Chapter 35 Chapter 0035

Chapter 35 Chapter 0035
•ISABELLA•

I woke up at four in the morning and took a long bath, determined to leave the house before Antonio returned.

The thought of seeing his face after what he had done made my stomach twist.

Every time I replayed the scene in my mind, I saw him pulling the trigger and shooting Peter as if he meant nothing.

“Where are you going at this time, miss?”

I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard Kyle’s voice outside my bedroom. For a moment, I wondered if the man ever slept.

“Fuck, Kyle. Shouldn’t you be sleeping?” I asked, irritation creeping into my voice.

“I woke up when you did,” he replied calmly. He was already dressed in a full suit, as if he had been expecting me to sneak out.

I sighed in frustration. “You can stay behind if you want. I don’t need you to come with me anyway. If it weren’t for you, Peter would still be alive.”

The words came out sharper than I intended, but I did not take them back. I walked toward the stairs and he followed silently behind me.

Every time I stopped, he stopped. When I moved again, he did the same. It was clear that avoiding him was impossible.

When we got into the car, he did not argue about driving. I slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine, grateful for the silence between us.

I drove straight to Sarah’s apartment and left him waiting in the car outside the driveway.

Sarah had just returned from work and was having breakfast when I stepped into her kitchen. The smell of toast and coffee filled the room, but it did nothing to calm me down.

“What happened?” she asked the moment she saw my face.

I sank into the chair beside her and the tears came before I could stop them. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Antonio raising the gun.

I saw the flash. I heard the sound and I felt the fear all over again.

“He’s a monster, Sarah. I don’t want to go back,” I cried.

“What happened, Bella? What did he do?” She set her plate aside and turned fully toward me.

“He killed Peter,” I whispered, my voice breaking.

Her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my God. When? How did he find you?”

“I don’t know. I just know I can’t stay in that house anymore. What if one day he decides to kill me too? I can’t be with a man like him. Fake marriage or not, I can’t.”

She moved her chair closer and wrapped her arms around me, holding me against her chest. I let myself sink into her comfort for a moment.

“I’m sorry, Bella. I wish I knew how to help you.”

I pulled back and wiped my face. “I know what to do.”

She looked at me carefully. “Please don’t tell me you’re planning to go out with another man just to make him angry.”

“He’s not going to kill every man he sees me with.”

“Isabella, you saw what he did. You know how heartless he can be. Do you really want more men to die because you want to test him?”

I stood up and paced the kitchen. “Then what do you expect me to do? Sit quietly and let him think I will eventually become his obedient wife?”

“It’s a contract, Bella. And it benefits you more than it benefits him.”

I turned to face her. “How does it benefit me when I feel like a prisoner in that house? I can’t even see another man without risking his life. And who knows what Antonio does at that club of his? How do I know he isn’t sleeping with other women while I’m stuck playing wife?”

Sarah folded her arms. “He isn’t stopping you from going out. You don’t have to work anymore because he provides everything you need.”

“That’s not the point,” I said, my frustration rising. “You’re free. You can go wherever you want and be with whoever you want, and no one will hurt them. If you were in my position, you would understand.”

She exhaled slowly. “So what are you going to do?”

“I’m going to keep going on dates until it finally gets to him. There has to be a heart somewhere inside that cold body of his. He can’t possibly kill them all.”

She stared at me as if I had lost my mind. “I’m going to sleep,” she said eventually. “Are you staying?”

“Yes. I don’t want to see him. Not yet.”

She grabbed my wrist and led me to her room, nearly making me spill the juice I had just poured.

I managed a weak chuckle as we walked inside.
Just as we entered her bedroom, my phone rang.

My heart dropped when I saw Antonio’s name on the screen. For a few seconds, I simply stared at it.

“It’s him,” I whispered to Sarah. “What do I do?”

“Answer,” she mouthed.

I inhaled deeply and pressed accept. “Hello?”

“Bella, where are you?” His voice was low and husky, but there was something dangerous beneath it.

“I’m out. I didn’t want to be home when you returned.”

“I have your location. I’m coming to get you.”

“You don’t have to. I’m fine. The last thing I want right now is to see your face,” I snapped before hanging up.

“What did he say?” Sarah asked.

“He’s coming here.”

Panic rushed through me. “I have to go before he gets here.”

I hurried out of her room, barely saying goodbye, and rushed toward the front door. My heart pounded in my chest.

The moment I closed the door behind me, my breath caught.

Two black cars were parked outside the driveway.

Antonio was already there, leaning casually against his car as if he had all the time in the world.

And he was watching me.