His Ruthless Redemption (Isabella and Dominic) novel Chapter 16

Isabella’s POV

The moment the door latched shut, my legs gave out.

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I slid to the floor, fingers tangled in my hair as the tears I had held back finally broke free. My breath came in ragged, uneven pulls, like my lungs had forgotten how to work.

I had stood strong in front of him, chin up, voice steady, heart locked behind armor.

But inside?

Inside I was shattering.

Because everything I thought I knew, every bit of planning, every safety measure, every escape route, was suddenly wrong.

I had believed the black car trailing us was Dominic’s men.

But what if it wasn’t?

What if he was telling the truth?

And worse, what if he wasn’t?

What if… what if… what if-

My mind spiraled, fear clawing away at every rational thought.

What if my running had put Mateo in the line of fire?

What if staying here, trying to build a life, had already painted a target on his tiny back?

I pressed my hands over my mouth to smother a sob.

I had sworn Mateo would never feel the terror I had once lived with every single day. That he would never grow up surrounded by violence and shadows and blood.

He deserved better.

He deserved safety.

But he also deserved a father.

My tears fell faster, leaving trails down my cheeks as the image of Dominic kneeling before our son replayed in my mind.

He had looked like a man struck by lightning.

21:44 Wed, Jan 14 …

Chapter 16

Like he’d found something holy.

Like Mateo was the missing piece of his heart he didn’t know he’d been living without.

And God, that hurt.

Because I felt it too.

Mateo staring up at him, curious, and trusting.

Dominic staring back, awed, and undone.

That moment had been real. Too real.

Mateo needed a father. And Dominic wanted to be one.

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But wanting wasn’t enough. Not after everything. Not when his world was violence. Not when danger followed him like a shadow.

I dragged myself up, wiping my face as I moved towards the couch, where my bag still sat.

Luca and I had met with the private investigator earlier in the evening. We had told him everything about the car, the patterns, and the license plate.

He had promised answers within forty-eight hours.

Forty-eight hours.

That was all I had to cling to now. Proof. Truth. Something solid to build a decision on.

Until then, there was nothing to do but wait.

Wait, and hope that I hadn’t already made the wrong choice.

I leaned back against the couch, staring at the ceiling as the apartment finally fell quiet again.

How was I supposed to choose?

If Dominic was lying, staying would risk Mateo.

If Dominic was telling the truth, staying might already be risking Mateo.

Either way, I was paralyzed by the fear of losing him.

I closed my eyes and whispered into the dark, “Please… let me make the right choice.”,

For Mateo.

For both of us.

***

21:44 Wed, Jan 14 d

Chapter 16

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