His Merciless Redemption novel Chapter 187

Chapter 187

Chapter 187

Isabella’s POV

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I stood in front of the mirror longer than I needed to. Not because I didn’t know what to wear, but because I was thinking too much.

My reflection stared back at me, softer than it had been in days, though there was still something guarded beneath it. I reached for the dress I had already laid out on the bed, a simple, elegant piece in a muted tone that felt safe. Not too much. Not too little.

Appropriate.

That was the word I settled on.

This wasn’t a date. It wasn’t anything like that. It was just dinner. With Dominic. And Mateo.

And yet, as I slipped the dress on and smoothed it down, I couldn’t ignore the way my fingers lingered for just a second longer than necessary.

I kept the makeup minimal, just enough to bring some life back into my face. A soft touch here, a little definition there, nothing dramatic, nothing that suggested I had tried too hard. Still, when I finally stepped back and looked at myself again, I felt different. Lighter. And that scared me a little.

“Mama!”

Mateo’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts, and I turned just in time to see him run into the room, already dressed in his usual casual clothes, his hair slightly messy in that way that never lasted more than five

minutes.

“Are we going now?” he asked, practically bouncing.

I smiled despite myself. “Not yet. He’ll be here soon.”

As if on cue, the doorbell rang.

Mateo’s eyes lit up instantly before he rushed out of the room, and I followed a second later, my heart doing something inconveniently unsteady in my chest.

I opened the door. And there he was. Dominic stood on the other side, dressed simply but impeccably as always, his presence filling the space without effort. His eyes found mine immediately, and for a moment, everything else faded into the background.

There was something in his gaze, something softer than usual, something that lingered.

“You look…” he started, then paused, like he was choosing his words carefully. “….beautiful.”

My breath caught slightly, though I masked it quickly. “Thank you,” I said, keeping my tone even.

Mateo didn’t give us time to linger. “Dominic, can we go now?” he asked, already reaching for Dominic’s

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Chapter 187

hand.

:0

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Dominic’s expression shifted instantly, warmth replacing whatever had been there before. “Of course.”

The drive was surprisingly easy, comfortable in a way I hadn’t expected. Dominic drove, one hand resting lightly on the steering wheel, the other relaxed, while Mateo sat in the back, talking almost non-stop.

“How are you feeling?” Dominic asked after a few minutes, his voice quieter, directed at me.

I glanced at him briefly. “Better. Still a little tired, but better.”

He nodded slightly, like he was storing that information somewhere important. “That’s good.”

Then his attention shifted effortlessly.

“And you?” he asked, glancing at Mateo through the rearview mirror. “How are you liking Milan so far?”

Mateo grinned. “It’s nice! I get to eat lots of gelato and Mama even lets me stay up late sometimes.”

I raised an eyebrow at that, and Dominic’s lips twitched slightly, like he was holding back a smile.

“Does she, now?” Dominic said.

Mateo nodded enthusiastically. “And we went out for gelato yesterday!”

“I see,” Dominic replied, an easy going smile on his face.

“Where are we going?” I asked after a while, shifting his attention back to me.

Dominic glanced at me, and then, he winked. Actually winked. “It’s a surprise.”

I blinked, caught off guard, and for a second, I just stared at him. The ease in his expression. The faint curve of his lips. The way he looked lighter tonight.

And suddenly, very inconveniently, I became aware of how effortlessly good he looked.

I turned my gaze away quickly, looking out the window instead, even as my thoughts betrayed me.

This is a bad idea. But it didn’t feel like one. And that was the biggest problem of all.

When the car finally came to a stop, I looked up, and realized we weren’t at a high end restaurant like I’d expected, but one of the nicer apartment buildings in the city.

Then, he led us upstairs to his penthouse.

Of course.

I should have expected that he would have a penthouse in Milan, too.

The moment I stepped inside, I felt it again, that quiet, overwhelming sense of space and control. Everything about the place was sleek, modern, and impossibly refined, every detail carefully chosen, every element

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Chapter 187

perfectly in place.

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The place represented him, Dominic in physical form. Cold on the surface, controlled and powerful. And yet, there were hints of warmth hidden underneath. Something subtle, but present.

“Come,” he said, guiding us further inside.

And then I saw it.

The dining table was already set with soft lighting and warm tones. Everything was arranged with quiet precision, but it didn’t feel cold or formal.

It felt almost intimate.

My lips curved slightly before I could stop them.

Mateo, on the other hand, had no such restraint.

“Whoa!” he exclaimed, running ahead before stopping abruptly at the table. “That’s my favorite!” he said.

I followed his gaze, and sure enough, it was the tagliatelle al ragù bolognese, his favourite. And Dominic had remembered that.

Something tightened in my chest.

We sat down, and Dominic served the food himself, his movements calm, deliberate.

I took a bite. And then another.

And then I looked at him.

“This is really good,” I said, unable to hide the surprise in my voice.

Mateo nodded enthusiastically. “It’s amazing!”

Dominic smiled slightly, something genuinely pleased flickering across his expression. “Thank you.”

I tilted my head slightly, studying him. “You’re saying that like you made it.”

“I did.”

I blinked. “You….what?”

“I made it,” he repeated, completely serious.

For a moment, I just stared at him.

“You didn’t have to go through all that effort,” I said, softer now, something warm unfurling slowly in my

chest.

“I wanted to,” he replied simply. “It’s the least I could do.”

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Chapter 187

And just like that, something shifted. This version of him felt familiar and achingly so.

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It pulled me back to Florence, to moments I hadn’t let myself think about in a long time. Moments where things had been easier. Softer. When we had laughed more, fought less, existed without this constant weight pressing down on us.

Why couldn’t it always be like this?

Why couldn’t we just be this?

A quiet life. Simple. Working during the day, coming home to each other in the evenings. Spending weekends with our children, going out without looking over our shoulders, without thinking about enemies or alliances

or consequences.

Was that really too much to ask?

Or was it just something that was impossible for people like us?

The thought lingered long after dinner ended.

Dessert followed, lighter but just as thoughtful and delicious, and then somehow, we found ourselves in the living room, a movie playing on the massive screen.

Mateo curled up beside me, his head resting against my arm, his earlier excitement slowly fading as he came down from his sugar high and sleep crept in.

I felt it before I saw it, the way Dominic stood and then moved.

He walked over quietly, careful not to wake him, and gently lifted Mateo into his arms. There was something about that moment that made my chest tighten again. The ease. The care. The way Mateo instinctively leaned into him, even in his sleep.

Dominic carried him down the hallway, and I followed a few steps behind, watching silently as he laid him down on the bed, adjusting the blanket with a softness that didn’t match the man the world knew him to be.

When we stepped out and the door closed softly behind us, the silence felt different.

He turned slightly. And I knew. This was it.

Now that Mateo was asleep, it was just the two of us.

And the baby.

My fingers curled slightly at my sides as I met his gaze, my heart beginning to beat just a little faster.

I just hoped that this would be a good conversation, hopefully one which wouldn’t end in us fighting.

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