Chapter 175 Dante Confession

Chapter 175 Dante Confession
Dante POV

Isabella turned back to her uncle. “Don’t do that ever again. I mean it. I’ll cover him with my body if I have to.”

The uncle kept his eyes on me. “I’ll kill this fucking asshole...."

“Adrian.” Conti silenced him with just his name. “I hate him too, but no more.”

I knew he didn’t intervene for Adrian or me. He did it for his daughter, who was still on the verge of tears. Isabella turned back to me and buried her face in my chest, her arms hugging my torso. She breathed against me, doing her best to control the emotions that were chaotic inside her heart. She knew I was fine, that I could take pain far worse than this, but letting me be treated this way was killing her and it broke her heart to see her family hate me so viciously and attack me so ruthlessly.

I hated listening to her cry because It killed me and I used to be indifferent to it, but when she was in pain, I was in pain. My hand moved under the fall of her hair, and I cradled her against me. “Baby, it’s alright.”

“No, it’s not…” She sniffed against me then walked out of the room, unable to look at any of us anymore but I stayed behind, watching both men immediately look guilty for what had

just happened.

They didn’t give a damn about me, but they felt like shit for hurting Isabella. Adrian clenched his jaw and sighed while Conti crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the desk.

I didn’t wait for an apology or some form of reconciliation. “Isabella and I rented a villa a few miles away from you. She wants to be closer to you, and I’d like to help out around here. I don’t know shit about wine, but I can move heavy stuff.”

Conti couldn’t stop himself from raising his right eyebrow. “You moved here?”

“Not permanently,” I said. “She just wants to be close to you for a while and spend more time with you then I’d like to get to know you better or better and let you get to know me. Give me something to do around here, or I’ll find

something.”

“Didn’t realize you were an ass-kisser,” Adrian spat. If he were anyone else, he’d be on the floor choking on his own blood.

“You took your wife from another man and made her sleep with you so she wouldn’t have to go back to the man who beat and hurt her.”

The second I mentioned his wife, Adrian eyes narrowed.

“Now she’s your wife, and your in-laws live right down the road but both of you are acting like you’re better than me, but we’re exactly the same. We’re equals. So get off your fucking high horse and take a look in the mirror. We’re

all murderers and criminals here.”

“But Isabella is not your equal,” Conti said.

“She’s not our equal either, she’s above all of us.”

I didn't have an argument against that. Conti was right. Isabella wasn't our equal and she was above all of us, and deep down, I knew that better than anyone.

I took a slow breath, letting the tension settle in my chest before I looked between the two men again.

“If putting up with your bullshit makes me an ass-kisser, that's fine with me.”

I didn't even care anymore.

If swallowing my pride meant making things easier for Isabella, then so be it. I had never been the kind of man who cared about other people's opinions, but this was different. This wasn't about me. “I'm only here for Isabella.”

My voice was steady, because there was no hesitation in my words. “I've come to terms with the fact that you'll never like me, but don't expect that to hurt my feelings.”

I gave a small shake of my head. “I don't need you to like me. I don't need your approval. All I need is for you to stop making Isabella suffer because of how you feel about me.”

I paused, my jaw tightening.

“I'll do anything to make this work for her, even withstand your punches and ridicule.”

I had already learned that their hatred wasn't going to disappear overnight maybe it would never disappear at all. I could live with that.

“For the last month, all you've done is disrespect me, insult me, and now hit me.”

I touched my jaw briefly, more out of instinct than because the pain bothered me. “It’s not gonna scare me off.”

I looked directly at them. “And nothing is going to scare me off because I’m unbreakable and untouchable.”

I had survived things that would have destroyed most men and I had walked through violence, blood, threats, and death without allowing any of it to break me.

“I'm stronger than both of you combined.”

My eyes hardened. “I've killed members of the mafia and even the leaders of small countries. So what you both are doing is child's play for me.”

Compared to the things I had already faced, their intimidation tactics meant very little.

“I can handle anything you throw at me.”

I wasn't saying they couldn't hurt me because they could but they couldn't make me leave Isabella.

“So maybe you should stop with the strong-arm tactics and just try to see the way I love your daughter.”

My voice softened slightly when I said her name. “Because that's all that matters.”

I swallowed..“That I'm in love with Isabella and I would lay down my life for her.”

There wasn't a single part of me that doubted it. If keeping her safe meant putting my own life on the line, I wouldn't hesitate.

I looked at both men. “You would do the same for your wives.”

I knew they would. They had already proven that the women they loved were worth fighting for and protecting at any cost. “So we're the same, like it or not.”

I held their gazes, refusing to back down.

“We're the same.”