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"Isabella, please," I plead as I pound on her door. "We need to talk. The Capo – he's found the men who killed your father. They're dead, Isabella. You're safe now."
No response.
"Please let me in," I say softly, my words barely audible above the sound of my own heartbeat. "Let me make amends. Let me be there for you, like I should have been from the start."
And with that, I turn the knob, ready to fight for the love we both deserve.
The door creaks open, and my heart drops like a stone. The silence is deafening, the emptiness of the room looming before me.
"Isabella?" I call out, stepping inside with caution. My voice echoes back at me, mocking my hope that she'd be here.
As I move deeper through the room, I notice some of her things missing. Premonition is a strong guide to intuition and I run to the window. I spot something through the window – a glint of a metal rod in the bushes outside.
What's that doing there? My stomach churns with dread, and I sprint down and out the door, leaving it open behind me.
"Isabella!" I shout again, desperate for her to answer, to tell me she's alright.
But the only response I receive is the sight of the bodyguards, crumpled and lifeless among the foliage. Blood pools around their still forms, and bile rises in my throat.
"Shit," I whisper, staggering backward. "No, no, no."
Panic grips me like a vice, constricting my chest and stealing my breath. Isabella is missing, and these men – the Capo's trusted protectors, Isabella's bodyguards – are dead. My skin prickles with fear, and my mind races with possibilities.
"Think, Stefano, think," I mutter, forcing myself to calm down. "She could be anywhere. She could be..."
I can't bring myself to say the words out loud. But the thought of Isabella hurt – or worse – drives me to action. I pull out my phone, my fingers shake as I dial the Capo's number.
"Capo," I blurt out the moment he answers. "Isabella's gone. The bodyguards are dead."
"Dammit," the Capo curses, his voice laced with anger and concern. "Stay there, Stefano. I'll send more men to help you search."
"Capo, what if–" I try to say, but he cuts me off.
"Don't think like that," he snaps. "We'll find her. I promise."
The line goes dead, and I'm left standing in the doorway, crushed by the weight of my guilt and fear. If I had just trusted the Capo from the start, would we be in this mess? Would Isabella still be safe?
"Forgive me, Isabella," I whisper into the silence, my voice shaking. "I swear I will find you. No matter what it takes."
And as I wait for the Capo's men to arrive, I cling to that promise, hoping against hope that it's not too late to save the woman I love.
I pace the living room, my heart pounding in my chest. The Capo's men are on their way, but every second that ticks by feels like a lifetime. I can't just stand here doing nothing. Isabella could be out there, scared and alone.
"Isabella!" I shout as I burst out the front door, desperation driving me forward. My eyes dart around the surrounding area, searching for any sign of her – a discarded item, a broken branch, anything that might lead me to her.
The wind whispers through the trees, carrying my plea away into the night. There's no response, only silence.
"Damn it," I mutter under my breath, my frustration mounting. "Where are you, Isabella?"
I sprint down the path, scanning the ground for footprints or any other clue that might indicate where she went. My mind races with possibilities – was she taken? Did she leave willingly? Why would she go without telling me?
Suddenly, an idea strikes me. The cottage has CCTV cameras – maybe they caught something that can help me find Isabella. It's a long shot, but it's all I've got.
"Please let there be something," I pray as I race back inside the cottage, pulling up the security footage on my laptop.
I scan through the footage, my heart hammering in my chest as I search for any sign of Isabella or her abductors. Every minute that passes feels like an eternity, and with each passing second, my hope begins to wane.
"Come on," I hiss at the screen, desperation gnawing at me. "Show me something, anything..."
