In His Grasp: A Mafia Romance

Chapter 74: What She Needs is You

The room door closed, isolating Isabella's cries inside. Emanuele stood at the door with a furrowed brow, but his mind was still filled with Isabella's sobs. She was so sad, like a forsaken puppy.

For some reason, Emanuele's heart began to ache in sync with Isabella's pain. However, this kind of sensitive vulnerability was the last thing a mafia boss needed. He lit a cigarette, the smoke filling the room, and the nicotine eased his mood slightly.

He told Lilly, "Take care of her."

Lilly frowned and replied, "But, Emanuele, what she needs is you."

"I can't give her anything. Only Clark can make her happy," Emanuele responded coldly, as icy as ever.

Lilly looked at the man she had known since his childhood, usually kind to those close to him but ruthless towards enemies. Now, she saw him being cruel to Isabella, which was heart-wrenching.

She couldn't understand how he, as Isabella's stepbrother, could treat her this way. Emanuele left Lilly to look after Isabella and, sitting in the car, Phillip couldn't help but ask, "Boss, are you really going to watch Miss Gould marry Mr. Campbell?"

He clearly sensed that his boss had feelings for Miss Gould, but why wouldn't he admit it?

"It was always my plan from the beginning to have her marry Clark or a subordinate. Now, this is just following my original plan," Emanuele said.

"But..."

"Don't say any more. Drive properly. We'll wait for Isabella to get married, and I don't have time for this," Emanuele snapped. "Alright, I'll drive properly," Phillip immediately closed his mouth, fearing that Emanuele might lose his temper if he continued.

He felt sorry for Miss Gould; she clearly didn't like Clark, but the boss was determined. There was nothing he could do.

After Emanuele left, Lilly opened Isabella's room. She knew Isabella was still sick and incredibly fragile after Emanuele's recent provocation.

Fortunately, Isabella remained conscious, but her condition looked awful. Isabella sat on the edge of the bed, hugging her knees, curled up into a tiny ball, sobbing quietly. Due to her illness, her voice was weak, as if it could vanish at any moment.

"Isabella, are you okay, my dear?" Lilly approached, trying to console her. Isabella clung to Lilly and burst into tears.

"I don't understand why he's doing this to me," Isabella sobbed while Emanuele had just mentioned that Clark would be moving in with her tomorrow, making her feel like her world was falling apart.

Even if Clark had excellent conditions, if she didn't love him, she didn't want him. Isabella felt like she was in a dark abyss, unable to see anything. She felt like she had to take an estazolam, or her heart would shatter, and her breath would stop.

"Everything will get better, my dear. You're so innocent and kind; God will surely bless you," Lilly comforted Isabella, holding her and stroking her head repeatedly.

Isabella leaned into Lilly's embrace. It took her a while to calm down; she was already tired from her illness, and the recent scare almost triggered her claustrophobia. As things settled, exhaustion washed over Isabella, and she drifted off to sleep against Lilly.

Seeing Isabella's pale face and her increasingly frail figure, Lilly felt a deep pang of heartache. Over time, she had come to regard Isabella as her own child. If her own child were to go through such suffering, she'd be devastated. However, Emanuele's decision was challenging to change.

The next day, when Isabella woke up, she felt her chest tighten, and her head was heavy. As soon as she opened her eyes, she heard a voice, "Isabella, you're awake."

Isabella looked up and was surprised to see Clark! They hadn't seen each other for some time, and Clark still looked handsome with his blond hair and blue eyes, like a radiant sun in the room. But seeing Clark made Isabella even sadder. The thought of marrying him was overwhelming, and her tears were about to overflow.

"Clark, are we really getting married?" Isabella spoke, her voice hoarse and speaking felt difficult, as if there were knives in her throat.

"Yes, Isabella, don't worry. I'll treat you well," Clark said, sitting next to Isabella and holding her hand.

Isabella pulled her hand away. "But I don't love you. I can't accept marrying someone without feelings."

"It's okay. After we get married, we can go back to Canada, and we'll have plenty of time to build our relationship slowly."

Do we really have to do this? Isabella swallowed hard; it felt like swallowing razor blades. "We're both very young, and there's plenty of time to develop feelings. In the beginning, if you don't like me, that's okay We can take it slow. I won't force you," Clark reassured her, stroking her hair gently, making Isabella feel cared for. He was completely different from Emanuele; he was so gentle.

"We can just be like any other couple," Clark added.

Isabella asked, "Then why are you marrying me? There are many girls who like you. You don't need to choose me."

Although Isabella had a hunch about the reason, she still wanted to resist, hoping that Clark might suddenly realize that she wasn't important.

"Because you're Emanuele's stepsister, and you're beautiful and lively, the kind of girl I like."

If it were just about beauty, it wouldn't be enough for Clark to marry her. He was too young, and he had the means to play around. But Isabella was also Emanuele's stepsister, and marrying her would create a powerful alliance. Even though Emanuele was facing a crisis now, he believed Emanuele would resolve it soon. And if he couldn't, he'd notify them, the clerics, to join forces, and those Sicilian men wouldn't stand a chance.

Isabella's despair grew; she looked at Clark. "But I just want to live a normal life. The Mafia world isn't for me. You know, my dream is to become a doctor."

She wanted to be a doctor, to heal and save lives, but the Mafia world completely contradicted her ideals. But, more than that, in her mind, Emanuele's cold face appeared, and she couldn't help but close her eyes in agony. It seemed that if she married Emanuele, she wouldn't mind these things.

"It's okay, Isabella. Even if you marry me, you can still be a doctor," Clark comforted her.

"But I can't stand by and watch you all kill people!" Isabella shouted in desperation. "I can't have a killer lying next to me!"