Chapter 82
Marina tilted her head, her expression sharpening. "Isabella, what gives you the right to do this? Are you in love with his body or his soul?"
The air froze for a few seconds.
Then Isabella laughed.
"Guess. Use that clever brain of yours, daughter of the mafia, and figure out why I'm doing this."
She raised her hand and pointed to the door.
"Now, please leave. I have work to do."
Marina didn't move, a flash of real annoyance in her eyes. "You're kicking me out? Isabella, we used to be friends—"
"Used to be," Isabella cut her off. "That word fits perfectly after you chose to wrap your whole life in lies, and after you just tried to seduce him to test me."
At that moment, a figure hurried past the glass wall of the office.
It was Laura.
She saw the tense standoff between Marina and Isabella, her eyes widening. She quickened her pace, almost jogging away.
She didn't dare make a sound.
The anger of a mafia daughter wasn't something a small fry like her could handle.
Marina noticed Laura's escape, a scornful smile tugging at her lips. "Your little follower is scared of me."
"Smart people are scared of anyone from the Lawson family," Isabella's voice grew colder, "especially when your father is a regular on Interpol's most-wanted list."
Marina's body stiffened.
"You're lying! He's not a fugitive! Last year, he helped the Eldoria police recover stolen artifacts! He found my brother Simon! When Simon was kidnapped, it was my father who personally led the rescue!"
"Don't try to drive a wedge between us. I won't go after Vitale, at least not now. But don't try to manipulate me into thinking my father is pure evil either."
"This world isn't black and white, Isabella, especially not our world!"
Isabella smiled, this time with a hint of pity in her expression.
"Marina, twenty minutes ago, you were sitting in my chair, smoking, telling me how much you hate the blood in your veins, how being a mafia daughter is a chain around your neck. Now you're telling me you're family? Which one is the real you? The one who hates her father, or the one defending him?"
Marina's face paled. "If I hadn't rejected the family's arranged marriage, if I hadn't run off to university to chase a normal life, maybe I'd be the one standing by Vitale's side right now."
"We grew up together, Isabella. The bond between mafia kids—you can't understand it. It's not love, but it's stronger, more fated than love."
Just then, the phone on Isabella's desk rang.
The shrill sound broke the tense silence.
It was Vitale.
She picked up the phone, her finger hovering over the answer button for a moment as her eyes met Marina's.
Marina's expression shifted from heated defense to a sharp, watchful look, as if waiting for something.
Isabella pressed the answer button and held the phone to her ear.
"Come over. I'm waiting in my office. Now."
No greeting, no explanation, just direct and almost harsh.
Isabella looked at Marina and softly said into the phone, "Okay, I'll be right there."
Hanging up, she gripped the phone in her hand, meeting Marina's gaze with an unconscious smirk.
"Looks like you can't go to his office. Vitale called for me."
Marina's face darkened.
She bit her lower lip, a gesture that reminded Isabella of their university days—every time Marina lost to her in exams, she'd make that same face.
Unwilling, annoyed, but forced to admit defeat.
"He shouldn't do this," Marina muttered, almost to herself. "I'm the representative of the Lawson family. We still have details to discuss—"
"Yes," Isabella interrupted, grabbing her suit jacket from the back of the chair and draping it over her arm, "this is exactly how it should be."
Then she opened the door and walked out without looking back.
The hallway was empty.
Laura had long since hidden away, and most other employees had already left for the day.
Isabella strode quickly toward Vitale's office, feeling a gaze on her back.
Marina must still be standing at her office door, watching her leave.
She didn't knock, just pushed open the heavy wooden door to Vitale's office.
Inside, only a desk lamp was on, casting a dim yellow glow over the desk area.
Vitale sat in a high-backed leather chair, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing strong forearms and a subtle platinum watch on his wrist.
His red hair looked like dark flames in the faint light.
His eyes landed on Isabella's face, studying her for a few seconds. "So, why did you text me to come save you?"
"I don't like her," Isabella said, walking around the desk to stand beside him.
"We weren't that close. We were friends in university, but that was built on lies."
"Now, she's saying if I weren't here, you two would be married. Childhood promises, family bonds, stuff like that."
Vitale raised an eyebrow. "If I fell for every woman I grew up with, I'd be in love with the lady next door who runs a brothel. She watched me grow up and even baked me cookies."
