Isabella POV'' Why so formal with me,'' Manny smirked, asking.'' You need to relax. I am not your boss, okay,'' Manny let out and I found myself smiling.'' What do you want Manny,'' I asked and he rolled his eyes.'' Wouldn't you allow me inside first? It is bad manners to keep a guest waiting like this,'' Manny let out.'' Fine come on it,'' I said, ushering Manny into my room.'' Now that you are here, what do you want, Manny?'' I asked and Manny smirked.'' Lovely room. I am sure the Draco, specifically, designed it just for his marked woman.'' Manny let out and I just knew he was teasing me right now.So, with
Isabella's POVManny and I drove in complete silence, so I just drifted my focus to the window as I began to count the trees, houses, and people that passed by.''Okay, are you not going to say a word to me,'' Manny let out after a few minutes.'' I don't do small talk,'' I said, and Manny scoffed.'' Humour me, Just say something because this silence is killing me,'' Manny let out, but I still didn't say a word to him, because honestly, I didn't know what to say.'' Okay, tell me about yourself, Isabella,'' Manny let out as he threw a glance or two in my direction.'
Isabella's POVI froze in shock as it felt like I couldn't breathe because of the sight of him. Xander was in the fighting ring preparing to take on a heavy-bodied man who was much bigger than him, with muscles everywhere I could think of, and also looked so scary. I didn't understand what was going on and I wondered if Manny was seeing what I was seeing as well.'' Manny, are you seeing this, or are my eyes deceiving me,'' I asked.'' Yeah, it is Draco quite alright,'' Manny let out as if he was not surprised to see him there.'' Did you know about this, did you know he was going to be here,'' I asked, as my heart raced out of control and I didn't know why.
Isabella's POVWhen Manny walked up to us, the look in Xander's eyes could definitely kill a horse. I don't know what was going on in Xander's mind but I was eager to know, because he didn't look pleased that Manny was here with me.'' Oh hi Draco, I didn't know that she was with you,'' Manny let out with respect laced in his voice, but Xander didn't respond. He just continued to look at Manny as if he was going to kill him at any moment.Manny shifted his weight nervously from one leg to the other, as his gaze drifted from Xander, then back to me.'' How could you bring her to a place like this,'' Xander let out and Manny looked so confused.'' Don't you know that it is not safe here for her?'' Xander
Isabella's POV Do you remember how I complicated my life by kissing Manny yesterday? Yes, I have been wallowing in self-misery since then. I didn't leave my room because I didn't have the guts to face him after what I did.Mary, as always, came to my room, but she didn't even ask me why I chose not to leave my room. Maybe she was already used to me running away from things with the hopes that they would go away and fix themselves.So there, with no one pushing me to leave my room, I was in here for another 3 days. Thank god for Mary, who always remembered to bring me food, and Mia, whose calls always kept me company.So, in my 3 days of solitude, I engrossed myself in work, doing accounting, hoping that would take my mind off what my life had slowly become.But as the numbers kept on coming in, the more dis
Isabella's POV I shivered as I tried to hold onto Manny's gaze, but it was just impossible because I stupidly went to kiss him and totally complicated our relationship.So now that I am standing so close to him, I am shivering like a little schoolgirl not even knowing what to say.” I am not avoiding you," I whispered and Manny rolled his eyes.“ Well, 3 days hiding in your room is totally saying a different thing to me," Manny let out with a smirk on his face.“ Fine you are. Right, I am avoiding you," I stated as I squared my shoulders, looking up at him.“ Ouch, that hurts my feelings, but why does it seem like it has anything to do with the fact that you kissed me," Manny said.“ Well, as I recall, you kissed me back, and anyway, that kiss was a drunken mistake, an
Xander's POVI hadn't seen Bella since she gave me the news that someone was stealing from me. She was like an angel, she appeared, and then she disappeared for a while.And even though we live in the same house, we were like strangers to each other.You know I willed myself every day not to go to her room, where she hides every day, just to see her, but I kept on telling myself that this was what she wanted, and seeing me would just make it worse.So even though I was dying to see her, to kiss those lips of hers again, and feel her skin under my touch once again, I knew I just couldn't.Getting up from my bed, I allowed my thoughts to run wild. I had a lot going on in my mind, but I can not let any of that bother me now, because Xavier was coming back today. Yeah, it is already 2 days, and he said he was coming back today.So I have to think about that and that alone, because I have to get to the root of who was stealing from me. And it was only Xavier who could answer that question.
