CHAPTER 114

CHAPTER 114
POV ISABELA

I was still in bed.

Leaning against the pillows.

Trying to ignore the exhaustion that still dominated my body.

Alex on one side.

Isis on the other.

A bowl of popcorn between the three of us.

The TV was on.

Some random movie is playing.

But none of us were really watching.

It was just…

Noise.

A silent attempt to fill the emptiness.

To distract our minds.

To pretend everything was normal.

But it wasn’t.

Nothing was.

It was still the same day as Noah’s press conference.

And since then…

I hadn’t spoken to him.

Not a message.

Not a call.

Not the sound of his voice.

And that…

Bothered me more than I wanted to admit.

My chest tightened every time I thought about it.

Was he okay?

Had anyone gone after him?

Was the press tearing him apart?

Was he alone?

I lightly ran my hand over the bedsheet.

Trying to calm myself.

But it didn’t work.

“You're quiet…” Alex commented, watching me closely.

I forced a small smile.

“I'm just tired…”

Isis turned her face toward me.

Her gaze was attentive.

Suspicious.

As if she could see right through me.

She knew.

I was lying.

Before any of us could say anything else…

The door burst open.

With force.

A sharp sound.

Loud.

Violent.

All three of us flinched.

My entire body went rigid.

Daniel.

He walked in like a storm.

Face red.

Breathing heavy.

Eyes…

Filled with hatred.

My heart started racing.

Fast.

Uneven.

“So now you’re publicly together?” he said, his voice full of rage.

Silence fell over the room.

Heavy.

Dense.

“Do you think I look like an idiot?” he continued, stepping forward. “Like a clown?”

He laughed.

But there was no humor in it.

“You think I’m going to play that role in front of the entire country?”

My chest tightened.

“Daniel…” I tried to speak.

“No!” he shouted, cutting me off. “You exposed me!”

Another step.

“Both of you exposed me!”

Isis moved beside me.

Nervous.

“Dad…” she said, her voice trembling, “Mom is recovering… she just had surgery… she can’t get stressed…”

Daniel slowly turned toward her.

And his look…

Cold.

Hard.

Terrifying.

“Isis… stay out of it.”

His voice came out low.

But heavy.

Sharp.

“This is none of your business.”

My stomach twisted.

“Don’t interfere in matters between your mother and me.”

Isis went silent.

Frozen.

I saw the fear on her face.

He had never raised his voice at her before.

He was a terrible husband, but as a father, he had been good.

Or pretended to be.

“You will not treat my daughter the way you treat me, ”I said firmly, even with my heart racing. “Respect my daughter.”

His eyes snapped back to me.

Dark.

Loaded.

Dangerous.

He moved toward the bed.

Too fast.

Before I could react…

He grabbed my arm.

Hard.

Too hard.

Pain shot through me instantly.

“We need to talk,” he said through clenched teeth. “Just you and me.”

I tried to pull my arm away.

But he tightened his grip.

“Daniel… you’re hurting me…”

“Let her go.”

Alex’s voice cut through the air.

Firm.

He was already on his feet.

Between us.

“You're not going to touch my friend again.”

Daniel looked at him with contempt.

“This is none of your business.”

“Yes, it is,” Alex shot back. “You've already done enough.”

The atmosphere shifted.

Heavier.

More dangerous.

Voices started rising.

One is talking over the other.

My head throbbed.

My breathing quickened.

Isis was tense.

Scared.

And then…

The door opened again.

This time…

More slowly.

But the impact…

Was greater.

Noah.

He walked in.

And stopped.

The scene in front of him said everything.

Daniel is holding my arm.

Alex is ready to step in.

Isis is in shock.

And me…

Trapped.

Noah’s expression changed instantly.

Darkened.

Hardened.

Dangerous.

“Let her go.”

His voice came out low.

Controlled.

But there was something in it.

Something that made even my body shiver.

Daniel released my arm.

Slowly.

As if he wanted to provoke.

But he didn’t look away from Noah.

“Of course…” he said with sarcasm. “Of course you had to show up…”

He gave a crooked smile.

“Like always… ruining everything.”

Noah stepped forward.

Without hesitation.

“Get out, Daniel.”

Direct.

Fearless.

Daniel let out a bitter laugh.

“You’re going to stay away from my family…” he said, his voice rising, “away from my wife… away from my daughter.”

Noah didn’t back down.

Not an inch.

“I won’t.”

Silence fell again.

Heavy.

Almost suffocating.

“No one is going to separate me from Isabela.”

His voice was firm.

Unshakable.

My heart pounded.

“Now that everyone knows…” he continued, “we have no reason to hide anymore… no reason to be afraid…”

He took another step.

“I’m going to fight for her.”

My eyes filled with tears.

Daniel went rigid.

Breathing heavy.

Eyes burning with rage.

“You have no idea who you’re messing with…”

“Yes, I do.”

The air grew dense.

Charged.

Like before a storm.

Daniel ran a hand over his face.

Agitated.

Uncontrolled.

And then…

He moved his hand to his waist.

My heart skipped.

One second.

Two.

Three.

And then…

I saw it.

The gun.

Cold.

Real.

In his hand.

Everything happened fast.

Too fast.

He raised his arm.

And pointed it.

Straight.

At Noah.

“ NO! ” Isis screamed.

Alex froze.

My entire body locked.

My heart…

Seemed to stop.

“Daniel…” my voice came out weak, “don’t do this…”

But he didn’t seem to hear.

Eyes fixed.

Unhinged.

“This ends today.”

The silence that filled the room…

Wasn’t just silence.

It was fear.

It was death.

It was the kind of silence that comes right before something irreversible.

And in that moment…

I knew one thing for certain.

This…

Was about to spiral completely out of control.