IsabellaThe room was first silent. Until Donatella exploded in a flurry of screams and shouts."We have been with the system for generations! You cannot come here and change it. It would be better if you step aside and let the one who is meant to sit on the throne handle this. You cannot do this! I will stop you. I promise I will not let this stand! Hundreds of years of tradition thrown away by your kind! I should have sided with Sandra when she called you a nameless scum. Because that is what you are," her voice lowered with the last word.She was panting heavily, and when the realization of what she had said dawned on her, horror took over her features. She raised a hand to cover her mouth and gently began to shake her head. But I had already seen this from the start. I had seen that you would offer no apology but instead, you would walk out of the room. Her eyes turned to me as though she sought me to stand beside her. But she was alone. She dropped her hand and squared her shou
Damon"Pulling myself away from Isabella was one of the hardest things I found myself having to do. But that idiot called Roman…" I said as I squeezed the covers tightly."It's okay," Isabella said as she lifted my face to hers. "He'll come back, right? We planned that he was going to come back. And now that he's back, we only need to go through the motions of execution.""But I don't think he's alone," I protested.Isabella smiled, giving me some sort of hope, but I knew I'd be fine if I was away from her."He's not alone," Isabella said. "He has supporters and allies. It was one of the possibilities I told you about yesterday.""Great, but yes. Roman has close to an army with him and he has allies. Good, so go. Hurry, if you don't go now, they'll gather more and it'll be harder for you later."With a push on my chest, I eventually forced myself out of bed. Just minutes later, and after several kisses from Isabella, I was dressed in all black with my mask in my hand. I walked towards
IsabellaNo one needed to tell me what morning sickness looks like. I heaved as I threw up what was my dinner from the night before shortly after Damon left. Finally, I pushed myself back against the toilet seat and put my head between my knees."This can't be real," I told myself, even as a small smile began to form on my lips. I pushed myself up from the floor and staggered until I found a robe. I made my way to Paula's room and pushed open her door. She was still sleeping when I came in. I shook her until she woke up."I'm pregnant," I said after she rubbed her eyes awake."Are you sure?" she asked, still looking sleepy."I'm having morning sickness, and I'm late. I'm at least two weeks late, and I didn't think about it before because so many things were happening at the same time, and finally… I'm sure I'm pregnant," I said after bombarding her with so many words."Have you called him?" she asked, and I shook my head."Well… maybe we should talk to the doctor first, and then we co
IsabellaI looked up in front of me and willed the screen to come into focus. Multiple screens showed up in my vision, and all of them began to blur with red. I flinched as my hand instinctively clutched my belly. I didn't need anyone to tell me what it meant. I was in grave danger."What is it?" Damon asked as he pulled me closer."I don't see the future," I said. "I need... I don't see a future. Before you came, I saw that everything was perfectly fine, that the baby is fine. But now... I see red. I see blood. I don't see anything.""But I thought you saw an infinite amount of futures," Julius said. "Surely you were supposed to see him. You were supposed to see RJ."I shook my head gently. "It doesn't work like that. My visions... the premonition doesn't work like that. I have to know about the existence of something before I can see the possible outcome. I didn't know about this RJ before, which is why the future I saw was only in line with what I knew. And now that I know about hi
Damon"Ivan," I said into the phone."Yes, my love," he answered, making me roll my eyes."I heard about the things you did. I've heard about how you killed Roman. It's smart. But his son is alive. His son is here. I need you to pull up some contacts for me. I'll text them to you. But I want you to tell them how incompetent RJ is in handling his father's business.Plant a good seed about how he would run everything to the ground in a couple of months. Make it sound convincing. It's been a while since I've done some espionage, Damon, but it's fine. I have my ways. I expect your response by tomorrow."I turned away from the window to find Isabella's face guarded. Her hand was on her belly protectively, and she looked deep in thought."We just need to wait for a while," I said as I reached my hand towards her, beckoning her to me. She smiled, but I didn't need much observation to tell that she was forcing it."Ted, can you give us a minute?" I asked, and the young man packed up his lapto
IsabellaDamon sat me down in the lounge after breakfast and looked at me with purpose in his eyes."He has called, hasn't he?" I asked, already knowing the answer."Tomorrow," Damon said. "I'll get everything ready," I replied with a sigh. Damon grabbed my hand with a frown on his face. "You are not coming with me, Mabella. He knows where we are, my love. I don't know how," I said."He is like you in some ways. If you go by yourself and leave me here, he will come, and the outcome is going to be tragic. I don't think it will matter how many men I lead behind. This is why the best way to handle him is through diplomacy, like his father. Fighting him head-on or trying to prevent an attack is going to lead to disaster." My hand found my belly and gave it a small rub. Over the past few days, I had been almost murmuring to the baby, asking questions about what his or her gender would be and also telling stories about my childhood.Damon looked pained as he spoke to me."Why? I can move
