Chapter 121: Losing You

Isabelle’s Point of View:

The next week passed by impatiently. I had hoped for Achilles to come back, but instead a few men came in without him. As expected, two of them came to me and asked me to contact them whenever I was ready to go to the location of my mother.

I had been waiting for this day for… days, so I immediately agreed to leave, and went to the location that Romero had earlier found. It was another house, just as pretty as our old one.

“I will knock on the door first. If a man opens it, then come in. If it’s my mother, wait for my signal,” I instructed the men and they nodded. I took a long breath before walking up to the door and knocking.

My heart was beating against my chest as I waited for someone to answer the door. Thankfully, my mother opened the door—her face harbouring the expression of shock as soon as her eyes saw me.

“Isabelle?” she asked, her lips curled up in a huge smile. Immediately, she embraced me in her arms, as if she thought she’d never see me again. Her warm embrace reminded me of all the times she had held me and made me feel safe over the years. A mother’s love never fades, and I knew it now.

“Mom…” I said as I hugged her back. Without wasting much time, I pulled back. Concerned washed over my voice as I asked, “Why did you change your place? What’s happening?”

“I can’t tell you, Isabelle. And you should go.” She said, worried.

“What? Why?”

She was tight-lipped, as if holding back something. “Mom, tell me.” I insisted.

“You should go,” She said as she stepped back. I looked back at my men and nodded, and they both came toward us.

“Mom, is that man hurting you?” I asked, trying to understand what was happening. Her lips slightly parted, taken aback by my sudden question. That confirmed my suspicions that she was indeed being held back without her consent.

Her eyes shifted toward the men who came toward us. “Who are—”

“They’re with me. With us. Tell me, mom?” I asked again, hoping to receive a solid confirmation.

“Look, Isa—”

“Who is at the door, darling?” I heard a voice from the inside, making my heart rate elevated ten times over. I could never forget that dreadful voice.

“Go, Isabelle,” She whispered in a scared voice, as she was about to close the door but I signalled my men to barge inside the place. I took my mom by the hand and brought her closer to my car. “Sit down inside. Everything will be fine.”

“What are you talking about?” She was confused and scared, but she didn’t know that these men were highly trained and could easily kill that monster. I gave her a reassuring smile.

I followed them inside. It was finally time I faced my father, at least when I had the best backup anyone could ever ask for. He was there, sitting on the couch, happily sipping coffee when my men burst through the door and pointed their guns at him.

He was shocked as he stood up immediately. “Who the fuck are you!?” He shouted at them as I came inside the room.

He looked at me and for a second, I was terrified but then I remembered I was safe. He couldn’t hurt me even if he wanted to. If I remained afraid of him for the rest of my life, he would have succeeded in his evil agendas and that was the worst thing that I could do. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction that he achieved anything in his life.

“Looks like it’s time for payback… monster.” I said with all my courage, and I looked at one of the two men. “Capture him and bring him to the basement. I don’t want him to die so easily.”

They nodded as they immediately attached him on his head, rendering him unconscious. They then easily proceeded to tie him up and then take him back to the base in a separate car. I guess that monster wasn’t really expecting his “daughter” to use mafia resources to get to him.

I came back to my car and smiled as I saw mom sitting on the passenger’s seat. I sat in the driver’s seat, finally relieved.

She looked at me as she noticed the men dragging his body to a black car. “What…”

“It was that easy, mom,” I said slowly as I looked at her. “We have got to talk about a lot of things.”

She gave me an understanding smile and I rushed us back to the base.

When we reached back to the place, I could see how shocked my mother was. She didn’t know anything about the underworld and was scared, but I assured her everything was gonna be fine. I guess I should hold back on the fact that I was their First Lady.

What started as talking about what was happening with mom, ended in hours of conversation between us. She told me how that monster was keeping her against her wish and I felt guilt thinking she went back to him. The truth is, years ago, when he left us once and came back later—she had given him a second chance against my wish. I just thought she did the same thing again.

What’s best was that now he was in the basement and I was gonna make sure he got what he deserved. Finally the conversation shifted to me, and I told her how everything with The Mafia started. I had to tell her that when I married Achilles, I became the First Lady and she took it better than I had expected. I guess she was glad that the mafia helped her escape from the monster, so she wasn’t so against it.

We talked for hours and hours about everything, and it finally came to my relationship with Achilles.

***

Achilles’ Point of View:

I was on my way back to make sure that mom reached the base safely. Even though I could’ve done that on the phone or just asked someone to, I really wanted to meet mom too. It had been so long since I last saw her, and I desperately wanted to make sure everything was fine now.

“Boss, we have Mrs. Roman’s father in the basement. What should we do with him?” Marcel said on the call. He was one of the two guys I sent back.

“I’ll be there in an hour. I will see to it. Make sure he’s sedated and unconscious, tied very well.” I commanded.

“Okay, boss,” He replied before I ended the call. The hour passed by and I was finally at the base.

As soon as I entered, I walked over to Isabelle’s room, knowing she’d be in there. I stopped when I started hearing the conversation between them.

“---probably needs some time to understand you, Isabelle. I’m sure of it,” I heard mom’s voice and decided to eavesdrop a bit.

“I—I don’t know, mom. It seems like he doesn’t… doesn’t love me anymore.” I heard sobs from Isabelle, as she continued.

“That’s not true, and you know it. You both love each other.”

“I don’t know, ma…” Her trembling voice echoed in the room as my heart clenched at her condition. She could barely speak. “I—I can’t lose him. I… I can’t… I…” she broke down, now crying as I heard mom reassuring her.

I took a deep breath as I decided to not go inside at the moment. My heart was breaking at how broken she sounded. It was all my fault she was feeling so low, but…

As I was about to walk away, I heard Isabelle again, making me stop once more.

“Mom, do you think I should… I should leave?”

My breath became shallow at her words.

“But baby, you—you can’t just leave. You’re married to him.”

“I—I can’t stay if he… if he can’t even stand me. I’m sure if I… if I ask him for d–divorce, he’ll agree.”

I couldn’t hear anymore, so I walked away, a hint of tear gleaming in my eyes. God, no. I needed to do something. I couldn’t lose her. Losing her was a worse nightmare to me than losing me could ever be to her.