All Chapters of I Faked My Death to Destroy My Husband: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

188 Chapters

Special Invitation

Mateo’s POV3:00 AM. The Santiago Penthouse.I poured another glass of vodka. The crystal decanter clinked by the trembling of my hand.The apartment was silent but inside my head, there was chaos. Too much chaos.I loved you.I had said it. I had screamed it in a room full of elites. And she had looked at me.She had looked at me with her eyes. Those wide, expressive eyes that used to light up when I walked into a room and darken when I left.But tonight, they even refused to recognize me."Isabella." I whispered to the empty room.I walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and stared out at the Manhattan skyline. Somewhere out there, in that concrete mass, she was there too, thinking about me.Or I was losing my mind."Mateo?"The voice came from the hallway.I didn't turn. I saw her reflection in the glass.Valentina. She was wearing a silk robe, clutching it tight against her chest."Go to bed." My voice sounded rough from all the alcohol and screaming."You have been drinking and pa

A courier

Dante’s POVI had shut myself in the office of Inferno Tech’s New York headquarters.I glanced at the clock. It was ticking at 4 A.M. It was almost dawn. And I hadn't slept a bit.I saw my reflection on the table glass. I looked like a mess. My tie undone. Coat left somewhere in the office. My hair messy. I got up from the chair and grabbed the coffee mug before I walked in front of the wall of monitors at the corner.On the center screen, the green text were blinking.SYSTEM ALERT: EXTERNAL INTRUSION DETECTEDSOURCE IP: SANTIAGO GROUP PRIVATE SERVERTIME: 03:14 AM ESTSTATUS: ACCESS ALLOWEDI took a sip of my espresso as I watched the logs scroll by.Mateo Santiago thought he had hired the best investigators to dig into "Alessia Moretti.At 3:00 AM, while I was lying in the study staring at the ceiling, wondering if the woman in the other room was dreaming of me or him, Mateo had been tearing through the digital world, looking for the truth he believed.And I had let him.I walked o

Bouquet

Isabella’s POVI was having a nightmare.A nightmare of Dante leaving me. A nightmare of the world without him. A nightmare of Elara asking me questions. I felt like I was drowning until I forced my eyes to open.I breathed hard and swept my hand across the Egyptian cotton sheets, seeking warmth. Seeking him.But the other side of the bed was ice cold.Then the realization hit me. He hadn’t come back.On the pillow beside me lay the photograph. The one of Mateo holding Elena.Dante had left it there, right where his head should have been, as if to say: Here. This is who you chose last night.A sob caught in my throat. I grabbed the photo and shoved it back into the leather pouch in the drawer. I felt dirty. I felt like a cheater, even though I hadn't touched another man.I dragged myself out of bed. I had to pull it together. I had a daughter to feed.I showered quickly, scrubbing my skin until it was pink, trying to wash away the feeling of Dante’s disappointed gaze. I dressed in a

Wield the sword

Isabella’s POV When I reached the building of Inferno Tech, I left the car at the curb and ran inside, flashing my badge at the security turnstiles. I took the executive elevator to the top floor. When the doors opened, the office was quiet. Ms. Klein, Dante’s assistant, looked up from her desk. Her eyes widened when she saw me. I must have looked deranged. My windblown hair, flushed face, clutching a black invitation. "Ms. Moretti." She stood up quickly blocking my path. "Mr. Galante is in a meeting. He gave strict orders not to be disturbed." "I don't care.” I snapped, sidestepping her. "Ms. Moretti, please! He is in a mood today, I really wouldn't…" I pushed past her and threw open the heavy double doors to his office. "Dante!" He was sitting behind his desk. He wasn't in a meeting. He was alone. He looked exhausted. But his suit was neat, his hair perfectly styled. When he realized it was me, he didn't look surprised. He just slowly lifted his eyes from the d

The party

Mateo's POV I refused to believe those photos and whatever Russo sent me. I wanted to prove it myself. I knew Isabella. I knew everything about her. Even the mole she had on her back. I wouldn't be wrong to recognize her. I knew the rhythm of her heartbeat, I knew the pace of her breathing. She couldn't con me that easily. Even if it’s not her, I needed to get the proofs myself. I couldn't rely on some papers that could be easily fabricated. So I planned the party. I invited her. I sent her the flowers that were Isabella’s favorite. I also made sure to send the invitation to Dante. So they don't suspect me. For the last few hours, I was going insane trying to arrange everything perfectly. “More lilies.” I yelled, pointing up at the grand staircase. “I told you, I want the whole railing covered. It looks unfinished.” The head florist who had been with the Santiago family for years looked stressed. “Mr. Santiago, we have used every single white lily we could find in the area

