t come here for a résumé. Does he have any connection to Natalie De Luca?”

The man hesitated for a beat, then exhaled. “I’ve searched everywhere. I’ve run their digital footprints side by side, used my best tools. If there is a connection between them, he’s very, very good at hiding it. There’s no record of calls, messages, payments, shared devices—nothing. No established form of communication.”

Isabella's jaw clenched, her nails digging into her palm beneath the table.

“So you’re saying there’s no proof?”

“I’m saying…” he paused, careful with his words, “either they’re completely clean—or this Luca guy is better than most people I’ve seen. If he’s covering his tracks, he knows exactly what he’s doing.”

Isabella sat back, her eyes narrowed, fury simmering beneath the surface. She refused to believe it was all coincidence. One way or another, she’d find something.

Natalie had come fully prepared for her, and she needed to match up her energy.

She thanked her spy with a curt nod, her voice low but firm. “Keep digging. I don’t care how long it takes—find me something. Anything.”

With that, she turned and walked out into the night, her heels echoing against the pavement, a storm still brewing inside her. The drive home was quiet, her hands tightening around the steering wheel every time Natalie’s name flickered through her mind like a curse.

When she got home, the house was wrapped in silence. The lights were off, and the faint amber glow from the hallway lamp told her Rafael had already gone to bed. Isabella stepped in quietly, her heels clicking against the marble before she slipped them off. She paused outside his door, standing still for a long moment.

She could sense him still awake on the other side. She pictured him lying there, staring at the ceiling—thinking of the company, of the betrayal, of Natalie. Her hand hovered above the doorknob. She wanted to walk in, to explain, to plead her case… but then she remembered.

The look of disappointment in his eyes at the board meeting. The way he’d spoken to her, cold and dismissive. The way Natalie had watched it all with that damned smile.

Her hand dropped.

Without another word, she turned away from his door and walked to her own room. As she shut the door behind her, her eyes burned with unshed fury—but there was something colder beneath it.

Resolve.

She would regain her honour. No matter the cost.

But she couldn't go to a him fight with a dagger, she should up her game.

Natalie reached for her phone and dialed Antonio Greco. Maybe he could he could be of help to her one more time.