THE DEVIL'S ANGEL

chapter 13

### Chapter Thirteen: The Trap Tightens

Isabella had always known Valeria was dangerous, but the secretary's latest move had caught her off guard. The ball had been a warning—a veiled threat that something darker was on the horizon. Yet, as the days passed without incident, Isabella let herself believe that perhaps Valeria was all talk. But she was wrong.

The first sign of trouble came one morning when Isabella received a note, slid under her door. The handwriting was neat and elegant, but the words dripped with venom.

**"Meet me in the gardens. If you want your precious life to stay intact, you'll come alone. — V"**

Isabella's heart raced as she read the message. She knew this confrontation had been coming, but it still filled her with dread. Valeria had already shown she could weave herself into Alessandro's life with ease, but blackmail? Isabella wasn't sure what the woman could possibly have on her.

With shaking hands, she folded the note and tucked it into the pocket of her dress. There was no time to lose. If Valeria had a plan, Isabella needed to know what it was. But as she made her way through the Falconi estate, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was walking into a trap.

The gardens were deserted, save for the occasional flicker of a servant passing by in the distance. The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows that danced on the stone paths. Isabella's heart pounded as she scanned the area, her nerves frayed.

Then she saw her.

Valeria stood near the fountain, her figure poised and elegant in a black dress that clung to her like a second skin. Her face held the same predatory smile Isabella had seen at the ball, but now there was something more—an air of confidence, as if she had already won whatever twisted game she was playing.

"Isabella," Valeria greeted her, her voice smooth as silk. "So glad you could join me."

"What do you want?" Isabella asked, cutting straight to the point. She had no patience for Valeria's games.

Valeria's smile widened. "I want what's owed to me. You see, I've been very patient, watching from the sidelines while you've clung to Alessandro. But patience has its limits."

"I'm not interested in your delusions," Isabella said, her voice steady. "If you think you can manipulate Alessandro into—"

"Manipulate him?" Valeria's laugh was sharp and cold. "Oh, dear Isabella. I don't need to manipulate him. I already have everything I need to make sure he turns against you."

Isabella felt a chill run down her spine. "What are you talking about?"

Valeria reached into her handbag and pulled out a small envelope. "Photographs. Very damning ones, actually. You and a certain someone getting rather cozy. Alessandro wouldn't take kindly to seeing these, would he?"

Isabella's eyes widened as Valeria opened the envelope and held out a few photos. They were grainy, but the images were clear enough—Isabella speaking to a man in the Falconi family, one of Alessandro's low-level associates. From the angle of the photos, it looked like she was passing him something, though Isabella knew that had never happened. It had been a brief, innocent conversation, but the photos had been staged to look like something more sinister.

"These are fake," Isabella whispered, her throat tightening. "You've set me up."

Valeria smiled, her eyes gleaming with triumph. "I prefer to think of it as... giving Alessandro a nudge in the right direction. You see, it doesn't matter if they're fake. Alessandro won't question them. Not with the doubts he already has about you."

Isabella's heart sank. She knew how deeply rooted Alessandro's distrust ran, how his world was built on suspicion and betrayal. These photos, though false, would be more than enough to shatter any remaining trust he had in her.

"Why are you doing this?" Isabella asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Valeria tilted her head, her smile cruel. "Because I can. Because I've been waiting for my chance, and now it's here. You don't belong in this world, Isabella. You never did. Alessandro needs someone who can stand by his side, who understands what it takes to survive in this life. You... you're just in the way."

"I love him," Isabella said, her voice breaking. "And he loves me."

Valeria's laughter echoed through the garden. "Love? Don't be naïve. Love doesn't exist in our world. Only power. And once I show Alessandro these, he'll believe you've been conspiring with his enemies. He'll punish you, and when you're out of the picture... I'll be right where I belong."

Isabella felt her knees go weak as the weight of Valeria's words hit her. This was it. The moment she had feared was coming. She was being framed, and Alessandro, in his ruthlessness, would never give her the chance to explain.

"Please," Isabella begged, her voice shaking. "You don't have to do this."

Valeria's expression softened for a moment, but it was only a façade. "Oh, Isabella. You really should have learned by now. In this world, no one is innocent."

With that, Valeria turned and walked away, leaving Isabella standing alone by the fountain, the weight of her impending doom pressing down on her chest.

---

Later that night, Alessandro stormed into their bedroom, his face a mask of rage. Isabella had been dreading this moment, but nothing could have prepared her for the fury in his eyes.

"How could you?" he roared, slamming the photos down on the table. "How could you betray me like this?"

"Alessandro, I didn't—" Isabella began, but he cut her off.

"Don't lie to me!" he shouted. "I've seen the proof. Valeria showed me everything."

"Valeria is setting me up!" Isabella pleaded, tears streaming down her face. "She's lying to you. I never did anything. I would never betray you."

Alessandro's jaw tightened, and for a moment, doubt flickered in his eyes. But then his face hardened again. "You think I'm a fool? Do you think I don't know what's going on behind my back?"

"I swear to you, Alessandro," Isabella said, her voice trembling. "She's manipulating you. She wants to destroy us."

"Enough!" Alessandro roared. His anger was palpable, like a storm threatening to break. "I gave you everything, and this is how you repay me? By conspiring with my enemies?"

Isabella fell to her knees, her tears falling freely now. "Please, Alessandro, you have to believe me. I love you. I've only ever wanted to be by your side."

But Alessandro's gaze remained cold, unmoved by her pleas. "Love?" he scoffed. "This is how you show love? By betraying me?"

He grabbed her by the arm, pulling her roughly to her feet. "You want to know what happens to those who betray me?"

Isabella's breath caught in her throat as he dragged her out of the room, down the long, cold hallways of the mansion. She fought to keep up with his pace, but fear paralyzed her. She had seen Alessandro's wrath before, but this... this was different. This was personal.

He shoved her into a small, dark room at the far end of the mansion, slamming the door shut behind her. The sound of the lock clicking into place was like a death knell.

"You'll stay here," Alessandro growled from the other side of the door. "Until I decide what to do with you."

Isabella sank to the floor, her sobs echoing in the silence. Valeria had won. Alessandro believed her lies, and now Isabella was left with nothing but the cold, empty room and the crushing weight of betrayal.

---

This chapter delves into Valeria's calculated blackmail of Isabella, framing her in such a way that Alessandro's distrust is fully ignited. The punishment shows how far Valeria is willing to go and how deeply Alessandro's trust in Isabella has been shaken, setting the stage for an even darker turn in their relationship.