MY BABY DADDY IS A MAFIA BOSS

TWENTY -TWO

Isabella —-

"Mr Enzo." They all whispered to themselves, making me smile.

"You all should learn to stop gossiping and most especially be careful with the kind of words you utter."

"Enzo, what are you doing here?" I asked, my voice filled with surprise and concern.

He looked at me with a mixture of confusion and hurt. "Isabella, I heard what they were saying about Sofia. I couldn't just stand by and ignore it."

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. This was not the time or place for such a discussion. "Enzo, we can't have this conversation here. It's not appropriate, and it will only make things worse."

He reached out to touch my arm, but I quickly pulled away. "Isabella, I have a right to be involved in Sofia's life. I care about her, and I want to protect her."

I could see the sincerity in his eyes, but I couldn't let my emotions cloud my judgment. "Enzo, I appreciate your concern, but Sofia is not your daughter. You need to accept that and move on."

His face fell, and I could see the pain in his eyes. "Isabella, I know what you may think, but deep down, I feel a connection with Sofia. I can't just ignore that."

I shook my head, frustration building inside me. "Enzo, this is not about what you feel. It's about what's best for Sofia. She deserves stability and a normal life, not the complications that would come with you claiming her as your daughter."

Enzo looked at me, searching for any sign of wavering in my resolve. But I stood firm, determined to protect Sofia at all costs.

"I'm sorry, Enzo, but you need to understand that Sofia is my daughter. I am her mother, and I will do whatever it takes to keep her safe."

Enzo nodded slowly, his face filled with resignation. "I understand, Isabella. I won't push this any further. But know that I'll always be here for both of you, no matter what."

I sighed, feeling a mix of relief and sadness. "Thank you, Enzo. I appreciate your understanding."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I couldn't help but wonder if I had made the right decision. But deep down, I knew that protecting Sofia was my top priority, even if it meant pushing Enzo away.

As I returned to the office, I could feel the eyes of my colleagues on me. They had witnessed the heated exchange between Enzo and me, and I knew the rumors would only intensify.

But I couldn't let it bother me. I had made a choice, a choice that I believed was best for Sofia. And as long as she was safe and loved, everything else became insignificant.

Enzo —-

I walked away from Isabella, feeling a mixture of sadness and acceptance. I knew deep down that she was right, but it didn't make it any easier to let go of the connection I felt with Sofia.

I couldn't help but wonder, though, if there was more to Isabella's insistence that Sofia wasn't my daughter. Was she hiding something from me? Was there a reason she didn't want me to be involved in Sofia's life?

These thoughts swirled around in my mind as I returned to my office. I tried to focus on my work, but my thoughts kept drifting back to Isabella and Sofia.

I couldn't deny the bond I felt with Sofia from the moment I first saw her. There was something about her that drew me in, that made me want to protect her and be there for her.

But Isabella's words echoed in my mind. She was Sofia's mother, and she had made it clear that she wanted to protect her from any complications that would arise from my involvement.

As the day went by, I couldn't help but feel a growing sense of emptiness. Sofia was always on my mind, and I found myself missing her infectious laughter and bright smile.

I knew I had to respect Isabella's wishes, but it was becoming harder and harder to stay away. I found myself constantly battling the desire to reach out to Sofia, to be a part of her life.

But I knew I had to stay strong, for both Isabella and Sofia. I couldn't let my emotions cloud my judgment. It was clear that Isabella had her reasons for keeping Sofia away from me, and I had to respect that.

So, I focused on my work, throwing myself into every project and every deal. I tried to keep my mind distracted, to push aside the thoughts of Sofia and what could have been.

But no matter what I did I still couldn't stop thinking of Sofia, so I made a call to my secretary who rushed in immediately.

"You called for me sir." She said,

"Find out where exactly Isabella is. I need to have a few talks with her." I said to her, my secretary nodded and was about to walk out when she turned back to me.

"Sir, should I bring her with me to your office?" My secretary asked, making me groan.

"Just find out where exactly she is and report back to me that's all and make sure you are precise about it." I said to her as she leaves immediately, I should at least talk to her. She can't just instruct me to stay away from Sofia and expect me to be silent even though Sofia won't forgive me for giving up on her so quickly.

Few minutes later my secretary was back with Isabella's location.

"Thank you." I said to her before picking up my jacket and heading to her but as I got closer to her location I became hesitant, what would happen if she gets angry and decides to leave the mansion and won't consider Sofia's feelings.

