Chapter 179
Chapter 179
Isabella’s POV
By the time I got back home, my head was pounding, not just from the day but from him.
The lunch replayed itself in my mind in fragments the moment I stepped inside the apartment.
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Enzo’s booming laughter. Luca pulling my chair out. Dominic sitting across from me, silent but watching everything. That comment, about us being a couple.
Then the way Dominic had looked at Luca, with a cold, possessive, furious gaze. He had always been a bit possessive when it came to me. But he had no right to be that way now. Not anymore.
I exhaled slowly, dropping my bag onto the console.
The part that unsettled me the most was not the jealousy or even the tension every time Dominic, Luca and I were in the same space.
But the fact that somewhere, deep inside him, Dominic still acted like I belonged to him.
After everything. After Alessia. After the engagement. After choosing a life that didn’t include me.
My jaw tightened slightly.
And still, a part of me had reacted.
That was another problem altogether. Despite everything, a small part of me, a part I was quickly beginning to hate rejoiced that he still cared about what I did, where I went and who I did it with.
I shook my head, forcing myself to move. To focus. To not spiral into thoughts that were stupid, delusional and did not matter.
The apartment was quiet. I frowned. Where was Mateo?
“Ma-”
“Mama!”
Mateo’s voice cut through the silence as he ran towards me from the bedroom.
I barely had time to brace before he threw his arms around me.
“Hey,” I said softly, hugging him back.
“How was your day?” he asked immediately.
“Long,” I admitted. “But good.”
“Did you have a lot of meetings today?”
15:48 Thu, Apr 2
Chapter 179
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I nodded. “Yes. But the good thing is that it’s Friday tomorrow. So we will have the whole weekend to explore the city,” I told him.
Mateo grinned. “Can we go to the park tomorrow?”
“We can go after work.”
He nodded, satisfied enough.
Then he ran back towards the bedroom, already distracted by something else.
I watched him go.
And for a moment, everything else faded.
The tension. The anger. The exhaustion.
It always did, with him. But only for a moment.
Because as soon as I straightened, it all came back, heavier this time.
I moved towards the kitchen slowly.
Maria looked up from the stove. “You’re late,” she said gently.
“Meeting ran long.”
She studied my face. “You don’t look well.”
“I’m fine.”
The words came automatically now. Too easily. Too often. For a while there, it had began to feel true, too. At least until Dominic hadn’t come here.
Maria didn’t look convinced. “You should eat.”
“I will.”
I reached for a glass of water instead.
The smell of the food hit me, and my stomach turned. Sharp. Sudden.
I paused. “What is that?”
“Pasta,” Maria replied.
I swallowed hard. “I’ll eat later.”
“But it’s almost time for dinner.”
“I’m not very hungry.”
15:48 Thu, Apr 2
Chapter 179
Maria frowned. “Isa-”
“I said I’m fine,” I snapped before I could stop myself.
:..
Silence followed immediately. Regret came just as quickly.
“I’m sorry,” I said, softer now. “I just… I’ll eat later.”
Maria didn’t push further. But her eyes lingered on me, clearly concerned.
I turned away before she could say anything else.
04
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Dinner was quieter than usual. I barely ate. I had a headache, I wasn’t feeling hungry and the smell of the food alone made me feel like throwing up.
Luca was there too. He tried to cheer me up. He always did.
“So,” he said lightly, “Enzo didn’t scare you off completely?”
“Not yet.”
“Give it time.”
“Who is Enzo?” Mateo asked mid bite.
“He a man we had a meeting with today. He talks way too much.”
Mateo giggled. “I want to meet him, too. I will talk with him way too much, too.”
I smiled at his words. But I wasn’t really there.
My head felt heavy. My body just felt off, like something wasn’t quite right.
“Isa?”
I blinked.
Luca was looking at me. “You’re quiet.”
“I’m just tired.”
“You didn’t eat much.”
“I’ll eat later.”
He didn’t argue. But I could feel his gaze linger on me, not intrusive, but concerned.
“I’m going to put Mateo to bed,” I said, pushing my chair back.
Mateo groaned. “I’m not sleepy.”
15:48 Thu, Apr 2
Chapter 179
“You’re always not sleepy until your head hits the pillow.”
“That’s not true.”
“It is.”
He sighed dramatically but followed me anyway.
By the time I got back to the living room, the apartment felt quieter.
Luca had left. Maria had gone to her room. The city hummed faintly outside.
I sank onto the sofa, pressing my fingers to my temples.
My thoughts went to Dominic again. Suddenly, he was everywhere again.
In the meetings. At lunch. In my thoughts.
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It didn’t matter how far I moved, how much distance I created, he still found a way to exist in every part of my life. And somehow, there wasn’t much I could do about it either.
I leaned back, closing my eyes.
I was tired, not just physically but emotionally.
I had fought him, stood my ground, said everything I needed to say. And still, it felt like I hadn’t won anything. Because none of this felt like a victory. It felt like a loss, like something constantly slipping just out of reach.
My chest tightened slightly.
I still loved him. That truth refused to go away no matter how many times I told myself it didn’t matter. No matter how many boundaries I set. No matter how far I moved.
And that was the most exhausting part of all.
Because I couldn’t go back. Wouldn’t. I knew that.
Even if a part of me wanted to.
Even if a part of me still hoped, I couldn’t. Not like this. Not with him standing at the altar with someone else. Not with everything that had already been broken.
I let out a slow breath.
“I can’t go back,” I whispered to the empty room.
The words settled into the silence. Final. Unchangeable.
I pushed myself up from the sofa.
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Chapter 179
I just needed to sleep, that was all.
Sleep. Reset.
Tomorrow would be easier.
It had to be.
:
I took a step towards the bedroom, and the world tilted just slightly, enough to make me pause.
My hand shot out, gripping the edge of the table beside me.
I stood there for a moment, breathing, waiting for it to pass.
It did.
Slowly, I straightened, shaking my head a little.
“I’m fine,” I murmured under my breath.
Of course I was.
Just tired. That was all.
I turned off the lights and walked towards the bedroom.
Because all I needed, was to get through tomorrow.
And then I could have a much needed break from Dominic and everything else.
AD
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15:48 Thu, Apr 2

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