Xander's POVI looked at my cousin, waiting for him to answer my questions, but he just looked at me, not saying a word to me.And his silence was slowly getting on my nerves, as I kept on asking myself if Xavier was hiding something from me.'' Come on son, you don't think your cousin, your right-hand man, would steal from you,'' My father said, shaking his head.'' I don't know father, it is left to Xavier to prove me wrong,'' I let out as I continued to stare at Xavier.Xavier was quiet for a while and still didn't know why, and honestly, I couldn't take it anymore.'' What is this Xavier, why are you not saying anything,'' I yelled.'' What do you want me to say, when you have already made up your mind that I am stealing from you,'' Xavier let out.'' So you are not going to say anything to defend yourself, Xavier,'' I said.'' What can I say in my defense, when my cousin, my own family, has
Isabella's POVI never believed that saying about your life flashing before your eyes when you're about to die. It always seemed cliché and stupid. But everything changed when I stood face-to-face with death, and my life replayed before me, both the good and the bad.---One Month LaterXander Diaz, known as "the Draco," was killed in a shoot-out with the police. The most dangerous man in the city was gunned down. There has been no statement from his family, and the police urged citizens to celebrate this victory, claiming peace had been restored."The chief of police assures us that the Draco will no longer wreak havoc in our city. We now head to the cemetery where the notorious mafia king is being laid to rest," the reporter said before the TV went black."Hey, I was watching that," I yelled, turning to see Xander holding the remote, and smiling."Aren't you tired of watching the news about my death? That's all they talk about these days. I didn't know I was this important," Xander
Isabella's POV:Three weeks had passed in the blink of an eye. Here we remained, entrenched in the safety of our secluded hideout, while Xander and Javier meticulously plotted their next move against Xavier. Despite the passage of time, my unease around Javier persisted like a stubborn shadow, casting doubt upon every whispered plan and stolen moment of respite.Xander and I got back together like the separation had never happened. Yet beneath the veneer of our rekindled love lay a constant churn of uncertainty. Thoughts of Judith, and the callous manner in which Xavier had snatched her away from me, haunted my every waking moment like a relentless specter."Thinking won't change a thing, you know that right," Xander's voice broke through the suffocating silence, pulling me back from the brink of my spiraling thoughts."What's on your mind?" he inquired, his warm breath sending shivers down my spine as his lips brushed against mine in a tender caress."Judith," I confessed, my voice b
Isabella's POV It felt like we were trapped between the devil and the deep blue sea, caught in a vortex of danger with no escape in sight. Xavier's relentless pursuit loomed over us like a shadow, while the sudden appearance of Javier, Xander's longtime enemy, only added to our peril. "We're done for now. I don't think we'll ever get out of this alive. If Xavier doesn't get to us, Javier will," I murmured, my voice laced with resignation as I scanned the bleak horizon. As I braced myself for the worst, I closed my eyes, steeling myself for the inevitable confrontation with either of them. But his unexpected offer of salvation shattered the silence, his words cutting through the suffocating tension like a ray of hope. "Get in if you want to live. You can't outrun them," Javier's voice broke through the chaos, his tone surprisingly sincere. Doubt gnawed at my insides as I grappled with the sudden turn of events. "Was Javier actually trying to save us?" "No, this must be a trick, a
Isabella's POV"I didn't stutter. Did I? Marry me, and I'll be your saviour," Xavier's voice oozed with a sinister charm that made my skin crawl. Each syllable felt like a dagger aimed straight at my heart."How can you even ask that? Why would I marry you, Xavier, when it's clear you hold nothing but disdain for me?" My voice quivered with a mix of fear and defiance, unable to hide the loathing simmering beneath the surface."I don't despise you. You're merely a pawn in this twisted game," Xavier's words slithered out, his gaze piercing through me as he closed the distance between us. "Marry me, and I'll bestow upon you a life beyond your wildest dreams.""What about Ruby? You made promises to her too," I challenged, my voice trembling with the weight of betrayal and hurt."Ruby was a foolish distraction. It was never my intention to marry her. Say yes, and you'll stand by my side as the Draco's queen," he urged, his smile sending shivers down my spine as his finger brushed against m
