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"Go now," he dismisses me with a wave of his hand. "We will speak again soon."
I rise from my seat, nodding once before turning to leave. As the door opens and I step back out into the sunlight, I see Stefano waiting for me. His eyes are filled with concern, but I can't help but feel a pang of guilt. I must continue with my mission, even if it means keeping secrets from the man who has become so dear to me.
"Isabella?" Stefano calls out, and I turn to find him approaching me with evident anxiety on his handsome face. "Everything all right?" He wraps an arm around my shoulders protectively. I don’t respond.
"What did the Capo tell you?"
"Nothing of importance," I lie, unwilling to reveal the truth just yet. "He's going to Mexico for a while."
"Mexico?" he repeats with concern.
"Si,Stefano," I assure him, my heart clenching at the thought of keeping secrets from the man I've grown to care for so deeply.
"Why?" he asks.
"I don't know," I shrug my shoulders.
“Alright,” he says, linking his arm through mine.
We make our way back to Stefano's cottage, the Capo's words still hanging heavily in the air between us. The door shuts softly behind us, blocking out the world and its threats, if only for a moment. Stefano's eyes meet mine.
"Isabella," he says gently, his voice like velvet, "you know you can tell me anything, right?"
I hesitate, debating whether to confide in him about the Capo's news. But some inner voice urges me to caution, insisting that I keep my thoughts to myself for now.
I fear if I tell him, Stefano might follow the Capo to Mexico to hunt down my father's killers himself. I need to protect him, like he's vowed to protect me. "It's nothing, really," I say, forcing a smile onto my lips. "He was just reminding me to be good."
Stefano searches my face, but seems to accept my explanation. "Alright," he sighs, running a hand through his dark hair. "But I want you to know, you can always talk to me. I’m here for you.”
"Thank you, Stefano," I murmur, touched by his unwavering support. As he leaves the room, presumably to give me some space, I take advantage of the opportunity to make a call.
I quickly move to the bathroom and pull out the burner phone from where I hid it under a stack of towels before showering.
"Hello?" Clara answers after several rings, her voice a welcome balm to my frayed nerves.
"Clara, it's Isabella," I whisper urgently, glancing at the closed door just to be sure Stefano isn't within earshot. "I need your help."
"Of course," she replies without hesitation. "What do you need?"
"Can you ask your Illuminati girls to keep an eye on Luca Conti's activities in Mexico? And keep track of how many times and why Juan and he are meeting. I need to know the nature and extent of their relationship," I explain briefly about the Capo's unexpected departure to go deal with my father's killers and my suspicions surrounding his true intentions.
If he really cared to do this for me, he would have allowed me to decide how to serve justice.
Clara agrees, promising to gather as much information as possible and keep me updated. With the call ended, I let out a deep breath, feeling the tiniest sliver of control returning to my grasp.
I quickly move back to the bedroom and as I stand in the quiet cottage, I can't help but ponder the complexities of the world we're tangled in – and just how far I'm willing to go to protect those I love.
Chapter 28
Stefano
Isabellaslinksintotheroom, quietly, in nothing but her bra and a pair of shorts. My throat goes dry at the sight of her.
"Stefano, please take me out tonight. I'm going mad cooped up in this place." Her green eyes plead with me.
I run a hand over my face, torn between my duty to the Capo and my desire to give Isabella what she wants. The Capo's been acting strange lately, his orders convoluted and paranoid. But he'd have my head if I disobeyed him.
Yet, look at all those times I followed orders obediently. And now, I'm still not in the loop on why he makes me do what he does.
