His Merciless Redemption novel Chapter 119

Chapter 119

Isabella’s POV

The crib came in three boxes.

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Large, neatly labeled, handled with the kind of care that suggested money and planning and certainty, everything my own. experience hadn’t been.

Alessia hovered while the delivery men carried the pieces inside directing them to the far corner of her room. I stood back, hands folded, watching the space slowly change shape around something that didn’t yet exist.

For now, my mind added.

Shopping with her earlier had been surprisingly smooth.

We’d walked through the store together, Alessia pausing thoughtfully at different displays while I pointed out features like adjustable heights, sturdy frames, finishes that were easier to clean. She listened, asked questions and let me lead with surprising ease..

She’d even smiled at me once and said, “You’ve done this before

I had.

And the memory of it tightened my chest in a way I didn’t let show.

I’d already given Maria the doctor approved diet chart for Caterina and, I’d made sure Caterina had eaten before leaving for work in the morning. I’d made sure to check in with Maria during the day about Caterina, if she was eating on time, if she was listening to everything Maria was saying.

In the afternoon, I’d picked Mateo up from school and driven home so I could have lunch with him and Caterina. Then, I had taken a light walk with her through the garden in the afternoon sun, keeping pace with her breath, stopping when she tired.

“You don’t have to fuss,” Caterina had told me gently.

“I do,” I’d replied. “Indulge me.”

She had smiled then, warm and fond, and done exactly as I asked.

It felt right. Being useful. Being steady.

Then, I’d gone back to work and had taken Alessia shopping for crib after returning in the evening.

Now, in Alessia’s room, the sound of tools clicking together filled the air as the crib took form. Pale wood. Clean lines. Beautiful.

Dominic appeared in the doorway, pausing when he saw the scene.

“Looks like progress,” he said.

Alessia turned to him, brightening instantly. “Isa’s been incredibly helpful. I’m really glad she came with me today.”

I met Dominic’s gaze briefly. Just briefly. We still weren’t on talking terms if it wasn’t something that absolutely had to be

said.

“It was no trouble,” I said, more to Alessia than him. “I was happy to do it.”

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Chapter 119

He looked surprised at my words, but didn’t comment.

Instead, he stepped closer, watching the men work. “It looks good.”

I nodded almost absentmindedly, my eyes tracing the smooth rails.

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My own crib had come secondhand, slightly scratched. I’d had help from Chiara and Luca in bringing it home and then assembling it in my small apartment that smelled faintly of pain and fear. I’d sat on the floor that night, hands sore, heart pounding, wondering if I was strong enough to do what I was about to do.

There had been no delivery team, just the few good people I’d found in a new city and me.

I swallowed and forced myself back into the present.

As the men adjusted the mattress base, I noticed a familiar folde on Alessia’s bedside table.

The reports.

They were right there, unhidden, almost careless.

Without thinking, or maybe thinking too much, I picked them up.

“You still have these?” I asked casually.

Alessia glanced over. “Oh, yes. I keep meaning to put them away but I forget.”

I smiled faintly. “Pregnancy brain?”

She laughed. “Apparently.”

I opened the folder, my fingers steady, my face relaxed.

Inside, the same pages. The same stamps. The same numbers that had once knocked the breath out of me.

The day she had first shown me these reports, I’d been too wrapped up in my own grief to notice much. But this time, I saw everything clearly.

The lab logo looked real, but generic. The attending physician’s signature was looped, and impersonal. The dates were technically possible, but too neat.

My pulse quickened, but I didn’t let it show.

Instead, I joked, “I used to forget where I put my keys. Once I found them in the fridge.”

Alessia laughed again, relief softening her shoulders.

I closed the folder gently and placed it back exactly where it had been.

“Dinner’s ready,” Dominic said from the doorway.

Alessia exhaled, suddenly tired. “I think I’ll eat here.”

“That’s probably a good idea,” I said. “You should rest.”

She nodded. “Thank you, Isa.”

“For today,” she added.

I inclined my head. “Of course.”

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Chapter 119

We left her room together, the sound of the door closing soft beind us.

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As we walked downstairs, Dominic spoke quietly. “My aunt and uncle are coming tomorrow. Mama’s older sister. They’ll be staying for a few days.”

“From Sicily?” I asked.

“New York,” he corrected. “They wanted to see Mama after the scare.”

I nodded. “That makes sense.”

“I’m a little worried about Mateo,” he admitted. “New people. Staying over.”

“He’s good with people,” I said. “But I’ll talk to him. Make sure he knows what to expect.”

He glanced at me, something like gratitude flickering across his ace.

I didn’t acknowledge it.

Not yet.

Because as calm as everything looked, cribs being built, dinners being served, family arriving, I couldn’t get my mind off of the fact that something was wrong here.

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That report had been too neat, too clean. Almost mechanically so. I hadn’t seen a DNA test report before, but I’d seen enough medical reports that this one almost didn’t look real to me. It had only solidified my belief that Alessia had probably paid that nurse to forge a report.

I just had to find some solid proof.

Tomorrow, I vowed silently to myself. I would go visit her at the hospital tomorrow.

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20.33 Wed, Feb