Semua Bab MAFIA BRIDE: Bab 11 - Bab 18

Hours later, long after Isabella had calmed her head and was deep in thought, thinking about how best to handle Luca…her phone rang. She reached for it, then hesitated when she saw the name on the screen…Dante Romano. She stared at it for a while, then finally decided to answer.“Hello?”“Bella!,” his familiar voice came through the line, warm and confident. “I was thinking about taking you up on that drink you still owe me.”She chuckled, despite herself. “You’re relentless, you know that?”“It’s one of my better traits. I'm thinking a drive outside the city would be fun as well…less noise, better wine. You in?”She considered the offer very carefully before giving him an answer. “Alright Dante, but where exactly are you taking me?”“I’ll pick you up in thirty minutes...” and the line went dead.True to his word, Dante arrived half an hour later, casually dressed in dark jeans and a flower themed tropical shirt that gave him an effortless charm. As she got into the passenger seat, I

Isabella pulled into the quiet parking lot of the private medical center. She turned off the engine of her car, and then rested her forehead briefly on the steering wheel. She was always nervous anytime she had her doctor's appointment…a mixture of fear and hope, and then the constant worry she always had about bearing the burden alone.When she finally stepped out of her car however, she was interrupted by the sound of another car pulling up smoothly beside her own. Her heart thudded as her instincts had already begun to guess who it was. She hoped she was wrong, but the chances were slim.The driver's door opened and Luca came out all smiles and charm. She felt like throwing up in disgust, but then at the same time a slight feeling of relief also swept through her.Yet again, she found herself involuntarily staring at him…lost in the effortless aura of dominance and confidence that always hung about him. He was handsome, well styled and sporting that dangerous smile that she once dr

The text from Dante came just after sunrise.“I recently purchased a new mansion in the hills. I need art, and your collection is all I’ve been thinking about all day. Care to show me what’s available?”Isabella smiled at the text. Classic Dante…of course he would find a reason to reappear. However, there was something about the idea of sharing her work with someone who genuinely appreciated it, and the thought thrilled her. It had been a while since she truly had any clients who respected art for art’s sake, and Dante was among the few that always had an eye for beauty… even if he had a habit of ruining it.She texted back immediately.“Come by the gallery this afternoon. We can have lunch and take a tour.”His response was instant.“Looking forward to it. Like old times.”…By noon, Isabella had carefully arranged her best pieces…oils, acrylics, and rare sculptures collected over the last two years. She brewed coffee, ordered in a selection of her favorite antipasti, and even lit a

The gallery was finally empty, and all the candles were extinguished. However, the scent of vanilla still hung faintly in the cool evening air. Outside, Rome’s ancient city lights shone through the tall glass windows, but inside didn't seem to share the warmth of the city…not when Isabella's mind was at war.She was alone in her private study, restless and thinking furiously. Dante's words and offer couldn't leave her head, and it was all so very tempting.“A future without the Morettis… A life of your own… Freedom.”The sound echoed in her mind like a mantra…or maybe even a curse.She walked over to the bookshelf and knelt down, reaching behind a row of antique books until her fingers closed around a small, wooden box. She opened it warily.There, still wrapped in a faded silk cloth, lay the photograph she hadn’t looked at in over a year.Her father and her younger self.It was that image when he was still alive and strong, a protective figure she always relied on. She rubbed a hand