Chapter 38 Catty Intrusions at the Table
Isabella’s POV
The night had been beautiful, almost dreamlike. I sat back in my chair, swirling the last sip of red wine against the curve of the glass, the crimson catching in the soft golden glow of the fairy lights strung across the terrace. From where I stood near the railing, the city’s skyline shimmered like a spilled jewelry box, endless diamonds against a black velvet sky. For a moment, I allowed myself to believe this was my place, that I belonged here, beside Adriano, beside Sofia, wrapped in laughter and candlelight.
The laughter still floated from the main dining area. Sofia had giggled so loudly when Adriano carried her toward the restrooms, her curls bouncing, her tiny hand clutching his shoulder as though the world would never pull them apart. That vision warmed me even now, alone with the hum of violins playing somewhere in the background.
I breathed in. Exhaled slowly. Content.
Then....
“So… you’re the little charity case.”
The words sliced into me from behind. I froze, the wineglass hovering mid-air. The tone wasn’t curious, it was sharp, dripping with venom, a voice honed in entitlement.
Slowly, I turned.
A beautiful woman stood a few feet away, tall, immaculate, her sleek black dress sculpted perfectly to her frame, diamonds at her ears catching the light as though they owned it. Her lips curled in disdain, eyes raking me from head to toe like I was something she’d scrape off a shoe.
“And who,” she said, her voice clipped, “exactly are you?”
I blinked. My throat tightened. “I....”
Her hand lifted, dismissive. “Oh, don’t bother. I’ve heard enough. This is a first, even for him, using your… spawn” her chin tilted with disgust, “...to trap Adriano. Bold. Shameless. But bold.”
My grip tightened around the glass. Spawn? My ears burned. She was talking about Sofia. About my daughter. My little girl. Shock rippled through me, quickly replaced by anger, but my mouth couldn’t seem to form words.
“How dare you....”
“Oh, please,” she sneered, stepping closer, perfume sharp and suffocating. “Do you really think he sees you as anything more than..”
“Enough.”
The voice that cut through hers was low, lethal, and I didn’t need to turn to know who it belonged to.
Adriano.
He was standing only a few steps away, Sofia balanced on his arm, her tiny face buried in his neck, fingers fisting his shirt as though she sensed the storm brewing.
But Adriano wasn’t looking at me. His gaze was locked on the woman. And the expression on his face—it was colder than I’d ever seen, like winter carved into marble.
“Victoria.” His tone was like a blade, deceptively soft. “You will not speak another word.”
The woman, Victoria,shifted, faltering just slightly, though her chin remained high. “Adriano, I...”
“No.” His voice hardened. “The next time you so much as look at my woman or my daughter with anything less than adoration…” He stepped closer, and I could feel the air thicken, the violence coiled in him like a predator ready to strike. “…you will not have eyes left to look at anything else. Do you understand me?”
Victoria paled, her defiance cracking into something rawer, uglier. “You can’t...”
“The only reason you’re still standing here,” Adriano interrupted, his words like ice, “is your ignorance… and your father’s good will. Do not mistake my restraint for tolerance. Now. Get. Out.”
The silence that followed was deafening.
Victoria’s eyes flicked to me, one last poisonous glare, and then she spun on her heel, her stilettos clicking against the marble floor as she disappeared into the dining room.
I realized then I was trembling, my hand still clutching the stem of the wineglass like a lifeline.
Adriano’s eyes finally shifted to me, his features softening, though a shadow of that fury lingered beneath the surface. “Are you alright, cara mia?” His free hand reached out, steadying me as though I might collapse.
“I....” My lips parted, but words refused me. All I could do was nod, though the sting of those insults still echoed in my chest.
“I should take you home,” he said gently, brushing his thumb across my knuckles.
I shook my head immediately, swallowing hard. “No. This dinner… it’s for Sofia.”
At the mention of her name, his hold on our daughter tightened. Sofia peeked out from his shoulder, her wide eyes darting between us. She looked shaken, uncertain, and before I could say anything, she buried her face back into his neck.
Sofia asked her father in a small voice, barely above a whisper, "Who was the mean lady, Daddy, I don't like her, She made mommy upset."
Adriano held her tighter, in a soothing way, placed a kiss on her temple and said, "I don't like her either, but she won't say anything mean to you or mommy anymore, I won't let her, or anyone for that matter, okay?"
he added, " Now let's cheer up "
Sofia gave a small smile.
My heart cracked.
“See?” I whispered, forcing a small smile. “She’s been waiting for dessert. We can’t possibly leave before chocolate cake, can we?”
For a beat, Adriano just stared at me, as though trying to decide whether to argue. Then, slowly, he exhaled, tension bleeding from his shoulders.
“You’re stronger than you think,” he murmured, just for me, before pressing a kiss to Sofia’s hair.
And so, after a few deep breaths, we returned to the table.
The violins still played, the skyline still glowed, and though shadows now lingered over our evening, I forced myself to smile. To laugh when Sofia demanded two cherries on her slice of cake. To steady my trembling hands on the linen napkin and pretend the eyes of the restaurant weren’t watching us.
Because if there was one thing stronger than fear, it was this, the sight of my daughter’s joy, Adriano’s arm firm around her shoulders, and the quiet promise in his gaze whenever it landed on me.
Even as I sat there, smiling for Sofia’s sake, I knew one thing for certain: the night had shifted. Something had been revealed, an enemy I hadn’t known existed, and a protector whose fury could burn down the world.
And somehow, impossibly, I felt safer than ever.