His Merciless Redemption novel Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Isabella’s POV

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I had finally gotten Mateo to sleep after three stories, two glasses of water, and one last goodnight hug. My chest was heavy with leftover anger and a kind of exhaustion that sleep couldn’t solve.

I had just pulled the blanket up to my chin when a soft knock broke the silence.

I tensed.

Another knock. Firmer this time.

I opened the door just enough to see him.

Dominic.

Tall, impossibly composed, and still dressed like he was about to walk into a boardroom and command the world.

I immediately went to shut the door again.

His hand pressed flat against it, stopping the motion.

“Please,” he said, voice low and quiet, not commanding for once. “I want to talk to you.”

I gave him a cold, unimpressed stare. “We’ve said enough for tonight.”

“Isabella,” he murmured, jaw tight. “I know I was out of line earlier. What I said…. I shouldn’t have. I’m not excusing it.”

I crossed my arms. “Good.”

He inhaled. “But wasn’t this what you wanted? For me to actually talk to you? To explain? To not keep you in the dark and bulldoze through every decision?”

Damn him.

He was right.

I hated that he was right.

My silence was the only indication that I was listening.

“Give me a chance,” he said quietly. “Come with me. Just listen.”

After a long beat, I nodded stiffly. “Fine. Talk.”

His shoulders loosened just slightly, relief flickering in his eyes.

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Chapter 33

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He didn’t take my hand. Didn’t try to touch me. Just stepped back, letting me choose to follow. And somehow, that mattered just as much as his words did, if not more.

He led me up a short flight of steps onto the rooftop terrace. A small fire crackled in a stone pit. Fairy lights twinkled above us, turning the night sea breeze into something soft and magical. The gentle crash of ocean waves played in the background like a secret lullaby.

It looked beautiful.

Too beautiful for the chaos inside me.

“Sit,” he said, quietly. “Please.”

I hesitated, then lowered myself onto one of the wooden logs. Dominic sat opposite me, the fire reflecting gold in his eyes.

My breath caught. Not because of desire.

Because, for the first time since I’d known him, he looked uncertain.

He ran a hand over his jaw, searching for the right starting point.

“You already know the situation with the Vitellis,” he began. “We’re planning our next moves. And I have to leave for Florence tomorrow.”

A flicker of panic shot through me, ridiculous and unwanted.

He continued, “I will only be gone a few days. But I won’t risk bringing them back here. Not ever.”

He leaned forward slightly, eyes holding mine.

“I know Florence is home for you and Mateo. I understand how much your life there means to you. The career you built. The friends you made. Everything.” His voice roughened. “And I’ll make sure you get it back.”

Something in my chest twisted.

“But I can’t take you back there until I know it’s safe,” he said. “Until the Vitellis are gone.”

He paused, almost as if testing if I would interrupt,

I didn’t.

“And when that happens,” he continued softly, “I want to be part of that life. Your life. Mateo’s life.” His throat bobbed with the weight of the words. “I will shift as much of my empire as I can to Florence. I’ll run my operations from there. I’ll find a way to be with you. Permanently.”

Shock froze me in place.

He had never said anything like that before. Not even close.

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Chapter 33

“You would leave your home,” I whispered. “Your base. Everything you’ve built?”

He didn’t even blink. “For my family? Yes.”

Family.

It was a dangerous word coming from him.

A terrifying word.

Longing stirred in me, immediate and aching, and I hated it. Because emotion blurred logic.

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“Dominic…” I exhaled slowly, wrestling the softness away. “If you’re in our lives, then that means we’re in world. That means danger. That means crime. That means consequences.”

your

His eyes softened at my fear.

“What about Mateo?” My voice cracked slightly. “What future do you see for him? In your world, sons take over. Is that what you want for ours?” I asked, instincts and logic taking over all else.

A life of crime, of killing others wasn’t what I wanted for him. Not now. Not ever.

If Dominic thought he could do that to Mateo, he had another thing coming.

He inhaled sharply. And thankfully, I saw the flash of dread in his eyes, how much the idea hurt him too.

“No,” he said firmly, without hesitation. “I will never let Mateo be dragged into that life. I take the risks. I fight the war. He grows up safe.”

His conviction seemed like a physical force.

For a moment, it settled something inside me.

But only for a moment.

“He deserves normalcy,” I whispered.

“He will have it,” Dominic promised.

I looked away, struggling for breath. Because this hope, it was a trap. A beautiful trap I had fallen into once before.

“You already changed everything the moment you found us,” I said. “Our home. His school. His friends. My job. Our routine.”

Dominic flinched, guilt shadowing his expression.

“I know,” he said quietly. “And I am sorry for that. But I can put everything back once the threat is gone. I

need time.”

“And trust?” I whispered shakily.

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Chapter 33

He didn’t speak.

Because we both knew he didn’t deserve that yet.

My eyes lifted to his and I hated that he still held so much of my heart.

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“I want Mateo to have a father,” I confessed softly. “But I’m scared of what having you as a father means,” I told him honestly, voicing my deepest fears.

The fire crackled. Fairy lights flickered.

Dominic didn’t argue. Didn’t defend himself.

He just nodded.

A man accepting punishment he fully earned.

“I’ll prove myself,” he said. “Not in words. In actions.” His voice dropped, low and raw. “Give me that chance.”

My heart ached. My walls trembled.

Because I wanted to believe him so, so badly.

But belief could get us killed.

We sat there in silence, staring into the flames. The ocean breeze tangled around us, as if trying to carry away the past.

Finally, Dominic stood, but he didn’t step closer.

“Get some sleep,” he said softly. “I’ll leave for Florence tomorrow. And I’ll come back to you both.”

To us.

He left without another word, letting me breathe without watching me fall apart.

I stared into the fire long after he was gone.

Conflicted. Terrified. Hopeful. Hurting.

Because despite everything, I could feel the change.

He wasn’t just protecting us anymore.

He was fighting for us.

And that might be the most dangerous part of all.

19:09 Thu, Jan 15