Chapter 33 The Unexpected Honesty

Chapter 33 The Unexpected Honesty
Isabella's POV

Ghost sits at the kitchen table like he belongs there.

After Damián left with his gun, after Ghost walked toward the containment room, Isabella thought that was the end. Thought she'd never have to face him again. But Ghost doubled back. He came into the kitchen when Damián was busy making calls, when the household was in chaos.

And now he's sitting across from her, completely unarmed, completely calm.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Ghost says. He can see the tension in her body. The way her hand stays near the knife. "And I'm not going to expose you. Not yet anyway."

"Why should I believe you?" Isabella asks.

"Because I'm going to tell you the truth," Ghost says simply. "And the truth is more useful than exposure right now."

He leans back in the chair like he has all the time in the world.

"I've been watching Damián for eight years," Ghost continues. "I know how he thinks. I know what drives him. I know what makes him vulnerable." He pauses. "And I know exactly when he stops being careful. When he stops protecting himself. When he becomes human."

Isabella doesn't respond. She just listens.

"Sofia did that to him," Ghost says. "She made him human. Made him soft. Made him into someone willing to risk everything for one person." He looks directly at Isabella. "And you're doing the same thing, except worse."

"Why is that worse?" Isabella asks.

"Because you're not just making him vulnerable," Ghost says. "You're making him reckless. You're making him question his own judgment. You're making him doubt the people around him." Ghost stands and walks to the window. "He brought you to the family dinner. He's keeping you at the estate. He's protecting you like you're the most important thing in his world."

Isabella sees where this is going.

"He's blinded by wanting to keep you safe," Ghost continues. "He wouldn't see the truth about you even if it danced in front of him wearing a sign. And that blindness is making him weak."

Ghost turns back to face her.

"So here's my offer," he says. "I don't expose you. I keep your secret. I let you keep playing Sofia and playing house with Damián. But in exchange, I need something from you."

Isabella's hand tightens on the knife handle.

"What?" she asks warily.

"I need you to keep him distracted," Ghost says. "I need you to make sure his attention is completely focused on you and your relationship. I need him too caught up in protecting you to notice what's happening in his organization."

Isabella understands what he's asking. He's asking her to be complicit in his betrayal. He's asking her to help him move against Damián while Damián is distracted by love.

"What business are you planning?" Isabella asks.

"The kind that requires him not to be paying attention," Ghost says. "The kind that requires him to trust his second-in-command completely. The kind that requires him to be blinded by something other than his need to protect his operation."

He sits back down.

"I'm going to move against the Lucci family," Ghost says. "I'm going to negotiate a merger. Combine the Flores and Lucci organizations under new leadership. Eliminate the weak positions. Consolidate power."

Isabella realizes what he's actually saying. He's going to take over. He's going to use her distraction as cover to make his move.

"And what about Damián?" Isabella asks.

"What about him?" Ghost responds. "He'll either accept the new structure, or he'll be removed. Those are his options."

Isabella stands abruptly.

"I won't help you destroy him," she says.

Ghost smiles. It's not a kind expression.

"Yes, you will," he says calmly. "Because the alternative is exposure. Because I have videos that prove you're federal. Because I can send one message and destroy everything you've built with him."

He stands and moves closer.

"But more than that," Ghost continues, "you'll help me because you're smart enough to understand that Damián can't survive in this world without being ruthless. And Damián is becoming soft. Becoming human. And humanity is a death sentence in my business."

Isabella realizes Ghost isn't lying. He actually believes what he's saying. He actually thinks he's being merciful. He actually thinks he's saving Damián from himself by removing him from power.

"And if I agree?" Isabella asks. "If I help you keep him distracted, what happens then?"

"Then you get to disappear," Ghost says. "I give you money. I give you resources. I give you a new identity. And you walk away from all of this. You go somewhere he can never find you. You become someone new."

Isabella thinks about that option. Thinks about disappearing. Thinks about living a life that isn't divided between two worlds. Thinks about being free.

But she also thinks about Damián. About the man who searches for people he loves like they're the only thing that matters. About the man who's starting to become human because of her. About the man who would die if Ghost takes his organization.

"No," Isabella says. "I won't do it."

Ghost's expression hardens.

"You're making a mistake," he says. "You're choosing loyalty to a man who doesn't even know who you really are. You're choosing love over survival."

"Yes," Isabella says. "I am."

Ghost reaches into his jacket. This time, Isabella doesn't hesitate. She pulls out the knife and steps forward, blade ready.

But Ghost doesn't pull a weapon. He just pulls out his phone.

"Last chance," Ghost says. He shows her the message he's typed out. A message to Damián containing all the evidence. All the videos. All the proof of her identity.

"Send it," Isabella says. She's made her choice. She's choosing Damián over herself. She's choosing love over protection.

Ghost studies her for a long moment.

Then he deletes the message without sending it.

"You're going to regret this," Ghost says. He sets the phone on the table. "But at least you'll have chosen it yourself."

He walks toward the door.

"When everything falls apart," Ghost continues, "when Damián finds out who you really are and what you've done, remember that I gave you an out. Remember that I offered you a way to escape."

He leaves, and Isabella is standing alone in the kitchen with her knife and her choice and absolutely no idea what comes next.