ISABELLA
What the fuck?
I don’t know what I’m supposed to think now. My heart is fucking shattered into a million pieces. Tears are absolutely pouring down my face.
How could Dominic do this to me?
Seriously?
What the hell is wrong with that man?
Why did I putanytrust in him? I can’t believe I was fooled. I should have known that my judgment was shitty, but to have it thrown in my face in such a violent way is killer.
IlikedDominic.
I might have even felt more than that for him.
But now all of that is gone.
I thought my plan was solid. I thought that telling my father about Risty and Vincenzo’s plan would help us. I even thought I might be able to reveal my own little secret.
I’ve been going over it in my head.
Again and again.
Wondering how to let everyone know that I’m pregnant, to see how they would all react.
But now none of that will ever happen because Dominic has gone.
Vanished.
Heleftme at the gas station. I can’t believe it. I had headed inside to find out where he went because he was in there for ages, just to see the store empty. It crushed me.
I kinda lost my shit a bit.
Truth be told, I thought someone had taken him. I thought he’d been ambushed again.
That is until the store attendant told me he left out the back in a hurry.
He left to get away from me.
Yes, he’s left me with the car, so I have a way out of here, but it isn’t enough.
He abandoned me, and I know that for sure because even after being told that he’d gone, I spent a good half an hour looking for him.
But I’m never going to find him, am I? Because he’s gone.
I don’t know if that’s because of my father, or because ofme. I am a lot younger than him, he does have a lot more life experience than me, so maybe I fell too deep for a man who couldn’t wait to get away from me and was just waiting for a way for me to be safe.
It’s humiliating.
I’m ice cold.
I can’t stomach this.
And now I have to face my father, to tell him what’s going on. Thank God he’s in the country so I can try and keep my family safe. Myself too.
If I can get out of this dumb ass arranged marriage, then maybe I can reconnect with my family properly again.
I have missed them.
Being kidnapped has given me a lot of time to think, a lot of time to reevaluate everything. With a bit of luck, I can recuperate everything that I’ve been missing.
After all, I’m going to need them now more than ever.
Because I’m alone.
Weare alone.
Me and my unborn baby.
Shit, that is going to be the biggest struggle I’ve ever had to face in my life…
The drive goes faster than I’m expecting. It isn’t long before I’m at the family home in the city.
I pause for a few moments, just sitting in the car, trying to gather myself up.
At least… that’s the plan until one of my father’s guards bangs on my car window.
“Open up,” he demands. “Who is it?”
My heart sinks.
I amnotready for this just yet.
“It’s me,” I cry out as I open the window. “It’s Isabella.”
I guess my words are lost on the wind, though, because my door swings open and the man roughly grabs my arm, dragging me out.
I don’t have enough fight in me.
Losing Dominic like that, having him run away from me, it’s killer.
My heart really fucking hurts.
“Who did you say you were?”
“Isabella, it’s Isabella!” I cry out. “Isn’t my father in the country looking for me? God damn it, I’ve been missing for ages. I don’t think my dad will want to see me hurt…”
The hands fall off me.
The guy steps back.
“Shit, Isabella, it is you. You look different.”
“Well, so would you if you’d been kidnapped.”
I narrow my eyes at him.
What an asshole.
There’s no reason for anyone to be so fucking rough.
“I’ll get your father now. I’m sure he’ll be so happy to see you.”
“Not so happy when I tell him how you treated me.”
I won’t. I don’t need to be the cause of any more violence, but it’s good for this idiot to rethink the way that he treats people in the future.
I follow him inside, all the way to my father’s office.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been here, in this place, but it also feels a little like home.
It’s been forever since I’ve wanted to be around my family. But now I need them.
“Dad?” I cry out as I knock on the door. “It’s me.”