His Merciless Redemption novel Chapter 24

Chapter 24

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The sun climbed higher, warming the pool deck. Mateo splashed away happily in the water. The guards watched. And time passed.

But Dominic didn’t come back.

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Every minute deepened the quiet ache in my chest until it felt like something sharp pressed beneath my ribs. I told myself not to care, that this wasn’t the same as before, that he was handling something important.

But the more minutes that ticked by, the more familiar it became.

The waiting. The watching the door. The pretending I wasn’t holding my breath.

Mateo squealed with laughter when he managed to float a bit on his own. I forced a smile for him. But every time my gaze drifted towards the house, disappointment followed.

He said he’d be right back.

He had promised.

The water glittered and Mateo giggled and I sat there feeling like a ghost again, half seen, half remembered.

Alessia’s words replayed in my head.

You and I always make a great team.

Always them. Not me. Never me.

The longer Dominic stayed inside with her, the harder the memories crashed in.

Nights where he disappeared into meetings they attended together while I was left alone. Conversations where he listened to every word she said and barely acknowledged mine. Moments when I tried to reach him and he was miles away, and she was always right there.

I swallowed the bitterness rising up my throat.

Mateo finally tired himself out and let me wrap him in a towel, small arms clinging to me as I rubbed warm terrycloth over his wet hair.

“Mamma, are we leaving the pool now?” he asked, yawning.

“Yes, baby,” I said softly, blinking back the sting behind my eyes. “Let’s go inside.”

Just as I gathered our things, the door from the house burst open and Dominic rushed out, chest heaving slightly as if he’d run.

“I’m sorry,” he said, looking directly at me. “I got caught up with-”

“Work?” I finished for him, unable to keep the edge from my voice.

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Chapter 24

Mateo looked up with wide hopeful eyes. “Where did you go?”

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Dominic crouched instantly, brushing a hand through his curls. “I had to take care of something important. But I’m here now.”

Mateo wrapped his arms around Dominic’s neck. Dominic froze for a breath, then melted into the little hug, arms securing his son against him for a moment too brief.

The sight hurt and healed me all at once.

“We should go back to the room,” I said quietly, taking Mateo’s hand before either of us could fall deeper into that moment. “He needs a shower.”

Dominic rose slowly, gaze lingering on me, apologetic, confused, maybe even a little afraid that he’d disappointed me.

He had.

And it terrified me how much that still mattered.

Back at the room, I scrubbed chlorine from Mateo’s hair and got him into clean pajamas. He plopped onto the bed with his coloring book, humming happily.

I finally reached for my phone, dead since everything happened yesterday.

I plugged it in.

The moment the screen blinked awake, my breath caught.

Missed calls:

36 from Luca

11 from Chiara

7 from Lucia

Unread messages: 52

And every notification carried one question:

Are you safe?

A lump formed in my throat. I had been so wrapped up in Dominic, in danger, that I hadn’t told a soul where

I was.

My fingers trembled as I tapped Luca’s name.

He answered on the very first ring.

“Bella?” His voice was raw with panic. “Where are you? Are you okay? What happened? I went to your building

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Chapter 24

and they said you never came home-”

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“I’m okay,” I rushed to reassure him. “We’re okay. Mateo is fine.”

He exhaled shakily. “Fuck. I thought- I thought something awful happened.”

Guilt surged through me, thick and crushing. “I’m so, so sorry. I should have called.”

“No, no, it’s fine. I just….” His voice cracked. “Tell me you’re safe.”

“I am,” I whispered. “We are. I’ll explain everything soon, I promise.”

There was a pause. Then quietly:

“You left so fast yesterday. Who picked you up? Where did you go?”

I closed my eyes. The truth sat heavy on my tongue.

“It was Dominic. I’m with him,” I said carefully. “It’s…. complicated.”

“Bella,” he said, and my name sounded like a plea. “Are you sure you can trust him? You sounded terrified earlier.”

“I know.” I bit my lip. “But things changed. Mateo and I, we needed help.”

Luca’s breath caught. “Are you in danger?”

“Yes,” I said. “But that’s why we’re here. He has security. We’re safe.”

“What’s going on, Bella?” Luca asked, his tone sharp.

I winced. “Luca-”

“Bella, who is he to you? What’s happening?” he demanded, worry twisting into something closer to fear.

I shook my head even though he couldn’t see me. “I can’t do this over the phone. Just know that he’s protecting us right now.”

Silence. A long, aching silence.

“I care about you,” Luca said finally, his voice quiet. “Both of you. Let me help.”

His sincerity almost broke me.

“You already are,” I whispered. “Just trust me for now.”

He didn’t like it. I could hear it in his breath.

“Then let me at least see you,” he insisted. “Please. I need to see that you’re really okay.”

I hesitated a moment too long.

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“Bella,” he murmured. “I won’t sleep tonight unless I know you’re safe.”

I sighed and switched to video.

Before the call could even connect, the door swung open.

Dominic stepped inside, eyes landing instantly on the phone in my hand.

His voice dropped, low and dangerous.

“Who are you talking to?”

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Luca’s face flashed onto the screen, his worried eyes, his furrowed brow, visible just long enough for Dominic to register that this wasn’t some random acquaintance.

And Dominic moved.

Like a predator.

“Isabella.” The warning in my name made the air thicken.

Mateo looked up, marker still in his hand. “Mamma?”

I straightened, holding Dominic’s stare.

“It’s Luca,” I said evenly. “A friend.”

The word friend could have been gasoline.

Dominic’s expression darkened. His shoulders coiled tight. Every line of his body screamed mine, the word he didn’t say out loud.

Luca’s voice came through the speaker, wary. “Isabella? Is someone there? Who is that?”

The tension snapped.

Dominic took a step towards me. “Hang up.”

I shook my head once. “Not until I finish.”

That’s when Luca’s voice registered in Mateo’s head. “Is it Luca?! I wanna talk to him, too, Mamma!” He exclaimed, running towards me.

“Yes. It’s Luca,” I told Mateo, as I handed him the phone,

The moment Mateo saw Luca’s face on the screen, his entire face lit up and he launched into an animated description of his visit to the pool today.

Dominic watched quietly, his jaw clenched so hard I could see the muscle tick.

Fear, anger, disbelief, all of it showed on his face as he looked at Mateo talking to Luca, his chest rising and

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