His Merciless Redemption novel Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Dominic’s POV

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The banquet hall glowed with warm light and quiet opulence, the kind my mother had always loved. It was elegant without being ostentatious. White flowers lined the walls, candles flickered on every table, and soft music threaded through the hum of conversation.

It was perfect.

She deserved perfect.

Mateo clung to Isabella’s hand as they approached my mother. He looked nervous in his little suit, his curls tamed for once, eyes bright with anticipation. Isabella and I had helped him put together the bracelet for his Nonna, and he’d been both nervous and excited to give it to her.

We had even contemplated gift wrapping it in a box but had decided not to at the last moment. I was pretty sure my mother would rather wear it right away than let it say in a box.

“Nonna,” he said, holding out the bracelet. “I made this for you.”

She gasped as if he’d handed her the crown jewels.

“For me?” she asked, crouching despite the protests of her knees. “You made this with your own hands?”

Mateo nodded solemnly. “From the beach.”

Her eyes filled instantly.

“Oh, amore mio,” she breathed, pulling him into a hug. “This is the most beautiful gift I’ve ever received.”

I knew she meant every word. And just like I’d expected, she asked Mateo to put it on her wrist right away which he did happily.

My mother had always wanted a grandchild, even more so ever since my father passed away. And when I’d told her that I actually had a kid with Isabella, the same woman we had all thought was dead, she’d been over the moon with happiness.

She doted on Mateo like anything. And even today, she’d explicitly asked me to invite kids and make a separate play area for them so Mateo wouldn’t feel bored among the adults. I’d planned on doing that already, but having her say it just went to show how much she adored that kid.

Isabella watched Mateo and my mother with a soft smile, her hand hovering near Mateo’s back out of instinct.

God help me, the woman looked breathtaking.

The gown she wore was simple, elegant, hugging her curves in a way that made it impossible to look away. Her hair fell in loose waves over her shoulders, her skin glowing under the lights. She didn’t look like someone trying to impress.

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Chapter 44

She looked like someone who belonged.

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been rendered this silent by a woman’s presence.

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I hadn’t been able to keep my eyes away from her ever since she’d stepped inside the banquet. The only reason I hadn’t been looking at her right then was because I’d been looking at my son and mother.

Said was soon whisked away to the children’s area, already being pulled into games by kids his age, laughter trailing behind him.

My mother turned then, linking her arm through Isabella’s with unmistakable pride.

“And this,” she announced to the gathered guests, “is Isabella.”

There was something deliberate in the way she said it. Like a claim.

Isabella laughed softly as my mother guided her from group to group, introducing her with warmth and affection. I watched from a distance, aware of the subtle shift in the room.

People noticed.

They always did when something, or someone, new entered my or my family’s orbit.

And Isabella was magnetic.

I hadn’t had the opportunity to talk to her yet seeing as she and Mateo had gone straight to meet my mother after arriving.

Just as the music changed, becoming slower, more intimate, I took that as my cue to go to her and ask her for a dance.

“Dance with me,” I said quietly as I approached her, holding my hand out for her to take.

She hesitated only a moment before nodding.

Once on the dance floor, my hand settled at her waist, while hers rested lightly on my shoulder. She fit there like memory, like something my body had never forgotten even when my mind tried to.

“You look….” I began, then stopped.

“Dangerous?” she offered lightly.

I smiled. “Stunning. Breathtaking. I honestly don’t have words to describe how beautiful you look tonight,” I admitted honestly.

Much to my amusement, her cheeks turned a beautiful shade of pink at my words as she ducked her head. Dear God, could she get any cuter?

I reached forward without thinking, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, making her look up at me at once. She usually didn’t wear a lot of make up, but whatever she had done with her eyes tonight made them shine brighter than they already were, and I found myself getting lost in them, unable to look away. The eye

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Chapter 44

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contact, our proximity, the intimacy of the moment sent something sharp and sweet through my chest.

But then, around us, murmurs began to rise.

“Who is she?”

“I didn’t know Dominic had someone.”

“Is that his wife?”

Each word landed heavier than the last.

I felt Isabella tense in

my arms.

Her gaze flickered away, doubt shadowing her expression.

I frowned, hating that her attention was elsewhere now.

“Dominic,” she said softly.

“Yes?”

“What am I to you?” she asked, looking up at me again.

The question struck me like it were a physical blow.

I froze.

Not because I didn’t care.

But because I didn’t know.

She wasn’t just the mother of my son. She wasn’t just my past. She wasn’t just a woman I desired or respected or admired.

She was everything tangled together in a way I didn’t yet have words for.

Before I could answer, before I could risk saying the wrong thing, someone called my name.

“Cake time!” My mother announced cheerfully, motioning for us to come to her where she stood in front of the three tier cake when I looked at her.

The moment between Isabella and me shattered.

She stepped back, composure already slipping back into place, walls rising with practiced ease.

“We should go,” she said quietly.

I nodded, my jaw tight.

As we moved towards my mother, I knew one thing with brutal clarity- I couldn’t keep avoiding that

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Chapter 44

question.

Not hers.

And not my own.

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Because sooner or later, I would have to decide what Isabella was to me.

And whether I was brave enough to say it out loud.

A

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