Chapter 119
Sonia's lips parted slightly. She wanted to say something, to argue, to keep up her usual attacks or defenses, but Isabella didn't give her the chance.
"I'm five years younger than you," Isabella went on, her voice a bit hoarse from the emotional outburst just moments ago, "I've had my heart broken twice as many times as you, and I've worked twice as hard."
"When I was in college, I worked while studying, just so I wouldn't have to ask Dad for a single penny. After I started working, I stayed late at the office every day to prove I could stand on my own. Even in my relationship with Vitale, I've kept a clear head."
"I'm not going to marry him right away, and Vitale isn't going to marry me right away either. We're just dating, and when the desire hits, we have sex. But I protect myself. I'm not stupid enough to get myself into danger."
Isabella took a step forward, her eyes locking onto Sonia's.
"Let me ask you this. All this time, have you or Dad ever been harassed? Have you gotten any threatening calls? Has anyone strange shown up at your door? Vitale's world is so dangerous. If he wanted to hurt you, it would be as easy as flipping his hand."
"But he hasn't. Because he knows how important you are to me, so he protects you, even though you hate him, even though you insult him."
Sonia's body stiffened slightly.
She looked away from Isabella, her fingers absentmindedly rubbing the rough texture of the wall.
"Yes, we haven't been harassed," Sonia finally admitted, her voice so quiet it was almost drowned out by the music coming from the other end of the hallway, "But I'm really angry. I believe what Colt said, so I need to meet that person and settle things. Only then can I calm down."
Isabella stared at her for a few seconds before speaking slowly.
"Fine, I'll help you this one time. Just this once."
"But after this, I hope you'll stop bothering me. Don't threaten me with Dad anymore, and don't interfere in my life. Vitale isn't the person you think he is. He's complicated, dangerous, and sometimes cruel, but he's real with me. You should know that."
Sonia gave a bitter smile, one filled with a kind of self-mocking sadness.
"Yeah, I know. Actually, the day I found out who he was, I was jealous of you."
"I put on my most revealing dress, did my most perfect makeup, and tried to seduce him. I wanted to prove I was more attractive than you, more deserving of a man like that."
"But Vitale didn't even glance at me. Who wouldn't be tempted by a body like mine? But he wasn't. He actually likes your scrawny figure."
Isabella didn't get angry. Instead, she proudly puffed out her chest.
"Open your eyes and look. My figure is great too. Vitale likes it a lot. Maybe he's just not into women who wear heavy makeup and try too hard to seduce him."
Sonia let out a short, genuine laugh.
"Alright, you win. Let's go inside. Once this is settled, I'll stay out of your life—at least for now."
She turned and walked toward the inside of the club. Isabella took a deep breath and followed behind her.
The moment they stepped into the main hall, their senses were completely overwhelmed.
Sonia headed straight for the bar, sat on a high stool, and made a gesture to the bartender.
It was some kind of signal Isabella didn't understand. The bartender nodded and started mixing a drink.
"What do you want to drink?" Sonia turned to ask Isabella.
Isabella shook her head, standing by the bar with her body tense.
"I don't drink. In unfamiliar places, I stay on guard."
That was the truth, and it was one of the survival rules she'd learned from Vitale.
Never consume anything that could mess with your judgment in an unsafe environment.
Sonia shrugged and didn't push her.
She looked at Sonia and asked directly, "Who are you meeting? The person who can solve the issue with Colt?"
Sonia took a sip of her whiskey, the amber liquid leaving a wet sheen on her lips.
"My lover. I need you to come with me so Colt doesn't get suspicious."
"If he knew I came to a place like this alone to meet another man, he'd break my legs."
"Besides, Colt isn't at a level to get into a place like this, so there's no way he'll find out."
Isabella shot up from her seat, the chair scraping loudly against the floor.
"Sonia! Are you crazy? You're cheating!"
Her voice cut through the loud music, drawing a few curious glances from nearby people.
Sonia reached out and forcefully pulled Isabella back onto the chair.
"Can you not make such a big deal out of this?" she hissed, lowering her voice, though the fire in her eyes was clear, "Colt's been with so many prostitutes I can't even count them on my fingers. He has women on the side, illegitimate kids, debts, and troubles I don't even know about. What's wrong with me having a lover? And if I wasn't afraid of Colt hitting me, I wouldn't have asked for your help."
Isabella froze.
She looked at Sonia, at those eyes that were always filled with malice and jealousy, now showing real fear and helplessness.
"He hits you?" Isabella's voice was soft.
Sonia looked away and took another big gulp of whiskey, "Sometimes."
