Chapter Six: The Trap
802 Words
The next morning, the De Luca estate was surrounded by armed guards.
Although Lorenzo had been discharged from the hospital, his doctors insisted he continue recovering at home under constant medical supervision.
The mansion that had once welcomed Isabella as its mistress now felt unfamiliar.
Servants bowed respectfully as she walked through the halls, but whispers followed her everywhere.
"Does the boss still remember her?"
"I heard he doesn't even believe she's his wife."
"Poor Mrs. De Luca..."
Isabella pretended not to hear them.
She refused to let pity become her identity.
She entered the library carrying a tray with Lorenzo's breakfast.
He sat by the fireplace, reading through stacks of business reports.
Without looking up, he said, "You don't have to keep doing this."
She placed the tray on the table.
"I know."
"Then why do you?"
Isabella smiled faintly.
"Because taking care of you became my favorite habit."
Lorenzo finally looked at her.
There was no coldness in his eyes this time—only confusion.
"I wish I could remember why you say things that make my heart feel... strange."
Her breath caught.
For a brief moment, hope bloomed inside her.
Before she could answer, Marco entered the room.
"Boss, we caught one of the men involved in the wedding attack."
Lorenzo stood immediately.
"Where is he?"
"In the underground holding room."
"I'm coming."
The moment Lorenzo left, Bianca stepped out from behind a nearby doorway.
She wore a satisfied smile.
Everything was falling into place.
---
Deep beneath the mansion, the captured assassin was tied to a chair.
His face was bruised from interrogation, but he refused to speak.
Lorenzo stood before him.
"Who hired you?"
The man laughed.
"You'll never know."
Lorenzo's patience snapped.
He slammed both hands onto the table.
"Answer me!"
The assassin smirked.
"You should be asking the people closest to you."
Marco exchanged a worried glance with the guards.
"What does that mean?" Lorenzo demanded.
The assassin only smiled.
"Your enemy sleeps under your own roof."
Before anyone could question him further, he bit down on something hidden inside his mouth.
A capsule.
Within seconds, blood trickled from the corners of his lips.
The poison worked quickly.
By the time the doctor arrived, the assassin was dead.
Lorenzo clenched his fists.
"The only man who could have identified the traitor is gone."
---
Meanwhile, Bianca made her move.
She slipped quietly into Isabella's bedroom while everyone else was distracted.
From her handbag, she removed a small envelope containing forged bank documents and several fake letters.
Each letter appeared to show Isabella secretly accepting millions from the De Luca family's enemies.
Bianca carefully placed them inside a desk drawer.
She smiled to herself.
"When Lorenzo sees these, he'll never trust you again."
She closed the drawer and left without making a sound.
---
Later that evening, Lorenzo entered Isabella's room.
He had come to ask her a simple question about the wedding attack.
Instead, he noticed the desk drawer sitting slightly open.
Curious, he walked over and pulled it wider.
Inside were the documents.
His eyes narrowed.
He picked up one of the letters.
Payment received...
Information delivered...
The De Luca family...
His jaw tightened.
At that exact moment, Isabella walked into the room.
She froze.
"Lorenzo?"
He slowly turned toward her, holding the papers in his hand.
"What are these?"
Confusion crossed her face.
"I... I don't know."
"Don't lie to me."
She stepped closer.
"I've never seen those before."
He threw the documents onto the bed.
"They were hidden in your room."
Her heart began racing.
Someone had planted them.
"I swear, Lorenzo, they aren't mine."
He stared into her eyes, searching for the truth.
His instincts told him she was frightened.
His mind told him the evidence was impossible to ignore.
"Tell me," he said quietly, "did you betray my family?"
Tears instantly filled Isabella's eyes.
"No."
"I would never betray you."
"I love you."
The words hung heavily between them.
Lorenzo looked away.
"I wish I knew whether to believe you."
He walked out, leaving Isabella standing alone.
The moment the door closed, she collapsed onto the edge of the bed, sobbing.
Someone wanted to destroy her.
Someone inside the mansion.
From the upstairs balcony, Bianca watched Isabella through the open doorway.
A satisfied smile curved her lips.
"The first crack has appeared," she whispered.
"But soon..."
"The whole marriage will shatter."
What Bianca didn't know was that Marco had seen someone leaving Isabella's room earlier that afternoon.
He hadn't seen the person's face.
But he had noticed one important detail.
A silver bracelet with a crimson ruby charm.
The same bracelet Bianca wore every single day.
For the first time, Marco began to suspect that the enemy wasn't outside the De Luca family.
She was living under the same roof.
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