Chapter 175 Isabella Is Missing

Chapter 175 Isabella Is Missing
Sofia’s hands trembled around her phone as she dialed Matteo’s number for the third time that evening.

Her heart was pounding so hard she was sure he could hear it through the receiver.

When he finally picked up, his calm voice did little to soothe her racing thoughts.

“Matteo… what—?” she began, but he cut her off with a faint edge of suspicion.

“Are you trying to get me to see someone again, or are you actually calling about something?” he asked, his tone laced with mild annoyance.

Sofia bit her lip, ignoring the jab. “Is Isabella with Dante?” Her voice was quiet, almost fragile, but there was a sharp edge of worry beneath it. “She… she left to see him, but her phone—it's switched off. I’ve tried calling her, nothing.”

There was a pause on the other end. Matteo was surprised. “No, she hasn’t come here,” he said carefully, choosing his words.

Sofia shook her head in panic. “Then… where could she be? Matteo, something feels wrong. I can’t reach her, and she usually—she would at least answer.”

“I know,” Matteo replied, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t like this either. Don’t worry, I’ll find out. I’ll check, and I’ll get back to you. Just stay put, okay?”

Sofia nodded even though he couldn’t see her. Her grip on the phone tightened, her knuckles whitening. “Please… Matteo, find her.”

“I will,” he assured her, his voice steady but heavy with concern. “I’ll call you back soon. Just… don’t panic yet.”

Sofia exhaled slowly, though the tension didn’t leave her shoulders. “Okay… thank you,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

As she hung up, she couldn’t shake the gnawing fear in her chest. Isabella had never disappeared like this.

“Please where are you Isabella? It's my fault, why did I convince you to go?” Sofia blamed herself.

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While Dante was in his room sitting quietly, the silence was broken by Matteo’s urgent footsteps as he entered, his face tight with worry.

“Dante,” Matteo said, his voice unusually tense, “we have a problem.”

Dante didn’t look up immediately, letting the words hang in the air. “I’m listening,” he said finally, his tone calm, but there was an undercurrent of warning.

Matteo’s gaze hardened. “It’s Isabella… she’s missing.”

Dante froze mid-sip, the glass pausing near his lips. His eyes snapped up to Matteo, sharp and blazing. “What do you mean ‘missing’?” His voice was low and dangerous, a growl barely contained.

“I mean she’s nowhere to be found. Her phone is off. No one’s seen her,” Matteo said, stepping closer, urgency in every movement. “We can’t rule out the possibility that she’s been kidnapped. Everything points to… someone taking her.”

Dante slammed the glass down, the sound echoing against the walls like a gunshot. Whiskey sloshed over the edge, dark liquid staining the table. Veins visible at his temple. “Kidnapped?” he repeated, voice taut with fury. “By who?”

“I don’t know yet,” Matteo admitted, his hands slightly trembling. “We have leads… maybe connected to De Luca, or the Marino. Maybe someone is trying to use her to get to you. Whoever it is, they’ve been patient. Waiting for the right moment.”

Dante stood abruptly, the chair scraping back sharply, and strode toward the window, fists clenched on the sill. The city lights reflected in him. “No one touches her. No one,” he said, his voice low but deadly.
“If she’s been taken… I will make them regret every second of their lives.”

Matteo approached cautiously, his own concern evident. “Dante, I know you want to act immediately, but we need a plan. We can’t just rush in blind. If we do, she could be in more danger.”

Dante turned slowly, his eyes locking onto Matteo’s. “A plan? Matteo, every second she’s gone, every second I don’t have her… is a second wasted. Whoever is behind this… I don’t care how careful they think they are. They’ll pay.”

Matteo shook his head, trying to stay composed. “I understand, but we need information first. Where she was last seen, anyone who might have followed her, all of it. Acting without it could—”

“Could what?” Dante interrupted, voice slicing through the air like a blade. “Could kill her faster? Could let her go before I even see her? Matteo, don’t lecture me on caution.”

Matteo exhaled slowly, knowing there was no reasoning with Dante when his mind was in this place. “Then let me do the groundwork,” he said quietly. “I’ll find her. Track her. Whatever it takes, I’ll bring her back. But you—”

“You stay out of my way,” Dante said, cutting him off, voice low, cold. “I want her alive. I want her safe. And when I get her, the people responsible… they will regret the day they were born.”

Matteo nodded, his expression a mix of fear and determination. He knew Dante’s rage, his obsessive drive to protect Isabella, but this time it was personal in a way Matteo had never seen.

Dante’s hands gripped the window frame so hard his knuckles whitened. “Start the search. Every lead, every contact… leave no stone unturned. I want her back, Matteo. Whatever it takes. And anyone who stands in our way… will die.”

Matteo’s jaw tightened. “Understood. I’ll get started immediately.”

Dante turned back to his table, the fire in his eyes still burning. “Good. And Matteo…” he paused, voice softening ever so slightly but still edged with steel. “Make sure no one knows that we are aware of Luca, I want him to find out from me.”

Matteo nodded again, understanding completely.