Isabella’s POV
It had been two days. Two long days without a word from Leandro.
I kept checking my phone, hoping for a message, a sign that everything was okay, but nothing came. He promised me that he would be there, that we would finally watch my favorite series together after I finished school yesterday. But nothing. He didn’t show up, and worse — he didn’t even bother to text.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Leandro always told me everything. He didn’t keep secrets from me. But now, there was nothing. The silence was deafening, and it gnawed at me in ways I couldn’t ignore.
I tried to push the uneasy feeling away, telling myself that maybe he was just busy or caught up in something. But the more I thought about it, the more my gut twisted. Maybe something had happened to him. Maybe he was in trouble. I needed to know.
I was about to get up, grab my jacket, and go find Albert, hoping he could tell me what was going on, when my parents stopped me at the door.
“You’re not going anywhere,” my father’s voice was firm, his usual authoritative tone cutting through the air. He was standing in the hallway with my mother, who had a tight-lipped look on her face, as if she already knew what was coming.
“Elio and his parents are coming over,” my father continued, his eyes locking onto mine. “You’ll stay here. We have things to discuss.”
I rolled my eyes, the last thing I wanted was another meeting with the Contis. But I couldn’t exactly avoid it. I knew they’d be persistent. Elio was always so quick to manipulate the situation to his advantage, and now they were here to force me into signing something else — something that would cement my fate.
I took a deep breath and nodded, though I felt like I was suffocating under the weight of it all. My entire life felt like it was being decided for me, without any say from me.
When Elio and his parents finally arrived, I forced myself to remain calm. Elio walked in with his usual arrogant smirk, as if everything was perfectly fine, as if he had the right to smile at me like we were some kind of couple. His parents followed closely behind, carrying thick documents in their hands. I couldn’t even look at them. I hated the Contis. I hated their control, their need to put everything in a box that made sense to them — a box I had no say in.
Elio came straight up to me, holding out the papers like some business transaction I had to sign.
“These are for you,” he said with that same smug tone. “Just sign them, and we can move forward. Our families will finally be united, and you won’t have to worry about anything anymore.”
I took the papers in my hands, my fingers curling around them tightly. I could feel my stomach churn. Elio was trying to act like we were partners in this, like this wasn’t some power move to tighten the control over my life.
I glanced up at him, meeting his eyes with a defiant look, even though my heart was racing. I could feel the anger bubbling up inside me. He stood there, watching me with that stupid grin on his face, his eyes daring me to do something — anything.
“You think I’m just going to sign this?” I asked, my voice low but full of rage. “You think I’m just going to play along with this — this ridiculous deal?”
Elio’s smirk deepened, but there was a flash of something darker behind his eyes. “You will,” he said, his tone dripping with condescension. “Once we’re married, everything will be set in stone. All you need to do is just be a wife.”
I tore up the papers in front of them. My hands shook, but my chest was steady, heart pounding in my ears as I waited for a response. I could feel the weight of everyone’s gaze on me — but I didn’t back down.
Elio’s face was a mixture of anger and disbelief, his eyes flashing with fury. “You think this is some kind of joke?” he spat, his voice low and dangerous. His smirk from earlier was gone, replaced by something far colder. “You’ve just thrown everything away. Do you really want to go through with this? Do you think your family will support you after this?”
I felt the chill in the air, but I stood firm. I wasn’t going to marry him, no matter how much he thought he could force me into it.
His parents, standing behind him, looked absolutely furious, their eyes narrowed and faces tight with anger. Elio’s father, a man with the same cold, calculating look as his son, was the first to speak.
“You’ve made a terrible mistake, Isabella,” he said, his voice full of disdain. “This was your chance to secure the future of the D'Angelo family. You were supposed to honor the arrangement, not throw it in our faces.”
I felt a flash of guilt, but it was quickly overshadowed by my own anger. How could they expect me to marry a man who didn’t love me? A man who was more concerned with his family's power than with the woman he was supposed to marry?
Elio’s mother added her voice, her tone dripping with venom. “This was a business arrangement, not a fairy tale. You don’t get to choose who you love, Isabella. This is bigger than you.” She stepped closer to my parents, her gaze not leaving me. “And now, because of your reckless behavior, we will have to reconsider this entire alliance. You’ve embarrassed us in front of everyone.”
My parents said nothing for a moment. Their silence hung in the air, but it didn’t last long.
My father, who had been unusually quiet up until now, stepped forward, his eyes hard and calculating. He stared at me with a gaze so cold it could freeze blood in its tracks.
“You’ve ruined everything, Isabella.” His voice was low, controlled — but I could hear the fury beneath it. “We’ve worked years to build this alliance with the Contis. Your actions today could destroy everything we’ve worked for.”
I felt the weight of his words, but I didn’t flinch. I couldn’t let him intimidate me anymore. I had finally reclaimed my voice.
“You don’t get to control me,” I said, my voice surprisingly steady, though my hands were still trembling. “I’m not going to marry Elio. I’m not going to let you or anyone else dictate my life anymore. Not like this.”
My father’s eyes darkened with anger, and he took a step toward me, his jaw clenched so tightly I could see the muscles in his neck bulging.
“You think you have a choice?” His voice was a dangerous whisper. “You’ve always had a choice, Isabella. But now, you’ve crossed a line.”
My mother, who had been standing by quietly, finally spoke. Her voice was soft but filled with a deep, unsettling disappointment. “You’ve humiliated us. Elio is the best match for you. He’s everything we’ve ever wanted for you. He’s everything your father and I have worked toward.”
I shook my head, frustration building in my chest. “I don’t care about your plans,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper, but the anger was there. “I’m not marrying him. I’m done being your pawn.”
My father’s expression hardened, and the room fell into a thick silence. I could feel the shift in the air, like a storm was building. The tension was unbearable.
“You will marry Elio. You will fulfill this obligation, Isabella, or there will be consequences.” My father’s voice was final, like a verdict. “We don’t negotiate with you. This isn’t up for discussion.”
I shook my head, my heart pounding as I stared at him, eyes wide. “You can’t force me.”
But he just stared at me, and his eyes told me everything I needed to know. They would make me comply.
“You will marry Elio,” my father repeated, his voice low, but filled with a coldness that made me shiver. “And if you think for one second that you’ll get away with this, you’re wrong. We will make sure you follow through.”
There was a long pause before Elio’s father spoke again, his voice dripping with disdain. “You’ve caused us enough trouble. We’ll talk to your father about the next steps,” he said to my parents, his tone final, like they were dealing with a business transaction. “But mark my words, Isabella — if you keep this up, it will only get worse. And you’ll regret it.”
As they turned to leave, I stood there, feeling the walls closing in around me. I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe.
Elio didn’t say anything else. He just glared at me, his face twisted in anger. He gave one last look to my parents before he walked out of the room, followed by his parents. The door slammed behind them, and I was left standing there with my parents.
The silence after they left was suffocating. I felt my father’s stare burning into me. I didn’t dare speak.
My mother looked at me, her eyes filled with disappointment. “You’ve ruined everything,” she whispered.
“I’m not marrying him,” I said, the words slipping out before I could stop myself.
My father’s voice was icy, full of threat. “You’ll marry him. You have no choice now, Isabella. You will do what’s best for this family. And if you try to run away again, we’ll make sure you never have the chance to do so. Because we’ll find you. You know we will.”
I felt the weight of his words press down on me, a crushing force. He had control over everything — everything I had ever known.
I had no choice. I had to obey.