His Merciless Redemption novel Chapter 89

Chapter 89

Chapter 89

Isabella’s POV

I had just put Mateo into bed for a quick evening nap when a text from the Vitellis arrived.

We believe you. Meet us. We’ll discuss terms.

My fingers went cold around the phone.

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So this was it. The moment where pretending stopped being an experiment and became something real, something dangerous. Final.

I sank down onto the edge of the bed, staring at the screen long after it had dimmed, my thoughts splintering in a dozen directions at once.

I still hadn’t decided what to do about Alessia.

That truth sat heavy in my chest, like something unfinished and bleeding.

I leaned back against the headboard and closed my eyes, and against my will, Dominic filled my mind. The way he felt when he was close, how the world seemed to soften around the edges with him by my side. How his presence grounded me in a way I hadn’t realized I’d been craving all these years. How easily my body remembered him, responded to him, melted for him.

I hated that part of myself.

I hated that no matter how much logic I tried to pile between us, no matter how many reasons I gave myself to pull away, he still undid me with frightening ease.

That night hadn’t been planned.

If anything, I’d sworn to myself that I wouldn’t let him touch me again until everything with Alessia was clear. Until I knew the full truth. Until I knew where I stood.

And yet, when he’d looked at me like that, raw, desperate, honest, like nothing in the world mattered to him more than me, I’d folded. Just like I always had.

Some things never change.

I exhaled shakily, rubbing my temples.

Could I really live with this? With the knowledge that somewhere in this world, Dominic would always have another child. Another tie. Another responsibility that wasn’t mine.

For a brief, ugly moment, anger flared in my chest. Anger directed at him.

At his carelessness. At that one night. At the fact that his mistake had consequences I would have to live with too, even though I hadn’t made it.

19:48 Wed, Jan 21

Chapter 89

But the anger didn’t hold.

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Because the truth, the unfair, complicated truth was that he hadn’t lied to me. Not really. He hadn’t hidden anything intentionally. In fact, he had been trying. God, he really had. Being present. Being gentle. Letting me see parts of himself he’d never shown me before.

He was trying to be better. For me. For Mateo.

And Mateo? The kid adored him.

That alone twisted my heart into knots.

The front door opened downstairs.

My head snapped up.

Dominic was home.

I barely had time to steady myself before his footsteps sounded on the stairs. When he appeared in the doorway, the tension in his shoulders eased the moment he saw me.

“There you are,” he said quietly.

Something warm spread through my chest despite everything. I was the one he had come to the moment he returned home. Not Alessia. Me.

I held up my phone to him. “The Vitellis messaged again.”

His expression hardened instantly.

“What did they say?”

“That they believe me,” I replied. “They want to meet.”

“No,” he said immediately. “Absolutely not.”

I had expected that. Still, something inside me softened at the instinctive protectiveness in his voice.

“They’re not asking,” I said gently. “They think they already have me.”

He moved closer, lowering his voice. “Isa, I won’t let you walk into that alone.”

“I know,” I said. “And I won’t. You’ll be close. Just like before.”

He studied my face for a long moment, searching for cracks, fear, hesitation. I made sure he saw none. I’d already stepped into this mess. I couldn’t back out halfway now, especially when Mateo’s safety was at stake. The last thing I wanted was to keep worrying about him all the time.

“I don’t like this,” Dominic muttered.

“I know.”

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Chapter 89

…

“But I also know that if I say no, you’ll do it anyway,” he added.

I didn’t deny it.

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His jaw tightened. Then he nodded once. “Fine. But on my terms, just like we’d done at Club Nero. I’ll be there. Watching everything.”

The way he said it, like a promise, like a vow, made my chest ache. I had no doubt in my mind that he would protect me with his life if need be. And what was even more terrifying was the realisation that I would, too.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

Silence settled between us then, thick and heavy with things unsaid. My mind drifted back to Alessia again, the conversation I’d had with her just this morning was still fresh in my mind.

Then, before I could stop myself, the question slipped out.

“How’s Alessia?”

He blinked, clearly surprised. “She’s okay. Still dealing with nausea, fatigue. I check in when I can. I’ve also reduced her workload a lot so she can rest more.”

“You’re there for her,” I said softly.

“Yes,” he replied without hesitation. “I’m trying to be.”

I nodded, forcing my face to stay neutral even as something sharp pierced my chest.

“You should. She needs support,” I said, even though the words hurt to say. He didn’t know the kid was his. But I did. And I couldn’t keep him away from taking care of the two of them whether I liked it or not.

He watched me carefully now, suspicion flickering in his eyes. “Why are you asking this?”

I shrugged lightly. “Just wanted to know.”

But inside, my heart was breaking in slow, quiet pieces.

Because saying those words felt like cutting something vital out of myself and handing it over willingly. But this was the right thing to do. It was the least I could do until I could figure out a way to confirm the truth and tell it to him.

He stepped closer. “Isa-”

“It’s okay,” I said quickly, stepping back before he could read too much into my expression, “Really.”

It wasn’t okay.

But I didn’t trust myself to say more without unraveling completely.

He didn’t push. Just nodded slowly, though his gaze lingered on me like he wanted to say something else.

19:49 Wed, Jan 21

Chapter 89

“I’ll get cleaned up,” he said finally. “We’ll talk more after dinner.”

I watched him walk away, my chest tight, my thoughts spinning.

The Vitellis. Alessia. Dominic. Mateo.

Everything felt balanced on a knife’s edge.

I looked down at my phone again, rereading the message.

They believed me.

And that meant things were about to get much worse.

I didn’t know how this would end.

I didn’t know if I could forgive the past.

I didn’t know if love, no matter how deep, was enough to bridge this kind of fracture.

But one thing was painfully clear.

Whatever choice I made next would change everything.

And there would be no going back.

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19:49 Wed, Jan 21