Isabella 211."He will come around," Ava said as we all resumed to our respective seats."He needs to come around faster, there is too many things at stake," Emilio said in a grave tone."Including our lives," Vito grumbled and that statement caught my attention."What is talking about?" I asked Emilio."In due time, Damien needs to be here," Emilio said.I was fed up of the way he was dictating his way into my life and I was this close to losing it."You are not in charge here, and you do not call the shots," I snapped."I did not mean to offend you, Isabella, but time is not on your side or any of ours," Emilio gently said."Go get the boy, Ava," Vito snapped."You do not get to talk to me like that you son of a bitch," It was Ava's turn to snap.The tension in the room was high and emotions were all over the place.Vito scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Drama queen," He mumbled."I am here," Damien's voice rang out from where he stood. He looked troubled, like he had just heard a bad n

Isabella 213As I navigated through the maze of my new reality, each step felt heavier than the last, burdened by the weight of uncertainty and fear that now permeated every corner of my existence. Gone were the carefree days of wandering through life with abandon, replaced instead by the suffocating grip of constant vigilance and paranoia.The tight security that had been implemented in the wake of Emilio's revelation had transformed my once-familiar surroundings into a fortress of steel and stone, guarded day and night by an army of vigilant sentinels. Bodyguards shadowed my every move, their watchful eyes never straying from my form as if anticipating danger at every turn.At first, I had resisted their presence, chafing against the suffocating confines of their protection like a caged bird yearning for freedom. But as the days wore on and the threat of danger loomed ever closer, I found myself begrudgingly accepting their presence, a reluctant acknow

As I sat alone in the quiet sanctuary of our home, the weight of fear and uncertainty pressing down on me like a suffocating blanket, I couldn't shake the nagging sense of dread that clung to my every thought. The events of the past few days had left me reeling, my mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions as I grappled with the harsh realities of our situation.The chilling phone call from Monroe still echoed in the recesses of my mind, a haunting reminder of the danger that lurked just beyond the safety of our walls. His ominous words hung heavy in the air, casting a shadow of fear and uncertainty over our once peaceful existence.I feared for Damien, for the man I loved with every fiber of my being, knowing that he was the ultimate target of Monroe's twisted vendetta. The thought of losing him, of being torn apart by the cruel hand of fate, filled me with a sense of dread so profound it threatened to consume me whole.But even as I grappled with my own fears and insecurities, a deep

IsabellaAs the first rays of dawn filtered through the curtains, casting a soft golden glow across the room, I stirred from my slumber, the remnants of a fitful night's sleep still clinging to the edges of my consciousness. But as I reached out to greet the new day, my fingers brushing against the cool sheets beside me, I was startled by the sound of hurried footsteps echoing down the hallway.My heart quickened in my chest as I strained to listen, the hairs on the back of my neck prickling with unease. Damien rarely rose before the sun, his mornings typically reserved for the quiet solitude of his thoughts as he prepared for the day ahead. So the urgency in his footsteps sent a shiver down my spine, a foreboding sense of dread settling like a heavy stone in the pit of my stomach.And then he burst through the door, his face drawn and pale, his eyes wild with a frantic energy that sent a jolt of fear coursing through my veins. His words spilled from his lips in a breathless rush, a

Isabella"No. That is unacceptable, Isabella," Damien growled angrily at my suggestion. We were in the car Jackson's car and he was driving us to one of his safe houses. I had no interest in staying in a safe house. So I told him where I wanted Jackson to take us."It is the only sensible thing to do, Damien," I implored him.Damien clamped his mouth shut and would not look at me."Why his place of all places?" Damien asked angrily."Because it is the last place Monroe would look, and we can not check into an hotel, he would anticipate that," Jackson said as he drove. "And there is a probability that my safe house has been comprised, hence, Emilio," He added.As Jackson's car sped along the desolate streets, the tension inside the vehicle was palpable, the air thick with unspoken words and simmering resentment. I could feel Damien's gaze burning into me, his jaw clenched in silent frustration as we hurtled towards an uncertain future.My mind raced with conflicting thoughts, torn betw