In His Grasp: A Mafia Romance

Chapter 48: She Dares Not Speak the Truth

Emanuele returned to the apartment quite early because he was eager to enjoy the dinner Isabella had prepared. He couldn't forget the delicious pasta she had cooked last time. He had to admit that Isabella was an excellent cook, better than the chefs he usually hired.

However, upon entering the apartment, he noticed the unusual silence and a deserted living room. Tony was the only one there.

At this hour, Isabella should have been home, getting ready to prepare dinner.

"Boss," Tony greeted Emanuele as he walked in.

"Where's Isabella?" Emanuele inquired.

"Miss Gould is in her room. She's been in there all evening, saying she's tired and needs some rest."

"She hasn't eaten yet?" Emanuele asked.

"No," Tony sighed, "Miss Gould's cousin came to visit, and they've been talking in her room."

Tony was Isabella's bodyguard, and while he couldn't enter her room as she was a lady, he was responsible for ensuring her safety. If he didn't receive any response, he would have to check on her safety. In this case, it was clear that Isabella wasn't in immediate danger, but there might be other concerns.

Emanuele approached Isabella's room and knocked on the door. "Isabella, are you alright?"

After a pause, Isabella's voice came from inside. "I'm fine, just a little tired from work, so I wanted to rest."

"I just want to check on you," Emanuele said as he reached for the door, but to his surprise, the room was locked.

"Very well. Now Isabella's become quite cautious, even locking her door," he thought.

His actions had clearly startled Isabella.

"You don't need to come in. I've changed into my pajamas and am lying down. Don't worry, I'm fine," Isabella's voice trembled slightly, as if she genuinely feared he might break in.

Emanuele wanted to see her for himself. "Let me see you, Isabella. You know, when I want to do something, no one can stop me. If you lock the door, I'll kick it down."

His patience was wearing thin.

The door was quickly opened, and Isabella appeared before him. But when Emanuele saw her, he could hardly believe his eyes. Her face was red and swollen with some bruises - this was not the Isabella he knew. She seemed listless and full of sorrow, a far cry from the spirited young woman he was used to.

Isabella saw the anger and disbelief in Emanuele's expression, and she quickly explained, "I just accidentally tripped and fell, and my face happened to hit the ground."

At that moment, Chloe's voice echoed in Isabella's mind, "If you dare to snitch, I'll send you straight to hell." Chloe had repeatedly warned her, making Isabella hesitant to speak about anything. Now she found herself in a similar situation.

"Fell and ended up like this?" Emanuele frowned, showing his doubt. Could Isabella be so careless? This didn't seem like the Isabella he knew.

But what other explanation could there be? Tony had mentioned that Isabella's cousin came to visit her today. Thinking about the woman who was desperately trying to win him over, Emanuele felt a wave of disgust.

"Tony said your cousin came to see you. Did she do this to you?" Emanuele thought back to last night when he observed Isabella's unnatural behavior around Chloe, raising his suspicions. "No, she just came to catch up," Isabella quickly explained.

Even without Chloe's warnings, Isabella knew that she couldn't reveal the truth to Emanuele. Their relationship was in a fragile balance of seeming enemies yet not entirely hostile. Despite their apparent harmony at the moment, she couldn't predict when he might snap and turn on her. Being cautious around him was a necessity, and revealing her secret would likely put her at a significant disadvantage. Isabella had no intention of finding herself in a dangerous situation.

Emanuele's hazel eyes narrowed as he carefully observed Isabella, seemingly trying to discern if she was lying.

Watching Isabella's unwavering expression, Emanuele chuckled and patted her shoulder. "Isabella, if she's bullying you, you can tell me. I won't let her get away with it."

Even though Isabella's determined attitude made it clear to him that Chloe wasn't the one mistreating her, Emanuele still couldn't shake his belief that Chloe was not a good person.

What makes a good person? Someone like Isabella, almost naïve at first sight, like a hothouse flower, delicate and always eager to please without a hint of malice. But Chloe gave him the impression of wild grass, ambitious and driven by a desire to conquer.

Honestly, if it weren't for the fact that Chloe was Isabella's cousin, he might have taken more drastic measures. Emanuele had a very bad temper, and if he felt someone had crossed a line, making him uncomfortable, he wouldn't hesitate to eliminate the threat.

"Okay," Isabella replied, her heart brimming with thoughts. She found Emanuele's statement strange; it felt as though he had just declared her as part of his circle, taking their relationship to a new level. Initially Emanuele had wanted to kill her, but now he was promising to protect her from harm.

But could she really trust him?

Given all they had been through, Isabella couldn't help but feel it was a challenge to put her full trust in Emanuele.

"Here, apply some ice to your face first, and then I'll help you with the medication." Emanuele went to the kitchen, retrieved two ice packs from the fridge, and handed them to Isabella. He then returned from the living room with a first-aid kit.

"Thank you, but I can apply the medication myself; I'm a doctor," Isabella said as she applied the cold packs to her face. The soothing cold relieved the pain in her face, making her feel more comfortable. "Listen to me," Emanuele said, his tone growing stern. It was evident he was getting frustrated with her refusal.

"Alright," Isabella relented, complying with Emanuele.

After Isabella applied the ice to her facial injuries, Emanuele took out an ointment and gently spread it over her skin. The specialized cream for these types of injuries brought immense relief to Isabella. This man, now carefully tending to her wounds, couldn't help but express his frustration. "Are you a complete idiot? How do you manage to trip and end up like this?"