His Ruthless Redemption (Isabella and Dominic) novel Chapter 160

Chapter 160

Isabella’s POV

Sicily was supposed to feel like relief.

It didn’t.

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The house overlooked the sea, the scent of salt carried in by the wind. It was beautiful. Peaceful. Quiet. Too quiet.

We had been here for two days.

Two days since Dominic stood in the Villa hallway and told me to be strong.

Two days since he said he would call.

He hadn’t.

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I had tried reaching him twice the first day. Once in the morning. Once before bed. Both times, it went unanswered. No message. No explanation.

The gnawing feeling in my chest hadn’t left since we drove away from the Villa. If anything, it had deepened.

He’s doing something. I didn’t know what. But I knew him enough to know that he was.

Dominic never looked at me the way he had that morning unless something irreversible was already in motion.

Work kept me functional.

Thankfully, my position allowed remote management. My team had been incredibly accommodating these past months handling everything with ease, the political chaos, the reopening of the gallery, the travel, the constant changes.

I logged into the conference call from the dining table overlooking the sea.

“Everything is ready for the installation?” I asked.

“Yes,” Carla replied. “Final lighting adjustments tomorrow. The invitations are confirmed.”

“Security protocols?”

“Double coverage.”

Good

I leaned back in the chair after the call ended. We were days away from the official opening. We had put months of preparation into it, taking care of everything from press coordination and private donors to the minor curation details

And somehow, despite everything. I was still on top of it. That steadied ine. At least one part of my life was controlled. Structured. Predictable.

Mateo sat across from me at the table, headphones on, attending his online class. His small tace was serious, brows furrowed

in concentration.

As least his vacation would start soon. He wouldn’t have to sit through virtual lessons much longer.

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Chapter 160.

Baterina moved around the kitchen quietly.

She had been attentive, Gentle. Almost watchful.

“How are you feeling?” she asked me that afternoon while we prepared lunch.

“Fine.” I replied automatically.

She paused mid–motion. “You don’t look fine.”

I forced a small smile. “I’m just tired.”

She didn’t push. But her eyes lingered. She knows something is coming. Or maybe she just knows her son.

The days were manageable still. Between Mateo’s schedule, my work calls, and the constant hum of household tasks, time moved quickly.

It was the nights that were harder.

When Mateo slept, when Caterina retired to her room, when the house fell silent except for the ocean, that’s when my mind turned into a traitor.

Where is he right now? Is he at the penthouse? In his office? At some meeting?

Or in bed with Alessia?

I shut my eyes tightly.

I had set boundaries.

I had told him clearly that I will not compete. Not physically. Not emotionally.

He had agreed.

But that was before the kidnapping. Before the escalation. Before everything shifted.

Boundaries blur under pressure.

And Dominic was under enormous pressure.

The thought of him lying in the same bed as her twisted something ugly in my chest.

It wasn’t even about jealousy anymore.

It was about being replaced. Being sacrificed.

Stop.

You’re spiraling.

We hadn’t been acting like a couple anyway. We had been rebuilding ourselves carefully

Cautiously.

And now distance had forced clarity.

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Chapter 160-

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Heing here in Sicily, away from his presence, away from his intensity, it allowed me to breathe. To think. To reinforce the walls I had tried to build around my heart.

But the truth was simple.

I missed him. Not the Don. Not the strategist. Just him. His presence. His voice in the hallway. The way he stood between me and chaos without asking for gratitude.

The right thing to do was to not think about him. To not care about what he was doing and with whom. That was the whole point of setting boundaries, of me saying that until he had Alessia in his life, I wanted no part of it, wasn’t it?

And whenever we met next, I would make sure to reinforce those boundaries. I would put up a strong front.

But inside, my heart didn’t care. Logic meant nothing to my yearning heart. It just wanted him here. Even if we weren’t touching. Even if we weren’t pretending everything was fine.

I just wanted him near.

My phone remained silent on the bedside table. No missed calls. No messages.

The silence was worse than conflict.

محمد

On the second evening, as the sun dipped low over the water, painting the sky in gold and orange, my phone finally rang.

My heart leapt.

Dominic.

But the name on the screen made me frown.

Luca.

I answered immediately. “Luca?”

“Have you seen the news?” His voice was tight.

“No,” I said slowly. “What news?”

There was a pause. The kind that feels heavy.

“You haven’t?”

“No,” I repeated. “What are you talking about?”

“You should probably sit down.”

A cold wave swept through me. “I am sitting.”

Another pause. Then my phone buzzed. A message. I looked down.

He had sent me a link.

My fingers felt strangely numb as I tapped it open.

The headline loaded slowly, too slowly,

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Chapter 160-

And then, the words arranged themselves on the screen.

Russo–Moretti Alliance Confirmed: Engagement to Be Announced Within Days

My vision blurred.

No.

I blinked hard. Read it again.

Russo, Moretti. Engagement.

The article continued beneath it mentioning political consolidation, strengthened alliances, a tnited front.

My stomach dropped.

“Isa?” Luca’s voice came faintly through the phone. “Are you there?”

I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t breathe.

He agreed.

He agreed to this.

Without telling me.

The gnawing feeling in my chest exploded into something sharp and devastating.

This is what he was doing. This is why he looked at me like that. This is why he said I love you like it was final.

My hands began to tremble.

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