Chapter 110
Isabella's cheeks were slightly flushed as she absentmindedly stirred the silver spoon in her coffee cup, "Yeah, it must be your imagination. I've probably just been sleeping better lately."
This weak excuse made Aria burst out laughing.
"Doria!" Aria leaned forward, lowering her voice but unable to hide her excitement, "Don't you know? Isabella is being nourished by love! The most intense, dangerous, addictive kind of love! Did you see the sparkle in her eyes?"
Doria covered her mouth, her brown eyes widening.
"Really?" she whispered. "Let me think of how to ask this. Where did you meet? What's his name? What does he do? Is he good-looking? I mean, does his face match his body? You know, some guys have angelic faces but bodies like soggy dough. That's just awful!"
Her questions made Isabella laugh.
Doria was still the same Doria.
Blunt, passionate, and endlessly curious about her friends' personal lives.
It had been a long time since they last saw each other.
The last time was at Doria's wedding, two years ago, in that sunny church on the West Coast.
Doria wore a pure white wedding dress, her smile as bright as the California sun, while Isabella, as a bridesmaid, stood beside her in a pale purple dress, adjusting her veil and genuinely happy for her.
Back then, Doria had wanted to introduce her cousin to Isabella, a man who could give her a stable life and protect her from her terrible family.
But that plan was ruined by Isabella's sister, Sonia.
At the after-wedding party, Sonia got drunk and bad-mouthed Isabella in front of everyone.
Doria's cousin awkwardly made an excuse and left, never contacting Isabella again.
Doria had always felt regret and guilt about that incident.
She thought if she had been firmer, if she could have protected Isabella from Sonia's cruelty, maybe Isabella would have found happiness sooner.
So now, hearing that Isabella had a boyfriend, her curiosity was mixed with genuine care.
She wanted to make sure this man was truly worthy of Isabella and could give her the happiness she deserved.
Isabella looked at Doria's eager expression, feeling a wave of warmth in her heart.
She reached out and gently patted the back of Doria's hand.
"Is that all? I mean, do you have more questions? Ask them all at once, so I can answer everything together."
Doria nodded eagerly. "Yes, that's it! Answer me now! I'm dying to know, and why didn't I hear about this sooner? Oh my God, I'm such a terrible friend, aren't I? Something this big, and I'm the last to know?"
Her voice carried a real sense of hurt.
Doria was an emotional person, easily moved to tears.
Aria and Isabella exchanged a glance, their eyes showing the same mix of helplessness and affection.
"No, Doria, you're not a terrible friend," Isabella said softly, holding her hand. "It's just that this happened so fast, and it's complicated. Plus, his identity is a bit special. I didn't want to talk about it over the phone or in messages. I wanted to tell you in person. And now, here you are."
Aria nodded in agreement. "Exactly! And telling you now is perfect, right? Fresh gossip, straight from the source! Faster than any social media update!"
Doria's expression softened a bit, but her eyes were still fixed on Isabella, waiting for answers.
Isabella took a deep breath, sat up straight, and placed her hands on the table as if preparing to give an important report.
"Alright, it all started at Sonia's bachelorette party."
Doria's brows immediately furrowed. "Sonia? Your sister?"
Isabella gave a bitter smile and nodded. "Yeah. She set me up. You know she's never liked me, so at her bachelorette party, she made me play darts with a group of guys, and the bet was my first time."
Doria gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.
Aria's expression turned serious.
Even though she already knew the story, hearing it again still made her angry.
"I lost," Isabella continued, her voice quiet. "The winner was Colt. Yes, you heard that right. Colt, the guy who's about to become my brother-in-law. Sonia's fiancé."
Doria's eyes widened, filled with shocked anger. "What? He wanted to do that to you? At Sonia's party? Right under her nose?"
Isabella nodded. "Yeah, Sonia was right there, laughing and watching. She said, 'You're going to give it to some guy eventually, so why not Colt? Don't waste it.'"
Aria made a disgusted sound. "That witch. I really wish Vitale would do something to her, like break a few of her bones."
"Anyway," Isabella went on, trying to steer the story back on track, "I didn't want to give it to Colt. There's no way I'd give my first time to a man I hate, who's about to become my brother-in-law. But Colt said if I didn't want to be with him, I could just pick any other guy at the party to sleep with. As long as it wasn't him, he'd let me off."
She paused, picking up her coffee cup and taking a small sip to give herself a moment to gather her emotions.
"So I started looking around the party for a guy who seemed trustworthy, someone who wouldn't hurt me, wouldn't humiliate me afterward, and wouldn't turn it into gossip. And then, I saw him."
