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Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Don's Lie: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

11 Kabanata

Chapter 1

"Enough. All of you, shut your mouths.""Sonny. Book Swan Castle. Everything for the wedding, only the best. You hear me?"Silence on the other end. Then Vivian's voice, half a scream."Angelo, have you lost your mind?""You only chased her to spite me. How far are you gonna take this? You're actually marrying her?"Angelo bent down, picked the ring out of the trash, and looked at me, steady."Of course I'm marrying her. You saw I had the ring ready, didn't you?""A bet's a bet. The funding for your new movie will hit your account tomorrow."He hung up, ruffled my hair, blew the dust off the ring, and slid it onto my finger."Hey. What are you crying for? You're thrilled and you know it."Before I could answer, he stepped back to admire the ring, satisfied."When you were looking at that magazine, your eyes were glued to this ring. Couldn't look away.""So I bought it for you."There was a smile playing at the corner of his mouth. He had no idea I'd only stared at the ring so he could

Chapter 2

I stood frozen at the window, watching the Rolls disappear around the corner.Night fell. The streetlights came on one by one.Round, like the burn scars on my arm. The ones Vivian had given me with her cigarette.She was cruel. Truly cruel.One night she'd made me take swimsuit photos of her, didn't like the results, and shoved my head underwater in the pool."Isa, are you blind? Do you have any taste? Do I really look this fat in your shots? Maybe a swim'll clean out your eyes."I walked home that night in soaking clothes, in the dead cold of the early morning.The second Angelo saw me, he pulled me into his arms. "Just quit. I'll cover us, okay?"I'd shaken my head. "The agency pays me three times what other assistants make. I can take it."When I'd signed with the agency, they'd wanted to make me an actress.But they kept pushing me toward dirty side jobs. I refused. Assistant work was all they'd let me do.The pay was good. Much better than the others.Getting bullied by Vivian be

Chapter 3

Two men in black suits blocked the hallway."Move."A second later, Angelo's voice behind me."Isa. Calm down. Please."I spun around. His eyes were full of something that looked like love."I told you. I stopped caring about Vivian a long time ago. I only care about you."My phone chimed.A video from Vivian.I tapped it.She and Angelo were lying on a bed. She was curled into his chest, white gauze around her wrist, blood seeping through.He was holding her tight, stroking her back, slow."I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. Don't do anything stupid."Ten seconds.When it ended, my eyes felt scraped dry.Angelo's voice: "Isa, let me explain —""Don't bother." I waved the phone at him. "I saw enough. You don't owe me an explanation."His face changed. He grabbed my wrist."She was threatening to slit her wrists last night. What was I supposed to do? Let her die?"His jaw tightened. "Can you calm down? Can you be a goddamn adult about this?"I met his eyes and pried at his fingers."Let

Chapter 4

Smoke and gunpowder drifted through the hallway.Angelo was holding a black Browning, the barrel aimed at Vivian."I said shut up." His voice was flat. "Don't test me. Next time I won't miss on purpose."Vivian bit her lip, scrambled to her feet, and stumbled down the stairs."Sorry. Did that scare you?"Angelo pulled me into his arms and stroked my back."It's handled, Isa. Done."He whispered against my ear. "You stay here, where it's safe. Your mother will be in the best private hospital. For as long as she needs."The wave of helplessness drowned me.I bit my lip until I tasted blood. The word came out anyway. "Thank you.""Sweetheart, don't thank me."He tapped my nose and pulled out his phone."Sonny's got the planners lined up. Here's the concept they sent over, take a look.""You should eat light for a few days. You want to fit in the dress.""And the honeymoon, Europe or Asia? Whatever you want..."Angelo wouldn't shut up. Planning, planning, planning.The sound of his voice t

Chapter 5

The public apology was set up at a high-end private club.I walked through a long gallery of modern art. At the end of it was a heated indoor pool.Vivian was on a lounge chair in a red bikini, draped like a cat.She saw me. Smile lifted. Eyes full of contempt."You came."She got up and walked over, slow, looking me up and down."You did all this for this lifestyle? That's why you couldn't let go of Angelo?"I lifted my brow and stared back.She smiled. "Whatever. I'm letting him have you. But don't drag this out, the reporters are waiting. So. Be sincere. Apologize."I gave her a thin smile and walked toward her.Slap.A clean shot across the face. The whole club went silent.I broke the quiet, smiling. "By the end of today, you're going to hold your own press conference and tell the truth. Or I'll bury you."Vivian came back to herself, screamed, grabbed a glass of orange juice off the table and threw it.I didn't have time to move.Angelo moved without thinking. Stepped in front of

