His Merciless Redemption novel Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Dominic’s POV

Isabella stepped back first.

A

38

1755 vouchers

The moment Alessia’s voice cut through the air, something fragile shattered between us. Isabella’s breath hitched, her eyes flicking away from mine as if she’d suddenly remembered where she was, and who I was.

“I should go, uh, check on Mateo,” she said quickly, already turning away.

She didn’t wait for my reply.

I watched her leave, the space she’d occupied still warm, still charged. Frustration curled low in my gut, not just at the interruption, but at myself. I’d been seconds away from crossing a line I wasn’t sure I had the right to cross anymore.

I exhaled slowly and turned to Alessia.

She was watching me closely. Too closely.

“You needed me?” I asked, keeping my tone carefully neutral.

“Yes,” she said, shifting seamlessly into business. “Its Florence. There’s been movement. Nothing urgent, but it needed your attention.”

Of course it did.

We spoke briefly about routes, names, and timelines. I listened, responded, made decisions. I always could. Work was easy. Controlled. Predictable.

Unlike the woman who had just walked away from me with damp hair and too many unspoken thoughts in her eyes.

When we were done, I dismissed Alessia with a nod and left before she could say anything else.

I told myself I was going to the kitchen because Mateo was there, not because I knew I’d find Isabella there,

too.

I felt ridiculous, like a teenager again, circling hallways, pretending coincidence where there was clear intent. I slowed my steps, adjusted my path, making sure I didn’t look like I was searching for her.

As if anyone could miss it.

I found them at the kitchen island.

Isabella sat on one of the stools, freshly showered, hair still damp and curling slightly at the ends. She wore a loose T-shirt now, but it didn’t matter. There was something about her like this, soft, and unguarded, that made my chest ache.

19:13 Thu, Jan 15

Chapter 43

:

Mateo was sitting besides her, swinging his legs, talking animatedly about something I’d missed.

$38

55 vouchers

I wanted, almost desperately, to cross the room and pull her into my arms. To kiss her like the world wasn’t watching, like the past wasn’t standing between us with its teeth bared.

I didn’t.

Instead, I went to Mateo.

“How was school today?” I asked him, resting my hands on the counter.

Mateo brightened. “Good! We learned about planets. And I finished my math early.”

“Impressive,” I said, genuinely. “Your mother must be helping.”

Isabella glanced at me, expression unreadable.

“Nonna’s birthday is coming up,” I added. “Did you know that?”

Mateo’s eyes widened. “Really? We should get her a present!”

“What kind?” I asked.

He frowned thoughtfully. “I don’t know. Can you help me? Mamma, you too?”

That’s when the air shifted again, not heavy this time, but warm.

***

Isabella’s POV

“A bracelet,” I said without thinking. “From seashells.”

Mateo’s face lit up instantly. “From the beach!”

“Yes,” I smiled. “We can pick the prettiest ones.”

“I’ll get a basket!” he announced, hopping off the stool and running out of the kitchen.

The moment he was gone, silence rushed in.

Dominic looked at me, really looked at me, and something in his gaze softened.

“You did good,” he said quietly. “With him.”

I swallowed. “I try.”

“You’ve done more than try,” he continued. “You brought him into this world. You raised him. You made him. kind and compassionate. It shows. The first thing he thought of when he heard of his nonna’s birthday wasn’t a party, but what gift he should give her.”

19:13 Thu, Jan 15

Chapter 43

155 vouchers

His voice was steady, but there was something raw underneath it. I felt warmth pooling in my chest at the praise.

I knew in my heart that I’d done my best to raise Mateo into a kind, young man. But hearing someone else validate it, especially with that someone being his biological father loosened something within me.

“Thank you,” he said. “For that.”

I nodded. “You’re welcome.”

However, what happened in the past wasn’t too far away

The memory rose unbidden, sharp, and ugly.

You didn’t want us once.

in

my mind.

You accused me. You threatened me. You scared me so badly I had to run to save myself. To save us.

I remembered the explosion. The smoke. The fear that had hollowed me out.

You nearly killed us.

The anger flared, quick and hot, followed by the ache that always came after.

And yet, here he was now. Trying. Admitting fault. Showing up. Letting himself be seen in ways he never had before.

People could change.

But trust? That was slower.

Mateo burst back into the room then, basket in hand. “Come on! Before all the good shells are gone!”

He grabbed both our hands without hesitation and tugged us towards the doors.

Dominic glanced at me, questioning as if it was okay for us to do this together. I didn’t mind. It was only picking shells together, anyway.

I nodded once.

The beach stretched out before us, pale sand and scattered shells glinting in the late afternoon sun. Mateo ran ahead, already crouching to examine the ground like it was a treasure hunt.

I knelt beside him, picking up a smooth shell, brushing sand from its surface.

Dominic stood a few feet away, watching us.

I could feel his gaze, not heavy, not possessive. Just present.

It unsettled me more than if it had been anything else.

19:13 Thu, Jan 15

Chapter 43

“You’ve always loved the sea,” he said quietly.

38

55 vouchers

I paused, surprised that he remembered. But I also remembered something about him, too. “So did you,” I replied, my voice just as quiet.

He smiled faintly. “I forgot, for a while.”

I handed Mateo a shell, and he added it to the basket with reverence.

I didn’t know what we were building.

A bracelet. A memory. A fragile bridge between what had been broken and what might still be possible.

All I knew was that I wasn’t ready to forgive him completely. Not yet. It was too soon, the past too raw.

But for the first time in a long time, I wasn’t walking away either.

And that scared me almost as much as it gave me hope.

AD

Comment

Send gift

No Ads

19:13 Thu, Jan 15