Chapter 50 Chapter 0050

Chapter 50 Chapter 0050
•ISABELLA•

A week after Antonio brought me home, I spent most of my days in the garden.

The air was fresh, and the sun was warm against my skin, yet none of it reached the heaviness inside my chest.

I had imagined that returning home would fill me with relief and happiness, that being back with Antonio after almost a month of captivity would make everything feel right again.

Finding out that I was pregnant had changed everything. The news should have been joyful, but it only brought confusion and fear.

While I had been kidnapped by Tom and forced into a nightmare I never chose, there had been moments when I had no control over my body or my circumstances.

I hated myself for even thinking of it as sleeping with him, because it hadn't been my choice, yet the possibility that he could be the father of my child haunted me.

I loved Antonio deeply, but the thought of raising Tom’s baby with him felt unbearable.

I felt guilty even though I knew I had done nothing wrong. I had been taken against my will and assaulted, yet part of me still felt like I had betrayed my husband.

I didn’t know how to tell him about the pregnancy, and I didn't know if we should continue living together while such a painful question hovered between us.

My father had given me the money that Antonio’s contract required if I ever wanted to free myself from the marriage.

The envelope sat untouched in my drawer, a constant reminder that I had a way out.

Before Antonio rescued me, I had been certain that I wanted to stay with him and rebuild our life together after escaping Tom.

Now everything felt uncertain. I was convinced that Tom was the father. Because he had been the last man who touched me.

I was already over six weeks pregnant, and that timeline made my fear grow stronger.

“Bella?” Antonio called from behind me, his voice gentle yet concerned.

I turned quickly and forced a smile. “Antonio. Hi.”

He walked toward me and studied my face. “You missed lunch. Is everything okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” I replied, though my stomach had been turning at the smell of food all morning.

He cleared his throat before speaking again. “Your father told me about the money he gave you. I want you to know that if you are no longer certain about being with me, you are free to go. You can take it and start a new life.”

His words pierced my heart. I had thought about leaving, but hearing him say it so calmly hurt more than I expected.

A small, selfish part of me wanted him to refuse to let me go and to fight for us no matter what.

“Antonio, that is not what this is,” I said as I sat down on the bench. “I love you. I want to be with you. But I am still trying to recover from what happened.”

“It was never your fault,” he muttered. “But if you believe you will not be happy with me, I will not hold you back. I love you enough to let you choose.”

His kindness made my chest ache even more. I stood up and looked at him, knowing that the truth could shatter everything.

“I will leave for London in the morning,” I said, even though the words felt like a lie as soon as they left my mouth.

I wanted distance so that I wouldn't have to see the pain in his eyes every day if the child turned out to be Tom’s.

I had barely taken a step when he stopped me with a question that made my breath catch.

“Are you pregnant?”

My body froze.

“I noticed you getting sick after dinner,” he continued. “You’ve been avoiding food you usually love, and you have been more emotional than usual. Please tell me the truth. Is the baby not mine?”

Tears filled my eyes as I turned to face him. “There is a possibility that Tom could be the father,” I admitted through sobs. “I thought about ending the pregnancy because it would always remind me of what happened, but I can’t bring myself to do it. I am leaving because I thought it would be easier for you.”

“Easier for me?” he asked as he took my hands.

“How can you raise Tom’s child as your own?” I said. “You hated him, and so did I. How could you live with that?”

He lifted his hand to my face and wiped away my tears. “It is just a baby, Bella. None of this is the child’s fault. If you are carrying a baby, then we will face it together.”

At that moment, I fell in love with him all over again.

Eight months later, we welcomed our baby girl into the world.

The months between that conversation and her birth were filled with quiet hope and cautious prayers. Antonio never once treated me differently.

He attended every appointment, held my hand during every test, and spoke to my growing belly as if he already knew her.

After she was born, we did a DNA test. The wait for the results felt endless, even though it was only a matter of days.

When the confirmation came that Antonio was her father, I felt as though a weight I had been carrying for months finally lifted from my chest.

We cried together, overwhelmed with relief and gratitude.

Our daughter, Olivia, was perfect. She had soft dark hair and eyes that reminded me of my own reflection.

Antonio held her carefully as if she were made of glass.

“It is Daddy, Olivia,” he whispered as he placed her gently in her crib. “I will love you for the rest of your life, my little dragon. You are safe with me.”

I stood at the nursery door watching them, feeling a warmth that I had not known in a long time.

Olivia cooed whenever we watched movies with dragons in them. She seemed fascinated with them.

We had moved into a new home, and my father now lived with us. Antonio had even made him manager of his club, welcoming him into our lives without hesitation.

It felt like we had been given a second chance at happiness.

When Antonio noticed me, he smiled and kissed my forehead. “She is beautiful,” he said proudly. “She looks like me.”

“She has my eyes,” I replied with a small laugh before kissing him.

We left the nursery quietly, careful not to wake her. Just as we stepped into the hallway, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out, and I watched his expression shift as he read the message.

“For murdering all my brothers, I will come for you, Antonio. I will avenge their deaths and make you feel the pain you caused.”

My heart began to race. “Who sent that?”

He looked at me calmly, though I could see the tension in his jaw. “Dante. He is the only one who survived.”