Chapter 15 The Seeds of Manipulation
1138 Words
The tension in Lorenzo and Isabella’s home had become subtle but undeniable.
Nothing explosive had happened.
There were no loud fights, no harsh accusations.
Yet something fragile between them had begun to c***k.
Isabella felt it.
Lorenzo noticed it.
But neither of them truly understood how serious it was becoming.
And somewhere in the city, someone else understood it perfectly.
Victoria Hayes.
The afternoon sun poured through the tall windows of De Luca Enterprises as Lorenzo finished signing the last document on his desk.
He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples.
The past week had been exhausting.
Work had increased, meetings had piled up, and the tension at home made everything feel heavier.
His phone buzzed again.
A message appeared.
Victoria:
Lunch today?
Lorenzo stared at the message.
For a moment he considered ignoring it.
But then another message appeared.
Victoria:
Or are you too scared your wife might get jealous?
His jaw tightened slightly.
He quickly typed a reply.
Lorenzo:
Stop being dramatic.
Her response came almost instantly.
Victoria:
So you’re coming.
Lorenzo sighed.
He knew he shouldn’t keep meeting her like this.
But he also told himself that there was nothing wrong with it.
They were just talking.
That was all.
Still, deep down, he knew Isabella wouldn’t see it that way.
And that thought annoyed him.
Because he didn’t like feeling as though he had to justify something that seemed harmless to him.
An hour later, Lorenzo walked into a stylish restaurant downtown.
Victoria was already there, seated near the window.
She smiled the moment she saw him.
“You came.”
“You’re persistent,” he said as he sat down.
“Someone has to be.”
A waiter approached and took their order.
After he left, Victoria leaned back comfortably.
“You look stressed.”
“Work.”
“Only work?”
Lorenzo didn’t answer.
Victoria studied him carefully.
“Your wife is upset with you.”
It wasn’t a question.
Lorenzo frowned.
“You don’t know anything about that.”
“Please,” she said with a small laugh.
“I saw her expression the other day when I visited.”
“And?”
“She didn’t like me.”
“That’s your imagination.”
Victoria shook her head slowly.
“No. It wasn’t.”
“She just doesn’t know you.”
“And she probably doesn’t want to.”
Lorenzo’s expression hardened slightly.
“You’re overthinking.”
Victoria tilted her head.
“Am I?”
She leaned forward slightly.
“Let me ask you something honestly.”
“What?”
“Has she been asking about me?”
Lorenzo hesitated for a moment.
“Yes.”
Victoria smiled faintly.
“Of course she has.”
“That’s normal.”
“Is it?”
“Yes.”
Victoria stirred her drink slowly.
“You know… I almost feel bad for her.”
Lorenzo frowned.
“Why?”
“Because she seems like a sweet girl.”
“She is.”
“And she probably thinks she knows everything about you.”
“She does.”
Victoria looked up at him.
“Does she know about the darker parts of your life?”
Lorenzo’s expression immediately hardened.
“That’s not your concern.”
“I’m just curious.”
“Don’t be.”
Victoria shrugged.
“I just think she’s a little naïve.”
Lorenzo didn’t like the way she said that.
“She’s stronger than you think.”
“Maybe.”
Victoria smiled slightly.
“But she’s still human.”
“And?”
“And humans get insecure.”
Lorenzo leaned back in his chair.
“What are you trying to say?”
“I’m saying that maybe your wife doesn’t trust you as much as you think.”
“That’s not true.”
“She’s already questioning you.”
“She’s adjusting.”
Victoria nodded slowly.
“Of course.”
But the look in her eyes suggested she didn’t believe that at all.
Later that evening, Isabella sat quietly in the living room reading.
Or at least pretending to read.
Her thoughts kept drifting back to the moment she had seen Lorenzo and Victoria together the day before.
She had tried to forget it.
Tried to convince herself it meant nothing.
But the image kept replaying in her mind.
Her phone buzzed.
A message from Lorenzo.
Lorenzo:
Running late again.
Isabella stared at the message for a long moment.
Then she typed back.
Isabella:
Okay.
She placed the phone down gently.
Something inside her heart felt heavier than before.
Not anger.
Not jealousy.
Just sadness.
When Lorenzo finally returned home that night, Isabella was already sitting at the dining table.
Dinner was ready.
But she wasn’t smiling.
“You’re late,” she said quietly.
“Yes.”
“Busy day?”
“Yes.”
She looked at him carefully.
“Did you eat?”
“No.”
“That’s good.”
He sat down across from her.
They ate in silence for a few minutes.
Then Isabella asked softly,
“Did you see Victoria today?”
Lorenzo looked up.
“Yes.”
The honesty surprised her.
“What did you do?”
“Lunch.”
Isabella nodded slowly.
“Again.”
“It was just lunch.”
“With your ex.”
“Yes.”
She put her fork down gently.
“Do you realize how strange that sounds?”
“It’s not strange.”
“It is to me.”
Lorenzo sighed.
“Isabella…”
“Yes?”
“You need to stop worrying about this.”
“I’m not worrying.”
“You are.”
“I’m trying to understand.”
“There’s nothing to understand.”
“There is for me.”
Lorenzo leaned back in his chair.
“Victoria is just someone from my past.”
“And now she’s suddenly very present in your life.”
“She’s starting a business here.”
“And she needs you for that?”
“She asked for help.”
“And you can’t say no?”
His patience was starting to thin again.
“She’s not doing anything wrong.”
Isabella felt that familiar sting again.
“You always defend her.”
“I’m being fair.”
“But you’re not being fair to me.”
The words came out before she could stop them.
Lorenzo froze for a moment.
Then he said quietly,
“You’re making this harder than it needs to be.”
Isabella looked down at the table.
Her chest tightened slightly.
“Maybe.”
But inside her heart, she was starting to feel something new.
A quiet fear.
Because for the first time in six years…
She felt like she was slowly losing the man she loved.
And the worst part was…
Lorenzo still didn’t realize how much he was hurting her.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD