Chapter 176 Searching For Her
Chapter 176 Searching For Her
The moment Matteo left the room, the air around Dante shifted.
Dante stood alone for barely a second before the glass in his hand exploded against the wall. It shattered violently, shards raining down like sharp ice, whiskey splashing across the dark wood and marble. He didn’t flinch.
He dragged a hand through his hair, pacing once, twice, then stopped abruptly and reached for his phone.
“l need you on duty,” he said the second the call connected. His voice was stripped of emotion.“I want checkpoints on every major road, ports, private airstrips, warehouses, hotels. Anyone moving a woman tonight gets stopped.”
Dante continued. “Her name is Isabella Romano. If anyone so much as whispers it, I want to know.”
He ended the call without waiting for a response.
_______________
Across the house, Matteo was already on his search.
“Pull CCTV from every intersection between her house and Dante’s,” he ordered. “Track phone pings even if it’s switched off. Last location, last signal bounce, everything.”
Vanni hesitated. “If her phone is—”
“I don’t care,” Matteo snapped. “Find the silence. Silence is a trail.”
He straightened, rubbing his face briefly.
Back in the sitting room, Dante's thoughts were scattered all over the place.
She came to see him, she left believing she could talk to him.
His jaw clenched so hard it hurt. “This is all my fault.”
Dante's phone suddenly rang.
He picked it up hurriedly.
“Dante,” Matteo’s voice came through. “We have something.”
Dante turned instantly. “Speak.”
“Her last confirmed sighting was three blocks from your estate. A black SUV pulled over briefly. The plate numbers were cloned. No cameras inside the alley picked up what happened next.”
Dante’s hands curled slowly into fists.
“A well planned kidnapping.” Matteo continued grimly.
Dante’s eyes darkened. “Find out whose SUV it is.”
“I’m already on it,” Matteo replied. “But Dante—”
“What.”
Matteo hesitated. “This feels targeted.”
Dante let out a slow, controlled breath. “They didn’t take her to hide,” he said quietly. “They took her to send a message, there is a ninety percent probability that they want me and they are using her to get to me.”
The room felt colder.
“Then what do we do?” Matteo said. “We can't wait again, we need to move before they do.”
Dante reached for his jacket. “No,” he said.
Matteo frowned. “No?”
“I move,” Dante corrected. “You coordinate and watch out.”
“Alright, if you say so.” Matteo agreed.
Dante slipped his jacket on. “Whoever took her knows exactly who she is to me.”
Matteo’s voice hardened. “You should be careful.”
Dante ignored him. “If they’ve touched her,” he said softly, “there won’t be enough places on this earth for them to hide.”
______________________
Elsewhere, far from Dante’s reach, a car cut through the night.
Isabella sat in the back seat, her wrists were trembling slightly in her lap. The windows were tinted too dark to see through.
She stared straight ahead, forcing herself to breathe properly.
“Dante…I need you.” The name echoed in her mind like a prayer.
She didn’t know where they were taking her.
____________________
In the Romano household, Dante knocked on the door loudly.
Inside, Isabella’s mother froze mid-step. “My Isabella is back.” she muttered.
Sofia and Marco, who had been sitting in the living room, both looked up at the same time, tension instantly settling in their chests.
Marco insisted on opening the door himself.
When the door opened, Dante stood there, his presence filled the doorway.
His jacket was half-buttoned, his hair slightly disheveled. He smelled faintly of alcohol and cold night air.
For a second, no one spoke.
“Where is she?” Dante asked.
Sofia stood up immediately. “Haven’t you found Isabella? She left hours ago. She said she was coming to see you.”
Marco stepped forward instinctively, placing himself slightly in front of his mother. “She hasn’t come back,” he added. “We thought she was with you.”
Dante’s jaw tightened. “She never arrived.”
The words landed like a bomb.
Isabella’s mother let out a shaky breath, her hand flying to her chest. “Where is my daughter?”
Dante took a step inside without being invited. The door closed behind him with a soft click.
“She left this house to come to me,” he said, his gaze sweeping the room as if Isabella might somehow appear from the shadows. “Her phone is off. No one can reach her.”
Sofia’s face drained out of color. “This is my fault, I won't have allowed her to go.”
Marco swore under his breath, running a hand through his hair. “Do you think someone—”
“Yes,” Dante cut in sharply. “I do.”
Isabella’s mother staggered back a step, gripping the edge of a chair to steady herself. “No… not my daughter,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “She’s been through enough. Please tell me this is a mistake.”
“I would give anything for it to be,” he said in all honesty.
Sofia sighed in frustration. “Dante, who would take her? Why would anyone—”
He forced the word out of his mouth. “Because of me.”
Marco clenched his fists. “Then find her,” he snapped, fear turning into anger. “You have the power, the men, the resources. Find my sister.”
“I am,” Dante replied instantly. “The city is under strict monitoring, it's just a matter of time and she will be found.” He paused, then continued. “But I need to know something, did she say anything before she left?” Dante asked. “Anything unusual.”
Sofia shook her head frantically. “No. She was hopeful, like she had finally made a decision.”
Dante closed his eyes briefly.
Isabella’s mother stepped closer, tears streaming freely now. “If this is because of you,” she said, her voice trembling but fierce, “then bring her back to me. I don’t care who you are or what you’ve done. Just bring my daughter home alive.”
Dante met her gaze and nodded once.
“I swear it,” he said. “On my life.”
Another silence followed, thick and painful.
Sofia wiped her tears angrily. “Where are you Izzy?” She said no one.