In His Grasp: A Mafia Romance

Chapter 144: Frederick's Granddaughter

After Emanuele dismissed Phillip, his mood remained restless. Cigarette after cigarette ignited, leaving a pile of butts in the ashtray. White smoke lingered in the office.

Using Isabella as bait was out of the question. He wouldn't risk exposing her to any danger.

Unconsciously, Isabella's significance in his heart grew heavier.

Emanuele couldn't help but take a deep breath.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. What if Frederick discovered his affection for Isabella and sought to drive a wedge between them? Was Frederick planning to strike when Emanuele underestimated Isabella?

The possibility wasn't implausible. If that were the case, it would be disastrous. His greatest fear was enemies realizing he cared about Isabella. The more he cared, the more vulnerable Isabella became. Undoubtedly, Frederick was a formidable adversary, perhaps the first true challenger Emanuele had faced in many years. Crafty and elusive, Frederick lurked in the shadows, with his subordinates spread throughout Chicago, creating moderate yet troublesome disturbances. The troubles multiplied over time, and when quantitative changes reached a certain point, wouldn't it lead to a qualitative shift? Emanuele had inventoried the weapons in the warehouse, introduced many new ones, and doubled the number of elite subordinates. Everything was ready.

He possessed sufficient strength to defeat Frederick, but only in a direct confrontation. Emanuele had confidence in a frontal battle. However, Frederick was clever. Knowing he couldn't win head-on, Frederick preferred ambushes, always leaving himself an escape route.

Whenever Emanuele thought he had Frederick cornered, unexpected events occurred. Frederick slipped away like a fish, eluding Emanuele's grasp.

This frustration weighed heavily on Emanuele.

His patience wore thin.

Emanuele stared at the photo Isidoro gave him; Frederick's figure was blurry, but Emanuele recognized him immediately.

Frederick seemed indifferent, as if the recent assault hadn't affected him.

Upon learning Frederick was at the bar, Emanuele's men rushed there and searched nearby but found no trace of Frederick. However, Emanuele felt he was close.

So close.

Yet damn it, they had searched every area nearby, and there was no sign of Frederick!

Could it be a smokescreen deliberately released by Frederick? It fit his style. The old man enjoyed toying with him.

Thinking this, Emanuele called James, "Strip Madilyn naked, carve the word 'whore' on her back, and send me the photo."

Madilyn was Frederick's granddaughter. They had captured her recently and brought her back to Chicago. Originally a sophomore majoring in fine arts, Madilyn grew up in France. Her father was Frederick's deceased son. After her father's death, she and her mother lived in France. Madilyn rarely met Frederick and knew little about his affairs.

When they captured her, she resembled a frightened rabbit, scared out of her wits. Just as innocent and naive as Isabella when he first encountered her, Madilyn seemed oblivious to the world of the Mafia. Emanuele didn't want to harm an innocent person, but she was Frederick's granddaughter. If Frederick could target innocent people around him, why couldn't he go after his own granddaughter? Emanuele thought that if Frederick insisted on focusing on Isabella, he should let Frederick see the miserable situation of his beloved granddaughter.

He didn't know where Frederick obtained the photo of Isabella, but he felt uneasy about it. The situation became increasingly grim, prompting Emanuele to deploy more personnel to protect Isabella and warn her not to go out.

Isabella had no desire to go out. Whatever she wanted, she could instruct Tony to buy. Whatever she wanted to eat, Lilly could prepare, even better than the restaurant, tailored to her taste.

Usually, she stayed at home watching variety shows, taking online courses, and browsing social media to avoid disconnecting from society.

She wouldn't casually go out because she knew Frederick had his eyes on her. Even though she didn't know who this person was, someone as powerful and ruthless as Emanuele hadn't been able to locate him yet. Isabella understood that things were far from simple. Moreover, Frederick could obtain such private photos of her; it was indeed unsettling. She felt a bit panicked but reassured herself that following Emanuele's instructions would keep her safe.

Before sleeping, Isabella would touch the gun under her pillow-a gift from Emanuele. Initially, she rejected the idea, but now she accepted it. Placing it under her pillow, she ensured she had the means to protect herself if someone invaded her room.

To become even more powerful, Isabella told Emanuele she wanted to take shooting lessons.

Surprised by Isabella's request, Emanuele said, "Sure, after Grazia's wedding, I'll teach you." He believed he was the best teacher. Starting from childhood, he had learned to shoot and kill. Now, his marksmanship was the best in the entire gang. Isabella was intelligent, and he believed she could learn.

Isabella's adaptability to her surroundings impressed Emanuele. From initially resisting the Mafia, being afraid, to now actively wanting to learn shooting, she truly deserved to be the woman he had chosen. Isabella looked forward to Grazia's wedding. Recently, her friends were all busy. Grazia was busy preparing for the wedding with Rocco, leaving little time for them to meet. They could only chat on the phone a night when Grazia was free.

From the video calls, Isabella could see that Grazia's mood had improved since the beginning. She chatted and laughed, though she didn't seem as excited about the wedding. Grazia told her that Rocco was a very gentle person, which reassured Isabella.

As for Evelyn, Isabella called her a few times, but she didn't answer. Later, Evelyn sent her a message saying she was currently traveling abroad with Pippo, making communication inconvenient. Isabella didn't disturb her and decided to wait until she returned.

In the blink of an eye, it was the day of Grazia's wedding.

They all flew to Italy to attend Grazia's wedding.

In an Italian church, Isabella watched Grazia, dressed in a wedding gown, walk towards Rocco under Leo's guidance.

Relatives and friends around them watched the couple with blessing eyes.

Isabella inexplicably recalled the scene of her wedding to Emanuele. However, this time, Grazia wore a smile, seemingly genuine from the heart, and Isabella felt relieved. After the wedding in the church, there was a post-wedding party.

It was held at Rocco's mansion.

His mansion was large, comparable to the Lombardi family's estate, but with a different style. Full of Italian charm, even the flower beds had artistically designed lines. Isabella marveled at everything here, and Emanuele walked beside her, watching Isabella's eyes filled with admiration. He asked, "Do you like it here?"