~ISABELLA~ "Where are you taking me, Dante?" I asked as he drove out of the gate. He was driving fast, which made me anxious. I couldn't read his thoughts or intentions. For all I knew, he was probably driving me to a place where he was going to kill me. His older brother despised me, leaving me to wonder about their plans for me. As events unfolded, Gabriele's words echoed in my mind, affirming that I was precisely what they needed to take over Atlanta. They had no intention of releasing me until Antonio arrived to rescue me. He was my only hope. "Don't worry, princess, I'm not going to hurt you. Relax and enjoy the ride," he smirked as he increased the speed, passing by the lonely road in the middle of the forest. I was desperate to slip out my cell phone and turn it on so that Antonio would be able to find me more easily. But since I was his wife, I knew that he was not going to stop searching for me. Especially since he knew who took me. "Can you slow down a bit?
~ISABELLA~ When I woke up in the morning, my head was throbbing, and it felt like I had been out for a long time. The door swung open, and Dante walked inside, causing the vivid memory of what happened yesterday to sit me up on the bed. "You punched me in the face, Dante. How dare you?" I snapped as he sat down on the edge of the bed next to me. "We have to move you, princess. It seems like your husband knows where we are." "He does?" My heart fluttered. "Yes, get up. We are leaving for my safe house in an hour," Dante informed me as he walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. If Antonio had found the location, it meant that maybe he was able to track my phone's location when we were talking. When I realized that I couldn't find my phone, I cursed under my breath and threw a pillow on the floor from frustration. I quickly got dressed and planned to see Dante when I walked to the door and realized that it was locked. "Oh, come on!" I snapped angrily as I
~ANTONIO~"You're not allowed to go anywhere, Bella. You wanted this, and now you got it.""You can't do that, Antonio! You can't keep me locked up in here after I have just returned from another prison! What is this? Is this why you bought me at auction?" She asked.I sighed and turned around to face her. "I didn't buy you, Bella. If you can't realize how I feel about you by now, I don't think you ever will.""If you feel anything for me, you will let me go. You would ask me on dates instead of treating me as your prisoner.""If you were responsible and kept your distance from Dante as I warned you to, we wouldn't be having this conversation!" I snapped."Forgive me, Antonio, that I won't fall head over heels for you after you bought me for millions of dollars and ruined all the plans that I had for my life!" She shot back."Name whatever that you want, and it will be yours!" I hissed as I closed the gap between us.I felt disappointed that she couldn't realize that I'd do anything fo
~ISABELLA~"Bloody shit. You will regret this, Antonio. You will regret this," I muttered to myself as I paced around the room.The door creaked open, and I turned around with a shocked expression."Who are you?" I asked the strange guy as he walked inside.Since Melo was dead, this was probably another Melo sent to keep an eye on me in case I made a run for it again."Morning, Miss Albero. I am Kyle. Mr. Rodriguez instructed me to be your bodyguard and your chauffeur," he answered."My chauffeur?" I asked as I walked toward him.He nodded. "Yes.""I want to go somewhere right now. Will you take me?" I smirked, still shocked.When Antonio left a few hours ago, he was determined to keep me locked up in the house for as long as he wanted me to be.I had no idea what had changed his mind, but I was happy he did."Yes," Kyle answered as he stood aside for me to lead the way out of the room.I already had my bath and only needed him to take me to Sarah. She and I had a lot to discuss even t
~ISABELLA~ I was startled when I felt a hand on my shoulder in the hospital. I was sitting beside my father in his wardroom. The doctors had performed an emergency surgery on him when he was admitted. Luckily, when the Conti struck him with a knife, none of his organs were badly injured. "Hey, Isa. I'm sorry about your father," Sarah said to me as I got up and wrapped my arms around her. I couldn't hold it in anymore as I wept on her shoulder. If I hadn't arrived on time, my father would have bled to death in the hands of the Conti. I was so angry that Dante and his brothers could do something like this after they killed my mother without any mercy while she was pregnant. I was angry that they had to involve him in their war with Antonio when my father had nothing to do with what was happening between them. "Thank you for coming, babe. This means a lot to me," I sobbed. "Let's go and grab a cup of coffee for you," Sarah suggested when I pulled away from her and wiped m
~ISABELLA~"No, Bella, I told you to stop messing with Antonio! He won't like this one bit!" Sarah protested on the phone."You're not listening to me, Sarah. This is my only way to get myself away from Antonio. My father is out of the picture right now," I answered as I paced around the room.On my other hand, I was holding a piece of paper with Peter's cell phone numbers written down."I am listening, and what you want to do is suicide. Abort that mission," she insisted.I took a deep breath as I stopped pacing and looked at the piece of paper in my hand.I was still convinced to call this guy. If Antonio found out that I was interested in someone else, he wouldn't have any other choice but to let me go."I am doing this, babe. I don't want to spend a week under the same roof as Antonio. It's not different than being held hostage by Dante. They are the same person with the same agenda to use me."Sarah exhaled on the other end. "Fine. I hear you, and I want you to be free from all th
~ISABELLA~"Did you want to kill him, Antonio?" I turned to him after Tom had been taken away by the security guards.Even though he was no longer one of the people I wished to see again, he was still a very important part of my life."You did not expect me to let him leave with you, did you?" Antonio retorted as he closed the small gap between us."He had every right to come here to claim me just like you did after you and my father drugged and auctioned me.""Wasn't I the one who defended you when that boy wanted to humiliate you in front of his friends? I think I did you a very good favor to take you from him, Bella, and you should be grateful," he sneered."I will never be grateful that you bought me against my will, and because of you, I am stuck here like a prisoner who has to get permission from you to even breathe!" I snarled."What is it that I haven't allowed you to do in this house, Bella?! I treat you as I would treat my wife!""But I'm not your wife, Antonio! I will never
~ISABELLA~A few days later, I had already made up my mind and was going on a date with Peter.He and I managed to talk on the phone until we agreed that we would go on our very first date.I didn't even want to bother thinking about Antonio and his threats because the goal was to get far away from him.When I was done getting ready, I made sure that I looked way too pretty for Peter to even be able to control himself around me.After an hour, I was already at the restaurant where Peter and I were meeting.As soon as I walked inside the restaurant, I spotted his handsome face on the table near the window.He smiled warmly at me when our eyes met, and I quickly instructed Kyle to wait for me in the car.When I got to the table, Peter got up and pulled out the chair for me to sit down."Thank you," I thanked him as I sat down."My goodness, you are so beautiful, Isabella. I can't believe that you're here with me. I might as well be dreaming," he complimented me as he sat down.I blushed