ISABELLA

Chapter 22

Two maids appeared quietly, almost ghostlike, as if they’d been summoned by the air itself. One bowed slightly, “Signorina, may we help you prepare?”

Isabella hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. She sat at the vanity, and the maids began their work—brushing her hair, applying light makeup, and preparing her dress.

But she could feel him.

Her eyes flicked to the mirror, and sure enough, Leo leaned against the doorway, watching her. Silent. Unmoving. His tie loosened, his shirt sleeves rolled up, a storm swirling in his dark gaze as if he owned not just the mansion, not just the night—but her.

“Do you enjoy staring?” Isabella asked, her voice dripping with forced nonchalance.

Leo’s lips curled into a smirk. “More than you realize.”

Heat crept up her neck. She turned her face away from the mirror, annoyed that he could so easily unravel her with a single look.

“Why are you even here? Don’t you have business to attend to?” she muttered.

“I am attending to my business,” he replied smoothly. “You.”

Her heart skipped. The maids exchanged a glance, clearly uncomfortable with the tension vibrating in the room. They excused themselves quickly, leaving Isabella and Leo alone.

He pushed off the doorway, walking slowly toward her like a predator closing in on its prey. She swallowed, her fingers gripping the edge of the vanity.

When he stopped behind her chair, his reflection loomed over hers in the mirror. He leaned down, his breath warm against her ear.

“Don’t roll your eyes at me again, Isabella. I meant what I said earlier.”

Her breath hitched. Her body betrayed her, shivering at the threat that sounded far too much like a promise.

“Why me?” she whispered, almost against her will.

He tilted his head, studying her reflection like she was something he was trying to memorize. His answer was simple, raw, and dangerous.

“Because you don’t belong to this world, yet you’ve managed to crawl under my skin. And once you’re under, tesoro, there’s no getting out.”

Silence stretched. The tension between them thickened, and her pulse raced.

She stood abruptly, brushing past him toward the gown stand, needing space before she drowned in him completely. “I need to change,” she said firmly.

For once, Leo let her go—but his smirk remained, as if he knew she was running not from him, but from herself.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

By the time Isabella slipped into the dress and fixed her hair, her nerves were tangled tighter than the pearls resting against her collarbone. The gown was breathtaking, It was the most expensive thing she had ever worn, and she felt it.

Taking a deep breath, she descended the grand staircase, her heels clicking against polished marble. The sound echoed through the vast hall, and for a moment she felt like she was walking straight into the mouth of a lion’s den.

But she froze halfway down the staircase.

In the shadow of the foyer, tucked in near a column, stood Matteo—Leo’s right hand. Isabella recognized him instantly from the night of the confrontation at the café. But he wasn’t alone.

A young woman, her beauty striking with long dark curls and mischievous hazel eyes, was pressed against him. Their lips locked in a kiss that was… not quick or stolen. It was hungry. Familiar. The kind of kiss that said this wasn’t the first time, nor would it be the last.

🌸🌺🌸🌺🌸🌺🌸🌺🌸🌺🌸🌺🌸🌺🌸🌺

THANK YOU FOR READING 💛

This is where Part 1 ends.

Thank you so much for sticking with this story all the way to this point — your support truly means everything to me. 🥺✨

Please drop a comment, leave a like, and share if you enjoyed it.

Your reactions motivate me and help the story grow and I really hope to enjoyed it.

Get ready, because Part 2 is coming soon, and it’s going to be even more intense.

Thank you for reading, and see you in the next chapter! ❤️☺️

Like - comment- share and vote ❤️🌸❤️🌺