In His Grasp: A Mafia Romance

Chapter 153: Leo's Final Call

Back at the apartment, Lilly immediately embraced Isabella, "Isabella, are you okay? I was so worried about you."

She had just heard about the attack on Isabella while she was out, and it was terrifying! Indeed, the apartment seemed to be the safest place.

Luckily, Isabella seemed fine at the moment, no issues. Lilly couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to her.

"I'm okay, not hurt. I'm just worried about Tony and the others," Isabella expressed her concern.

Isabella looked at Harry, "Does Emanuele know?"

Harry nodded.

Upon learning about the attack, Emanuele rushed to the scene with Phillip. The street was chaotic, several bodies lying on the ground, the air filled with the scent of gunpowder and blood. "Are you okay?" Emanuele found Tony and assessed his condition.

Tony nodded, "I'm fine, but we lost four brothers."

In times of war, sacrifices were inevitable.

Observing the scene, Emanuele saw his guards lying on the ground, blood already coagulating. Despite experiencing this many times, each occurrence weighed heavily on him. "Bury them properly and provide substantial compensation to their families."

"Yes."

Emanuele turned and returned to the apartment. His primary concern was Isabella. Faced with such a situation, she must be frightened and bewildered, despite her usual boldness.

Guilt crept into his heart like a thief. If Isabella hadn't been with him, she would still be leading a normal, ordinary life-quietly working as a doctor, perhaps married to a colleague, living in a small apartment in Chicago, spending a lifetime like that.

Not the current life filled with constant fear, the inability to go out freely, and the risk of life-threatening situations. He admitted that these risks were a result of his selfish decision to keep her by his side.

Yet, even considering this, Emanuele knew he wouldn't change a thing, given the chance to start over. Inside the apartment, Emanuele entered to find Isabella talking to Lilly. Today, she wore a simple floral T- shirt and casual jeans, looking like any other girl.

Her chestnut hair was tied back, revealing her round and beautiful face. She exuded youthful vitality effortlessly-full chest, slender waist, shapely hips-signs of her sensual beauty. At the sight of her, he felt a rush of heat throughout his body.

Of course, Emanuele restrained his inner desires. He had more important matters to attend to.

Approaching Isabella, he examined her and, relieved to see she was unharmed, he embraced her.

"Isabella, you're not too shaken, are you?"

Despite her seemingly calm demeanor, he couldn't tell if she was truly unaffected. After all, she appeared undisturbed, as if the recent attempt on her life hadn't happened. Isabella shook her head, "I'm fine. How about the other bodyguards?"

She still cared deeply for those who protected her. Among them, Tony was the one providing close protection, while others were visible only when she was on the move. At this moment, Isabella could only see Tony.

"Four dead," Emanuele confessed.

"Four... that many," Isabella felt a sharp pain in her heart, overcome with sadness. These guards had protected her since her marriage. She might not have known their names, but she recognized their faces. Their sudden deaths left Isabella feeling an indescribable sorrow, tears swirling in her eyes.

"Isabella, it's not your fault. They lost their lives in this profession, the highest honor for them," Emanuele reassured her, sensing her emotional distress.

Isabella, lost in her grief, looked at Emanuele. "In the world of the Mafia, perhaps. But I still believe that human life is the most precious. What's the meaning of all the honor when someone loses their life? I hope you can change your perspective sooner, Emanuele."

He felt Isabella had held this belief for too long, causing her continuous pain. The wars ahead would only increase, leading to more deaths. Emanuele didn't want Isabella to suffer.

However, Isabella misunderstood Emanuele's intentions. She glared at him with anger, "Emanuele, you're a devil. You claim it has nothing to do with me, but you see these sacrifices as honorable. If those people knew their boss was like this, they'd regret sacrificing their lives for you!"

Isabella despised Emanuele for his disregard for life, treating others' sacrifices as if they were expected.

Seeing Isabella's hatred in her eyes, Emanuele felt a stifling sensation in his chest. He only wanted to ease her emotions; after all, in their world, death was inevitable.

If she couldn't change her perspective, she would continue to suffer.

Yet, Isabella misunderstood him, and Emanuele sighed.

Let it be. If she wanted to misunderstand, he wouldn't explain. Their relationship was complicated-intimate at times, but distant with a touch of resentment on regular days.

As long as the current crisis persisted, Emanuele thought he wouldn't reveal his true feelings to Isabella. What if something happened to him? Isabella would surely be devastated. Even the death of unfamiliar bodyguards affected her deeply. What would happen if it were him?

At that moment, Emanuele's phone rang.

"Emanuele..." Leo's weak voice came from the other end.

Emanuele froze, realizing something. Suddenly, his whole body felt frozen, shivering with cold. "Dad!" he exclaimed, his voice trembling.

It was the first time Isabella saw Emanuele in such a state-tense and on the brink of collapse. Her heart clenched. Could something have happened to her mother and stepfather? "Emanuele, this is probably my last call to you... I didn't expect, none of us did... they attacked us abroad..."

Leo's hoarse voice spoke, and it was evident he was using all his strength to convey the message.

Emanuele's eyes turned dark, filled with a strong scent of blood. His grip on the phone tightened involuntarily, almost shattering it.

"Do you have anyone with you? Let them take you to the hospital!" Emanuele shouted.

"No... our guards are all dead... Sophia is gone too... Emanuele, you must live on..."

After Leo finished speaking, there was only heavy breathing on the other end. The breaths grew weaker, and finally, they vanished altogether.