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Lahat ng Kabanata ng That Glance Was Enough: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 9

9 Kabanata

Chapter 1

The family's award ceremony was in full swing.Matteo Santoro smiled as he picked up where Elena Conti left off, his voice smooth and confident."Elena's been the mastermind behind our family's growth and success. Over the past decade, every major deal, each worth millions, was her doing. She's taken our family's reputation to heights we've never seen before, and you've all seen it with your own eyes."I'm giving Elena the same power as an Underboss. She'll be right there in the thick of it, making the big calls with us!"She'll get all the perks of an Underboss. From here on out, she's not just a subordinate. She's family, a sister to us all."The room went dead quiet as he finished.Seconds later, the place burst into cheers and applause.Matteo gave Elena a reassuring pat on the shoulder as her eyes brimmed with tears.In that moment, I knew Matteo was out of my reach.With a few simple sentences, he had wiped away my decade of silent dedication to the family.My hard-earn

Chapter 2

"Knowing you're not one for flashy presents, I had the Underboss hit up all the big luxury brands six months ago to get your anniversary present sorted."Do you like it?"At a glance, I recognized the mini ear studs from the jewelry store, the ones thrown in with the purchase of that fancy green jade necklace.I nearly burst into laughter from sheer frustration, dodging his attempt to adorn me with the studs.I settled onto the armchair, responding to my family's messages in our group chat. Then, my phone pinged with bank notifications, one after another.The first was a whopping 200 million dollars from my parents' joint account, a generous token of their love.The day's gloom lifted in an instant with a flurry of texts.80 million dollars from my eldest brother, another 80 million dollars from the second, and 50 million dollars from the youngest. My eyes brimmed with tears, the weight of the day's worries washed away by my family's barrage of good news.Then, came that voic

Chapter 3

"Sign the divorce papers when you get a chance, and then get the family's Underboss to give me a call. I'll have someone pick them up."I watched him crush his cigar against the marble table in a fit of rage, almost reminding him out of habit.However, it hit me that we were getting divorced.Why bother with his indifference to all my efforts and sacrifices, as if they were invisible to him?Then, it all made sense. His neglect was just his way of showing I was never really in his heart.I let out a bitter chuckle and headed for the bedroom.Matteo's angry voice followed me. "Isabella, I've let you get away with too much over the years. Just stay home and think things through."He stormed out, slamming the door behind him.My head was spinning, my body alternating between burning up and chilling to the bone. I was running a high fever.I fumbled for some painkillers in the drawer, took it, and buried myself under the covers to sleep it off.Waking up the next afternoon, I che

Chapter 4

From then on, I could feel Matteo's eyes on me constantly.Whenever I sensed his stare and glanced his way, he would quickly look away.On days when I would go for a walk without a driver, I would notice a shadowy figure keeping a discreet distance.It was my very own stalker.One weekend, I made plans to go rock climbing with some friends.We had barely started our adventure in the wild when we ran into Joseph Ricci, the heir of a rival family.I averted my gaze, but Joseph's hand tightened around his cigar, and his menacing stare bore into me.Five minutes into our descent, a shower of rocks and the sounds of a scuffle from above caught us off guard.Our main rope began to sway dangerously, as if someone was trying to sever it. Before I could even think of a backup plan, Matteo's voice rang out from above."Isabella, I'm here. Don't be scared, I'll pull you up."Admitting I was not terrified after such a narrow escape would be a lie.When I saw Matteo, bloodied and battere

Chapter 5

I did not even get a chance to answer."Mrs. Santoro must've had something urgent to forget to knock," I heard someone say."Isabella, you're getting out of line. I've been too soft on you, letting you get away with too much," Matteo scolded.I felt a rush of frustration so intense I thought I might explode, my fingers gripping the Family Withdrawal Notice so hard they turned white."I'm here for the divorce papers.""Get out! If you don't know how to knock, don't bother coming in," Matteo bellowed, his voice filling the office.At the mention of divorce papers, Elena's composure shattered as she pleaded, "Mr. Santoro, please. Mrs. Santoro meant no harm. She must've spoken out of turn in the heat of the moment."She reached for my arm, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Mrs. Santoro, let's not be hasty. We can talk this through."I tried to pull away, but just then, Elena stumbled and fell, her forehead kissing the cold marble floor."Mrs. Santoro, I don't hold it again

Chapter 6

Matteo snatched the cup from his desk and hurled it at the marble floor, shattering on impact.The crossed daggers inked on his arms seemed to snarl with him.After a moment, Matteo gestured dismissively."Leave. I'll reach out to her."Find out which family they're from. Have we ever done business with them?"If there's a traitor in our midst, take care of it. No mercy."In the decade since Matteo had taken the reins, the family had never faced a blow like that.I had always been there, right by his side, whenever trouble brewed. No matter the challenge, I had a way of making it disappear.However, I wanted a divorce, leaving him to fend off crises on his own. A tide of panic and defeat threatened to drown him.Every deal they had was being poached, their investments slipping through their fingers like water.If he could not claw back those deals, the family's prestige would crumble.The family doctor, witnessing Matteo's rage contort his features, trembled and retreated fr

Chapter 7

There was no denying it.Elena had sparked something in Matteo that I had not. A certain freshness.However, a mere spark was not enough to rock the foundations of his marriage.It certainly was not enough to sway his feelings for me.He had always prided himself on his integrity, and nothing irked him more than infidelity.He had made his vows in church, a lifetime promise to me.So, when he caught himself feeling something for Elena, he ran and hid.He was even wracked with guilt.Thankfully, the attraction was faint, but to his dismay, I had noticed.His outbursts of anger and the edge in his voice were just a smokescreen for the storm of emotions brewing inside him. Deep down, he knew I was the only woman he would ever call his wife. Elena, his secretary, was just a blip on the radar of his life.His trust lay with me, his partner through thick and thin, not with Elena's fleeting words.He needed to find me, more than ever, to get some real answers.In his rush to lea

Chapter 8

Matteo thought of my sudden coldness, my shocking demand for a divorce.He dialed Anthony, fighting to keep his rage in check."Isabella is talking about a divorce. Is this your doing? Are you trying to worm your way into our marriage? Don't push it!"The voice that came back was low and smooth as silk. "Really? You know, I owe you one. If you hadn't screwed up, Isabella might never have called me."Silence hung heavy on the line, a quiet battle raging between them.Finally, after a tense pause, Anthony's voice came, softer but heavy with meaning."I gave you your shot, and you blew it. You can't pin this on me. She's worth the best, and you just don't cut it."The line went dead.Matteo sat on the icy, pitch-black marble, numb to its creeping cold.His heart thudded in his chest, achingly slow.He could not wrap his head around it. In his mind, I had really left him for Anthony.Memories swamped him, washing away his last shred of sense.He stumbled to the fridge and empti

Chapter 9

As soon as Matteo stormed out, the break room erupted. "If Isabella's the Don's lady, then who's Elena?" "Holy smokes, was it a secret marriage? That's wild." "I've bad-mouthed Isabella before. The Don doesn't know, does he? Could he kick me out of the family?" "So, Elena's the one who's been the mistress strutting around us all this time?" Matteo's declaration sent Elena's standing in the family into freefall.As for Elena, off on her vacation, Matteo could not care less what she thought.All he could think about was finding me and bringing me back into his life. A night of reflection had cleared his mind.Our bond went beyond marriage, loving me was second nature, and that was why he had lost sight of his true feelings. He admitted to himself that he was the one at fault. If I returned, he would spare no expense to right his wrongs. He reached for his phone, but he remembered that I had disconnected my number.Anthony's advice, at least, pointed him in a direction

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