Chapter 232 Chapter 232.

Chapter 232 Chapter 232.
Isabella. 

My hands were shaking so badly that I almost missed the ignition when I turned the engine off, my breath coming out uneven and sharp as if I had been running for miles instead of just driving.

The silence that followed felt suffocating, pressing in on me from all sides, and for a second I just sat there, gripping the steering wheel like it was the only thing holding me together.

Then I forced myself to move.

I pushed the door open and stumbled out of the car, my legs weak but desperate, my entire body running on nothing but panic and regret. I needed to get inside. I needed to see him. I needed to fix this before it became something I could not undo.

“Luca,” I whispered under my breath as I started running toward the house, my chest tight, my vision slightly blurred from the tears that refused to stop gathering in my eyes. “Luca, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

All of a sudden, I stumbled against something hard. 

I did not even see the rock.

My foot hit it hard, and the next second I was on the ground, the impact knocking the air out of my lungs as pain shot through my knee so sharply that I cried out.

“Ah!”

Tears spilled instantly, hot and uncontrollable, as I clutched my knee, my fingers brushing against something wet. I did not need to look to know it was blood. I could feel it. Sticky. Warm. Spreading.

But I did not care.

I did not care.

“Get up,” I muttered to myself, my voice breaking as I tried to push myself off the ground. “Get up, Bella. Get up.”

The pain made it almost impossible to stand, my leg trembling violently as I forced myself upright, a sharp gasp escaping my lips. It hurt so much that my vision went white for a second, but I bit it down, swallowing every cry, every instinct to stop and breathe.

None of it mattered.

The only thing that mattered was Luca.

I limped toward the door, each step sending a wave of pain through my body, but I kept going, my hand shaking as I reached for the handle and pushed it open.

The moment I stepped inside, everything stopped.

My mouth parted as my eyes landed on him.

Luca was sitting on the couch, his legs tapping restlessly against the floor, his posture tense, his entire body radiating something dark and heavy.

Jun stood farther away near the dining area, his arms crossed, his expression unreadable.

And then Luca looked up.

Our eyes met.

And everything inside me shattered.

Pain.

Heartbreak.

Disappointment.

Anger.

It was all there, raw and unfiltered, cutting straight through me like I deserved every single bit of it.

Tears streamed down my face as I held onto the door handle, my fingers tightening around it like I needed something to steady myself.

I glanced at Jun, hoping for something, anything, but he only shook his head slightly before looking away.

I had fucked up.

I had truly fucked up.

And suddenly it felt like there was no coming back from this.

Luca’s jaw clenched, his gaze hard as he spoke, his voice rough and cold.

“Where are you coming from? And don’t you DARE lie to me.”

My lips trembled as I forced myself to answer, my voice barely steady.

“I… I was at the park. The train park.”

He nodded slowly, like he was processing it, like he was holding himself back from something worse.

“So you removed your tracker and tried to run away,” he said, his tone sharp now, cutting. “Why are you here?”

My heart dropped.

“Speak to me,” he snapped, his voice rising suddenly, making me flinch. “Why did you come back?”

I could not hold it in anymore.

I walked toward him, limping, my tears falling faster as I shook my head.

“I’m sorry,” I cried, my voice breaking completely. “I’m so sorry. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t stay away. That’s why I came back. I’m so sorry for breaking up with you. I don’t care about the engagement anymore. I don’t care about anything. As long as you love me, that’s enough for me. I can’t leave you. I can’t.”

My chest hurt so much I could barely breathe.

“I’m so sorry, Luca.”

Jun’s voice cut in, calm but firm.

“The engagement didn’t happen.”

I froze.

My eyes widened as I looked at him.

“What?” I whispered. “What do you mean?”

Luca stood up abruptly. “Jun, let’s go.”

“No!” I cried out immediately, panic taking over as I rushed forward and jumped onto him, my arms wrapping tightly around his neck. He caught me instinctively, his hands steadying me, but his body felt rigid.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered against his ear, my voice trembling. “I didn’t mean to run away. I didn’t. I was just… I was scared. I was angry. I thought you wouldn’t want me anymore and I wouldn’t be able to handle staying around. I would break, Luca. I would completely break.”

I tightened my hold on him, afraid that if I let go, he would walk away and never come back.

“I regretted everything the moment I stepped out of that room,” I continued, my voice cracking. “I shouldn’t have broken up with you. I can’t live without you. I really can’t. Please… please forgive me. I don’t care about Smith anymore. I don’t care about anything. I won’t do this again. I won’t try to leave you again. I’m so sorry.”

He did not say anything.

The silence was suffocating.

My heart pounded violently as fear crept in, dark and overwhelming.

What if he was done?

What if I had pushed him too far?

Slowly, he set me down, his hands leaving me as his face turned blank, completely unreadable.

“You keep doing the same thing over and over again,” he said, his voice calm but cold enough to make my chest tighten painfully. “You broke up with me when I would never do that. You tried to run away when I would never even think of doing that.”

His eyes locked onto mine.

“Do you see the difference between us?”