His Merciless Redemption novel Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Isabella’s POV

The room felt warmer than it had a moment ago.

Or maybe it was just me.

:

38

55 vouchers.

I stood near one of the tall cocktail tables, fingers curled around the stem of my glass, trying to look composed while my thoughts spun wildly. Music drifted through the banquet hall, laughter rising and falling in soft waves, but all I could hear were the murmurs from earlier.

Who is she?

Where has she been all this time?

Is she staying?

Questions without answers. Questions I was asking myself too.

I should have been happy. I should have been enjoying the night. Caterina’s joy, Mateo’s excitement, the warmth of being included, all of it should’ve made me happy. Instead, I felt like I was standing on unfamiliar ground, dressed beautifully but unsure if I was allowed to stay.

That was when Alessia appeared beside me.

She smiled first. Polite. Perfect. The kind of smile that never quite reached her eyes.

“Isabella,” she said lightly, as if we were old acquaintances instead of complicated ghosts from each other’s pasts.

“You must be finding tonight overwhelming.”

Overwhelming.

The word settled uncomfortably in my chest.

“I’m fine,” I replied, keeping my voice even.

“Of course,” she said quickly. “I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just that these events can be a lot if you’re not used to them. Dominic’s world has its own rhythm.”

There it was.

The implication slid beneath my skin like a blade wrapped in silk.

I nodded, unsure what to say. Part of me wanted to bristle, to defend myself. Another part, smaller, more wounded, whispered that maybe she was right.

I had been away for years. I had built a quieter life. I didn’t know all the names, all the rules, all the unspoken expectations.

19:13 Thu, Jan 15

Chapter 45

:

Alessia’s gaze flicked over my gown, my posture, my hesitation.

38

55 vouchers

“You’ve been gone a long time,” she continued, voice soft but deliberate. “We all thought you’d moved on.”

Moved on.

As if I’d simply gotten bored and wandered off.

My fingers tightened around my glass.

“I left,” I said quietly.

She tilted her head. “Yes. Very suddenly, if I remember correctly. And some of us stayed.”

The words hit harder than I had expected.

Some of us stayed.

Loyal. Present. Strong enough for this life.

My throat tightened.

For a brief, humiliating moment, I believed her.

Maybe I had run. Maybe I hadn’t been strong enough. Maybe I was out of place here, playing dress-up in a world that had never truly been mine.

I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out.

Alessia must have taken my silence as permission to continue. So she carried on, twisting the knife a little deeper with her words.

“This world can be unforgiving,” she added. “It takes a certain temperament. Not everyone is suited for it.”

I felt small then. Exposed.

And the worst part?

Somewhere deep inside, an old, familiar voice agreed with her.

You never belonged. You were always temporary.

I swallowed hard, blinking back the sudden sting behind my eyes.

I didn’t notice Dominic approaching until his voice cut cleanly through the air.

“That’s enough.”

I turned sharply.

He stood beside me now, tall and unyielding, his expression unreadable, but his presence unmistakable.

19:13 Thu, Jan 15

Chapter 45

Alessia stiffened.

38

55 vouchers

“Dominic, I-” she began, clearly startled. She hadn’t meant for him to hear that. I could see it in the quick calculation behind her eyes. Honestly, I hadn’t noticed he’d been listening in, or how much of what she said had he actually listened. “I wasn’t implying-”

“She doesn’t find this overwhelming,” he said calmly. “And she doesn’t need your assessment of where she belongs.”

Alessia flushed. “I was only saying-”

He cut her off with a single look.

“Isabella belongs wherever she chooses to be,” he continued. “And tonight, she’s here with me.”

The words rang louder than the music.

The room didn’t go silent, but it felt like it had.

I stood frozen, heart pounding, struggling to process what was happening.

Alessia opened her mouth again, clearly flustered now. “Dominic, you know I didn’t mean any harm. I was just concerned. After everything that happened-after she left—”

“She left because she had to,” Dominic said, his voice lower now, sharper. “And that’s not something you, or anyone else, gets to judge.”

Alessia’s face went pale.

I stared at Dominic, disbelief crashing over me in waves.

This wasn’t how it usually went.

Not before.

Before, it had always been Alessia first. Her counsel. Her presence. Her voice.

I had expected him to smooth things over. To dismiss it. To tell me not to take it personally.

I had expected to be second again.

Instead, he stood firmly at my side.

“You’re misinterpreting-” Alessia tried again, her composure cracking.

“I’m not,” Dominic replied coolly. “And this conversation is over.”

The finality in his tone left no room for argument.

Alessia looked between us, humiliation flickering across her features before she masked it with a tight smile.

19:13 Thu, Jan 15

Chapter 45

“Of course,” she said stiffly. “Excuse me.”

She walked away without another word.

I stood there, stunned, my pulse roaring in my ears.

For a long moment, neither Dominic nor I spoke.

:

A 38

55 vouchers

“I thought you’d take her side,” I admitted quietly, the truth slipping out before I could stop myself.

He looked at me then. “Why would I do that?” he asked.

Because you always have, I almost said.

Because history taught me to expect it.

But the words stayed lodged in my throat.

“I’m sorry,” he said instead. “I should have stepped in sooner.”

Sooner.

The idea alone made my chest ache.

“I didn’t mean for her words to get to me,” I said softly. “But they did. And I hate that they did.”

He nodded. “I understand. But that doesn’t make you weak, it only makes you human,” he said, his voice much softer than before.

I searched his face for doubt. For regret.

There was none.

Something fragile inside me shifted.

Not healed. Not whole.

But seen.

And that felt like the beginning of something dangerous.

Because being chosen hurt more than being ignored.

It gave me hope.

And hope had always been the thing that had ruined me most.

That was when we heard a loud crash followed by the sound of a little kid crying.

19:13 Thu, Jan 15