Chapter 173 Relocation

Chapter 173 Relocation
Dante POV

Isabella moved her hand to my chest, her fingers resting gently against me as she looked up at me. There was something that made it obvious how much my offer meant to her.

“Well, I would love to do that,” she said softly, “but I don’t want to ask you to do something you don’t want to do.”

“You didn’t ask me.” I held her gaze. “I offered.”

“I know, but…”

She hesitated, like she still wasn't completely convinced that I was doing this because I genuinely wanted to.

“This is the only thing I can think of,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “And unless you have a better idea.”

She shook her head slightly. “I don’t.”

“Then let’s do it.”

The decision was simple, even if everything surrounding it wasn't.

I didn’t want to be five hours away from home and I didn’t want to spend that much time away from everything familiar, and I certainly didn’t want to see her parents every day while I helped out at their winery.

I already knew how they felt about me.

I didn’t want to spend my days being insulted or having them look at me like I was nothing but trash. I didn’t want to hear their judgment every time I walked into a room but I wanted this woman so damn badly.

Whatever discomfort came with being around her parents, I could deal with it if it meant being closer to Isabella.

Finally, a smile slowly formed on her lips and the tension in her expression eased as she stepped closer to me. “Thank you.”

Isabella slipped her arm around my neck and pulled me toward her, pressing her soft lips against mine in an eager kiss.

Her lips was warm and full of emotion, as if she was trying to make sure I understood just how much my decision meant to her.

“Thank you so much,” she murmured when she pulled back slightly, her eyes still fixed on mine. “This means a lot to me.”

Isabella didn't hear from her parents for the rest of the week, and by.the time the following Monday arrived, I’d found a villa for us to rent just a few miles away from the Conti mansion.

It was a short-term rental, and thankfully, it was already furnished and that was perfect for us because this whole experiment wasn’t supposed to last long anyway.

We weren’t moving here permanently, and even if her parents eventually came around and accepted us, I already knew we wouldn’t stay in that rental.

Eventually, we’d return to Rome and go back to my penthouse on the top floor. I liked that building because it gave me all the space I needed without sacrificing the privacy I valued so much.

More importantly, it had powerful fortifications that made me feel secure and I wasn't the kind of man who could afford to be careless about his surroundings, and the penthouse suited the way I lived and being in the center of the city helped, too.

There were always people around coming and going, the constant noise of city life. It made it difficult for anyone to get close enough to touch me without being noticed and for a man like me, it was the perfect place to live.

Milan was different out here, there was nothing like the constant movement of Rome.

Everything felt more open and somehow more exposed. There was too much space and not enough people, which wasn't exactly comforting to someone like me. The only reason I found any beauty in it was because of Isabella.

She had a way of seeing the landscape differently from everyone else. She incorporated it into most of her paintings, capturing details I probably wouldn't have noticed on my own.

This place was special to her not because of what it offered me, but because it was where she had grown up and knowing that made it easier for me to understand why she loved it so much.

We pulled up to the house then explored the inside. “It’s nice.” Isabella examined the living room and kitchen, seeing the furniture that was in the photos online and her eyes kept moving to the open windows and to the green fields that stretched beyond.

I couldn’t help but hate this place, wide open with nothing surrounding it and it was like being in a gunfight completely naked. There was no protection or cover.

Anyone could approach the property from the front or behind but thankfully, this was only for a few months.

Isabella turned back to me when she picked up on my mood. “You don’t like it.”

I glanced around, not caring about the nice furniture or the big TV on the wall. “Not my style.”

“You might change your mind.”

I was even less likely to do that than her father.

The soldier inside me was constantly on the lookout for an attack and I hadn’t told anyone I was coming here, so it would be virtually impossible to find me even Rex didn’t know
what I was up to. “Have you told them?”

“No.”

“Then this is going to be a big surprise.”

I could already imagine how thrilled her parents would be when they realized Isabella was close by.

They would probably be genuinely happy to have her nearby, especially after everything but I had a feeling their happiness would be short-lived once they realized who she had come with me, the inked murderer.

Despite my handsome features and overall appearance, none of it seemed to help when it came to making people feel comfortable around me.

Whatever appeal I might have had disappeared the moment they noticed the tattoos covering my skin.

I looked like exactly what people expected me to be.

A terrifying man covered in formidable tattoos.

There was something almost fitting about it. I looked the same on the outside as I did on the inside, hard and dangerous like a man who had done terrible things and wouldn’t hesitate to do them again.

“Yeah…” She crossed her arms over her chest, studying me for a moment. “But I think they’ll be happy about it…for the most part.”

I almost scoffed, they would be happy when I wasn’t in the room and that was probably the only part they would struggle with. Isabella being close was one thing and having me attached to her was another..“I’ll unload the truck.”

“I’ll help you.”

“I got it,” I said quickly, cutting her off before she could even move. “I’ll bring everything in, and you’ll unpack it.”

I didn’t want her carrying anything when I could do it myself.

She considered it for a second before nodding.

“Sounds like a good setup.”