His Merciless Redemption novel Chapter 178

Chapter 178

Chapter 178

Isabella’s POV

:

in souther

I barely had time to breathe after the meeting with Dominic before I had to step into the next one. Which, in hindsight, was probably a blessing. Because if I had been given even ten minutes of silence, I would have replayed that entire confrontation in my head until I drove myself insane.

Instead, I walked into a completely different kind of chaos.

“Ah! Finalmente!” The voice boomed across the room before I had even fully stepped inside.

“Isabella! Bella! Come, come!”

I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at my lips.

Enzo Bellini. Sixty, loud, theatrical, and one of the most respected private collectors in all of Italy stood in front of me.

He was, obviously, impossible to ignore, too.

“Buonpomeriggio, Enzo,” I greeted as he walked toward me with open arms.

“Buonpomeriggio? No, no, no-this is not a buonpomeriggio situation, this is a magnifico situation!” He pulled me into a quick hug before stepping back dramatically.

“You-” he pointed at me, “-are creating something extraordinary.”

“I hope so,” I said lightly.

“You don’t hope, you know,” he corrected immediately.

Luca stepped in beside me. “Always a pleasure, Enzo.”

“Ah, Luca!” Enzo clapped him on the shoulder. “You keep her sane, yes?”

Luca laughed. “I try.”

“Good. Someone has to.”

I rolled my eyes slightly but said nothing. We had done a couple of projects together in the past so we knew each other quite well, enough to crack jokes like that.

We settled into the meeting quickly.

Or rather, Enzo turned what should have been a structured meeting into something halfway between a performance and a negotiation like he always did. It was something I both loved and hated about working

with him.

“You cannot display that piece like this,” he said, waving his hands dramatically over the layout. “It needs

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Chapter 178

space! It needs air! It needs drama!”

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“That’s exactly what we’re aiming for,” I replied, leaning forward slightly. “But we also need to consider flow.”

“Flow is overrated,” he declared. “Impact is everything.”

Luca chuckled softly beside me. “I’m inclined to agree with him on that.”

“Of course you are,” I muttered.

Enzo grinned widely. “You see? This is why I like him.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but then the door opened.

Somehow, I didn’t need to turn to know who it was.

I felt it. That shift in the room. That awareness. That tension.

Dominic.

Of course.

For a split second, irritation flared sharply inside me. I did not want him to sit down in another meeting. But I couldn’t exactly tell him to leave. Being the CEO, he had every right to be here.

I quickly schooled my features into a mask of politeness before I straightened.

“Mr. Russo,” Enzo said, already stepping forward. Of course he knew who Dominic was. Enzo seemed to know

everyone.

Dominic nodded once. “Mr. Bellini.”

“Ah! Finally!” Enzo grabbed Dominic’s hand enthusiastically. “The man funding all of this madness.”

Dominic allowed the handshake, measured and controlled. “And you are the man making it worthwhile,” he replied.

Enzo laughed loudly. “I like him!”

Of course, he did.

The meeting resumed.

And somehow, even with Dominic in the room, it continued smoothly. Because Enzo didn’t allow tension to settle. He filled every silence.

By the time we wrapped up, he clapped his hands together. “Enough work!” He pointed at all of us. “We eat.”

“Enzo-” I started.

“No arguments. You cannot discuss art on an empty stomach.”

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Chapter 178

“That’s not-”

“Finished. We go.”

:.

Luca leaned towards me slightly. “We’re not getting out of this.”

“I know.”

The restaurant he took us to was exactly what I expected. Traditional. Warm. Loud. Just like him.

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The aroma of fresh pasta and wine hit my nostrils as we all walked towards an empty table at the back.

Enzo took charge immediately, grabbing the menu and opening it before anyone else had even taken a seat.

“This, you must try,” he said, pointing at the menu. “And this. And this. No, not that too boring.”

Luca pulled my chair out for me before I could sit. “Careful,” he murmured lightly. “Wouldn’t want you collapsing after running two meetings back to back.”

I rolled my eyes but sat. “Very funny.”

Still, the small gesture didn’t go unnoticed. Especially not by Dominic.

I could feel his gaze, heavy and silent. Watchful.

Luca leaned slightly towards me again. “The truffle pasta here is supposed to be excellent. I read about this place earlier.”

