THE DEVIL'S ANGEL

chapter 24

### Chapter Twenty-Four: Betrayal in the Private Office

The evening air was thick with tension as Isabella wandered through the grand halls of Falconi estate. Since that heated kiss with Alessandro days ago, she had been avoiding him, unsure of where they stood. Her mind was still a whirlwind of emotions, and she hadn't yet found the courage to confront what that moment had truly meant for her.

Now, as she passed the familiar rooms and corridors, something felt different—like a quiet unease had settled over the estate. The servants were scarce, and the usual hum of activity had dimmed to an eerie stillness. It was unnerving. Isabella found herself heading toward Alessandro's private office, a place she normally wouldn't go without being summoned. But tonight, a strange pull guided her steps, her intuition telling her something was wrong.

Her heart began to race as she neared the office. She wasn't sure why she felt so nervous, but a part of her knew that something was about to happen—something she wasn't prepared for.

She slowed her pace, the soft sound of voices filtering through the heavy oak door that led to Alessandro's sanctuary. One voice was unmistakable—Alessandro's deep, commanding tone—but there was something off about it. He sounded... different. Slurred. The other voice was female, low and sultry, and it didn't take long for Isabella to recognize it.

Valeria.

Isabella's stomach twisted in knots. Valeria had always been a presence in their lives, a constant reminder of Alessandro's world—a world Isabella didn't fully understand. Valeria was intelligent, ruthless, and ambitious, but there was something more to her that had always unsettled Isabella. Now, hearing her voice so close to Alessandro's, that unease blossomed into full-blown dread.

She hesitated, her hand hovering over the door handle. Part of her wanted to turn back, to leave before she saw something that would destroy her fragile hope of a better future with Alessandro. But another part of her—the part that had been hurt so many times before—needed to know the truth. She needed to see for herself.

Taking a deep breath, Isabella gently pushed open the door, peering inside.

Her heart stopped.

There, in the dim light of Alessandro's private office, she saw them. Alessandro, seated in his leather chair, his shirt disheveled, his hair tousled as if he had been running his hands through it in frustration. And Valeria—leaning over him, her lips pressed against his in a way that made Isabella's stomach churn.

For a moment, time seemed to stand still. Isabella's mind struggled to process what she was seeing. Her heart raced, her body frozen in place as she watched the scene unfold before her. Valeria's hands were on Alessandro's shoulders, pulling him closer, and Alessandro—Alessandro wasn't pushing her away.

A small, choked sound escaped Isabella's throat before she could stop it, and Valeria's head snapped up at the noise, her eyes narrowing with triumph as she saw Isabella standing there.

"Well," Valeria purred, her voice dripping with satisfaction. "Look who decided to join us."

Alessandro blinked, his eyes glassy and unfocused as he turned toward the door. His movements were sluggish, his body slumped in the chair in a way that was uncharacteristic of the powerful man she knew. Isabella's gaze flicked to the half-empty bottle of whiskey on the desk, and realization struck her like a blow to the chest.

He was drunk.

"Isabella," Alessandro mumbled, his voice thick with alcohol. He made a feeble attempt to push Valeria away, but his coordination was off, and he ended up grabbing the edge of the desk instead. "Wait..."

Isabella felt the sting of betrayal settle deep in her chest, even though she could see how intoxicated he was. It didn't matter. The image of them together—the kiss, the closeness—was already seared into her mind.

Her throat tightened, but she forced herself to speak. "What is this, Alessandro?" she asked, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to remain calm.

Valeria laughed softly, stepping back from Alessandro but keeping her hand on his shoulder, as though staking her claim. "Isn't it obvious, darling? Alessandro and I were just... catching up." Her tone was mocking, her smile full of malicious glee.

Alessandro struggled to his feet, swaying slightly as he stood, his eyes still not fully registering what was happening. He took a step toward Isabella, but his movements were unsteady. "Isabella, it's not... I wasn't..." He trailed off, his words slurring together.

But Isabella had seen enough. She backed away from him, her heart pounding in her chest as she tried to make sense of what she had just witnessed. She had been trying so hard to trust him again, to believe that they could rebuild what had been broken. And now this.

"You kissed her," Isabella whispered, her voice barely audible. "You—"

"It wasn't what it looked like!" Alessandro interrupted, his voice hoarse, as if he was trying to force his words through the fog of alcohol. He stumbled forward again, reaching for her, but Isabella stepped back, avoiding his touch.

"Don't," she said sharply, her eyes flashing with anger and hurt. "Don't touch me."

Valeria, still standing behind him, watched the scene unfold with a satisfied smirk on her face. "You should have known better, Isabella," she said smoothly. "Men like Alessandro don't change. No matter how much you want them to."

Her words were like a dagger to Isabella's heart, twisting painfully as the truth of them sank in. No matter how much Alessandro had tried to be different, no matter how much he had promised her that things would be better, this was the reality of their world.

Alessandro, drunk and vulnerable, had fallen into old patterns. And Valeria had been there, ready to exploit his weakness.

Isabella shook her head, tears burning at the corners of her eyes as she tried to hold herself together. "I can't believe I let myself think things would change," she muttered, more to herself than to anyone else.

Alessandro reached for her again, his expression desperate now. "Isabella, please—listen to me. I don't—she—"

But Isabella couldn't hear him over the roaring in her ears. Her heart was breaking, shattering into a thousand pieces as she looked at the man she had once loved so deeply—the man who had promised her the world, only to betray her yet again.

Without another word, she turned and fled from the room, her footsteps echoing in the silent hallway as she ran. She didn't know where she was going, but she needed to get away from him—from them—from the pain that was suffocating her.

As she reached the safety of her bedroom, she slammed the door shut behind her, leaning against it as sobs wracked her body. The tears she had been holding back finally fell, hot and bitter, as the weight of everything came crashing down on her.

Alessandro had kissed Valeria. Drunk or not, it didn't matter.

The man she had been trying to trust again had hurt her in the worst way possible, and she didn't know if she could ever forgive him.

---

In this chapter, Isabella witnesses Alessandro kissing his secretary, Valeria, while he's drunk. Despite his intoxicated state, the betrayal feels very real, and Isabella is left devastated. Valeria's manipulation and Alessandro's vulnerability combine to create a painful confrontation, leaving Isabella questioning whether their relationship can ever truly be repaired.