Chapter 4

Matteo

The room goes completely silent after my words.

Vincent Romano stares at me with cold disbelief while Isabella stands frozen behind me. I can feel her panic without even looking at her. Her breathing is uneven again.

Like she expects something terrible to happen next.

Maybe it always does around her father.

Vincent adjusts the sleeve of his expensive coat slowly. Calmly. Men like him hide their anger behind control. But I see it anyway.

“You’re forgetting yourself,” he says quietly.

“No,” I answer. “I remember exactly who I am.”

His eyes harden.

For a second, nobody moves.

Then Isabella speaks softly behind me.

“Please stop.”

The fear in her voice does something unpleasant to my chest.

Vincent immediately looks at her, and his expression changes into something softer. More polished. The perfect public father again.

“Bella,” he says calmly, “come here.”

She moves instantly.

Automatically.

Like she’s trained to obey him without thinking.

My jaw tightens before I can stop it.

Isabella takes two small steps toward him, but then she hesitates. Her eyes flick toward me for half a second.

Interesting.

Vincent notices too.

That seems to anger him more than my disrespect.

“I believe we’re done here,” he says coldly.

“No,” I repeat.

His patience finally starts cracking. “You think you can keep my daughter in this house against my wishes?”

“I think your daughter witnessed something dangerous and someone wants her silenced.”

That gets his attention immediately.

So does Isabella’s.

Vincent studies me carefully now. “Explain.”

“I killed one of my men tonight because he was selling information.” I keep my eyes on Vincent the entire time. “Minutes later, your daughter happened to appear in the alley.”

“She works nearby.”

“I know.”

His expression stays controlled, but I can almost hear him thinking.

Good.

I want him to be nervous.

“I’m taking her home,” he says finally.

“No.”

The single word fills the room again.

Behind me, Isabella whispers my name nervously. “Matteo…”

I ignore her.

Vincent takes one slow step closer toward me. “You seem confused about the situation.”

“And you seem too calm about your daughter almost witnessing a murder.”

That lands exactly where I want it to.

His eyes darken slightly.

There it is.

Not fear for Isabella.

Fear about something else.

Interesting.

Before either of us can speak again, Sofia suddenly walks into the room holding a cup of coffee like this entire situation is boring her.

“You both look exhausted,” she says.

Nobody answers.

Sofia glances at Isabella first. “You okay?”

Isabella nods too quickly.

Another lie.

Sofia notices it immediately but says nothing.

Then her eyes move toward Vincent.

“You should probably leave before this turns uglier.”

“I’m not leaving without my daughter.”

Sofia sighs tiredly. “See? Exhausting.”

Despite the tension filling the room, Isabella almost looks surprised by Sofia’s attitude. Probably because Sofia speaks to powerful men without fear.

Most people don’t.

Especially not around Vincent Romano.

Vincent looks at Sofia dismissively. “This doesn’t concern you.”

“It concerns me when there’s yelling in my house at two in the morning.”

His jaw tightens slightly.

I almost smile.

Almost.

Then Vincent turns toward Isabella again. “Bella. We’re leaving.”

She freezes.

I watch the panic return to her face instantly.

Not confusion.

Not relief.

Panic.

And suddenly, I know something with complete certainty.

She does not want to leave with him.

Maybe she thinks she does. Maybe she’s too conditioned to know the difference anymore.

But her body reacts before her mind does.

Fear never lies.

“I…” Isabella swallows hard. “Maybe I should stay tonight.”

The entire room changes.

Vincent goes still.

Completely still.

Even Sofia looks surprised.

Isabella notices too late what she just said.

“I only mean because it’s late,” she says quickly. “And maybe tomorrow would be easier—”

“Enough,” Vincent says sharply.

She immediately falls silent.

Too silent.

I watch her shoulders tense automatically like she’s preparing for punishment.

Something dark moves through me.

Vincent notices me watching her.

That seems to irritate him more than anything else tonight.

“You’re embarrassing yourself,” he tells Isabella quietly.

She lowers her eyes immediately. “I’m sorry.”

Again.

Always apologizing.

I’ve known this girl less than one day and she’s apologized more times than most people do in a month.

Sofia notices it too judging by the look on her face.

Vincent walks toward Isabella slowly.

She stiffens instantly.

He reaches for her arm.

She flinches before he even touches her.

The movement is quick.

Barely noticeable.

But it happens.

Vincent realizes it too late.

My hand catches his wrist before he can touch her.

Hard.

The air changes instantly.

The guards outside the room go silent. Sofia slowly lowers her coffee cup. Isabella looks like she forgot how to breathe.

Vincent stares down at my hand gripping him.

Then he looks back up at me.

Very calm.

Very cold.

“You’re making a mistake.”

“Maybe,” I say. “But you’re leaving without her.”

For a moment, I honestly think he might pull a gun.

Instead, he slowly removes his wrist from my grip.

Then he straightens his jacket like nothing happened.

Interesting man.

Dangerous too.

“She’s my daughter,” he says quietly.

“And she’s terrified of you.”

Silence.

Complete silence.

Isabella’s face loses color instantly.

Vincent looks at her.

Not me.

Her.

And for the first time tonight, I see genuine emotion crack through his perfect mask.

Anger.

Not because I insulted him.

Because I said the truth out loud.

“You know nothing about family,” he says to me.

Maybe he’s right.

But I know control when I see it.

And Isabella Romano reacts to her father like prey reacts to a predator.

Vincent looks at Isabella one last time.

“Tomorrow,” he says calmly. “You will come home.”

She nods automatically. “Yes, Father.”

Then he leaves.

Just like that.

The second the door closes, Isabella’s knees almost give out beneath her.

Sofia catches her first.

“Easy,” Sofia murmurs.

Isabella looks horrified by her own reaction. Embarrassed too.

“I’m fine,” she whispers weakly.

“No, you’re not,” Sofia says gently.

I stay quiet while Isabella pulls away slightly, trying to regain control of herself.

“You should sleep,” Sofia tells her.

Isabella nods without arguing.

Sofia leads her toward the bed before glancing back at me.

“Talk outside.”

I follow Sofia into the hallway a minute later.

The second the bedroom door closes behind us, her expression changes completely.

“What the hell is wrong with her father?”

I lean against the wall. “I’m trying to figure that out.”

“She looked terrified.”

“I know.”

Sofia studies me carefully for a second. “And you care already.”

“I care about understanding what’s happening inside my house.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

I ignore that.

Sofia sighs softly. “Be careful, Matteo.”

“With what?”

“With her.”

I frown slightly.

“She’s fragile,” Sofia continues quietly. “People like us break fragile things without meaning to.”

Before I can answer, one of my guards walks quickly down the hallway toward me.

His face looks tense.

“What is it?” I ask immediately.

“Boss,” he says carefully, “we searched the alley from tonight.”

Something in his tone instantly puts me on alert.

“And?”

The guard hesitates.

Then he finally speaks.

“The man you killed before finding Isabella…”

My body stills.

“He had Judge Romano’s name in his pocket.”