Chapter 30: Chapter 0030

•ISABELLA•

I jumped when I felt a hand settle gently on my shoulder in the hospital room.

I had been sitting beside my father’s bed, staring at his pale face and listening to the steady beeping of the machines attached to him.

The doctors had rushed him into emergency surgery the night before after he was admitted, and the fear of almost losing him still weighed heavily on my chest.

By some miracle, the knife wound from the Conti attack had missed his vital organs, but the damage could have been far worse if I had arrived any later.

“Hey, Isa. I’m so sorry about your father,” Sarah whispered.

I stood up immediately and wrapped my arms around her, collapsing into her embrace. The tears I had been holding back finally spilled over, soaking her shoulder as I trembled against her.

If I hadn’t gotten there in time, my father would have bled out right in front of me. The thought alone made my stomach twist painfully.

Anger burned through me as I thought about Dante and his brothers. They had already taken my mother from me in the most brutal way imaginable while she was pregnant, and now they had almost taken my father too.

They had dragged him into their vicious war with Antonio even though he had nothing to do with any of it.

He was just collateral damage to them, and that realization made my blood boil.

“Thank you for coming, babe. This means so much to me,” I sobbed against her.

“Come on, let’s get you some coffee,” Sarah suggested gently when I finally pulled away and wiped my tear-streaked face.

I nodded, leaning over my father to press a soft kiss against his forehead before stepping back.

“Kyle, please watch him for me,” I said quietly.

Kyle gave me a firm nod, and Sarah and I left the room together, making our way toward the hospital cafeteria.

Once we were outside, I turned to her immediately, unable to hold back my thoughts any longer.

“Dante and his brothers did this. They came to our house and almost killed him.”

Sarah’s expression darkened. “Then you need to tell Antonio. He can protect your father and hunt down the Conti brothers before they strike again.”

I shook my head quickly. “No, Sarah. I can’t tell him. I just want to leave this place with my father. I won’t leave him behind where he isn’t safe. As soon as he wakes up, I’ll ask him about the money, and we’ll buy the next available plane tickets out of here.”

She looked uncertain. “Are you sure about this, Bella?”

“Yes,” I replied firmly. “There’s no other way. They killed my mother, and I refuse to let them kill my father too.”

Her eyes widened in shock. “They killed your mother?”

“Yes. It’s a long story, and I still don’t fully understand why they did it. I need to ask my father everything.”

We continued walking toward the cafeteria in silence, both lost in our thoughts.

The next morning, I returned to the hospital, and this time my heart lifted slightly when I saw that my father was awake.

“Hey,” I greeted him softly as I sat down beside his bed.

He turned his head slowly to look at me. “Hey, Isabella. I’m glad you came. Where is Antonio?”

I swallowed before leaning forward. “Father, I’ve been thinking, and I have a plan. We can leave this place and start over somewhere else. Ever since Mom died, everything here has been nothing but pain, and after what happened to you, I think we both should get away.”

He shook his head immediately. “No, Bella. Antonio is the only one who can truly keep you safe. You don’t have to worry about me.”

My chest tightened with frustration. “I don’t want to be with him. You sold me to him as if I were property. I have a plan that could work for both of us.”

He sighed deeply. “Fine. Tell me your plan.”

I took a breath. “The contract I signed with Antonio says that if I pay back 75 percent of the money he gave you, I’ll be free. That means I need 37.5 million dollars, and then we can leave together.”

He frowned slightly. “Do you have the money?”

I stared at him in disbelief. “How could I? You know I don’t have that kind of money. But you have it, Dad. You can help me pay off the 75 percent so we can leave.”

He hesitated before answering. "I don't have it anymore."

I felt my heart start to race. “Dad, Antonio gave you 50 million dollars. I only need 37.5 million. Surely you still have that much.”

His expression shifted. “I don’t have it anymore.”

My breath caught. “What do you mean you don’t have it? You’re telling me you spent 12.5 million dollars in less than a month?”

He avoided my eyes. “I had debts to settle. Antonio wasn’t the only man I owed.”

I shot up from my chair. “You’re seriously telling me that you owed people more than twelve million dollars? You had all that money and you wasted it while I’m trapped in a contract because of you?”

For the first time, I truly saw my father in a different light, and it shattered something inside me.

“You weren’t cheap to raise after I lost my job, Bella,” he said coldly. “If you’ve forgotten how to say thank you, I’ll overlook it this time.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “Forget it. You sold me anyway, so I’ll figure out how to save myself. You’ve done a fantastic job of being a terrible father.”

I turned toward the door, anger burning through me.

“Antonio isn’t as bad as you think,” he called after me. “Just give him a chance.”

I scoffed under my breath as I walked out.

Bullshit.

Kyle followed me silently as we got into the car, and he drove me to the mall.

I needed to clear my head, and I decided to buy lunch before heading back home.

I ordered an Italian meal and made my way toward the exit with my takeaway.

Just as I stepped out of the restaurant, I collided hard with someone’s chest, and my food slipped from my hands and splattered onto the floor.

Groaning, I bent down to pick up what little was salvageable, but the stranger knelt beside me and started helping.

I was already irritated, and now my lunch was ruined. I would have to stand in line all over again.

“I’m sorry, let me help you,” he muttered.

“Just leave it,” I snapped, tossing the mess into the garbage. “I’ll get another one.”

“Please, let me buy it for you,” he insisted.

Rolling my eyes, I waited as he placed another order. Moments later, he handed me a fresh takeaway.

“My name is Peter, by the way. I’m really sorry about what happened,” he said, extending his hand.

I glanced at his hand, then at his face, and for a moment, my irritation softened when I noticed how handsome he was.

“Isabella,” I replied, shaking his hand.