THE DEVIL'S ANGEL

chapter 23

### Chapter Twenty-Three: The End of the Plan

Isabella sat in the corner of Alessandro's lavish office, her fingers trembling as they clutched the edges of the chair. The room, with its dark wood paneling and tall windows that let in the fading afternoon light, felt oppressive. She had been summoned here without explanation, and her heart raced in her chest as she waited for Alessandro to speak. He stood by his desk, his back to her, staring out of the window as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders.

The silence between them stretched on, thick and suffocating. Isabella's stomach churned with anxiety, unsure of what was about to happen. The past few weeks had been tense—full of secrets, half-truths, and a distance she couldn't bridge. There was something different about him lately, something colder than usual. She had tried to ignore it, to push away the growing unease that gnawed at her, but today it felt like the air in the room was heavy with finality.

Finally, Alessandro spoke, his voice low and emotionless. "It's over."

Isabella blinked, unsure if she had heard him correctly. "What do you mean?"

He turned slowly, his face a mask of unreadable calm. "The plan. It's done. Everything has fallen into place."

She sat up straighter, her confusion deepening. "The plan? I don't understand, Alessandro. What are you talking about?"

He walked toward her, each step deliberate, his eyes cold and distant. "Your family," he said, his voice carrying a sharp edge, "they're under my control now. Every piece of your family's empire is in my hands."

The words hit her like a punch to the stomach. She gasped, her breath catching in her throat. "What are you saying? My family... What have you done?"

He didn't flinch. There was no hint of remorse in his expression, no softness in his eyes. "Exactly what I set out to do from the beginning. Your family's wealth, their influence, their power—it's all mine now. Your father, your brothers—they answer to me."

Isabella's heart pounded in her chest. Her mind raced, trying to piece together the implications of what he was saying. All this time, everything they had been through, had been nothing more than part of his scheme? He had never loved her, never cared for her. She had been a pawn, a means to an end.

"No..." she whispered, shaking her head in disbelief. "You can't mean that."

Alessandro's jaw tightened, but he didn't deny it. "It's done, Isabella. The life you knew is over. Your family is under my control now, whether you accept it or not."

Tears welled in her eyes, but she fought them back, unwilling to cry in front of him. "Why? Why would you do this?"

He hesitated, for the first time showing a flicker of something in his expression—was it regret? Pain? But then it was gone, replaced by the same cold detachment that had always defined him. "Because it was necessary. Because that's how this world works."

Her voice trembled with anger and hurt. "I thought... I thought we were more than that. I thought you—" She stopped herself, unable to finish the sentence. The truth was too raw, too painful to say out loud.

Alessandro's eyes flickered with an emotion she couldn't place, but his voice remained calm. "It was never about us, Isabella. It was always about power. You knew what kind of man I was when you married me."

Her heart ached at the cold truth of his words, but still, a part of her had hoped, had believed that there was something real between them, even if he refused to admit it.

"I don't believe you," she said softly, her voice barely a whisper. "I don't believe that none of it mattered to you."

Alessandro's gaze hardened. "Believe what you want. But it's over now. You should leave."

The words hung in the air between them, cold and final. Isabella's breath caught in her throat as she stared at him in disbelief. "Leave? You want me to go?"

"Yes," he said firmly. "Go back to your family. Whatever is left of it."

She shook her head, trying to make sense of his words. "You're sending me away? Just like that?"

Alessandro's face was impassive, but his voice softened ever so slightly. "It's for the best. You don't belong here anymore. You never really did."

Isabella's heart shattered at the cruel finality of his words. "And what about us? What about everything we've been through?"

He didn't answer right away. Instead, he looked at her with an intensity that made her heart ache. For a moment, she thought she saw something in his eyes, something deep and conflicted, but it was gone in an instant. "There is no 'us,' Isabella. There never was."

She flinched as if he had struck her. "You're lying," she whispered, her voice breaking. "You're lying to yourself."

Alessandro's expression remained unreadable, but his silence was answer enough.

For a long moment, they stood there in silence, the weight of his words settling over her like a heavy cloak. Isabella's heart pounded in her chest, the pain of betrayal cutting through her like a knife. She had loved him, despite everything. Despite his cruelty, his coldness, his distance, she had loved him. And now he was telling her it had all been a lie.

Tears threatened to fall, but she held them back, refusing to let him see how much he had hurt her. She stood, her legs shaky beneath her, and walked toward the door.

Just as her hand touched the doorknob, Alessandro spoke again, his voice softer this time. "Isabella."

She paused, her heart aching at the sound of her name on his lips.

"I never wanted to hurt you."

She closed her eyes, swallowing the lump in her throat. "But you did," she whispered. "You did."

Without another word, she opened the door and stepped out into the hallway, leaving behind the man she had once thought she could love.

As she walked through the grand halls of the Falconi estate for what might be the last time, a strange emptiness settled over her. She had given so much of herself to Alessandro, hoping that one day he might love her back. But now, it was clear that her hopes had been in vain.

He had used her, just like everyone else in his life. And now, she was left with nothing but the shattered pieces of her heart.

The grand doors of the estate closed behind her with a final thud, and as she walked down the long driveway, the tears she had held back finally began to fall. She didn't know where she was going, or what the future held for her, but one thing was certain:

She would never be the same again.