In His Grasp: A Mafia Romance

Chapter 90: Does He Truly Like Her?

Emanuele appeared extremely irritable at this moment, and his frustrated expression successfully dissuaded Grazia from continuing to hand clothes to Isabella.

While Grazia had a more easygoing personality and didn't mind certain details, Emanuele's frequent breakdowns made it clear to her what kind of fashion he disliked. He disapproved of outfits that revealed too much skin-whether it was cleavage, a bare midriff, or a hint of a bottom. Anything that tightly covered Isabella's body, regardless of its visual appeal, earned his approval.

Emanuele's possessiveness towards Isabella was truly overpowering, which surprised Grazia.

"Emanuele, why are you so concerned about your wife's clothing? It seems like you genuinely like her," Grazia teased.

Even though Grazia was sure Emanuele wouldn't just marry anyone, there was no way for Isabella to know this. She believed Emanuele didn't truly love her. Seeing Isabella's slightly puzzled expression during their conversations, Grazia sensed that Isabella still didn't understand her husband deeply enough. They were married, yet their trust in one another wasn't as deep as it should be, which was a frustrating issue.

Grazia genuinely hoped that Isabella could bring happiness to Emanuele. So, she couldn't help but give Emanuele a nudge, hoping that he would be straightforward about his feelings and let Isabella see his true affections.

However, Emanuele glanced at Isabella and stated, "What liking or not liking? She's my wife now, the Queen of the Mafia. Her image represents my image. If she dresses inappropriately, it only embarrasses me."

Inwardly, Grazia shouted, "Oh, dear God! Why did Emanuele say that?"

As expected, after Isabella heard Emanuele's words, her expression turned cold, her smile shattered, and she looked like a puppy drenched in the rain.

"Don't worry, I will fulfill my role as the Mafia Queen. You don't need to teach me," Isabella instructed the staff to take their selected clothes into the dressing room for preparation.

It was only Emanuele and Grazia left in the living room.

"My dear brother, why can't you say a few sweet words? Isabella is actually easy to please. Just say some affectionate words, and she'll be happy," Grazia sighed.

"I've given her so much material comfort, making her live in the most comfortable and luxurious house. Isn't she happy?" Emanuele didn't understand.

"You really don't understand women. Women need the emotional value of a man!" Grazia shook her head. "Well, your affairs, I don't want to meddle too much." Initially, it was already a shock for Grazia when Emanuele married Isabella. She hadn't yet had time to digest it, and she didn't know how to push their relationship forward. Since it was Emanuele who willingly married Isabella, let him handle it himself.

Two hours later, Isabella emerged from the dressing room. She looked at Grazia and asked, "Shall we have dinner together?"

"Sure! I haven't tasted Lilly's cooking in a long time, and I miss her desserts after dinner," Grazia said, looking at Lilly.

"Okay, I'll prepare your favorite blueberry cake," Lilly replied.

Isabella then went to the kitchen with Lilly to discuss the menu. Afterward, she left the living room and joined Grazia on the couch, pulling up her favorite TV show to share with Grazia.

"This is my favorite male guest. Look at him, isn't he handsome? How tall and well-built he is," Isabella pointed at the TV, indicating a man in his thirties with a tan complexion.

Emanuele followed Isabella's gesture to look at the TV. He thought the man was decent, but he didn't think the man was as good looking as he was. As for height, the man fell short of his own towering stature. The man on TV had visible abs and a muscular chest, but they weren't as defined as Emanuele's.

"He's good-looking, but not as good looking as Emanuele," Grazia decided to give Emanuele a boost, watching Emanuele sitting beside them. He appeared like a wooden figure but still far better looking than the man Isabella admired on TV.

"Do you think so? He's very gentle and considerate. He's a true gentleman. You can tell by how crazy the female guests are about him on the show. Men like him are the cream of the crop," Isabella defended her choice.

She had her back to Emanuele and was unaware of his darkening expression.

Grazia turned to Emanuele with a meaningful expression on her face. "So, Isabella likes this type of man. Gentle, considerate, and a gentleman. Our Emanuele is quite the opposite." Emanuele's face became even more menacing, but what Grazia said was not entirely inaccurate. His only hobby was killing, and he was rough with Isabella, not a gentleman by any means. After dinner, Grazia returned home, and Isabella felt exhausted. She lay down on the couch and closed her eyes.

She had been trying on clothes all day, back and forth, and it had drained her.

Emanuele walked over and sat next to Isabella. He reached out, gently twirling a strand of her hair around his fingers. Their relationship seemed very intimate at this moment.

"Are you satisfied with everything today?" Emanuele asked Isabella, and his gaze showed an unusually gentle side.

When Isabella opened her eyes, Emanuele quickly concealed that tenderness, leaving only a cold, emotionless exterior.

"I feel like I don't have much say in this," Isabella stared at Emanuele's face. She saw herself as a doll, being manipulated.

Grazia had been dressing her up in various outfits, and Emanuele was controlling her life. She couldn't express her own desires or live the life she wanted. Isabella could only live the life Emanuele wanted for her.

Emanuele noticed that Isabella was smiling, a light and charming smile, like a blooming lily. However, he also detected a trace of sadness in her smile.

This caused his brows to furrow. He didn't want to see Isabella lose her original character because of marrying him. What initially attracted him was Isabella's fierce and unyielding nature. He loved her defiant spirit, which he found incredibly captivating.

"You can still live the life you want."

"I want to work in a hospital. I want to go out with my friends, go shopping, eat out, travel, just like any regular girl. Can I do all that?" Isabella looked at Emanuele, her eyes aflame. She had regained her strength.

However, Emanuele was hesitant to meet her gaze. He reached out to touch Isabella's hair and said, "I want you to live like a regular person too. But, Isabella, you're the Queen of the Mafia now, you're my wife, and everyone is watching you. Your every move is scrutinized, especially by my enemies."

The flame in Isabella's eyes visibly faded, and her expression revealed sorrow.

"So, I'm just an object for display, and you don't care about what I want," Isabella said, her sadness evident in her expression.