ISABELLA

Chapter 51

My hands were stained with Leo’s blood, my gown ruined, my whole body trembling as I sat slumped in the waiting area. Matteo was pacing like a lion in a cage, barking into his phone, while Riccardo leaned against the wall, silent but tense, his jaw tight.

The sound of heels clicking furiously against the tile floor made me lift my head. Sabrina and Aria came rushing in, their faces etched with fear.

“Where is he?!” Sabrina’s voice cut through the air like a blade. “Where’s Leo?!”

Before anyone could answer, her gaze fell on me—sitting there, drenched in Leo’s blood, shaking. Her eyes widened, and in an instant, she stormed across the waiting room.

“YOU!”

Her hand came down hard across my face, the slap echoing through the hospital. The sting burned, but it was nothing compared to the ache in my chest. I froze, stunned, as everyone around us gasped.

“Sabrina!” Aria tried to grab her arm, but she pulled away, her whole body trembling with fury.

“This is your fault!” Sabrina’s voice cracked with rage and grief. Tears burned her eyes, but her glare was deadly. “If it wasn’t for you, Leo wouldn’t be lying in there fighting for his life!”

My lips parted, but no words came out. My throat tightened, choking me.

Sabrina shoved me hard against the chair, pointing at me like I was poison. “You—you’re the reason he’s bleeding! The reason he almost died tonight! You should have stayed far away from him! You bring nothing but trouble!”

I clutched the side of the chair, my eyes brimming with tears. “I—I didn’t want this to happen—” My voice broke. “I didn’t want him to get hurt—”

“You didn’t want it?” she spat, her voice dripping with venom. “And yet, everywhere you go, death follows! just like your parents, Leo doesn’t need you, Isabella—he doesn’t need this mess you’ve dragged into his life!”

Aria finally stepped in, her voice stern. “Sabrina, stop—this isn’t the time!”

But Sabrina was trembling, her grief consuming her. “The hell it isn’t!” she shouted, turning to Matteo and Riccardo. “You all see it too, don’t you? She’s a curse! Leo was fine before she came along—he never took risks like this before her! She’s going to destroy him!”

Silence hung heavy, everyone frozen. My tears streamed unchecked down my cheeks as guilt twisted like a knife in my chest.

And all I could whisper, brokenly, was, “I’m sorry…”

“Enough, Sabrina.”

Everyone turned. Matteo stood rigid, his hands balled into fists at his sides, his jaw like stone. His dark eyes locked on Sabrina, unwavering.

“You think this is her fault?” His voice was low, dangerous. “Leo is bleeding in there because he threw himself in front of a bullet. Not because of Isabella. Because that’s who he is.”

Sabrina’s lips parted, stunned, but Matteo didn’t stop. He took a step closer, towering over her. “Leo doesn’t need protection from Isabella. He needs protection for her. He chose this. He always chooses this. You of all people should know how far he’ll go for the ones he cares about.”

Sabrina’s chest rose and fell, furious, but her voice cracked. “She’s ruining him—”

“No,” Matteo cut in sharply. “She’s the first thing in years that’s made him feel alive.”

The words hung heavy in the air. Aria gasped softly. Even Riccardo glanced up, eyes narrowing.

Matteo turned, his gaze flicking to me. I sat there trembling, my face wet with tears. For just a moment, his expression softened. “If you want to blame someone, blame me,” he said, looking back at Sabrina. “I was supposed to keep him safe. Not her.”

The room went silent. Sabrina’s hands shook, torn between anger and grief, her lips pressed into a tight line.

And me? My heart twisted painfully. Matteo’s words wrapped around me, but they didn’t erase the crushing guilt. Leo was bleeding, because of me… because of all of this.

I buried my face in my hands and whispered through my tears, “Please… just let him be okay…”

Then—the doors opened.

A doctor stepped out, peeling off his gloves, his expression calm but tired. All of us shot to our feet instantly, hearts in our throats.

“Mr. Salvatore?” the doctor said, his eyes sweeping the group.

“Yes,” Matteo snapped quickly, moving forward. “How is he?”

The doctor sighed, his voice steady, practiced. “The bullet missed his spine by a fraction of an inch. He lost a lot of blood, but… he’s strong. He’ll make it.”

The room exhaled as one. Relief swept over me so hard my knees nearly buckled. I pressed a trembling hand to my chest, tears spilling down my face again, but this time with gratitude.

“He’s… he’s going to be okay?” I asked in a broken whisper.

The doctor glanced at me, then back at Matteo. “He’ll need rest and careful monitoring, but yes. He’s out of danger.”

Matteo closed his eyes for a brief moment, murmuring something under his breath in Italian—almost like a prayer. Aria covered her mouth with both hands, tears streaming down her face. Even Riccardo leaned forward, the stiffness in his shoulders finally loosening.

But Sabrina… Sabrina turned her face away, jaw tight, as though relief and anger were waging war inside her.

“Can we see him?” Matteo asked.

The doctor nodded. “One at a time. He’s still weak. No arguments, no stress.” His eyes flicked meaningfully over us before he walked away.

I stood frozen, my hands shaking. My heart screamed to run to Leo, to throw myself by his side, to see him breathing, alive.

But I could already feel eyes on me—Sabrina’s, Riccardo’s, even Matteo’s.