Strong-willed, badass and bounded by the chains of an arranged marriage, Isabela Arias dreams of the freedom to live and love as she chooses.
Being sold to the Italian mafia wasn't exactly on Isabela's to do list...
As she's forced to navigate the r...
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Nothing is worse than the nauseating sensation in your stomach, like when you look at the ground on the highest building. Or when you're waiting for the rollercoaster to tip over the edge of the loop. Dread sinks to the bottom of my stomach like the Titanic — slow, then all at once. It gets worse as each knot in my gut clenches tighter.
My lungs pulse as if they're in pain.
The image of Isabela in my arms weighs heavily on my thoughts. One second she was there, and the next, I was watching her drift away to the other side. Panic flooded through my veins like my own personal bag of morphine. Her skin grew paler by the second, and I fell into a pit of destruction as I observed her big, brown eyes losing their twinkle.
There were still so many things we had to discuss — our relationship, my enormous mistake, how badly I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs, how in love I'm with this woman, and how I sacrifice everything to make her happy.
For a belief moment, I almost thought of blurting it out while Isabela was in the dome, but I didn't want to throw her off her game. My declaration of love would only raise further questions in her head. While I was terrified to watch my girl compete against those psychos, I couldn't say the three words without showing a lack of faith in Isabela. Holding back is our way of leaving things unfinished and continuing on later. She wouldn't believe me or notice the sincerity in it. When I do say it, I want Isabela to undoubtingly have no choice, but to believe the phrase on my tongue because I don't say it lightly.
Isabela had to think there would be a later.
My leg trembles.
I need an update.
The medical team arrived and informed us that Isabela had a tear in her abdominal cavity and needed surgery urgently to survive. I didn't know to feel. They ripped her from my arms and tied her to the gurney. I want to have that ability to hold and support her every second through thick and thin, but I was cast aside like a third wheel.
Her surgery was successful, but she had a long recovery up ahead. The surgery would take a couple of weeks to fully heal, and she was significantly malnourished. She's been in and out of sleep ever since the surgery.
However, they wouldn't let me into the room.
Lorenzo has one of his bodyguards on guard outside of Isabela's door. He's made it extremely clear that she wants nothing to do with me, but I can't just go. Isabela and mine's relationship has been left open-ended— with an answer we both deserve the chance to look for.
All night, all I can think about is the things I never got to say. Things I might never get to say to her. I won't force her to listen to me, but I'll get on my knees and beg if I have to, even if it takes years.
Even if I have to watch her be other guys in the meantime— I'll still stay by her side.
Until she says the words that will make me go away.
