All Chapters of Bound To The Mafia: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

‎ISADORA‎‎The world felt different when I woke up.‎‎Colder. Quieter.‎‎Like something had been ripped out of me and replaced with a silence so deafening it swallowed everything.‎‎I blinked up at the white ceiling, the scent of antiseptic thick in the air. The steady beeping of the heart monitor filled the space around me, but it barely registered.‎‎Because the weight in my chest, the aching emptiness inside me, was all I could feel.‎‎The baby.‎‎I didn't need to ask. Didn't need the doctor to say it.‎‎I already knew.‎‎My hand moved on its own, pressing against my stomach—flat, empty.‎‎Nothing.‎‎The sob clawed up my throat before I could stop it.‎‎It’s my fault.‎‎I let my eyes close, squeezing them tight against the truth.‎‎I should have been stronger. I should have protected my baby.‎‎But I failed.‎‎I failed.‎‎A soft rustle. A presence beside me.‎‎I didn’t turn my head.‎‎Didn’t need to.‎‎Luca.‎‎I felt him before he spoke, his warmth radiating to

‎LUCA‎‎The door to her room was slightly open when I walked in.‎‎She was sitting on the bed, knees pulled to her chest, staring blankly at the wall.‎‎She looked so small. So unlike the Isadora I knew.‎‎For weeks, she’d been locked inside herself, shutting everyone out—including me.‎‎But something was different tonight.‎‎The way her fingers trembled against the sheets. The way her shoulders rose and fell with uneven breaths.‎‎She knew I was here. She was waiting.‎‎I crossed the room slowly, careful not to spook her. When I reached the bed, I didn’t speak. I just sat beside her, close but not touching.‎‎For a while, neither of us said anything.‎‎Then, her voice broke the silence—quiet, raw.‎‎“It’s my fault.”‎‎I turned to her, frowning. “What?”‎‎She swallowed hard, still not looking at me. “That night… I should have stayed home. I shouldn’t have been so stupid.”‎‎Her hands clenched into fists. “I knew it wasn’t safe, but I went anyway. I thought—I thought if I

‎ISADORA‎‎I was exhausted.‎‎My body felt wrung out, like I had nothing left to give. But Luca didn’t let go. His hands were steady, warm, keeping me from completely falling apart.‎‎I wanted to pull away—to crawl back into the numbness I had been surviving in. But he wouldn’t let me.‎‎His fingers threaded through my hair, his lips pressing softly against my temple. “Breathe, baby.”‎‎I did. A shaky inhale. A fractured exhale.‎‎Luca shifted, one arm still wrapped around me, his other hand cupping my cheek. “I’ve got you.”‎‎I squeezed my eyes shut. “I don’t—” My voice cracked. “I don’t know how to do this.”‎‎His thumb brushed against my skin, slow, grounding. “You don’t have to. I’ll do it for both of us.”‎‎I swallowed hard, my fingers still gripping his shirt. The steady beat of his heart against my cheek was the only thing keeping me tethered.‎‎For the first time since I woke up in that hospital, I wasn’t alone in the grief.‎‎The silence stretched between us, but i

‎LUCA‎‎I didn’t say a word as we walked out of the hospital, but I felt the way Isadora’s fingers gripped mine. Like she was holding onto me, like she needed the anchor.‎‎She hadn’t cried.‎‎Hadn’t broken down.‎‎But I knew her well enough to see the way her shoulders were too tense, her breathing too controlled—like she was barely keeping herself together.‎‎I opened the car door for her, waiting until she slid inside before rounding the vehicle and getting in beside her.‎‎Rafe was in the driver’s seat, his gaze flicking to me in the mirror. “Where to?”‎‎“Home,” I said.‎‎Isadora stared out the window, silent.‎‎I let her be.‎‎She would talk when she was ready.‎‎The drive was quiet, the city lights blurring past. When we pulled up to the estate, I turned to Rafe. “Give us space.”‎‎He nodded, leaving the car without another word.‎‎Isadora still didn’t move.‎‎Her fingers traced the edge of her sweater, the only sign of her internal storm.‎‎I reached for her han

‎ISADORA‎‎The moment I saw Laura standing in my living room, I felt like I could finally breathe.‎‎It had been months since I last saw her—since I told her to leave, too consumed by my own grief to let anyone in. She had come to see me back then, her eyes filled with concern, but I had shut down, unable to handle even her presence.‎‎Now, with her in front of me, looking tired but alive, I regretted every second I had pushed her away.‎‎"You're here," I whispered, my throat tightening.‎‎Laura nodded, offering a small smile, but I could see the weight in her eyes. "Yeah. Rafael brought me."‎‎I glanced at him, standing beside her with a watchful expression, before turning back to Laura. I took a hesitant step forward. "I—" My voice cracked. I cleared my throat. "I’m sorry."‎‎Her brows pulled together. "For what?"‎‎"For shutting you out. For telling you to leave when you came to see me." My voice wavered. "I should have let you stay."‎‎She exhaled softly, stepping closer.