His Ruthless Redemption (Isabella and Dominic) novel Chapter 176

Chapter 176-

Chapter 176

Isabella’s POV

The room emptied slowly.

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Chairs scraped softly against the floor. Low voices drifted towards the door as people filtered out, still discussing logistics, timelines, ideas.

I stayed where I was, organizing my notes, stacking papers that didn’t really need stacking.

Waiting.

I could feel him behind me, not moving, not leaving.

Of course he wouldn’t. And for once, I didn’t want him to leave either.

When the door finally clicked shut after the last person, silence followed, heavy and expectant.

I placed the last file into my folder before finally turning around.

Dominic stood a few feet away, watching me with that look again. Intense. Unreadable. Too familiar.

“We need to talk,” I said, voice calm and controlled.

Something in his expression shifted slightly at my tone. He had probably expected anger or shouting. Not this.

“About what?” he asked.

“Mateo.”

That alone made his jaw tighten.

I walked past him and leaned lightly against the edge of the table, keeping distance between us.

“This can’t continue the way it is.”

“What can’t?”

“You showing up whenever you feel like it.”

His expression hardened. “I came to see my son.”

“And you will,” I said. “But not like this.”

A beat.

Then I continued, steady and precise. “We need structure.”

“Structure,” he repeated, almost scoffing.

“Yes. That means scheduled visits. Advance notice. Agreed timings.”

His eyes darkened. “You want me to schedule time with my own son?”

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Chapter 176 –

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want Matco to have stability,” I replied. “And I want to not have my life disrupted every time you decide to appear out of nowhere”

“That’s not what I-”

“That’s exactly what you did,” I qut in, My voice was still calm, still controlled, but sharper now. “You showed up in a different city without telling me. Without asking. Without any regard for how that might affect anything.”

“I don’t need permission to see my son.”

“And I’m not asking you to take permission,” I said evenly. “I’m asking you to act responsibly.”

The words hung between us, measured and heavy.

“You don’t get to just walk in and out of his life whenever it suits you,” I added.

His jaw tightened further. “I’ve never walked out of his life.”

“No,” I said quietly. “You just make choices that force everything else to adjust around you.”

Silence followed my words. Thicker this time. More dangerous.

I held his gaze steadily. “You don’t get to do that here.”

His eyes flickered slightly. “Here?”

“This is my life now, Dominic.” I gestured around us. “Milan. My work. My space.”

Something in his expression shifted. “You think this is about territory?” he asked.

“I think this is about boundaries.” I pushed off the table and stood straighter. “You don’t get to walk into my life and expect it to rearrange itself around you anymore.”

His voice dropped. “And what exactly does that mean?”

“It means you respect the life I’ve built. It means you respect my time, my work, my decisions. And it means you don’t show up unannounced like you still have the right to.”

That last part landed. Hard.

His eyes darkened. “I’ll always have the right to be part of Mateo’s life.”

“Yes,” I said. “But not mine.”

The words came out clean. Final. And I was proud that my voice hadn’t trembled while I said that. Not one bit.

For a second, something in his expression cracked. Barely visible, but there.

“You think it’s that simple?” he asked quietly.

“No,” I said. “I think it’s exactly this complicated.”

A pause. Then I added, softer but sharper, “You made it that way.”

His jaw clenched. “You think I wanted this?”

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Chapter 176 –

at doesn’t matter what you wanted.” The words slipped out before I could stop them. “It matters what you did.”

Silence fell again. This time heavier. Because we both knew exactly what I ineant.

The engagement. Alessia. The life he had chosen.

“You’re getting married, Dominic,” I said, laying the bitter truth out between us.

His eyes flashed. “That’s not-”

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“It is,” I cut in. “You made that decision. You agreed to it. And now you don’t get to stand here and act like you still have a place in my life the same way you used to.”

His breathing shifted slightly becoming slower, heavier. “You think I don’t know what I gave up?” he asked quietly.

I didn’t respond. Because if I did, I might say something I couldn’t take back. Instead, I forced myself to stay where I was. Steady. Controlled. Unmoving.

His gaze dropped briefly. Then lifted again. “And Luca?”

“What about him?” I asked, brows raised.

“You seem comfortable with him,” he bit out, the jealousy barely contained.

I let out a short, humorless breath. He had never really liked Luca being around me. But he had no right to comment on that anymore. “That’s not your concern.”

His jaw tightened. “It is when he’s around my son.”

‘He’s around because I trust him,” I said. “And because he respects me.”

The implication hung there. Sharp. Unforgiving.

His eyes darkened further. “You think I don’t?”

‘I think you had your chance to prove it.” A pause. Then, quieter, “And you didn’t.”

That one hurt him. I saw it. Felt it. But I didn’t stop.

‘Who I spend time with,” I continued, “who I trust, who I allow into my life is not your decision anymore.” The finality in my

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voice echoed in the silence.

For a moment, neither of us moved. We just stood there, facing each other, everything unsaid pressing between us.

I felt it then, a sudden wave of dizziness. It was subtle, but enough to make me shift slightly. I placed a hand on the table behind me instinctively, steadying myself.

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