Chapter 11: The Truth Behind Isobel's Tears

Dante spent the next two days buried in documents.

The more he investigated, the more uneasy he became.

At first, he had expected to find nothing more than routine agreements between two powerful mafia families.

Instead, he found hidden contracts.

Private payments.

Medical records that had been altered.

And one agreement that made his hands go cold.

It stated that if Isobel gave birth to a child connected to the de Rossi family, several long-standing financial disputes between the two families would automatically be settled.

Dante read the document three times.

Then he threw it across the desk.

"Who knew about this?" he demanded.

His assistant stood silently before finally answering.

"Your father, the de Luca family, and several senior members of both organizations."

"And Isobel?"

The assistant hesitated.

"We don't know how much she knew."

Dante immediately went to the hospital.

Isobel was sitting by the window when he entered.

She smiled weakly.

"You finally came."

Normally, Dante would have walked over and asked about her condition.

This time, he remained near the door.

"I want to ask you something."

Her smile slowly disappeared.

"What is it?"

"Did you know about the agreement between our families?"

For the first time, panic flashed through her eyes.

It lasted only a second.

But Dante saw it.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she whispered.

Dante placed the documents on the table.

"Then explain these."

Isobel stared at the papers.

Her face turned pale.

"Dante, this has nothing to do with us."

"Nothing to do with us?"

His voice became colder.

"Our families negotiated for years. Then suddenly, you become pregnant with my child, and every dispute is supposed to disappear."

Isobel lowered her head.

"I only wanted a child before I died."

Dante's eyes darkened.

"Are you really dying?"

The room fell silent.

Isobel slowly looked up.

"What kind of question is that?"

"Answer me."

She looked away.

That was all Dante needed.

He immediately called his private doctor.

"Bring me every original medical record from Isobel's first examination. Not the copies. The originals."

Less than an hour later, the truth began to unfold.

Several months ago, Isobel had indeed been diagnosed with a serious condition.

But it wasn't terminal.

Her treatment had a high success rate.

The prognosis that claimed she only had a year to live had been exaggerated.

Dante stared at the doctor.

"So she lied?"

The doctor looked uncomfortable.

"The records were modified after the original report was issued."

Dante felt something inside him collapse.

For months, he had justified everything.

He had told himself that Nina should understand.

He had convinced himself that he had no choice.

He had sacrificed her feelings because he believed Isobel was dying.

But now, even that excuse was disappearing.

When he returned to Isobel's room, she was waiting for him.

"Dante..."

"Did you know your illness wasn't terminal?"

She began crying.

"I was scared."

"Answer me."

"Yes."

The single word hit him harder than any bullet ever had.

Dante stepped back.

Isobel quickly reached for his hand.

"I didn't know what else to do. I thought if I told you the truth, you'd leave me."

He pulled away.

"So you manipulated me."

"I love you!" she cried.

"You made me destroy my relationship because you were afraid I would leave you."

Isobel's tears fell faster.

"You were never going to choose me otherwise."

Dante froze.

Because she was right about one thing.

If she had simply asked him to leave Nina, he probably wouldn't have done it.

He had allowed circumstances, guilt, family pressure, and a supposed debt to push him toward her.

But he had still made every decision himself.

No one had forced him to betray Nina.

Isobel may have manipulated the situation.

But Dante had willingly hurt the woman who trusted him most.

He left the hospital without another word.

That night, he returned to the apartment he once shared with Nina.

The silence inside was unbearable.

He walked into the bedroom.

Her side was empty.

Her clothes were gone.

Her books were gone.

Even the small photograph she kept beside the bed had disappeared.

For the first time, Dante understood that Nina hadn't left in anger.

She had left because she was finished.

He sat alone in the darkness and opened his phone.

After staring at the screen for several minutes, he found Julia's number.

His thumb hovered over the call button.

Then he finally pressed it.

Julia answered after several rings.

"Who is this?"

"It's Dante."

There was a long silence.

"What do you want?"

"I need Nina's contact information."

Julia laughed bitterly.

"And why would I give it to you?"

"I need to explain everything."

"No, Dante. You need to live with what you did."

His voice tightened.

"Please."

"You had months to listen to Nina. You ignored every chance she gave you."

Before he could respond, Julia added, "She's finally happy where she is. Don't drag her back into your mess."

The call ended.

Dante stared at the dark screen.

For the first time in his life, the heir of the de Rossi family had no power to change what mattered most.

And thousands of miles away in Laran, I was standing inside the research laboratory when Professor Moore approached me.

"Nina, I have some news."

I looked up from my work.

"What is it?"

He smiled.

"Your research has been selected for the next phase of the project."

A smile slowly appeared on my face.

I had no idea that while my new life was finally beginning, Dante's old world was starting to fall apart.

And soon, the past I thought I had left behind would come looking for me.