In His Grasp: A Mafia Romance

Chapter 55: Sisterly Bonds

Chloe pretended to act in Isabella's best interest and threw all the unfinished dinner into the trash. Here, Chloe found a long-awaited sense of satisfaction.

That damn bitch, did she think she could challenge Chloe just because she had become a member of the Lombardi family? Heh, Chloe would make sure Isabella understood that she couldn't escape her control even if she were dead.

Isabella was trapped in agony, feeling somewhat lost, as Chloe continued to taunt her.

"Isabella, if you want to look even more beautiful in your clothes, you should learn to control your food intake. I'll be staying here for a few days, and starting tomorrow, I'll cook for you. You'll eat what I make. I promise that before I leave, I'll transform you into a slender beauty."

Transform her into a slender beauty? Did that mean withholding food from her? Isabella thought about her usual workload. If she couldn't eat properly when she got home, she wondered if she might get sick from hunger.

But Isabella didn't have the courage to refuse; she no longer dared to resist Chloe. Although she had tried to fight back once or twice, the results weren't positive. Instead, it only made Chloe crazier. Even under the watchful eyes of the bodyguards, Chloe was still capable of harming her.

Isabella had become increasingly insecure and had lost her courage. Watching Isabella bow her head, unable to defy her, Chloe laughed cruelly. She reached out and patted Isabella's head, rather harshly, causing Isabella to furrow her brows in pain.

Then, she got up, walked to the balcony, and sat down, gazing at the scenery outside while instructing Isabella to pour her a glass of wine.

She took great satisfaction in her high-handed, queen-like attitude, as if she were the true mistress of this place.

Isabella observed Chloe's haughty behavior and thought that perhaps Emanuele and Chloe were indeed a good match to some extent. Both of them were cruel and brought her suffering.

But Isabella believed that, compared to Chloe, Emanuele still had a semblance of humanity. At least, he protected her to some extent, even though he enjoyed tormenting her unilaterally.

Chloe, on the other hand, seemed like a person possessed by a demon, devoid of emotions and humanity. Torturing Isabella simply brought her joy, and she hadn't killed her, probably because she lacked the capability. But if Chloe had the power and influence that Emanuele did, she would surely kill her without hesitation.

At the thought of Chloe possibly staying here for several days, Isabella began to feel nauseated. She also wondered what Emanuele's reaction would be when he returned.

But today, Emanuele hadn't come back.

While Isabella went to sleep, Chloe remained in the living room. Chloe had even dressed in her most beautiful dress and applied a meticulous makeup. She had hoped that when Emanuele saw her, there would be a glint of admiration in his eyes.

But to her annoyance, she waited for a long time and Emanuele didn't return. Could it be that he knew she was here and was deliberately avoiding her?

Chloe thought of the man's cold and ruthless countenance, the last time he was willing to kill for Isabella. But Chloe believed that was because they weren't familiar with each other yet. Once they got to know each other better, everything would be fine. If he could tolerate someone like Isabella, a fat, worthless bitch, how could he not like her? As long as they had more interactions, she was certain Emanuele would grow fond of her.

However, today, Emanuele had indeed not returned.

Chloe waited until dawn and realized that Emanuele still hadn't returned, so she gave up.

The next day, as Isabella got up for work and prepared to eat breakfast, Chloe called out to her, "Isabella, this is your breakfast."

Isabella looked over and was surprised to see only a single egg. Oh my God! Chloe actually thought one egg would be enough for breakfast?

"Go ahead, but be sure to come home tonight. I'll prepare a healthy meal tailored to your needs," Chloe said with a smug smile.

Once Isabella left for work, leaving Chloe alone in the house, Chloe quickly felt content. She explored the house, sneakily opening Emanuele's room to take a look. Emanuele's room was dark, with the windows tightly shut and gray curtains drawn. The whole room appeared just as dark as Emanuele himself: a dark gray bed, dark gray sofa, and everything seemed to match his intense dominance. Chloe approached, lying down on Emanuele's bed, taking a deep breath. She could smell Emanuele's overpowering, masculine scent, and oh, how it fascinated her! Chloe began to imagine scenes of Emanuele holding her as they slept, and that man, like a wild wolf, must be wild in bed too, right?

She had heard that Emanuele was fierce in bed, even going so far as to hang women up and ride them like a horse. Chloe couldn't help but imagine the pleasure of being treated that way. She began to feel an intense desire.

Isabella wouldn't follow Chloe's advice to only eat one egg; she had bought a carton of milk and a sandwich. This was her regular breakfast. After eating, she delved into another day of hard work. Evelyn, noticing Isabella's troubled expression, bought her a coffee and asked, "Isabella, I can't help but feel that something's bothering you lately. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"I know you're under a lot of pressure with everything that's going on. As your friend, I don't have the power to help you, and I'm really sorry about that. But if you ever need someone to talk to or get things off your chest, please know that I'm here to listen. I'll do my best to support you."

"Evelyn, thank you. You're my best friend." Isabella felt touched and hugged Evelyn.

However, she knew that talking to Evelyn, apart from making her angry, wouldn't serve much purpose. Today's workday passed quickly for Isabella. In the blink of an eye, it was time to go home, but she dreaded the thought of returning home, not knowing what awful food Chloe had prepared.

What kind of terrible meal would Chloe have waiting for her? The road home left Isabella feeling uneasy.

Tony, while driving, observed Isabella. "Miss Gould, do you not want to go home to see your cousin?" He had also noticed that Isabella behaved strangely when she was with her cousin. It was hard not to suspect that there might be something wrong with their relationship. Emanuele had explicitly instructed him to keep an eye on how they interacted, so Tony had paid some attention...

"No, we sisters get along well," Isabella replied immediately, almost a reflexive response. She realized she was stuck in this pattern. In the past, whenever her mother returned home and asked if she got along with Chloe, Isabella would always say they had a close sisterly bond. If she didn't, Chloe would torment her in various ways once her mother had left. Of course, even if she said this, Chloe would still hit her, curse at her, and torture her.

Tony didn't say anything more; he quietly continued driving.

Upon returning home, Chloe saw Isabella and immediately gave her a warm hug. In front of outsiders, she needed to maintain a facade of gentleness and kindness.

"Isabella, you're back. Is work tough? I've prepared a healthy dinner for you, and after eating it, you'll surely shed some weight!" Chloe pulled Isabella into the dining room.