Chapter 4-2: Dante
884 Words
Isabella scanned the list. “Half of these people were at our wedding.”
“I know. That’s why I kept it small. I wanted to see who would show up. Who would object. Your uncle Marcus made his position very clear.”
“He said I wasn’t who you thought I was.”
“He was testing me. Seeing if I knew you were Isabella, not Sofia. When I didn’t react, he realized I was playing a deeper game.”
Isabella was quiet, processing. Then she looked up at me.
“The file James brought you today. The transactions. Can I see it?”
I was impressed. “How did you know about that?”
“I heard you on the phone earlier. You said something about shell companies.” She paused. “Also, I may have been listening outside your office door.”
“Spying on me?”
“Gathering intelligence.”
I smiled. “It’s on my desk.”
She moved to the desk and opened the file. For the next twenty minutes, she studied the numbers in silence. I watched her work—the way she chewed her bottom lip when she was concentrating, the way she’d write notes in the margins.
Finally, she looked up. “This is good. Really good.”
“But?”
“But they made one mistake. Look at these dates. Every transaction happens on the fifteenth of the month. Like clockwork.”
I moved to stand beside her. “I noticed that too. But I couldn’t figure out the significance.”
“The fifteenth is payroll day at your company, right?”
“How did you know that?”
“I looked it up. If someone’s skimming, they’re hiding it in legitimate payroll transactions. Small amounts spread across multiple accounts. No one would notice unless they were specifically looking.”
She was brilliant. I’d known that, but seeing her work was something else entirely.
“Can you track it?” I asked.
“Maybe. I’d need access to your payroll system. And your banking records.”
“You’ll have them tomorrow.”
She looked at me. “Why are you trusting me with this?”
“Because you’re the only person I can trust.”
“You barely know me.”
“I know enough.” I reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She didn’t flinch this time. “I know you’re brilliant. I know you’re brave. I know you care about justice more than anything else.”
“That’s not knowing me. That’s knowing my resume.”
“Then tell me something real. Something you’ve never told anyone.”
She was quiet for a long moment. Then: “I’m scared.”
“Of what?”
“Of failing. Of letting people down. Of being invisible.” She laughed bitterly. “Sofia was always the special one. The pretty one. The one everyone loved. I was just… Isabella. The smart sister. The boring one.”
“You’re not boring.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes, I do.” I stepped closer. “You’re the most fascinating person I’ve ever met. When you walk into a room, I can’t look at anything else. When you talk, I hang on every word. When you smile, which isn’t often enough, it feels like the sun coming out.”
She swallowed hard. “Stop.”
“Why?”
“Because this isn’t real. This marriage, this partnership, it’s all built on lies and manipulation.”
“The marriage might have started that way. But this?” I gestured between us. “This is real.”
“How can you say that? You’ve been lying to me since the beginning.”
“I’ve never lied to you, Isabella. I’ve withheld information, yes. But everything I’ve told you has been the truth.”
“You stalked me for six months!”
“I was protecting you. My father’s organization was looking at your family’s restaurant. They were planning to use it as a front for money laundering. If I hadn’t intervened, you’d all be in jail right now.”
She stared at me. “What?”
“That’s why I made the deal with your father. Not to acquire a wife, but to protect your family. The marriage was… a bonus.”
“You’re insane.”
“Probably. But I’m also in love with you.”
The words hung in the air between us.
Isabella shook her head. “No. No, you’re not.”
“Yes, I am. I have been since the day you walked into my office and called me a thief.”
“I didn’t call you a thief.”
“You implied it. Loudly. In front of my entire board.”
She laughed despite herself. “You deserved it.”
“I did. And I loved you for it.”
She backed away from me. “This is too much. I need to think.”
“Take all the time you need.”
She left the office quickly. I heard her bedroom door close a moment later.
I sat down at my desk and rubbed my eyes. That had gone… poorly. But at least the truth was out there.
Now I just had to hope she didn’t run.
- Writer