This absurd comparison lightened Isabella's heart a bit.
"What else did she say to you?" Vitale asked, reaching out to grip Isabella's wrist.
"Nothing more," Isabella replied, but hesitated for a moment. "But she definitely won't let me off easy, Vitale. I hope you can help me."
She turned, placing both hands on the desk, leaning forward to look at Vitale.
This movement caused her shirt collar to open slightly, the curve of her chest faintly visible under the light.
Vitale's breath hitched.
His gaze involuntarily swept over her skin before snapping back up to meet her eyes.
He clenched his jaw, muttering something under his breath in Eldorian that sounded like a curse.
"Isabella, I'll protect you," his voice turned serious, "but I can't outright reject her or publicly embarrass her. The Lawson family is important right now. Costa did me a favor, a big one."
Isabella frowned. "What kind of favor?"
"Costa has an intelligence network," Vitale continued. "He helped me track down a few suspects. In exchange, I agreed to let his daughter, Marina, get a taste of the business world and give her a position."
"So, yes, I'll protect you, but I can't kick her out. Not yet, at least."
Isabella's heart ached for Vitale.
She reached out, gently cupping his face, and leaned down to press a kiss on his forehead.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, "for Liliana, and for my jealousy just now."
Vitale closed his eyes, his forehead resting against her palm, lingering there for a few seconds.
When he opened his eyes, the pain in them was suppressed, replaced by the familiar fiery blue.
"So," Isabella straightened up, her hand still on his shoulder, "I hope you don't have too much contact with her. I know it's not entirely possible, but try to keep it to a minimum."
"Otherwise, it'll be hard for me to work. And if it gets too hard, I might consider quitting."
That last sentence was both a test and the truth.
Vitale's reaction was stronger than Isabella expected.
He suddenly reached out, grabbed her waist, and pulled her over, settling her directly onto his lap.
The motion was smooth and swift. Isabella let out a small gasp, her arms instinctively wrapping around his neck.
"You're not quitting," Vitale's voice was right by her ear, his warm breath brushing against her skin. "I won't let you leave. Don't even think about it."
His arms encircled her waist, holding her firmly in place.
Isabella could feel the tense muscles under his shirt, could smell his dangerous yet alluring scent that was uniquely his.
"Vitale—"
Vitale cut her off, lowering his head, his lips brushing against her neck.
Not a kiss, just a touch, his voice vibrating through her skin as he spoke. "What else did Marina say to you? About the cruise party?"
Isabella shifted slightly on his lap, the movement making their bodies press even closer.
She felt Vitale's body tense.
"She said you being there wasn't just a coincidence," Isabella said softly. "I want to know, when you approached me, was it because of me, or because you had business to handle there?"
Vitale let out a low chuckle, the sound vibrating against her collarbone. "What's she trying to imply? That I deliberately went there to seduce you?"
"She said you were grieving," Isabella's hand slid into his red hair, her fingers tangling in the strands, "for losing your sister, for losing your heart, for losing your emotions. But seeing me there still shocked you."
Vitale lifted his head, his blue eyes like deep ocean whirlpools in the dim light. "I was grieving that day."
"Then I saw you standing by the bar, wearing that damn silver dress, your hair like melted gold."
"You were like a beam of light suddenly shining into a world I'd grown used to being dark."
Isabella's breathing quickened.
"So..." she asked softly.
"So, both things are true," Vitale said, his voice rough. "I had business to handle there. But approaching you? That was entirely because of you."
Then he kissed Isabella.
His tongue pushed past her lips, diving in, stealing her breath and her senses.
Isabella responded, her fingers clutching his shirt tightly, her body melting against him on his lap.
Just as the kiss started to spiral out of control, with Vitale's hand beginning to slip under the hem of her shirt, Isabella suddenly opened her eyes. Over his shoulder, she caught sight of something outside the office's glass wall.
In the hallway, a figure stood there.
Marina.
She had her arms crossed, leaning against the doorframe of the opposite office, staring in the direction of Vitale's office.
But the one-way glass prevented her from seeing inside.
All she could see was a dark, reflective surface, showing the hallway lights and her own figure.
Isabella's body stiffened.
Vitale noticed her distraction and ended the kiss, though he didn't let her go.
He followed her gaze and saw Marina too.
Then Vitale smiled.
"So, do you want her to see what we're doing?"