Xander's POVHearing the gunshots, I swiftly turned around, my gun clenched tightly in my hands, ready to defend myself and my men. To my dismay, I found them sprawled on the ground, incapacitated, while Xavier stood tall beside them, a smirk of satisfaction etched on his face.The revelation shook me to my core. My own cousin, the perpetrator of such a betrayal? I had spared his life once; was this the gratitude I received in return?"Hi, Cousin. It seems you've decided to join us. I was anticipating your arrival," Xavier greeted, his voice dripping with malice as he surveyed the chaos he had orchestrated."Xavier, damn you! So, it was you all along. How could you sink so low?" I exclaimed, a mixture of shock and rage coursing through me as I leveled my gun at him. But Xavier's response was a mocking laugh, his eyes gleaming with a dark amusement."Oh, dear cousin, you've yet to fathom the depths to which I can sink," he taunted, his smirk widening into a sinister grin. I prepared to
Xander's POV"What do you mean she's been taken?" I roared, my anger surging like a tidal wave, crashing against the shores of my composure."I'm sorry, boss. I was knocked out cold, and when I came to, she and her guardian were gone. I went back to their house, but it was empty. I fear the worst, Draco," the man confessed, his voice trembling with fear, his eyes darting nervously around the room as if expecting my wrath to materialize into physical force."How dare you return with such news!" I bellowed, the force of my voice reverberating off the walls like thunder. I seized a glass from the table, hurling it against the wall behind him. It shattered into a thousand glittering fragments, mirroring the shattered pieces of my control. He cowered before me, his knees shaking in terror, a stark contrast to the facade of toughness he usually wore."I-I'm sorry, boss," he stammered, his fear palpable, his hands trembling as he struggled to maintain his composure in the face of my rage."W
Xander's POV Days turned into months, each one a relentless reminder of Bella's absence. The gaping void she left behind refused to be filled, a constant ache in my chest that I couldn't shake. I understood why she had to leave, though. Agustin's actions were a stain on our family name, an unforgivable betrayal that tainted everything it touched. But despite the pain, a flicker of hope lingered in the depths of my heart, a desperate wish that Bella could find it in herself to forgive me for the sins of my father. "Son, stop torturing yourself over her. It's better this way," Agustin's voice grated on my nerves, each word a reminder of his role in driving her away. "Why are you still here? Didn't I ask you to leave?" I snapped, frustration boiling over. "Xander, you're my son. I can't just abandon you in your time of need," he replied, his tone almost pleading. "This man is pushing me to my limits," I muttered under my breath. "Look, Agustin, I don't want you around. You've caused
Isabella's POV Many months slowly passed by, and I gradually settled in my hometown.I still thought of Xander, because his ring reminded me of him. I knew I couldn't forget him even if I tried, so I stopped forcing myself to.I frequently visited my father's grave, as being with him greatly helped me.So today, I wanted to visit him as well.'' Judith, I am going to see my father,'' I said, and she nodded.'' Alright, why don't I come with you today? Judith suggested, and I looked at her surprised because she never wanted to come with me in the past.'' Don't look at me like that, I just want to go with you.'' she rolled her eyes.''I know you always want to be alone with him, but I would like to come and pay my respect as well.'' Judith let out.'' Are you sure?'' I asked, and she rolled her eyes yet again.'' I am an old woman, don't you think by now I would be sure of what I want to do,'' she replied.'' Okay, that will not be a problem. I would be happy if you came,'' I smiled a
Isabella's POVI got back to my hometown and everything still felt the same, even the air had the same feeling that it had before.The memories of why I left came flooding but, the demons I was running away from were still lurking at every corner.But not everything remained the same. The guilt I had about my father's death was all gone now that I knew who truly took him from me.I hated Agustin with all of my heart, how I wish I could put a bullet in his head.'' So why didn't you? Because no one would blame you if you did, not ever Xander,'' the voices in my head said to me.''No, even though I wanted so badly to end his life just like he ended my dad's life, I couldn't do it, because it would make me just as guilty as him,'' I said to the voices as I dismissed that thought immediately.Getting out of the airport, I took a taxi to Judith's house.A lot of emotion took over me as the car stopped in front of her house. I got down and walked to her front porch, taking in a deep breath,