In His Grasp: A Mafia Romance

Chapter 44: Meeting Chloe

She said she was coming in a week, right? How is she here already? Isabella had absolutely no preparation for this. But thinking about it, it was quite typical of Chloe; she always enjoyed playing games with her.

Telling her she'd come in a week, only to arrive three days later, was a way to shock and unnerve her, catching her off guard - a type of playful manipulation.

"Isabella, are you still there? Can you hear me?" Sophia hadn't received any response from Isabella and couldn't help but ask again.

"Mom, I need to rest right now. I won't be seeing her," Isabella finally found her voice after a considerable effort.

After hanging up the phone, Isabella struggled to calm her emotions. Her heart was racing as if it wanted to burst out of her chest. This feeling was terrible.

"Are you okay, Isabella?" Emanuele asked, breaking the silence at the dining table.

He noticed that Isabella's face was terrible after taking that call, and she seemed as if she might faint. Did she react this way every time she talked to Sophia? Was she just naturally sensitive or timid? However, she sometimes stood up to his intimidation, so that didn't seem likely.

If she cried and begged right from the start, he'd find it rather uninteresting. But Isabella was different.

Looking at Emanuele's concerned gaze, Isabella felt he was truly enigmatic. Sometimes ruthless and sometimes surprisingly gentle. She knew better than to hope for the devil, as he would inevitably shatter that notion whenever she started to think he might not be so bad.

With a sigh, Isabella realized that a calm life had become a luxury for her. She always told herself to stay calm and think of strategies to overcome difficulties. However, with Chloe's imminent arrival, she couldn't help but tremble. Her damn claustrophobia seemed to be acting up again.

After finishing her meal, Isabella returned to her room to rest. Although she didn't have to work today, she still needed to finish some reports she had been neglecting. She would be graduating in a little over a month.

At some point, Emanuele joined her at her side, watching her work on her report. He said, "Isabella, soon you'll be finishing your studies."

"At that time, I'll marry Clark," Isabella preempted what Emanuele had likely wanted to say.

"Hahaha, it seems you're already aware of that. That's good." Emanuele patted Isabella's head and then reached out to play with her hair, causing her reddish-brown locks to coil around his fingers, making Isabella feel as if she were being toyed with.

"However, Clark recently returned to Canada for something important. He's busy and probably won't have the time to visit you."

Recently, Clark's cousin had been in a critical situation, and he had been taken by the enemies, barely managing to escape with his life. This incident had put Clark's authority to the test, and he intended to make those responsible pay.

Isabella wasn't aware of the details, but when Clark left, he had called and said he had to go to Canada and asked her to wait for him. She had agreed, although secretly, she hoped he would stay away for a month or so, which would conveniently delay her wedding.

Emanuele studied Isabella's face closely. She had just recovered from an illness, and her expression appeared fragile and somewhat unwell. Yet, it didn't diminish her beauty in the slightest.

He leaned in and gently kissed Isabella's cheek, then slid his fingers to her lips, causing them to become slightly swollen under his touch.

Her eyes were filled with innocence and confusion, as if she didn't know what he intended to do. But what if she used that mouth of hers to do something more intimate? Would her expression still be so innocent? The mere thought of it made him frighteningly aroused, on the brink of explosion.

"Emanuele, what do you want?" The confusion in Isabella's eyes had turned into anger. She thought this man had gone too far. He was now treating her as an object, playing with her, treating her like prey. "I'm admiring you, you're beautiful," Emanuele didn't hold back his appreciation, even the simple act of touching her body made his blood boil.

"Beautiful?" Isabella didn't believe Emanuele's words. She had always considered herself plain, and she'd known that from childhood. Chloe had always mocked her looks and figure, causing her to lose confidence in dating after one failed relationship. So she couldn't understand why a man of Emanuele's caliber would be interested in her. Maybe it was just for the novelty, just to toy with her. She wasn't going to be his plaything. Isabella turned away and buried herself under the covers. "Please, I've just recovered from an illness and I'm still weak. I need some rest."

Emanuele, watching her huddle under the covers, wanted to keep teasing her, but considering her recent illness, he didn't want to push her too far. He gently stroked her hair. "Fine, get some rest."

No matter how many times Isabella visited the Lombardi mansion, she always felt uneasy. But today, it was even more suffocating because Chloe was here. After work, she had no choice but to go to her stepfather's house. Yesterday, she had used the excuse of not feeling well to avoid coming, but tonight, she couldn't get out of it.

Chloe had moved into the Lombardi family mansion as soon as she arrived in Chicago since, other than Isabella and Sophia, she didn't know anyone else in the city.

Today, after several phone calls from Sophia, Isabella had to rush to her stepfather's house immediately after work to meet Chloe.

As soon as she entered the living room, she saw Chloe.

Chloe was now wearing the latest CHANEL dress, her thick hair cascading down her back, and she had applied a subtle makeup that made her look extremely elegant and ladylike. However, Isabella couldn't help but feel a sharp edge to her appearance.

"Isabella, long time no see. You've become so pretty!" Chloe's voice was surprisingly cheerful compared to her usual dark tone when she spoke to her alone.

She approached Isabella.

As Chloe came closer, Isabella felt her breathing becoming increasingly difficult. Fortunately, she had taken her medication in advance, or she feared she might collapse.

Chloe arrived by Isabella's side and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "You little bitch, why do you think you can come here? Trying to steal Emanuele from me? I'll tell you, you'll pay for your greed!"

Isabella's body trembled uncontrollably. This was Chloe's favorite phrase. Every time she said these words, she would start hurting her. Now she was here again.

Isabella had to admit that she always felt powerless in front of Chloe. She had lived in Chloe's shadow from childhood to adulthood. She had hoped that she would grow stronger when she went to college and moved to Chicago, far away from Chloe. But now, it seemed like nothing more than a dream. She dared not say anything rebellious; every time she thought of the times when Chloe was in a bad mood and would hit her, slap her, or kick her, she didn't know how to resist. Her fear of Chloe had been deeply imprinted on her body, and she reacted like Pavlov's dog, instantly triggered when she saw Chloe.

Just then, a hand was placed on Isabella's shoulder. She raised her head and saw Emanuele's handsome yet icy face. Emanuele also looked down at her. "What's wrong, Isabella? You don't seem well. Is it because you haven't fully recovered from your illness?"

Isabella hadn't spoken yet, but Chloe had already taken the initiative to talk to Emanuele. She walked up to him and extended her hand with a smile. "Mr. Lombardi, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Isabella's cousin. You can call me Chloe."