His Ruthless Redemption (Isabella and Dominic) novel Chapter 9

Chapter 9

༢ (49

The taxi rolled to a stop, but I stayed seated for a moment, gripping my bag tightly against my stomach. The Florence skyline blurred beyond the window, the city alive with lights and laughter, but I felt none of it.

My pulse was still uneven. Dominic’s voice, low, accusing, too familiar, echoed in my ears like a phantom I thought I had exorcised long ago.

There’s a child. Isn’t there?

My throat tightened.

“Signora?”

I startled at the sound of the driver’s voice.

“You’ve reached your destination,” he said with polite patience, glancing back.

Right. Home. Safety. Mateo.

“Grazie,” I murmured, fumbling a tip into his hand and slipping out into the cool night air.

The small apartment building rose in front of me, modest but warm, its stone walls bathed in the golden glow

of old Florence streetlamps. The sound of music drifted faintly from a café down the road.

This was my haven. The life I had built brick by brick, far from the blood and shadows of New York.

I refused to let him taint it.

Inside, I greeted the concierge with a brittle smile before I got into the elevator and pressed the button for my floor. I paused briefly outside my door to collect myself. My fingers trembled as I typed in my passcode, not from fear, I told myself, but from exhaustion.

The moment the door swung open, a small voice called out, “Mamma?”

Mateo stood there in his pajamas, messy curls flopping over sleepy eyes. He clutched his stuffed lion, blinking at me like he wasn’t sure I was real.

My breath hitched, my tension fracturing.

“Oh, tesoro,” I whispered, kneeling as he barreled into my arms.

For a few seconds, the world righted itself. His little arms around my neck were the only anchor I needed.

“You’re home late,” he mumbled against my shoulder. “Was the meeting boring again?”

I let out a shaky laugh, brushing a kiss over his hair.

“The meeting was complicated.”

21:42 Wed, Jan 14

Chapter 9

“Everything okay?”

49

I looked up to see Lucia, my babysitter-turned-friend, leaning casually against the kitchen doorway. She had been babysitting for me for years now, more like an aunt than a helper.

I forced a smile. “Yes. The meeting just took longer than expected.”

Lucia’s gaze lingered on me, too perceptive for comfort. “This isn’t just about work, is it?”

I hesitated. For five years, I had guarded my past like a secret vault. To my colleagues, to Mateo, I was simply Isabella Bianchi, talented designer, single mother, and nothing else.

I wasn’t ready to crack that vault open. Not yet.

“It’s nothing,” I said, gently setting Mateo down. “Did you brush your teeth already?” I asked him.

He nodded sloppily, clearly sleepy.

I chuckled softly before grabbing his hand. He looked adorable when he was half asleep like this. “That’s my good boy. Let’s tuck you in, yes?”

He nodded again before letting me lead him to his bedroom.

“Mamma?” He asked as I helped him settle into his bed.

I looked down at him questioningly.

“You’re not going away again soon, right?”

Even though it was a simple question, somehow with my sensitive and all over the place emotions, it gutted me more than Dominic’s accusations ever could.

“No,” I said quickly, forcing my voice steady. “I’m not going anywhere, amore mio. I promise.”

And I meant every word.

I had built a new world, a sanctuary for us both.

And I would burn it all to the ground before I let Dominic take it away.

Once I had safely tucked him in, I sat at the edge of Mateo’s bed, smoothing the blanket over him as if that small ritual could steady the riot inside my chest.

He was already half-asleep, his little lion clutched in one arm, but his brow was furrowed in thought. He had always been observant, far too quick to notice when something was wrong.

“Mamma,” he mumbled, “why do you look sad?”

I blinked, caught off guard. I hadn’t even realized my expression had slipped or that he had been looking at

21:42 Wed, Jan 14 d.

Chapter 9

“Everything okay?”

(49)

I looked up to see Lucia, my babysitter-turned-friend, leaning casually against the kitchen doorway. She had been babysitting for me for years now, more like an aunt than a helper.

I forced a smile. “Yes. The meeting just took longer than expected.”

Lucia’s gaze lingered on me, too perceptive for comfort. “This isn’t just about work, is it?”

I hesitated. For five years, I had guarded my past like a secret vault. To my colleagues, to Mateo, I was simply Isabella Bianchi, talented designer, single mother, and nothing else.

I wasn’t ready to crack that vault open. Not yet.

“It’s nothing,” I said, gently setting Mateo down. “Did you brush your teeth already?” I asked him.

He nodded sloppily, clearly sleepy.

I chuckled softly before grabbing his hand. He looked adorable when he was half asleep like this. “That’s my good boy. Let’s tuck you in, yes?”

He nodded again before letting me lead him to his bedroom.

I stared at it blankly for a moment before typing back a simple reply. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

My fingers hovered over the screen after hitting send. I didn’t want to admit it, even to myself, but Dominic’s presence had shifted something.

The meeting replayed in my head, sharp and jarring. Dominic’s piercing stare, the way his knuckles tightened against the table.

He doesn’t know.

I clung to that fact, but the relief was thin, fragile. If Dominic dug far enough, if anyone whispered too much-

I couldn’t let that happen.

Sighing wearily, I poured myself a glass of water and leaned against the counter, staring out the window at the sleeping city.

21:43 Wed, Jan 14 ..

Chapter 9

:

(49

Florence had been my rebirth. Here, I wasn’t someone’s pawn. I wasn’t a wife living in the shadows of another woman. I wasn’t the girl begging for scraps of affection from a man who never truly saw her.

Here, I was myself.

But Florence wasn’t untouchable. Not with Dominic in the picture.

I pressed my palm flat against the countertop, grounding myself.

No matter what happens, I won’t let him take this away from us. Not this life. Not Mateo.

A soft creak sounded behind me, and I turned, startled, only to see Lucia standing there.

“Couldn’t sleep?” I asked quietly.

“Couldn’t help worrying,” Lucia replied, folding her arms. “Whoever you met today, did they hurt you like this before?”

My breath hitched. I hadn’t told my friend anything specific about tonight, but Lucia wasn’t stupid.

“I can handle it,” I said, though my voice lacked conviction.

Lucia studied me for a long moment, then simply said, “Good. But remember that I’m here, we all are. Whatever this is, you’re not faci

ng it alone.”

I didn’t respond, but I swallowed hard against the lump forming in my throat.

Because I knew that. And I was beyond grateful for it.

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