“I trust your judgment,” I said.

“I hope you do.”

Enzo watched us both with a wide grin.

“Ah,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “This I like.”

I stilled slightly as he gave us a suggestive grin.

“This,” he repeated, gesturing between me and Luca, “is a good pairing.”

Oh no.

“Enzo-”

“You are beautiful,” he said to me..

“And he ” he pointed at Luca, “-he is attentive. This is important.”

I felt my stomach tighten slightly. Dominic had gone completely still from where he sat next to Enzo.

“And together,” Enzo continued cheerfully, “you would make very beautiful children, no?”

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Chapter 178

My heart dropped. “Enzo,” I said quickly, “that’s not-”

“What do you say, Dominic?” he added, turning suddenly.

Oh God. I could feel my cheeks heating up from embarrassment.

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I didn’t even have to look at Dominic to know how angry he was. I could feel the tension rolling off of him in

waves.

“We’re not,” I cut in quickly before Dominic could explode and create a scene here. “Luca and I are not together,” I clarified.

Enzo blinked, surprised. “Not together?”

“No.”

“Ah.” He looked between us. “But you should be,” he said easily. “Luca seems like a fine man. He takes care of you.”

My jaw tightened slightly. “That’s not-”

“He’s right,” Dominic said suddenly. The words cut through the table, cold and sharp.

I turned to look at him but his gaze was fixed on Luca.

“Seems like he’s very good at taking care of things that don’t belong to him.”

The air shifted instantly, turning colder.

But luca didn’t flinch. “If you’re referring to Isabella,” he said calmly, “she’s not something that belongs to anyone.”

That landed. Hard.

Dominic’s jaw tightened. “Be careful.”

“With what?”

“With where you think you stand.”

I could feel this spiraling fast and I knew I had to jump in before they were at each other’s throats.

“Enough,” I said sharply, making the two of them look at me.

I pushed my chair back slightly. “I’m going to the washroom.”

I didn’t wait for a response before leaving. Dominic was honestly going to drive me mad some day with all his territorial bullshit. What the hell was his problem? Why couldn’t he just handle this like a gentleman instead of goading Luca and making all these stupid remarks?

Besides, Luca and I were just friends, nothing more. And even if we were more, Dominic had no right to act

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Chapter 178

the way he did in there.

:..

I barely made it down the hallway before I heard footsteps behind me.

Of course.

“Isabella.”

I turned. “What?”

“What was that?”

I let out a disbelieving laugh. “What was what?”

“That,” Dominic said, gesturing vaguely. “With him.”

“With Luca?” I snapped.

“Yes.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” I said sharply. “Maybe I was having lunch with a colleague?”

His eyes darkened. “Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Pretend like this is nothing.”

“It is nothing,” I shot back.

“Not from where I’m standing.”

“Then maybe you should reconsider where you’re standing,” I bit out, my anger rising.

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“You’re getting married, Dominic,” I continued. “You don’t get to question who I have lunch with.”

His jaw clenched. “That’s not the point.”

“It is exactly the point.” I stepped closer, my anger and frustration at the whole thing boiling over. “You are marrying someone else. And you have the audacity to stand here and question me about Luca?”

“I’m not-”

“You’re being a hypocrite.” I cut him off harshly. “You don’t get to do this. You don’t get to act like have a say in my life.”

He went still then, completely silent.

Because I had hit the nail right on the head.

I took a breath, shaking slightly now. “Why are you so concerned about Luca being in my life?”

you

still

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Chapter 178

He didn’t answer.

:

Because there was no answer he could give that didn’t expose everything.

“Exactly,” I said quietly. Then, colder, “Leave me the hell alone, Dominic.”

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I turned before he could respond and walked away. I went to the washroom and splashed some water on my face to calm myself down.

But by the time I returned to the table, my pulse was still racing.

I forced my expression back into something composed, something normal.

Enzo was mid-story again.

Luca looked up as I sat down. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” I said, noticing Dominic was no longer at the table. I was thankful for the absence. But my heart still hadn’t fully settled.

For a brief moment, the room felt just a little too warm. A little too loud. A little too much.

I swallowed it down, pushed the feeling aside, and smiled like everything was under control.

Maybe if I pretended long enough, it would start feeling that way.

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15:48 Thu, Apr 2