In His Grasp: A Mafia Romance novel Chapter 74

Chapter 74: What She Needs is You

The room door closed, isolating Isabella's cries inside. Emanuele stood at the door with a furrowed brow, but his mind was still filled with Isabella's sobs. She was so sad, like a forsaken puppy.

For some reason, Emanuele's heart began to ache in sync with Isabella's pain. However, this kind of sensitive vulnerability was the last thing a mafia boss needed. He lit a cigarette, the smoke filling the room, and the nicotine eased his mood slightly.

He told Lilly, "Take care of her."

Lilly frowned and replied, "But, Emanuele, what she needs is you."

"I can't give her anything. Only Clark can make her happy," Emanuele responded coldly, as icy as ever.

Lilly looked at the man she had known since his childhood, usually kind to those close to him but ruthless towards enemies. Now, she saw him being cruel to Isabella, which was heart-wrenching.

She couldn't understand how he, as Isabella's stepbrother, could treat her this way. Emanuele left Lilly to look after Isabella and, sitting in the car, Phillip couldn't help but ask, "Boss, are you really going to watch Miss Gould marry Mr. Campbell?"

He clearly sensed that his boss had feelings for Miss Gould, but why wouldn't he admit it?

"It was always my plan from the beginning to have her marry Clark or a subordinate. Now, this is just following my original plan," Emanuele said.

"But..."

"Don't say any more. Drive properly. We'll wait for Isabella to get married, and I don't have time for this," Emanuele snapped.

"Alright, I'll drive properly," Phillip immediately closed his mouth, fearing that Emanuele might lose his temper if he continued.

He felt sorry for Miss Gould; she clearly didn't like Clark, but the boss was determined. There was nothing he could do.

After Emanuele left, Lilly opened Isabella's room. She knew Isabella was still sick and incredibly fragile after Emanuele's recent provocation.

Fortunately, Isabella remained conscious, but her condition looked awful. Isabella sat on the edge of the bed, hugging her knees, curled up into a tiny ball, sobbing quietly. Due to her illness, her voice was weak, as if it could vanish at any moment.

"Isabella, are you okay, my dear?" Lilly approached, trying to console her. Isabella clung to Lilly and burst into tears.

"I don't understand why he's doing this to me," Isabella sobbed while Emanuele had just mentioned that Clark would be moving in with her tomorrow, making her feel like her world was falling apart.

Even if Clark had excellent conditions, if she didn't love him, she didn't want him. Isabella felt like she was in a dark abyss, unable to see anything. She felt like she had to take an estazolam, or her heart would shatter, and her breath would stop.

"We can just be like any other couple," Clark added.

Isabella asked, "Then why are you marrying me? There are many girls who like you. You don't need to choose me."

Although Isabella had a hunch about the reason, she still wanted to resist, hoping that Clark might suddenly realize that she wasn't important.

"Because you're Emanuele's stepsister, and you're beautiful and lively, the kind of girl I like."

If it were just about beauty, it wouldn't be enough for Clark to marry her. He was too young, and he had the means to play around. But Isabella was also Emanuele's stepsister, and marrying her would create a powerful alliance. Even though Emanuele was facing a crisis now, he believed Emanuele would resolve it soon. And if he couldn't, he'd notify them, the clerics, to join forces, and those Sicilian men wouldn't stand a chance.

Isabella's despair grew; she looked at Clark. "But I just want to live a normal life. The Mafia world isn't for me. You know, my dream is to become a doctor."

She wanted to be a doctor, to heal and save lives, but the Mafia world completely contradicted her ideals. But, more than that, in her mind, Emanuele's cold face appeared, and she couldn't help but close her eyes in agony. It seemed that if she married Emanuele, she wouldn't mind these things.

"It's okay, Isabella. Even if you marry me, you can still be a doctor," Clark comforted her.

"But I can't stand by and watch you all kill people!" Isabella shouted in desperation. "I can't have a killer lying next to me!"