His Ruthless Redemption (Isabella and Dominic) novel Chapter 12

Isabella’s POV

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Mateo looked up the moment I stepped back into the living room, a green marker clutched in his small hand as he hunched over his drawing. His little brow furrowed in concentration before he brightened when he saw

“Mommy?” he asked. “Who was at the door?”

My pulse skittered. I forced a steady breath and crossed the room, smoothing the anxiety off my face before kneeling beside him.

“It was just someone from work,” I said lightly, brushing a curl from his forehead. “Nothing important.”

He blinked at me, searching for something I prayed he wouldn’t find. Then he held up his paper proudly. “Look! I made a new rocket today!”

I smiled, leaning in to kiss his temple. “A masterpiece. But now you need to go wash your hands. We have to get ready for school.”

He scrambled off, humming a tune under his breath, and I pushed myself to my feet, pressing my palms against the sides of my thighs as if that could keep me upright.

Dominic had been at my door.

Not in a boardroom. Not with witnesses.

Here. In my building. In the place I had built over the years, something to call home, hoping distance would be enough to keep him out of our lives.

My lungs tightened. I moved towards Mateo’s room, pulling out his small navy sweater and laying it neatly on the bed. He padded back in, hands damp from washing, hair sticking out in wild curls.

“Arms up,” I said gently.

He obeyed, and I slid the sweater over his head, my fingers lingering an extra second on his shoulders. I wanted to freeze this moment, his innocence, his trust, this life we’d made. A life without fear. Without

shadows.

A life without Dominic.

But the knock on the door, the sound of his voice, the way he had looked at me like I was a problem he intended to solve, it was all seeping under my skin like poison.

“Ready?” I asked softly.

Mateo nodded, excited. “Luca said he wants to see my rocket today.”

Right. Luca. Solid, dependable Luca, my anchor in a world that seemed like it was trying to drown me. Again.

21:43 Wed, Jan 14 …

Chapter 12

49

He was one of the few people who had helped me build a foundation here. Mateo adored him. And I trusted him more than anyone.

The intercom buzzed again. This time my fear didn’t spike, I recognized the pattern of the ring.

“It’s me,” Luca’s voice came through, warm and steady. “Morning escort ready.”

Relief flooded my chest. “Come up.”

Minutes later, Luca filled my doorway, tall and broad with that quiet protector energy that made most people instinctively step aside. Mateo launched at him with the enthusiasm of a child who had no idea of the tension behind the lines.

“Luca! I made a rocket!”

“Oh no,” Luca said with mock seriousness as he caught Mateo mid-air. “You didn’t make the fastest rocket in Florence, did you?”

“It goes to space!” Mateo said proudly.

“Then we better get it to school before NASA tries to steal it,” Luca replied, earning a delighted giggle.

Watching them, watching the ease, the normalcy, the stability, something twisted inside me. A fear I didn’t

want to name.

Because if Dominic pushed into our lives again, everything could unravel. Florence. My job. Mateo’s school. Even the friends who thought I was just Isabella Bianchi, not a woman who once belonged to a world built on blood and power.

I had rebuilt myself from ashes here. Changing our life again, ripping Mateo from the only home he’d known, felt unbearable. And yet the thought pressed against my ribs like a blade.

Dominic wouldn’t stop. I saw it in his eyes. And I knew how relentless he could be.

We headed down the stairs together, Mateo bouncing between us. When we stepped outside, the crisp morning air brushed against my skin, carrying the scent of espresso and early traffic. It had always felt safe here. Familiar. Mine.

But now, every sound felt sharper. Every shadow deeper. Like the city had suddenly lost the warmth it always held.

Luca opened the car door for Mateo, then for me. He rounded to the driver’s seat, and soon we were gliding through Florence’s narrow morning streets. Mateo immediately launched into an excited explanation of rocket propulsion, and Luca humored him with well-timed gasps.

I stared out the window, watching the blur of ochre walls and flower pots and bustling cafes. The city I loved. The life I loved. The stability Mateo needed.

Leaving again, God, the thought made my stomach twist.

I had sworn that no matter what happened, I wouldn’t uproot him like I had to. I wouldn’t let our lives revolve

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