The Phantom's Game | 18+

Chapter 25

A/N: This is a filler chapter, but it also builds the chemistry between the two MCs and a surprise ;). Enjoy!

Another ten minutes later, Vincent returned to the room with two paper bags in hand. Inside, it contained their breakfast to start the day. Isadora's stomach gnarled in desperation, eager to be filled with some sustenance.

"What did you get?" She asked curiously.

She could smell the familiar aromatic scent of black coffee and pastries altogether. It simply made her stomach grumble again with dire need.

"Some pastries and, of course, black coffee."

The dark-haired man placed the paper bags on the coffee table and took out the contents, arranging some pastries and her coffee on the bedside table. "Mangiare (Eat)."

"Grazie (Thanks), Vincent," Isadora offered him a thankful smile before taking a sip of the coffee from the disposable coffee cup.

She bit into the pastry, savoring the warmth and comfort of the simple gesture. Despite the unsettling circumstances, there was something deeply familiar and reassuring about this moment.

As they ate their breakfast in silence, Isadora couldn't help but notice Vincent's tense demeanor. It was clear something was bothering him.

"Actually, I wanted to ask; whose hand was it in the box that night?" The brunette turned her head in his direction, brow furrowed in curiosity.

"Hm? About what?" Vincent turned to her with a raised brow.

"About the hand in the box the other night... whose hand was it?" She pressed on about the matter, her curiosity getting the best of her.

"Valentine didn't mention anything about the hand, unfortunately," He frowned.

Isadora mirrored his frown and shook her head in disbelief. "Not one bit, huh? What else did he say to you?"

"Not... much. We made a deal to not cross paths again, and I gave him a ticket back to Sicily. That's all."

The two of them continued to eat their breakfast in silence, munching away the pastries he bought and left a sprinkle of crumbs on their clothes. As they finished their breakfast, Isadora couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that had lingered throughout their meal. The hand in the box was a chilling revelation, and she couldn't help but wonder if it was a random hand or someone she knew.

She glanced at Vincent, a million thoughts running through her mind. He appeared to be deep in thought as well, his jaw clenched and eyes distant.

"Can I ask you something else, Vincent?" She ventured, taking a small sip of her now lukewarm coffee.

Vincent glanced over to the woman with a curious gaze. "Hm?"

Isadora's thoughts were in shambles as she tried to figure out what she wanted to ask, then looked over at the man. "You could've let me died in that ballroom, so why didn't you?"

Vincent hesitated, his gaze lingering on Isadora's curious one. "It wasn't my intention," he finally said, carefully choosing his words. "I was merely trying to protect myself and ensure you wouldn't follow me further into danger."

Isadora raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?"

"Are you questioning my honesty?" Vincent asked, his voice even and steady.

Isadora shook her head, her eyes searching his face. "No, I'm not. I'm just trying to understand your motives better."

"Understandable," Vincent said, taking a sip of his own coffee. His eyes immediately shifted from her and gulped the bitter drink down his throat. "Anyways, once you're done recovering, I'll take you home. There's no need to worry about anything else."

Before Isadora could respond, the chiming doorbell rung throughout the mansion. The two of them exchanged confused looks, not expecting to have a visitor so soon. Vincent stood up from the bed immediately. "I'll go get it, you stay and rest."

He made his way downstairs and got to the door, unlocking it first before swinging the door open to see...

Gabriel.

Without a hand and a compression bandage around the area. Gabriel's appearance was unkempt; disheveled hair, trickles of blood and sweat dried out on his face, and a pained expression in his eyes.

Vincent's brow creased until a memory flashed in his mind. The hand in the box... it was Gabriel's all along. "Come in."

The latter was shaken up from the torture he had endured by the Phantom's men. His pride was broken and his trauma evident. Gabriel stepped into the mansion once Vincent stepped aside to let him into his home, then turned his head in the other man's direction.

"Where's Isadora? Is she safe?" He asked, a tone of concern evident in his voice.

Vincent nodded at his question and closed the door. "She is. She's recovering in my room right now."

"Oh good. I tried to call her after I was released from the Phantom's grip," Gabriel explained with a frown. "Can I see her?"

"Of course," Vincent replied, leading Gabriel up the stairs to his bedroom. Knocking gently on the door, he said, "Isadora, your friend is here and would like to see you."

Isadora's response was muffled, but she managed to say, "I'll be right out."

Gabriel waited outside the door, his heart racing with a mixture of relief and concern. Isadora's voice sounded shaky when she spoke, but the determination in her words gave him hope.

The door finally opened, and the brunette appeared before him, her face was pale when her eyes immediately darted towards his missing hand.

"Gabriel... what happened?" She asked, clearly concerned for his well-being.

"The Phantom..." He paused for a second with a frown. "It's a long story."

Isadora nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. She stepped forward, took his arm, and led him to a couch. "You can tell me anything, Gabriel. I'm here for you."

As G recounted the horrors he had endured, Isadora's heart broke for her friend. "The moment he knew I was seeking information regarding the Phantom, it was too late. Unfortunately, the last thing I saw was the Phantom's men, but not a glimpse of the man himself."

The woman frowned at his explanation. "Then what did they do to you?"

Gabriel hesitated, reliving the harrowing memories in his mind. "They tortured me, Isadora. Beat me, interrogated me... I thought I would never escape."

Isadora's frown deepened at his answer. "They took your hand... Oh God, it was your hand."

She recalled the hand in the box, which made her stomach twist in disgust.

"Yeah, they severed my hand," Gabriel's lips curled downwards once more until his eyes fell on the bandage encircling her left thigh. "What happened to you?"

Her eyes landed on her own injury, droplets of blood staining the white dressing. "I got shot. I'm not sure by whom, but I don't intend to find out, since they're most likely dead."

The woman paused for a moment. "Are you still in pain?"

"I'll be fine," He replied, his gaze staring at his amputated limb.

"Like you, I'll be fine. Especially when Vincent's around," Isadora replied with a reassuring smile.

"I suppose I'll see you soon once I'm recovered," Gabriel stood up from the couch and nodded at her and Vincent. "Right now, I need some time off."