Isabella's voice softened, her gaze distant as if she were back in that moment.
"He was sitting in the corner, alone, holding a glass of whiskey. His red hair looked like dark crimson flames under the dim lights. He was tall, with broad shoulders, wearing a tailored suit that looked expensive and dangerous."
A smile tugged at Isabella's lips without her realizing it. "I walked over to him, not knowing his name, not knowing who he was, just feeling that he seemed trustworthy. So I chose him."
Doria was completely hooked on the story, leaning forward.
Isabella continued, "He just looked at me once and understood the situation. He took me away from the party to his suite. And then we had sex. That was my first time. Giving my first time to Vitale was the best decision I've ever made."
Doria frowned when she heard the name Vitale.
She thought hard for a moment, then her eyes suddenly widened.
"Wait, Vitale?" She turned to Aria, looking confused. "I remember, Aria, you mentioned in our chats that he's your boss? The president of Tyson Group? Oh my God, Isabella, you're dating your boss?"
Isabella's face flushed again, this time with a mix of shyness and a certain pride.
"Yes, but can you keep your voice down? This isn't something we can shout about."
Doria's expression shifted from confusion to concern. "Why? What do you mean? Is it an office romance issue? Does the company not allow it? Or is he married?"
Aria glanced around to make sure no one was eavesdropping, then lowered her voice. "Here's the thing, our boss's identity is a bit unusual. You'd better keep it quiet, Doria. In Thalassia, walls have ears. And I'm worried someone might get jealous and stir up trouble."
She spoke vaguely, but the seriousness in her tone made Doria understand immediately.
This wasn't just a simple office romance; there was more complexity and danger involved.
Isabella had initially wanted to tell Doria about Vitale's true identity.
A mafia boss, a controller of the underworld, a man whose hands might have blood on them.
But the words stopped at the tip of her tongue, and she swallowed them back.
Doria was married to Elliot Martinez, a young politician running for state senator.
Elliot came from a political family with a clean reputation and an upright image, the kind that couldn't tolerate any connection to the criminal world.
If Doria learned Vitale's true identity, she'd be caught in a painful dilemma.
Should she keep her friend's secret, or confess to her husband, risking damage to Isabella's life?
Isabella didn't want to put Doria under that kind of pressure.
Not now, at least.
So Isabella said, "Vitale's business involves some gray areas, and he needs to stay low-key. Plus, an office romance isn't exactly ideal, so we're keeping it as private as possible."
Doria stared at her for a few seconds, clearly not fully buying the explanation, but she didn't press further.
As a politician's wife, she had learned to recognize when to dig deeper and when to step back.
"Alright," Doria finally said, her expression relaxing as she smiled again. "As long as he treats you well and makes you happy, nothing else matters."
Then she clapped her hands like an excited child. "Okay! Next question! You haven't told me yet—where is Vitale from? His name sounds like it's from Eldoria?"
Isabella nodded, scooping a bite of the cheesecake Aria had ordered.
"He's from Eldoria."
Doria's eyes lit up. "Eldoria! There are so many handsome guys from there, and they're usually pretty rich! My cousin married an Eldorian last year. He's in the fashion business in Silverlight City—good-looking, wealthy, and speaks five languages!"
Isabella laughed, thinking of how Vitale sounded when he spoke Eldorian.
That smooth, sexy tone, those words she couldn't understand but could feel the emotion in.
Isabella said softly, a sweet smile on her face without her realizing it, "He's handsome, rich, and yeah, he does speak several languages."
Aria chimed in, her mouth full of cake. "And his body! Oh my God, Doria, you haven't seen this man's physique! Those arm muscles—I can just imagine him lifting Isabella with one hand, doing all sorts of tricky moves!"
The three women looked at each other and burst into suppressed laughter at the same time.
An old lady at the next table glared at them this time and got up to move to a farther seat.
Doria's ears turned red, but she laughed the loudest. "Really? So, Isabella, you've slept with him? More than once?"
Isabella's face was so hot it could fry an egg, but she nodded. "Yeah, I gave him my first time, and after that too. Of course, it's all consensual, not forced. In fact, a lot of times, I'm the one initiating."
She said the last part quickly, almost mumbling, but Aria and Doria both heard it.
Doria laughed until she was satisfied, then her expression suddenly turned gentle and touched.
She reached out and held Isabella's hand.
"That's so great, Isabella, really. I'm so happy for you. You're not alone anymore. I was always worried Sonia would keep bullying you, worried you'd have to face all those awful things by yourself."
Doria paused, her expression turning serious. "By the way, does your ex-boyfriend still bother you?"