Page 37 of Isabella

Lux pushes the large oak door open and makes her way toward Teo. He stands from his desk and pulls her into his arms while Enzo sits in one of the chairs across from him, ignoring everyone while he plays on his phone.

I plant myself in the seat next to Enzo. Out of the corner of my eye, I see him raise his gaze to me with a smirk on his face.

Giving him a side-eye glance, I say, “Yes,Vincenzo?”

“Heard you had a fun run-in today.” The smile resting on his face lessens my nerves. If he’s smiling, then I can’t be in too much trouble, right?

“I wouldn’t call it fun,” I mumble.

Teo resumes his seat behind his desk, pulling Lux onto his lap. I’m happy for Lux and my brother being so in love and whatnot, but sometimes I have to fight an extensive eye roll at the act.

“Isabella,” Teo says, and I hold my breath while I wait for him to continue. “Do I need to do something about Niccolò Silvestri?” His eyes are placed firmly on mine, making me feel like a small child who’s being reprimanded.

“No, it’s fine. He’s fine. I have everything under control.” While the words come out confident, I can’t help the anxiety building inside me.

Teo raises a brow at me like he’s calling my bluff. That I have nothing under control when it comes to Niccolò Silvestri.

“From what Rocco informed me of, it doesn’t sound like you have it under control.” My brother’s voice is stern, but his eyes soften once Lux captures his attention. She gives him a look, causing him to relax just the slightest bit before bringing his gaze back to mine.

He lets out a controlled sigh. “I don’t want him thinking he can come around and demand that he speak to you whenever he wants. Our plan is to dismantle the Silvestris by taking away their income. Bankrupting them until there’s nothing left of their family. And then we will get rid of Giuseppe Silvestri and anyone else that played a direct role in our parents’ deaths.”

My mouth dries up at Teo’s threat. Is he thinking of killing Nicco? I know he’s Giuseppe’s son, but to play adirect rolein our parents’ deaths? He would never. I might hate him, but I can’t push aside the dreadful feeling that emerges at the idea of Nicco being killed, especially by my brothers.

“Do you know who those people are?” I ask, my curiosity getting the best of me, needing to know if one of the people Teo plans on killing is Nicco. It feels as if my blood has frozen, stopping its flow through my veins while I wait for his answer.

“Giuseppe acted mostly on his own, only needing a couple other men to help, so right now the list isn’t very long.” Teo narrows his gaze on mine, studying me, reading me, I’m sure. “Right now, Nicco’s not on that list. I know he was in Italy at the time.”

I let out a breath, relieved at this piece of information.

“But if I find out he had any prior knowledge of it, his name will be on that list in a fucking heartbeat, Isabella.”

I give him a small nod, knowing there’s nothing I can say that will change his mind. I might not be in love with Nicco anymore, but the thought of him dying doesn’t sit well with me.

“Anything else?” I ask, ready to get out of this conversation.

“That’s all for now.”

I stand from my seat and turn to walk away, but Teo’s stern voice stops me in my tracks.

“If you can’t handle this situation with Niccolò, you need to tell me. I don’t want him harassing you moving forward.”

“He won’t be a problem anymore, Teo,” I say.

“Good, because if he continues to be one, Iwillget rid of him.”

I hesitate, then give my brother a small nod before leaving the office.

As soon as I shut the door, I lean my back against it and let out a long breath. The anxiety rising in me, knowing that my brother could kill Nicco, throws me off. I’ve been saying I hate the man, and I do—I think—but I don’t want him dead. That thought sends a chilling sensation through me that I don’t understand, all while the words he whispered earlier ring in the back of my mind.“Everything that happened isn’t as it seems.”

23

NICCOLÒ

Ihaven’t heard from Isabella since the boutique. I went and got a burner phone to text her from since she blocked my number, but to my dismay, she seems to have blocked that one too. I’m thinking I need to take drastic measures to make her listen.

“I don’t know where to go from here,” I say to Leo and Dante while we drive to the best pizzeria in the city to meet Dante’s cousin who’s visiting from out of town.

“Maybe you should wait until she comes to you,” Dante says.

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