Damon It all happened within a second. The madman shook Isabella's hand, and even though I wanted to reach out for her and pull her away, Isabella assured me that all would be fine. I watched as he pulled out a gun and pointed it at her belly, then shot her. Before anyone could react, I went for RJ first. I slapped the gun out of his hand and punched him so hard that he flew out of the glass window, breaking it in the process. Instead of shouting, the man smiled as he fell from 15 stories in the air. I turned back to Isabella. Her belly was a mass of blood and gore as she lay there gasping for air. "No, no, no," I repeated over and over again as I clutched her to my chest. "Daniel!" I called for the doctor. Luckily, he was on standby and instantly ran into the room. His eyes widened, and he began to shake his head slowly as he approached quickly. "Tell me you can save her," I pleaded as I removed the mask with one bloodied hand. "I can, but the baby..." he began, but I interru
Isabella"My deepest condolences, princess," Donatella said beside me as she sat on a stool by my bed. With the threat being obliterated, she was now fully welcomed to come and go as she pleased in the mansion. I turned away from her and looked outside the window instead. My hand reached up to my still-aching abdomen."You are healing at an unprecedented rate, princess. The wound that would have taken months to heal is already mostly covered up in a couple of weeks. I'm sure you'll be fully healed by the end of next week," Daniel said earlier as he checked on me.Before, I could feel the tiny spark of life in my belly, but now I felt nothing but blood and a jumble of intestines and organs. RJ had gotten me good, but even though I had expected some level of loss, I didn't think it would hurt this bad."Has he come to see you yet?" Donatella asked, and I turned my head back towards her."A few times," I said, lying through my teeth, just as I had done to Damon weeks ago. I bet he was wi
IsabellaPerhaps it was Donatella's face that was the most surprising, but the days following my declaration and official ascension to the throne were followed by endless visits to my family's estate.I had to temporarily move there because I was worried about the constant movement and how my son would take it. However, according to Julio, it also applied pressure to bring Cassandra back to the city.She had disappeared a few days ago, and I believed she went to have her child."I must say, he's a very handsome boy," Nicholas said as he carried my son and began to walk around the new nursery. The baby cooed in his arms and raised his little fists towards his face. I smiled but began to miss the little bundle of warmth that he provided. I had once complained to Damon, and his reply was,"You'll just have to get used to it. Or are you going to take my son away from me?" Damon said with a smile.***To my surprise, Cassandra didn't show up over the next few weeks. I began to genuinely w
IsabellaGeorge knelt in front of me in the gazebo. I had given Alessandro the go-ahead to let him come to the mansion. He came accompanied by three more people that I didn't recognize."There was a mistake, Princess. If I had known…”“I know you think that I am a benevolent figure of never-ending kindness that might accept you. But you must understand that given my position, I simply cannot forgive you right off the bat. You have to prove yourself to me. You have to prove yourself to the city. You have to prove your loyalty, and it will cost you more than it did the last time," I found myself saying.Shortly after that, I left the men alone and made a beeline for the nursery where I felt my son squirming and crying in his cot. The maid I had instructed to stay with him was trying to keep him calm, but she was failing miserably, making me laugh.I stretched out my hands, and just as she placed him in it, the infant settled down. Shortly after passing him and singing to him, I felt ar
DamonAfter Isabella told me that I should handle Cassandra, Valentino, and her allies, I got to work instantly, telling Ted to pull out the old files he had on the trust of those she committed."So what do we do with them?" he asked. "We pick the weakest link. We pick the one most sympathetic to the lower City. Find me a couple of them and show them the pictures."A few days later, I received a call from Ted while I was out in town on a meeting with Nicholas."We have a number of them. What do you want us to do?" he asked. "Tell them to come to my place," Nicholas said with his arms raised. "I'm sure we'll do a good job convincing them." I smiled and told Ted to do the same. Six men, members of the lesser families, came through his gate.I recognized Antonio and George to be some of them and stopped myself from snickering behind my mask. The men bowed when they saw me, but it was clear that their initial fear of me was gone. I smirked behind the mask and looked at them.I loved se
