His Merciless Redemption novel Chapter 69

Chapter 69

Isabella’s POV

The cool night air hit like a slap.

120 vouchers

I stepped out of the ballroom and leaned against the stone railing of the terrace, the city of Florence flickering beneath me like a fever dream. My breath came in shallow pulls, the silk of my dress suddenly too tight, like a hand was closing around my ribs.

Still

my wife.

No.

No, I couldn’t think about that.

Not when every part of my life with him was a contradiction, when he kissed me with his eyes, but held someone else’s life in his hands, when he protected Mateo with his soul, but treated mine like something he wasn’t sure he had rights to touch.

I gripped the railing harder and closed my eyes.

“Isa?”

I flinched at Luca’s voice. Turning, I found him there, tie loosened, brows drawn in concern.

“You disappeared,” he said, shrugging off his jacket and draping it around my shoulders before I could protest. “Are you okay?”

I forced a breath. “I just needed some air.”

He studied me, his gaze a little too perceptive. “So, that was Dominic Russo on the dance floor.”

I huffed out something like a laugh. “Unfortunately.”

“He seemed intense,” Luca said, clearly choosing his words carefully.

“That’s one word for it.”

He waited, giving me space to say more. I didn’t. Couldn’t.

“Isa,” he tried again, gentler. “If you ever need to get out, really get out, not just for air, I’m here for you. You know that, right?”

My throat tightened. I nodded, staring hard at the skyline so I wouldn’t cry.

Luca’s hand hovered near mine on the railing, close, but not touching, an offering instead of a claim.

It should have felt safe. But it only made me feel tired. Tired of even needing safety and calm in the first place. Ever since Dominic had come back into my life, I felt like I had more moments where I felt like I was

13:03 Sat, Jan 17

Chapter 69

71

E20 vouchers

chasing safety and peace than actually having them. Why couldn’t life go back to the way it was before he had practically barged his way into my life like a hurricane? Life seemed simpler then. I might even say boring. But it was mine to do with as I pleased. And I liked it, all the boring, routine, monotonous tasks included.

Now, it just felt like a big clusterfuck of emotions, jumping from one extreme to another every other day.

And it was tiring, to say the least.

Just then, movement caught in my peripheral vision.

It was him. Dominic.

Standing just inside the glass doors, framed in chandeliers and shadows.

His expression was carved from stone, but his eyes, God, his eyes looked like something was bleeding behind them.

He saw Luca’s jacket around me. He saw how close we stood.

I opened my mouth, to explain? I didn’t know, but Dominic shook his head once. Sharp. Final. He turned and walked away.

Didn’t look back.

Didn’t wait.

Just left.

Something in my chest folded quietly in on itself.

Suddenly, I was done with this party. Besides, I’d already met and greeted everyone I was supposed to. I didn’t think anyone would miss me if I went home a little early tonight.

So, after informing Luca that I was leaving, I settled into the car with the driver slash bodyguard waiting for me and left to go back to the villa.

By the time I reached the villa, it felt like the weight of the world lay on my shoulders and I didn’t know what to do with it.

Maria greeted me at the door with sleepy eyes and a kind smile,

“Mateo is asleep,” she whispered. “He wanted to wait up for you. But he was getting sleepy and it was late so l cajoled him into sleeping.”

Guilt speared straight through my heart.

“Thank you,” I murmured, toeing off my heels.

His teacher had sent a message that his school was having a parents breakfast day at his school on Sunday morning. It was a small event of two hours or so meant as a bonding time between the kids and their parents and also with other parents.

13:03 Sat, Jan 17

Chapter 69

71

20 vouchers

I’d already told Mateo I would attend with him. But I was pretty sure he’d wanted to stay up late to discuss more about it with me. I guess I’ll have to wait till tomorrow morning to know what he wanted to say.

I paused. “Is Dominic back?”

Maria’s smile felt almost apologetic. “No, tesoro. He hasn’t returned yet.”

My nod was small, brittle. “Okay.”

I checked on Mateo first.

He was sprawled like a starfish across the bed, half the blanket kicked off, mouth slightly open in a soft snore. My heart squeezed. I pulled the blanket up to his chin and kissed his hair.

“I’m back, baby,” I whispered to him. “And I missed you so much.” I leaned down to drop a kiss to his forehead and fixed his blanket before coming to my room.

As I kept my phone on the dresser, I found a single text message waiting for me from Dominic.

Let me know when you’re home.

Sent an hour ago.

He hadn’t come after me when I’d run out of the ballroom. Hadn’t come to talk things out. Hadn’t double- texted, hadn’t called. He hadn’t even come home yet. He had just sent that one line text and that was it.

My fingers hovered above the screen.

I wanted to type that I’m home. Are you okay? Why aren’t you home yet?

Because despite myself, I was worried about him. About his safety.

Instead, I put the phone face down on the bedside table.

I had a feeling that if I answered, I didn’t trust myself not to tell him everything. Not to tell him that he still made my heart stutter, that part of me still felt like his even when I shouldn’t, that I didn’t know how to breathe when he looked at me like I was something he had lost once and was terrified to lose again.

I couldn’t do that.

Not when I wasn’t sure where I stood. Not when there was still Alessia, still the Vitellis, still the ghost of a life we never got to finish.

So I curled up beside the wall quietly, willing my thoughts to come to a stand still so I could drift off to sleep.

My last thought before sleep dragged me under was a quiet, aching confession I would never say aloud-I wish you had come after me, Dominic.

13:04 Sat, Jan 17