In His Grasp: A Mafia Romance

Chapter 40: Emanuele's Close Protection

"Isabella, listen, it's not the time for you to act recklessly," Sophia said. "You've become a target, and I worry about you living alone. With Emanuele by your side, you'll be safe."

She believed in her stepson, sure that he could take care of Isabella.

Safe? Isabella couldn't shake the feeling that Emanuele was the least safe element.

"Mom, there are bodyguards all around my apartment. No killer can break in," Isabella insisted. She remembered the events of yesterday and felt like it was a nightmare, making her want to escape immediately.

But now, it seemed like that demon-like man didn't intend to let her go.

"Isabella!" Sophia's tone grew urgent and slightly angry. "You're the only person in this world I'm truly concerned about. Even Leo, to be honest, doesn't hold the place in my heart that you do. If something happens to you, it would break my heart."

Over the phone, Isabella heard the emotions in Sophia's voice, bordering on the brink of tears. It made her hesitate to voice her refusal.

After all, what if something did happen to her? How would her mother cope?

Although Emanuele was twisted, deriving pleasure from tormenting her, he was at least capable of protecting her. But she wondered what would happen between them now that he was moving in. Isabella closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh. "Alright, Mom, I'll do as you say."

After all, the apartment was large enough. They could each stay in separate rooms, hopefully with no interference.

Isabella didn't want Emanuele to touch her, though. Even though the sensation wasn't unpleasant, it was too humiliating. She had no dignity left when she was in front of him.

That evening, when Isabella returned to the apartment, she found that Emanuele was already there. He was sitting on the couch, smoking, his long legs stretched out in front of him, appearing incredibly relaxed.

"Isabella, starting today, I'll be living here," Emanuele said with a sly smile. He seemed to be in a good mood, and his hazel eyes flickered with an almost fiery light.

Isabella, however, couldn't force a smile. She looked at the tall, powerful man in front of her. In his presence, she felt as small as a chick.

"I appreciate you taking the initiative to protect me," Isabella said. "But I hope you understand that I'd like you to do nothing more than provide security."

She couldn't help but warn Emanuele, even though she knew her warnings were likely in vain.

"Nothing more?" Emanuele repeated her words in a low voice. He then stubbed out his cigarette and walked towards Isabella with firm steps.

Isabella instinctively stepped back, but it was too late. Emanuele had already reached her, and he reached out to encircle her waist, pulling her into his embrace. His other hand held her chin, forcing Isabella to look up at him.

"What else did you want to say? Is it something like this?" Emanuele inched closer to Isabella. At this moment, they were very close, nearly nose to nose.

He had just finished smoking, and the scent of tobacco wafted over her, making Isabella feel uncomfortable.

"Emanuele, when I beg you, can you let me go? You wanted me to marry, right? Why are you treating me like this now?" Isabella begged, almost on the verge of tears.

After what happened last night, she had developed a psychological shadow, terrified that Emanuele would cruelly violate her again.

But when she looked into her eyes, filled with pain, despair, and a hint of humiliation, and saw her refusing to give in, Emanuele felt an intense thrill.

"What's there to be afraid of? Clark doesn't know anything, does he? After I have my fun, I'll hand it over to Clark. It's a win-win situation. You don't have the guts to betray me, right?" Emanuele spoke while lowering his head to kiss Isabella's lips, his hand caressing her cheek, feeling her smooth skin.

Then, his hand trailed down, skimming along her back, moving up and down, lightly and deeply, just like his unpredictable nature that kept people guessing.

"You can't do this, Emanuele," Isabella's voice trembled. Her body felt tense, and she sensed Emanuele's excitement, as if he intended to devour her whole.

This perverted, demonic man! She noticed that sometimes, the more nervous she got, the more excited he became. It disgusted her to her core.

She couldn't afford to show too much emotion in front of Emanuele because she realized he enjoyed the feeling of controlling her.

Emanuele soon noticed that Isabella was repressing her emotions. Even though she had been in a state of panic and fear earlier, she now appeared quite calm.

Emanuele loosened his grip on Isabella. This woman was indeed smart. She knew he enjoyed her fear, so she made an effort to appear calm.

But little did she know that one's eyes could betray them. No matter how calm she acted, her eyes wouldn't meet his, and she kept swallowing repeatedly. It had already given her away.

However, Emanuele released her. He wasn't in a hurry. He wanted to see how long she could resist.

Emanuele stepped back from Isabella, and the stifling atmosphere around them dissipated. Isabella breathed a sigh of relief and felt lighter.

She told Emanuele she needed to go to her room to freshen up and immediately rushed into her bedroom, locking the door behind her.

She didn't want to experience what had happened the previous night again.

Observing Isabella's swift move to lock herself in her room, Emanuele couldn't help but chuckle. She was such a naive girl. Did she really think that would keep him out?

But he decided not to harass her any further. The truth was, he had come here to ensure her safety.

It was hard to believe that a man who had once wanted her dead was now personally safeguarding her. For Emanuele, it all boiled down to not letting his status as the head of the Mafia be challenged. Ensuring her safety was, in essence, protecting his reputation. In the eyes of their enemies, he and Isabella were one. If she died, they would perceive him as weak, unable to protect even his own, and this could lead to a strong attack against him. He couldn't afford that.

Isabella's life hadn't changed much. She continued working as usual. However, because Harry was in the hospital, Emanuele assigned another bodyguard to ensure her safety.

Today, a seriously injured car accident victim was brought to the hospital. Isabella, along with Pippo, participated in the surgery and successfully saved the patient's life.

As Isabella left the operating room to wash up, she couldn't help but wonder. It was strange. These people were severely injured, but she didn't find treating them gruesome. In fact, she felt a sense of fulfillmen in saving lives.

But the corpses from the previous night's shootout had left her nauseated. Perhaps it was the casual disregard for life among those men that she couldn't tolerate.

Pippo walked over to her at that moment. "Saving lives is a beautiful thing, isn't it?" Pippo appeared thoughtful. "Yes," Isabella replied.

"I prefer our profession. We get to save so many lives, unlike those mafia guys who tread on life casually."

Isabella understood the underlying meaning of Pippo's words. She didn't want to delve into this conversation further, so she simply said, "Yes, I feel the same way." She returned to her office, but Pippo called out to her, "Isabella, I know you probably want nothing to do with those people. Don't you want to leave this life behind?"