His Merciless Redemption novel Chapter 174

Chapter 174

Chapter 174

Isabella’s POV

The apartment was quiet again.

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Mateo had fallen asleep almost instantly the moment his head touched the pillow, exhausted from the excitement of the day and the sugar rush from what he had declared to be “the best gelato in the entire world.”

1 stood by the bedroom door for a moment after tucking the blanket around him, watching his small chest rise and fall peacefully.

Children had such an incredible ability to accept things as they came.

To Mateo, Dominic appearing in Milan today had been nothing more than a pleasant surprise.

To me, it had felt like someone had thrown a stone into the calm lake I had carefully built these past few days.

I quietly closed his door and walked back into the living room. The soft hum of the city drifted up from the street below, distant traffic, the occasional burst of laughter from a late café.

Milan.

It had been only three days since we had come here and already the rhythm of this place had begun to settle around me. With work during the day, evenings with Mateo and exploring the city, it had started to feel manageable. Peaceful, even.

And then Dominic had appeared out of nowhere like a storm.

I sank onto the sofa, leaning my head back against the cushions.

God.

I still couldn’t believe he had just shown up like that, standing across the street like some brooding statue. Watching us.

The moment Mateo had run towards him replayed in my mind. The way Dominic’s face had softened instantly when he hugged our son. The way his voice had lowered when he spoke to him. And the eyes had looked at me.

his way

Jealous. Raw. Barely contained.

My lips pressed together slightly.

It had been obvious, painfully obvious that he hated seeing Luca beside me. Hated seeing that I had built a

life here without him.

But that was the life he had chosen.

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Chapter 174

Not me.

He had made his decision the moment he agreed to marry Alessia.

I wrapped my arms around myself, staring at the quiet apartment.

Yes, I loved him.

That part had never changed.

But love clearly wasn’t enough. If it had been, none of this would have happened.

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I had rebuilt myself once already from nothing after the explosion. After losing everything. I had built my career, my life, my independence piece by fragile piece. And I wasn’t about to let Dominic Russo walk back into my world and start rearranging things whenever he pleased. Not again.

I refused to be the woman waiting for him while he decided what role I deserved in his life.

If he wanted to be part of Mateo’s life, and of course he did, then it would have to happen properly. With boundaries. Clear ones.

He couldn’t just appear whenever he felt like it.

Mateo deserved stability.

And frankly, so did I.

I leaned forward slightly, resting my elbows on my knees.

We would have to set something up. A schedule. Certain days when he could see Mateo. Planned visits.

Not these sudden appearances that turned my entire emotional balance upside down.

As for the business meetings, there was nothing I could do about that. I exhaled slowly. The Renaissance Revival project was a collaboration between my company and the Russo Group. Dominic was the CEO of the Russo Group. Legally, he had every right to attend whatever meetings he wanted.

And I wasn’t foolish enough to walk away from the biggest project of my life just because Dominic happened to be an idiot. The thought made me snort quietly.

Yes, it was going to be difficult. But I would handle it. Professionally. Just like I had handled everything else.

A sharp knock on the door interrupted my thoughts.

I frowned slightly.

Maria had gone to bed hours ago.

Marco never knocked, he usually called first.

I stood and walked towards the door quietly. Through the peephole I saw Luca standing in the hallway.

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Chapter 174

I opened the door. “Hey.”

“Hi.”

He stepped inside as I moved aside. “Is Mateo asleep?” he asked quietly.

“Yes. He fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.”

Luca smiled faintly. “Gelato will do that.”

I closed the door behind him.

For a moment neither of us spoke. Then he leaned slightly against the kitchen counter.

“You okay?”

I tilted my head. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

He gave me a look.”Isa.”

I sighed softly and walked over to the sofa again. “Come sit.”

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He joined me a moment later. “I wanted to say something during dinner,” he admitted. “But Mateo was there.”

“And that would have made things awkward,” I finished for him.

“Exactly.”

I nodded slowly. “I understand.”

A quiet pause settled between us.

Then he asked gently, “Did Dominic’s sudden appearance bother you?”

I let out a small breath. “Surprise would be the right word.”

“Not anger?”

“Oh, I’m definitely angry,” I said dryly.

That made him laugh softly.

“But mostly surprised.” I leaned back into the cushions. “I honestly didn’t expect him to show up like that.”

“Neither did I.”

I looked down at my hands. “But I suppose I should have.”

“Why?”

“Because Dominic has never been good at letting go.”

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Chapter 174

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Luca didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he watched me carefully. “You noticed the way he looked at you,” he said eventually.

I snorted sofily. “He was just jealous.”

“Very,” Luca agreed.

I shrugged lightly. “That’s his problem. He made his choices.”

“And you?”

“I’m making mine.”

He nodded slowly. “So what happens now?”

I lifted my gaze to meet his. “I’m going to set boundaries.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning Dominic can’t just show up whenever he wants.” I crossed one leg over the other thoughtfully. “He and I will always be connected through Mateo. That’s unavoidable. But it needs structure. Scheduled visits. Clear expectations. And emotional distance.”

Luca studied my face for a moment. “You’re stronger than he gives you credit for.”

“I didn’t become who I am by waiting around for men to decide my future,” I said honestly, knowing in my heart how true each word was.

For a while there, I’d almost forgotten just how strong I was. But no more.

My words made Luca smile. “So you’ll talk to him?”

“Yes.”

“When?”

“Tomorrow.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Tomorrow?”

“We have the curator meeting.”

“Right.”

“And since he’s decided to attend it, we’ll be seeing him anyway.”

“That’s convenient.”

I nodded. “I’ll speak to him after the meeting.”

Luca hesitated. “I can be there if you want.”

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Chapter 174

I shook my head gently. “No.” This was something I knew I needed to do on my own.

“You’re sure?”

“Yes.”

I gave him a small but confident smile. “I can handle Dominic Russo on my own.”

He studied me for another moment. Then nodded. “I don’t doubt that.”

I stood and walked him towards the door. “Thank you, though. For checking on me.”

“Always.” He stepped into the hallway. “Goodnight, Isa.”

“Goodnight.”

I closed the door and leaned back against it for a moment.

Tomorrow, I would have to face Dominic again, set the rules, draw the lines.

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Because if he thought he could just walk back into my life whenever he pleased, he was about to learn very quickly that things had changed.

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15:47 Thu, Apr 2

Chapter 173