In His Grasp: A Mafia Romance

Chapter 158: Prepare for Battle

As soon as they disembarked, Tony began shielding Isabella, rushing towards the SUV parked not far away. Isabella found herself surrounded by protection from the back and sides.

Once they squeezed into the SUV, the tension finally dissipated. James took the wheel, forcefully stepping on the gas pedal, swiftly taking Isabella and the others away from the airstrip.

In this process, Isabella observed Tony and Harry gripping their guns tightly, their gaze fixed on the surroundings outside the car. Despite feeling tense herself, she doubted if the Sicilian enemies could really infiltrate this far.

After what seemed like an eternity, the car entered a mansion. When Isabella saw the densely packed guards and the massive iron gate, her nervous heart finally relaxed.

The car stopped in the courtyard. A man in black combat attire approached James, saying, "Sir, Mr. Gallo has been waiting for your arrival. Please follow me inside."

Isabella noticed Tony and others putting away their guns. They opened the car door, allowing Isabella to step out first.

During Grazia's wedding, Isabella had visited this place, but her mood was much lighter back then. She recalled Emanuele offering her to stay here temporarily, a suggestion she had declined. Now, there was no room for resistance as she was brought here directly.

As she observed the art-filled courtyard, Isabella couldn't muster any appreciation. They crossed the courtyard and arrived at the castle-like mansion.

Upon entering, Grazia immediately embraced Isabella. "Oh, Isabella, it's so good to see you again. I never expected Dad and Stepmom would run into trouble..."

Grazia's tears started flowing again. Despite not wanting this, the sudden encounter with a familiar face, her sister, made Grazia burst into tears. She felt that at this moment, she and Isabella should embrace each other and console.

Seeing Grazia crying, Isabella couldn't help shedding a few tears as well, but she tried hard to restrain her emotions.

"Grazia, take care of yourself. Your dad is in heaven; he wouldn't want to see you like this."

Grazia nodded.

Rocco approached, holding Grazia's shoulders, then turned to Isabella. "Isabella, welcome. Emanuele asked me to take care of you for a few days."

"Thank you." Isabella looked at the man before her, his appearance not much different from before. The only change was a softer demeanor compared to when she first met him.

It seemed that Grazia and Rocco had a good relationship, giving Isabella a bit more reassurance.

"Let's go, Isabella. I've arranged a room for you in a style you'll like." Grazia quickly composed herself, wiped away her tears, and led Isabella upstairs.

The estate was vast, with a luxurious garden and equally opulent interior. The house resembled a palace, adorned with numerous medieval oil paintings. Everywhere, vases with intricate carvings held fresh flowers, creating an overwhelmingly beautiful scene.

Grazia led Isabella to the second floor, where all the bedrooms were. She took Isabella to one of them, and upon entering, Isabella saw sunlight streaming in through the glass window, illuminating the room's floor and a large, warm yellow bed.

The warm tones of the room felt familiar and comforting. Cream-colored sofa, cream-colored curtains-oh God! Isabella suddenly remembered the small apartment she used to rent before meeting Emanuele. "Isabella, do you like it? Emanuele said you prefer this style, so I had someone help with the changes."

Why wouldn't she like it? If she didn't, she wouldn't have deliberately chosen these colors for her own rented apartment. These colors made Isabella feel warm and calm.

But the fact that Emanuele specifically instructed Grazia to make these changes surprised her. Isabella thought back to the times when Emanuele would show up at her apartment without notice, scaring her at first, even fearing him. Later, when the apartment became a target, she couldn't return, and many things were left unattended.

Occasionally, she would miss that place and the peaceful days. She never expected that not only she remembered it, but Emanuele remembered it too.

He recalled the layout and color scheme of her previous room. In that instant, Isabella felt a warm stream flowing in her heart. The comfortable and warm feeling seemed to stretch through her entire body. Could it be that Emanuele liked her? If he didn't, he wouldn't remember these details. However, thinking of the hurtful words he said before she left Chicago, Isabella felt a bit confused.

Could a man so selfish and self-centered genuinely like her?

After unpacking, which didn't take long as she didn't have much, Isabella asked James. He mentioned that, at most, it would take three days to know the results.

These three days...

Isabella glanced at her phone; there was no sign of any updates. She couldn't help but sigh.

Grief and anxiety surrounded her. Having lost her mother, she feared losing Emanuele as well.

Despite the room being arranged in the warm and comfortable style she liked, it still couldn't completely ease her tension.

"Emanuele, you promised you wouldn't die because you didn't want me to be with other men. I hope you keep your word."

Grazia and Isabella chatted in the room.

Outside the room, Rocco changed into combat attire, checking his weapons.

"I really wish I could accompany you to Los Angeles." James clenched his fists; his blood was boiling, eager to avenge his fallen comrades.

"You stay here; rest assured, we will be with Emanuele." Rocco smiled, "He's like a brother to me now, isn't he?"

As Grazia's husband, their relationship with Emanuele had evolved beyond mere business partners.

"When Emanuele finds out, he'll be pleasantly surprised. We have to let him know he's not alone in this fight."

On the second day of Isabella's departure, Emanuele set off for Los Angeles. However, upon his arrival, someone called out to him.

"Hey, Emanuele, I'm here."

Emanuele turned to see Isidoro, a bit surprised. "How did you come?"

"How could I be absent?" Clark's voice chimed in. "I'm the number one provider of intelligence! Isidoro, look, your intelligence network is no match for mine."

Isidoro looked at Clark with disdain. This guy was only efficient when it came to women he liked.

"Aren't you going to pick up your sweetheart?" Emanuele knew that Clark had a crush on Madilyn. "Wait a bit. I'll accompany you with your business first."