"So you see, Isabella, we both have our own hells. Your hell is the dangerous love of a mafia boss. My hell is a violent, cheating husband. We've just chosen different ways to survive."
Isabella stayed silent for a long time.
She looked at Sonia, the sister she had hated and feared for years, and for the first time, she saw her as a victim rather than a perpetrator.
"You're still crazy," Isabella finally said, but her voice lacked the earlier anger, replaced by exhaustion and sadness, "Crazier than Marina. At least Marina has principles. She knows what she wants and is willing to pay the price for it. But you? You're just chasing thrills, revenge, and this destructive cycle."
Sonia laughed, a broken laugh that sounded like shattered glass.
"Maybe, but this is who I am. Now, stay with me and wait. He should be here soon."
A few minutes later, a man came down the stairs from the second floor.
His shirt collar was open, revealing a tattoo on his collarbone.
He looked about forty, with dark brown hair neatly combed, and a calm confidence on his face that came from years of being in control. But his eyes were sharp, scanning the room like a hawk.
Sonia saw him and her body tensed slightly.
She put down her glass and whispered to Isabella, "Stay here. I'm going to talk to him."
She stood up and walked toward the man.
The man saw her, nodded, then glanced at Isabella.
His gaze lingered on her face for a few seconds before moving away, but Isabella could feel the calculating, scrutinizing look.
Sonia and the man headed to a quieter booth, disappearing into the dim light.
Isabella sat alone at the bar, feeling more uneasy than ever.
She looked around, seeing unfamiliar faces, judgmental stares, and hearing the deafening music mixed with muffled conversations.
She wanted to leave, to escape this place, to get away from this world that belonged to Vitale but made her feel suffocated.
Just then, a familiar figure appeared at the edge of her vision.
Henley.
He was standing behind a pillar, dressed in dark clothes that blended into the surroundings, but Isabella recognized him instantly.
A complicated sense of relief washed over her.
Henley was indeed protecting her. Vitale was indeed watching over her, even though she hadn't told him about tonight.
But she didn't want Sonia to know Henley was there.
That would make things more complicated, and Sonia would think Isabella didn't trust her—which, to be honest, she didn't.
So when Sonia returned, looking more tired but somewhat relieved, Isabella had already composed her expression.
"Is it settled?" Isabella asked.
Sonia nodded, downing the rest of her whiskey in one gulp, "For now. Let's go."
They headed toward the exit.
As they passed the pillar, Sonia suddenly stopped, frowning at the shadow behind it.
"That person..." she muttered, squinting her eyes, "Wasn't he there just now? He looks kind of familiar."
Isabella's heart skipped a beat.
She forced herself to shake her head, keeping her voice as calm as possible, "No, you're mistaken. The lighting here is too dim, and there are too many people."
Sonia stared at the shadow for a few seconds, then shrugged, "Alright. Maybe I'm just too on edge. Let's go. I want to get out of this place."
They left the club through the back door.
It was a narrower, darker hallway, with a metal fire door at the end.
Pushing it open, the cold air of the winter night hit them, and Isabella felt a refreshing sense of relief.
Henley's car was parked in the alley, engine already running, exhaust forming white mist in the chilly air.
Sonia hailed a taxi. Before getting in, she turned back to look at Isabella, her expression complicated.
"Thank you, Isabella. You might not believe me, but I'll keep my promise. I won't bother you for now. And I'll keep things quiet with Dad for the time being."
Then she got into the taxi, and it disappeared into the night.
Isabella stood there, watching the taxi vanish, feeling a wave of exhausted emptiness.
Too much had happened tonight—too many emotions, too many truths she didn't want to face.
Henley walked over and opened the car door for her.
"Get in, Ms. Martinez. I'll take you home."
Isabella slid into the warm car, leaned back in the seat, and closed her eyes.
The car smoothly pulled out of the alley and merged into the flow of Thalassia's nighttime traffic.
A few minutes later, Henley spoke, his voice cutting through the quiet of the car.
"You did well tonight. You didn't drink or eat anything and stayed alert."
"That's important because the drinks at Nightingale Club aren't clean."
Isabella opened her eyes and looked at Henley's profile in the rearview mirror.
"Not clean? You mean they're spiked?"
Henley nodded, his expression serious, "Not all of them, but some customers add stuff to make certain deals easier. The bartenders know which drinks are safe and which aren't. You were right to refuse."
A chill ran down Isabella's spine.
If she had taken a sip of that vodka...
"So," she said slowly, a suspicion forming in her mind, "you knew from the start who Sonia was meeting, didn't you? That man—is he one of Vitale's people?"