What was wrong with me? I don't even know what I want anymore. What if Isabella is angry at me because of Aurora? She was a bit too interested in Aurora's matter the other time. Maybe she was jealous and that's why she left. What's wrong with me why would I claim such when I am the only one having feelings for her and not vice versa.

"Enzo." Isabella called out to me bringing me back to my senses as I slowly stared around and came to realize I was in their meeting room, oh my God. I just interrupted their meeting and was just realizing it.

"Enzo." Miguel called me chuckle loudly as I rubbed my nape playfully.

"You excluded me from your meetings." I said my gaze not leaving Isabella who also felt my gaze on her.

"You are a special member of the company. We don't make our sponsors pass through any stress like meetings." Miguel said.

"But we are not just business partners, we are also best friends and I believe I can also give very good opinions which might come in handy for the huge project you all are working on." I said slowly taking my seat opposite Isabella who seems to really be doing a good job at avoiding my every stare.

"You are right Enzo, I am sorry that huge fact escaped my mind." Miguel said and all I did was smile as the meeting continued. I tried my best to concentrate on the speech Miguel was giving but it wasn't working, I just couldn't stop staring at Isabella who seemed very busy with whatever was on her desk.

I checked the time on my wrist watch continuously but the time seemed to be in a total time still but I was ready to wait until I saw Isabella with her phone when the idea to talk to her through her phone came to me.

I brought out my phone and began to type my message to her.

"Are you still angry with me?" I sent it to her which she viewed immediately and stared at me with a weird expression, clearly confused on why I was asking her that in a meeting. But I wasn't ready to stop there.

"Stop avoiding my gaze." I added to my messages making her chuckle and staring at me with her eyes wide opened making me fall in love with her facial structure more and just when I was taking all the details on her face she removed her gaze.

I continued typing on my phone, sending another message to Isabella.

"I know I messed up before, but I want to make things right. Can we talk?"

"Talk about what, what did you mess up Enzo? I am still confused about that." She sent to me, making me also realize I was apologizing for something that I never did.

Isabella glanced at her phone, her expression softening slightly. She typed a reply and pressed send, her fingers moving slowly.

"I'm not angry, Enzo. But we can't talk right now. We're in the middle of a meeting."

I sighed, feeling a pang of disappointment. I knew she was right, but I couldn't help but feel frustrated. I wanted to fix things between us, to apologize for my actions and make amends.

"Can we meet after the meeting, then? I promise I won't take up too much of your time," I sent, hoping she would agree.

Isabella hesitated for a moment before replying. "Alright, let's meet for lunch. But keep in mind, Enzo, this doesn't mean things will automatically go back to how they were."

I nodded, grateful for the opportunity to talk to her. I knew it would take time to rebuild the trust that was broken, but I was willing to do whatever it took.

As the meeting finally came to an end, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. I had a chance to talk to Isabella and hopefully, make things right. But there was still one thing on my mind - Sofia.

After lunch with Isabella, I decided to bring up the topic of seeing Sofia. I knew it was a delicate subject and I didn't want to push Isabella too much, but I had to at least try.

"Isabella, I know I don't have any right to ask this, but...can I see Sofia?" I asked, my voice filled with hope and apprehension.

She looked at me, her eyes filled with a mix of emotions. "Enzo, I understand that you care about Sofia, but it's not that simple. I need to protect her, and having you in her life could complicate things."

I nodded, understanding her concern. "I know it won't be easy, but I just want a chance to be a part of her life, to be there for her."

Isabella sighed, her gaze softening. "Enzo, I can't make any promises, but I'll think about it. I'll consider what's best for Sofia."

I felt a glimmer of hope, grateful that Isabella was at least open to the idea. I knew it wouldn't be easy, and it would take time, but I was willing to wait and do whatever it took to be in Sofia's life.

"Thank you, Isabella. I appreciate your consideration," I said, feeling a sense of gratitude.

She smiled slightly, the first genuine smile I had seen from her in a while. "Just remember, Enzo, Sofia's well-being is my top priority. I'll do what's best for her, no matter what."

I nodded, understanding her concern. "I wouldn't expect anything less. Sofia's happiness and safety are what matters most."

We continued our conversation, discussing our past, our mistakes, and our hopes for the future. It was a small step towards rebuilding our relationship, but it was a step in the right direction.

As we finished our lunch, I couldn't help but feel a renewed sense of hope. I knew it would be a long and challenging journey, but I was willing to do whatever it took to make things right, to earn Isabella's trust and be a part of Sofia's life once again.