Chapter 179 Leave Us Alone

Chapter 179 Leave Us Alone
Luca then waved a dismissive hand. “Give us a moment,” he said plainly.

Valentina hesitated, clearly unwilling to miss whatever was about to unfold, but De Luca turned without a word and headed for the door.

Valentina followed, casting Isabella one last venomous look before the door shut behind them.

Luca crouched in front of Isabella, invading her space, his face inches from hers. “You should have stayed quiet,” he said softly, almost kindly, as if he were offering advice.

Isabella didn’t reply. She gathered what little strength she had left and spat directly into his face.

For a split second, Luca froze. Then his expression darkened. “You little—” His hand came out of nowhere.

The slap echoed loudly, snapping her head to the side.

Pain exploded across her cheek, her ears ringing, blood pooling in her mouth.

Luca straightened slowly, breathing hard, wiping his face with the back of his hand like she had contaminated him.

Isabella coughed once… then laughed.

She turned her swollen face back to him, eyes burning. “Is that it?” she asked hoarsely. “That’s all you’ve got?”

Luca stared at her, stunned by her reaction.

She smiled at him in a mocking manner. “Why, Luca?” she asked quietly. “Why betray your own brother?”

He said nothing.

“Dante loved you,” she continued. “He trusted you, protected you. And this is how you repay him?”

Luca’s jaw clenched.

She leaned forward as much as her battered body allowed. “You’re not smart,” she said coldly. “You’re not powerful. You’re just sick.” Her eyes locked onto his. “A psychopath who hides behind other people’s blood.”

His hand twitched, as if he wanted to hit her again, but something stopped him. “You don’t know anything,” he hissed.

Isabella’s chest heaved as she struggled to sit up, the taste of blood bitter in her mouth.

Luca leaned against the wall, his arms were crossed, with a smirk across his face.. “Relax, Isabella,” he said, voice smooth, almost condescending. “I’m not here to hurt you… much.”

She spat at his feet, anger burning hotter than her pain. “You… you’re a traitor. A psychopath.”

Luca straightened, his face hardening. He stepped closer, towering over her, but she didn’t flinch. “You want to know why?” he asked coldly, his eyes glinting with a mix of pride and madness.

“Yes,” Isabella hissed. “Tell me. Make me understand how blood could mean nothing to you!”

He paused, as if savoring the moment.

“Dante,” he said, almost bitterly, “has always been the golden boy. The one everyone loves, everyone respects, everyone fears. Everyone… except me. I spent my life in his shadow. I watched him take everything I wanted, everything I deserved, without even noticing me. And the more I tried, the more impossible it became to escape it.”

Isabella’s eyes widened. “You… you envied your own brother?” she whispered, unable to believe it.

Luca’s laugh was jagged. “Envied? Hated! Do you think it’s easy being the brother everyone compares themselves to? Watching him charm allies, command respect, even protect the family empire while I… I’m just a second thought? Always second?”

Her heart thumped painfully in her chest. “And that… that made you betray him? Betray your own blood?”

His expression was unflinching. “Not just betray. I wanted power, recognition, control. De Luca promised me what Dante would never give me: freedom from his shadow, respect that was rightfully mine. I helped them weaken him, feed them intelligence, take out obstacles, everything I could do to claim what should have been mine. But Lucia, I had to kill her.” he then paused.

Isabella’s breath caught, fury and disbelief warring within her. “Lucia?” she spat out, unable to believe it. “Your own cousin… your own family?!”

“She found out. She saw the truth. She would have told him. I couldn’t… I couldn’t let her ruin everything. She was the only one standing in my way.”

“You… you killed her?” Isabella whispered, horror and rage twisting together.

Luca shrugged, as if it were nothing. “I did what I had to. And I’ll do whatever it takes to rise, to finally stand where Dante always stood. Everything… everything I’ve done, it’s for what I deserve.”

Isabella shook her head, tears welling up. “You’re insane… all of this… all your envy… it’s ruined you. You’re lost in your hatred, and you don’t even see it!”

He leaned in closer, voice dropping to a hiss. “And you? You’re still defending him. You still love him. Blindly. Do you even understand what you’re up against?”

Isabella’s fists clenched, nails digging into her palms. “I don’t care what you’ve become, Luca. I will stop you. And Dante… he’ll survive this. He always does.”

Luca’s smirk returned, chilling and confident. “We’ll see, little girl. We’ll see who survives…”

_____________________

The room was quiet, the only sound was the faint hum of the air conditioner.

Sofia’s father sat across from Matteo, hands clasped tightly, eyes darting nervously.

Matteo leaned forward slightly, keeping his tone calm but firm. “We know you have it,” he said, his voice low, controlled. “The file… the one that could bring De Luca down. Don’t try to hide it from us. It’s not a question of if we’ll find it. We already know.”

Sofia’s father swallowed hard, his fingers tightening around the edge of the table. “You… you can’t… you don’t understand…” he muttered, voice trembling.

“I do understand,” Matteo interrupted gently but insistently. “I understand what you’ve done, why you kept it, and what it means. But right now, think about the people who’ve been hurt because of your silence. Isabella’s father… he died because of it. You have a chance to make this right, at least a little. To pay the debt for what you’ve done.”

Sofia’s father’s eyes filled with tears. “I… I never wanted this to happen… I thought I was protecting them.”

Matteo’s expression softened slightly, but his voice remained firm. “Then do the right thing now. Don’t let more lives be ruined. Give me the file. Let us take care of this, for him… for Isabella’s father, for everyone who suffered.”

A long silence stretched between them.

Sofia’s father trembled. Slowly, he reached into his bag, pulling out a small, worn folder. He slid it across the table toward Matteo.

Matteo picked it up, his eyes briefly scanning the exterior. “This… this will be enough?” he asked quietly.

Sofia’s father nodded, voice barely a whisper. “Yes… yes. It’s everything. Just… just make sure it serves justice. Make sure it ends the pain I caused.”

Matteo’s hands gripped the folder tightly. “I promise. You did what you could. Now it’s time to let it do the work it’s meant to do.”