In His Grasp: A Mafia Romance

Chapter 49: Did Your Cousin Do Something to You?

He felt that Isabella's fall had been too severe. Her face was badly bruised and swollen, and as Emanuele examined her, he couldn't help but feel that something was amiss.

"What could make your face look like this, Isabella? Can you explain it to me?" Emanuele touched Isabella's cheek and noticed it wasn't a typical bruise. It seemed to bear the imprint of a hand. His breath turned icy, like a winter's chill, as he said, "Isabella, you're not being truthful. Did your cousin do something to you?"

Initially, Isabella's steadfast demeanor made Emanuele believe her. But as he examined the facial injuries more closely, he began to suspect that they might be intentional.

Hearing Emanuele's question, Isabella shook her head and quickly replied, "No, it was me. I injured myself. If it were really my cousin bullying me, I'd have shouted and made Tony aware of it." Emanuele continued to study Isabella's expression. She still seemed determined, like a warrior. It was strange. Emanuele had years of experience dealing with adversaries, and he could tell that these injuries were not typical of a simple fall. However, Isabella's unwavering determination made him reserve his doubts.

Emanuele applied some ointment to her face and then inquired about her hands and feet.

"No, just my face hit the ground. The rest of my body is fine," Isabella confirmed.

After Emanuele left the room, Isabella breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily, he hadn't pressed further. But the thought of her confrontation with Chloe still sent shivers down her spine. Today marked her first act of defiance against Chloe's orders, a small but significant step in her progress.

However, she knew she needed to do more. When Chloe attacked her, she should learn to fight back. One step at a time, Isabella thought, feeling somewhat fatigued as she buried herself under her covers. Emanuele left Chloe's room and called Tony to ask some questions.

"Tony, did you notice anything unusual when Isabella's cousin visited today?"

Tony shook his head and replied, "She was waiting at the door when Miss Gould came back from work. She entered the apartment with Miss Gould and took a quick tour before heading to Miss Gould's room to have a conversation."

Emanuele squinted. "When did she leave?"

"She stayed in Miss Gould's room for about half an hour and then left, taking two of Miss Gould's dresses with her."

To take Isabella's dresses? Emanuele knew that aside from a few pieces from her previous life, the rest of Isabella's wardrobe had been provided by him. So why would Chloe take Isabella's dresses? Emanuele had Tony pull up the surveillance footage from the apartment. However, it only covered the living room area, showing Chloe and Isabella talking, with nothing appearing amiss.

Emanuele gazed at Isabella's closed bedroom door. He had a nagging feeling that there was something he didn't know.

However, if that woman was so insistent that she had injured herself, Emanuele decided not to waste his time on it. He had many other matters to attend to. Earlier, he had received news that one of their warehouses had been destroyed by the Sicilian faction, resulting in significant losses, including some of his men.

Those Sicilian rats seemed endless. Just when he thought he had defeated one of their factions, another one would rear its head. He swore that he would make them pay dearly for their actions. When Isabella headed to work, she took extra care to apply a thick layer of foundation to hide the bruises on her face. Otherwise, her colleagues at the hospital would likely insist on reporting it to the police. Though her injuries from the previous day had improved, the fresh morning light revealed her darkening bruises. She quickly used makeup to conceal them. But as her best friend, Evelyn, could discern, Isabella's makeup couldn't completely mask the damage.

"Evelyn, what happened to your face? Did your enemies hurt you?" Evelyn's shock and concern were palpable, and she immediately assumed it was the work of Isabella's adversaries.

"No, it was Chloe," Isabella confessed. "She hit me when she came over last night."

"That nasty witch!" Evelyn burst out. "Isabella, she dared to hurt you like this? You should stand up for yourself!"

"I did stand up to her. I told her she couldn't stay with me, and she hit me," Isabella replied, a sense of satisfaction washing over her as she remembered her brave words from the night before. To many, her response might have seemed timid, but given her history of being oppressed by Chloe, it was a significant step.

"Wow, Isabella, you're amazing!" Evelyn hugged her. She knew that Isabella had been through a lot, making this small act of defiance a major milestone.

"Next time, be even braver. If she dares to hurt you, cut off her hand. Remember, you're Emanuele's stepsister now. Even if you kill her, Emanuele will support you," Evelyn suggested.

Although she was a doctor and didn't endorse violence or murder, Chloe was no ordinary adversary. Her constant torment had left Isabella with claustrophobia, and she deserved severe punishment. Isabella lowered her eyes, hesitating. While she wished for Chloe to face consequences, she couldn't bring herself to think about murder.

However, a dark thought crept into her mind, and she quickly shook it off. How could she have such evil ideas?

Soon, their colleagues arrived to call Isabella and Evelyn to prepare for surgery, so their discussion was put on hold.

Hospital work was demanding and often monotonous. It required a strong psychological disposition when dealing with patients. But, during these moments, Isabella could pause her thoughts about Emanuele and Chloe, focus on her work, and maintain emotional stability.

After work, Isabella received a call from Chloe.

"Isabella, Auntie is calling you for dinner. Come quickly. I've prepared your favorite tomato bacon pasta," Chloe's voice was gentle and inviting, but Isabella couldn't shake the feeling that Chloe was like a Venus flytrap, looking harmless on the surface but ready to devour anyone who ventured too close.