His Merciless Redemption novel Chapter 26

Chapter 26

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Isabella’s POV

After lunch, Dominic walked Mateo to our room while I stepped out to the balcony for privacy. The moment my phone lit up again with more missed messages, my heart twisted.

I owed Chiara and Lucia answers.

I dialed Chiara first.

She answered on the second ring.

“Isa? Oh, thank God.” Her relief was palpable. “Are you okay? Where are you? You left without saying anything!”

“I know, I’m sorry,” I said, closing my eyes. “Something came up. An emergency.”

“What kind of emergency?” she pushed gently.

I hesitated. Lying to my best friend felt like swallowing glass.

“It’s personal,” I whispered. “But we’re safe. Mateo and I both.”

She exhaled, not satisfied but respecting the boundary. “Okay. Just tell me you’re not alone.”

My throat tightened. “I’m not.”

“You sound stressed,” she observed. “Do you need me to come-”

“No!” I said. Too fast. Too harsh. I softened my tone. “No. Please don’t. Everything is being handled. I just need some time.”

Chiara paused, clearly choosing her words carefully. “You tell me if that changes.”

“I will,” I promised.

“And you’re still working the merger project, right?” she added, because Chiara might be kind and loyal, but she was still the boss when she needed to be.

“Yes,” I said, grateful for the normalcy. “I’ll work remotely for a few days. I already have everything I need.”

“Alright,” she said, though worry laced her voice. “Just don’t scare us like that again.”

“I’ll try not to.”

We hung up. I called Lucia seconds later and she answered with the same fear and relief, asking the same questions I couldn’t answer. I gave her as much reassurance as I could.

But guilt gnawed at me.

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I had built a life here with friends who were like family. Now, without warning, I had vanished into Dominic’s world again.

A cage, this time gilded.

No matter how safe the walls were, they still felt like walls.

By the time I returned inside, Mateo had coloured half a jungle scene and was showing it proudly to Dominic, who actually listened, kneeling beside him, asking questions, and pointing out details.

It did something strange to me. Something soft.

But I pushed that feeling down deep.

“I’m going to work for a bit,” I said quietly.

Dominic looked up. “I’ll come get you both when it’s time for dinner.”

Our eyes met.

Just for a heartbeat.

And then I looked away, because I didn’t know what that gaze meant anymore, or what it wanted from me.

Mateo and I spent the next few hours in the room, me working, with Mateo either colouring, or playing with his rocket.

Dominic sent me a text when it was time for dinner.

Dinner was in the same dining room with intimate lighting, and soft music. But this time, the table was already set for four.

But only two people sat there when Mateo and I walked in.

Dominic.

And Alessia.

She leaned towards him, lips curved in a smile, hand dangerously near his on the table like she belonged there.

Like nothing had changed.

They both stopped talking the moment they saw us.

My stomach dropped.

Just like old times.

I smiled at Mateo and led him to a chair beside mine, trying to ignore the suffocating silence.

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Dominic’s posture had stiffened, a small shift, but noticeable. And his eyes stayed on me longer than

necessary.

“Hi, Mateo!” Alessia chirped, too bright. “You must be hungry!”

Mateo nodded politely but leaned closer to me, wariness clear on his little face. Even though he was usually friendly with adults, he was still wary of some people, and Alessia seemed to be one of them.

My lips twitched a little. Like mother, like son.

Dinner began quietly. Mateo ate happily, asking questions that Dominic answered with growing ease.

Alessia didn’t look pleased.

Every time Dominic chuckled at something Mateo said, her smile strained tighter.

“So,” she finally inserted loudly, “Dominic and I were discussing the Vitelli development earlier. We made some real progress, didn’t we?”

Dominic didn’t look away from Mateo’s story about a green dinosaur pencil. “Mmm.”

Alessia blinked, clearly not expecting that lack of attention.

“Yes, we think their next move might involve-”

“I’ll handle it tomorrow,” Dominic said, still focused on our son.

The shift in the dynamic was clear.

And Alessia clearly hated it.

She bit her lip, a move I recognized too well, then leaned towards Dominic again.

“I actually just got an update,” she said, glancing at her phone as it buzzed on the table. “I should brief you before anything escalates.”

She stood, brushing imaginary lint from her dress, poised and perfect.

“Come on,” she told Dominic lightly. “We should handle this now.”

My chest tightened.

My hand froze on my

fork.

Dominic blinked at her, like he was reorienting. Then slowly, he looked at me.

I masked the fear.

Already left behind once today. Already replaced. Already invisible.

“Go ahead,” I said, forcing the words. “We’re finished anyway.”

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Dominic stood halfway, enough to acknowledge the urgency.

But then, he stayed standing.

His eyes locked on me.

And he shook his head.

“No,” he said simply.

Alessia blinked. “Excuse me?”

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Dominic sat back down beside Mateo. “We’ll finish dinner,” he said. “I’ll come when I’m done here.”

He didn’t look at her.

He was looking at me.

Like the decision was about me.

My heart stuttered.

Hope was a dangerous thing, but it flared anyway, small and cautious.

Alessia’s smile cracked. She recovered fast, but the strain in her expression was unmistakable.

“Of course,” she said through clenched teeth. “I’ll be in the office.”

She didn’t wait for a response. She simply spun and left, heels clicking sharply against the floor in a steady

retreat.

Silence wrapped around us again, but no longer suffocating.

Just quiet.

Fragile.

Mateo slurped his noodles obnoxiously.

Dominic finally cracked a small smile.

“You’re supposed to eat them, not wear them,” he teased.

Mateo grinned, sauce on his cheek. “But this way is more fun.”

Dominic chuckled, warm and genuine.

It did something dangerous to me again.

Because it was so achingly easy to imagine this as normal.

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When dinner ended, Mateo tugged Dominic’s sleeve. “Can you read me a story later?”

Dominic looked stunned. Like no request had ever mattered more.

“Yeah,” he said softly. “I’d like that.”

Mateo ran ahead towards our room again, leaving Dominic and me standing a few feet apart in the dining

room.

“I didn’t expect you to stay,” I whispered.

Dominic’s brows drew together. “Why not?”

Because your patterns hurt me more than any bullet ever could. Because love didn’t protect me last time. Because I don’t trust you not to break me again.

But instead, I said, “Because you never did before.”

He inhaled slowly. “I see you now,” he said quietly.

My throat seemed to close.

“And?” I whispered.

“And I’m not looking away again.”

The intensity in his gaze was almost unbearable, too much hope where there used to be hollowness.

I stepped back, clutching my arms. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

“I don’t plan to break this one,” he replied.

We stared at each other for a long moment, neither daring to move closer but neither willing to turn away

Then I exhaled, deep and shaky.

“Mateo needs his sleep,” I said.

“Then let me read him a bedtime story before I go,” he answered.

And I let him.

But as I walked ahead, all my insecurities came bubbling to the surface.

What happens when he feels secure enough to slip into old habits

? What happens when we’re no longer brand-new pain? What happens when he knows we won’t run again?

Because I couldn’t survive loving him twice.

And every time he chose me, even once, he made it harder to forget that I once did.

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