IsabellaDamon had carried me into the tub filled with cold water. As soon as my body came in contact with the water, I instantly sighed in relief. Marie came to me with a small figure half wrapped in a cloth and laid the pink infant on my naked chest.I leaned my back against the foam headrest and let my child lean against my skin. He squirmed and cried, but Marie said it was all part of the process, even though my heart was aching as I desperately searched my mind for what to do to ease his sorrows somehow."If he doesn't cry, his lungs wouldn't be strong. You have to let him cry, princess," she had told me before I struggled with her, and Damon carried me into the bathroom. Even now, he was still crying, but I felt a bit assured as Damon held my hand and began to rub soothing circles over my knuckles. "You are so strong," he whispered. "I'm so proud of you." He whispered again, and this time his hand reached up to caress the head of the infant that laid on my chest. I smiled, bu
IsabellaDamon laughed suddenly, his shoulders quaking, and the room filled up with the hearty sound of joy. He stopped after a while and turned his head towards Cassandra. "It looks as though this wannabe princess is uninformed about what's happening in the city. Someone please tell her."Andrew cleared his throat. "The King…" Damon took off his mask, revealing his face, causing Cassandra to gasp and cover her mouth, as did Donatella. "The King has been married to the princess for quite a while now. I happen to be one of those privileged to witness the ceremony and the signing of their marriage certificate.This, of course, meant that as one without a surname, he would take his wife's own, making him Damon Montenegro Therefore, your challenge… your stake on the throne is very much mitigated by him.""That's not possible!" Cassandra screeched. "You wouldn't do that," she said as she turned her head towards me and stared daggers at me through the screen. "I did. Would you like to h
Isabella"Do I need to remind you that you are a fugitive?" Damon's voice cut through the silence like a hot knife through butter."Do I need to remind you that your crimes are so great you deserve to be put to death?" Damon stood up from his seat and walked towards the pregnant woman."Get out, or I will pull my gun and shoot you between your eyes, not caring about the child within your belly." Instantly, Donatella gasped and covered her mouth with surprise.She got up and walked towards both of them and set herself in their midst as though to protect Cassandra. "Ouch," I thought to myself. "So much for loyalty forever," I said out loud. Donatella turned to me."You must understand, princess, it's not as though I will not be loyal to you. It's just with the recent developments, we find ourselves needing an heir. Perhaps once she gives birth, she can leave." "I'm not going anywhere," Cassandra said, protesting as she pushed the older woman out of the way."I'm here to challenge her
Isabella“No, Isabella. We still need Cassandra to come out. We need her to show her cards. I'm sure it's not going to take long, but... you have to hang tight, Mia Bella," Damon said, shaking his head.He raised his hand and began to caress my belly before leaning in and pressing a kiss on my swollen abdomen. As if in response, the baby kicked where his hand was."He's saying hello to me," Damon said with a smile as he leaned forward and then pulled open the robe I wore to reveal my naked belly."So perfect," he said as he pressed another kiss on the pale skin. "So damn perfect," he said again as he met my eyes. I could see the expression there, his eyes flashing red before returning back to their normal hazel color. He spread open my legs and slowly removed the outer robe to reveal my naked pussy. Slowly, he kissed his way from my belly button down to my weeping pussy.***The extra wait was grueling, but I didn't mind it. I filled my days with walking, with Paula up and down the
Isabella"It was just a rumor," I told my husband as he paced the length of the room, hitting one wall and then going to the next to do the same."We both know rumors are next to truth. It wouldn't be said if it wasn't seen at some point. But you're the same person that said the city thrived on rumors. Why is this one only different?" I questioned him, but the man continued his insistent pacing. He had taken off his shirt, leaving him half naked and making my eyes wander to strange places."Please," I begged him as I stood up. I took off my coat."You're making me dizzy," I said.Damon stopped suddenly and looked at me. "And if the rumor's true?""Then we laid a trap. And I think traps are your thing… at least Julio's thing.""So let's call the ultimate trap master and have him whip up something for us," I said as I reached up towards my husband's head.***The day after, Julio sat opposite me in the gazebo. "How could you not tell me you were pregnant?" He asked, his eyes wide and f
DamonIsabella's face was pale when I saw her as she came out of the bathroom. She had a stunned look as though she was trying to remember something. I grabbed her hands and rubbed circles over her knuckles until she smiled at me."I am fine," she said with a shaking voice."Champagne?" I asked as I handed her a flute. She shook her head. "I can't keep it down," she said, forcing another smile at me."Isabella, what is wrong?" I asked with my mouth close to her ear. "I'll tell you when we get home," she said as she squeezed my fingers back.The rest of the evening couldn't come fast enough as I began to wish time could go faster. Finally, three hours after we arrived at the party, she tugged on my arm, telling me she wanted to go home. I bade goodbye to my friends and some others who were desperate to see me for some reason. We decided to take the chopper, being impatient and me wanting to find out what was wrong with my wife.I helped her out of her dress when we reached our room. S