Chapter 43 Chapter 0043

Chapter 43 Chapter 0043
•TOM•

I stood beside the bed, adjusting the cuffs of my shirt as I watched Bella slowly turn beneath the sheets, her eyelids fluttering open.

I forced myself to remain calm and composed as if nothing irreversible had just happened between us.

I understood very well that what I had done could destroy everything, because she hadn't agreed to be with me.

I had taken away her choice the moment I slipped something into her drink, but at that time I had convinced myself that rejection was something I could not tolerate.

For months I had imagined her beside me, imagined her belonging to me in every possible way.

When I realized she might walk away without ever giving me what I wanted, desperation took control of my judgment and led me to make a decision that I knew couldn't be undone.

Yet now that it was over and reality had settled in, I chose to silence the small voice warning me of consequences.

I buttoned the last button of my shirt and looked at her before leaving the room, telling myself that when she woke up fully, I would explain everything.

Once I was inside my room, I immediately reached for my phone and called my father, because Bella was only one part of the plan and leverage was the true key to keeping her close.

Without her father in my custody, there would always be a chance that she would try to escape or turn against me.

He answered on the second ring.

“Son, how are things over there? Are you both safe?”

“Everything is under control,” I replied. “When should I expect Andrea Albero? I don't want delays that could give Antonio time to trace anything back to us.”

My father sighed on the other end before responding, explaining that Antonio had already shown up at the house and made threats.

But the cameras and security systems had kept him from doing anything reckless, and although I trusted my father’s confidence, I knew better than to underestimate a man like Antonio.

“Andrea will be there in about an hour,” my father added.

“That is good,” I muttered, staring out at the garden below. “Once he is here, we will begin the next phase, and after we remove Antonio from the picture, the Conti family will no longer be a problem for us.”

At the mention of the Conti, my jaw tightened as old anger resurfaced.

I hadn't forgotten the humiliation, the way they had used me, the way they believed they had broken me and shaped me into something obedient.

Not realizing that the year I spent under their control had given me access to their routines, their weaknesses, and every secret location they believed was hidden from outsiders.

“They are smarter than most people think,” I added, lowering my voice. “They are not running, and I know exactly where they are.”

There was a pause before my father responded with approval in his tone.

We both understood that information was power, and power was something we intended to reclaim piece by piece until nothing remained in their hands.

After ending the call, I took a quick shower, letting the water run over my face as I steadied my thoughts and reminded myself that emotions were distractions and distractions were dangerous
By the time I stepped out and dressed again, my phone rang once more.

“Tom, they just arrived with Andrea. Where should we take him?” Matt asked.

“Bring him inside,” I instructed calmly. “Make sure the men leave immediately and take a different route back. I don't want anyone following them.”

When I hung up, I walked past Bella’s door and quietly opened it just enough to see that she was still asleep.

Her breathing was slow and heavy, and once I was satisfied that she wouldn't interrupt what was about to happen, I closed the door and headed downstairs.

The front door opened moments later, and Andrea Albero was pushed inside with a blindfold covering his eyes and his hands tied tightly behind his back.

He stumbled as Matt forced him forward until he fell to his knees on the polished floor.

“Where are you taking me?” he demanded, his voice shaking.

“Should I remove the blindfold?” Matt asked.

“Yes,” I replied with a faint smile forming on my lips.

The cloth was pulled away, and the moment Andrea’s eyes focused on me, shock overtook his expression, quickly followed by confusion and then fear.

“Tom?” he breathed.

“Mr. Albero,” I said smoothly as I walked past him and poured myself a glass of whiskey from the table. “What a surprise.”

“Why am I here? What is this?” he demanded, struggling slightly against the ropes around his wrists.

I nodded to Matt, who pulled him to his feet, and I stepped closer.

“You asked the right question,” I muttered. “Your daughter is upstairs, and after everything you did to her, after selling her off as if she were nothing more than a transaction, we decided that it was time for you to understand the cost of your actions.”

His face drained of color. “Isabella is here?”

“Of course she is,” I answered, my tone sharpening slightly. “You knew we were together, and still you chose money over her well-being, so now you will face the consequences.”

He began to stammer, trying to form excuses, but I cut him off with a cold look.

“You failed as a father,” I continued. “And she wants to see justice done slowly.”

When he suddenly growled and mentioned Antonio, claiming that Antonio would make me pay because he was his son-in-law, I felt amusement rise in my chest.

I grabbed him by the throat and tightened my grip just enough to silence him without leaving marks that would interfere with later plans.

“Antonio will be dealt with,” I said firmly. “You don't need to concern yourself with him.”

Then I released him and stepped back.

“Take him upstairs to the guest room,” I ordered Matt.

Andrea’s protests echoed through the house as he was dragged up the stairs, his voice breaking into panicked shouts that only confirmed how fragile he truly was beneath his earlier arrogance.

When Matt returned and handed me the key, the house became quiet again.

I poured myself another glass of whiskey and allowed a slow smile to form as I replayed every step of the plan in my mind.

I was satisfied that each piece was falling into place exactly as intended, and as I took another measured sip, I felt certain that soon Antonio, the Conti, and anyone else standing in my way would realize that I was no longer the man they once believed they could control.