The party II

Mateo’s POV“She is fxking dead!” Valentina screamed.“I said lower your fcking voice.” I snapped. “Whether she is dead or not, it will be proved tonight.”“Mr. Santiago?” Henderson, the butler, appeared at the door, looking uneasy and jumpy. “The first guests are here. The board of directors.”“Show them in.” I said, adjusting my jacket. I gave Valentina one last once over. “Get yourself under control. Or go upstairs and stay there. I don't care.”I turned away from her and headed for the huge doors. For the next thirty minutes was filled with handshakes and simple greetings.“To the little guy.” the CFO of Vancroft said, handing me a gift.“Thanks.” I said, passing the bag to a servant without even looking at it.“Where is the birthday boy?”“Around.” I lied.I couldn't stop staring at the entrance. Every time those huge doors opened, my heart would pound. I watched all these important New York people walk in…. bankers, politicians, models. They all commented on how pretty the flow

The little boy

Isabella’s POVThe ballroom looked just as I remembered. The sparkly chandeliers, those huge velvet curtains that went all the way to the ceiling, the shiny marble floor where I could see my reflection on my wedding. But tonight, it felt like a place for the dead. White lilies were all over the place. on every table, twisting around the pillars, and falling out of vases in every corner. The smell from lillies was too strong, so strong I felt like I couldn't breathe.“Take it easy.” Dante whispered in my ear. His hand on my hip felt strong, like he was keeping me from floating away.“I am.” I whispered back, but my chest felt tight. “He did all this on purpose.”“Yep.” Dante said quietly, looking around the room to see if anything was a threat. “He is trying to bring back the past. Don't let him.”I grabbed Dante's arm tighter. We moved through the crowd like we were one person. I could hear people whispering about us. I saw people look at me then look away quickly, talking quietly be

A little introduction

Isabella’s POV I watched Mateo walk back to the bar, leaving his son alone with the nanny again. "He is pathetic." I whispered. "I spent five years terrified of a man who is nothing but a hollow shell." "Fear is a trick of the light, cara." Dante said, his hand resting possessively on my back. "Once you turn on the light, the monster is just a shadow." I took a sip of my champagne, feeling steady for the first time in forever. I was ready to leave. I had seen the boy. I had seen the husband. I had seen the misery. I was ready to close the book. "Mr. Galante!" A booming, overly eager voice came from behind us. I froze. My blood ran cold, colder than it had when I saw Mateo. I knew that voice. It was the voice that had read me bedtime stories when I was five, and the voice that had told me to "stop crying and be a good wife" when I was twenty. I turned slowly. Standing there, holding a plate of hors d'oeuvres, was Gabriel. My father. And clinging to his arm, wearing a dress th

She isn’t adopted, is she?

Isabella’s POVThe heavy doors creaked open before I could even catch my breath. Suddenly, everything narrowed. The party's music, the strong smell of lilies, the people talking – it all just disappeared.Two people stood in the doorway. It was Irene, looking confused. And holding her hand, wearing her favorite red velvet dress and holding her stuffed rabbit... it was Elara. My daughter.“Mama!” Elara's voice was tiny, but in the quiet ballroom, it sounded like a scream. She saw me. Her face lit up with so much happiness. She let go of Irene's hand and started running straight toward me. “Mama! Papa!”I couldn't move at all. I was so scared that my body went totally numb.Irene looked from me to Dante, her eyes getting wider. She hurried, catching up to Elara. “We got here.” Irene said, sounding relieved. She looked at Dante. “The driver was crazy, but we got here as fast as we could.”Dante stood up straight next to me. “What driver?”Irene blinked. “The one you sent. With the real

The question

Isabella’s POVI threw myself forward, stepping directly into the space between the barrel of Russo’s gun and Dante’s body."No!" Dante roared, his grip on Mateo loosening as he tried to grab me with his free hand. "Alessia, move!"I didn't move. I stood chest-to-chest with Dante, facing the barrel of the gun. I stared straight into Russo’s eyes."Shoot." I challenged, my voice shaking with adrenaline but ringing clear through the silent room. "Go ahead. Shoot. But know that if you pull that trigger, Inferno Tech will burn this entire legacy to the ground before the casing hits the floor."Russo hesitated. His eyes flickered.He lowered the aim slightly, unsure of shooting a woman, especially a woman who looked so much like the wife of his boss he used to guard."Step aside, Ms. Moretti.” Russo barked, sweat beading on his forehead. "He is killing Mr. Santiago!""He is defending his family!" I screamed back. "Your boss lured a child here! A six-year-old child!"Behind me, Mateo gasped

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