Chapter 6

Hands hauled me out. The air came back in a rush.I coughed up water, hard."It's okay, baby, it's okay. Hold on, I'm calling the ambulance."Angelo's voice, terrified, right above me.I looked up.He was soaked through, white-faced, like he'd been the one drowning.I managed: "Don't. I'll go to the hospital myself..."Vivian was still yelling. "Wow, you're actually a great actress. Want to do a walk-on in my movie?"Angelo snapped. He spun on her. "Shut. Your. Mouth. You stupid bitch. Do you have any idea what you just did?"He scooped me up and pinned her with a stare. Voice ice."Start praying Isa's okay. Because if she isn't, you don't want to know what comes next."Vivian froze.Angelo carried me out the door and into the ambulance.I was on the stretcher. He clutched my hand.I pulled it out of his grip, slow but steady, with the last of my strength.His face lost another shade. His lips shook."Why? Why push yourself this far?"It was somewhere between blame and disbelief. Like

Chapter 7

That night I asked Angelo whether he'd figured out how to release the evidence.There was the smallest hesitation in him."Isa. Drink some water first."I put the glass down and smiled at him. "You said you'd help me."He clenched his jaw, like he was making peace with something, and nodded hard."I'll call the reporters."He almost looked relieved."I'll write off the investment. You matter more."He looked at me, eyes shining. "When this is over, we'll get married. Yes?"I let my eyes drift past him. Didn't answer.What a joke. He still thought I'd marry him.What's done is done. I wasn't going back.I gave him a small smile, lay down, and closed my eyes."Set up the press conference. Soon. Go on, I'm tired.""Right. I'll get it moving.""And... the wedding too."The last part, he said almost too quiet to hear.He left the room, careful, like he was trying not to wake something.I watched him go and felt nothing.My heart was already dead.He'd put the arrogance down too late.At the

Chapter 8

Back at the old apartment, everything was exactly where I'd left it.The little suitcase in the corner. Angelo had never noticed it the whole time."Isa... don't go."His voice from the doorway, choked."Give me another chance. Let's start over."He was breathing hard, eyes hungry for hope.I zipped the suitcase and looked up."Angelo. Give yourself another chance. Stop using me to settle bets. Okay?"It hit him like a fist. He folded."Why are you punishing the present with the past?""You're really going to be this cold? Use me up and toss me out?"I let out a cold laugh. "No. You're the cold one. You used me first."He flinched like I'd struck him. He seemed to shrink."Fine. I lied to you in the beginning. I was a piece of shit.""But in three years, everything I felt was real. You couldn't feel it?"I looked at his face.The first time I'd ever seen him cry.The ruthless Don, crying like a lost kid.I believed his grief was real.It just had nothing to do with me anymore.I'd alre

Chapter 9

I opened my own little studio after that. Makeup and styling.I'd done every look Vivian had ever worn. I knew I had the eye.Beginner's luck, or word of mouth. Either way, a few movie stars walked through the door early on.Vivian, on the other hand, wasn't a star anymore.The movie collapsed. No one would cast her. Her pill habit ate through her money. They said she was in a hospital most of the time now.My work was getting noticed. I was carving out my place in the industry.One day, a regular client asked, after I'd finished her face:"Isabella, are you close with Mr. Ferro? He recommends you to everyone he meets."I smiled. Easy. No."Don't know him. Just a name I've heard."I found out later that the most important early clients had all come through Angelo. Quietly arranged.And that line, "don't know him," got back to him. Word for word.That afternoon, I came home and saw a familiar figure outside.Angelo. Talking to my mother.I ducked behind a tree.My mother waved him off,

Chapter 10

Angelo pulled a silver flask out of his coat and took a long pull of whiskey. His voice came out raw."Isabella. Let me say I'm sorry. Please."I looked at him. Barely recognized him.He was thinner. The expensive Armani hung off him.His eyes were so bloodshot they looked bloody from the inside out."You don't owe me an apology," I said. After a moment: "You sent business my way. I can cut you a referral fee."He swayed. Took another pull. Spoke half to himself."You know I don't care about that.""Six months. Six months, and there hasn't been a single day I didn't think of you. Every night I can't sleep.""I've seen every top psychiatrist in New York. None of it works.""You know." He laughed quietly. "I went back to our apartment. Slept in the bed you used to sleep in, with the same blanket. And I actually slept. Every time I woke up, my face was wet..."I didn't say anything. Just looked at him, cool.His eyes filled. "And you? How have you been? Eating? Sleeping?"I nodded. "I'm d

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