A Thousand Ways To Say I Love You

CHAPTER I

Matteo Alexander De'Luca lay sprawled on his king-sized bed, the early morning light filtering through the curtains. His breath was steady, deep, and his brow slightly furrowed, as if the dream had already begun its tug-of-war between memory and imagination.

In his dream, Matteo found himself in a familiar place—his childhood home. The grand stone mansion stood tall against the backdrop of lush, sprawling gardens. He was young again, maybe twelve, running barefoot through the hallways, laughter echoing behind him. It was a simpler time before the responsibilities of the De'Luca name weighed him down.

He ran towards the garden, where the scent of roses mingled with the fresh air, and there she was—Isabella Grace Romano. She was laughing, her dark hair catching the sunlight, and her eyes sparkling with mischief. "You can’t catch me!" she teased, darting between the hedges.

Matteo’s heart swelled as he chased her, the joy of their friendship unburdened by the complexities of their future. They were just two kids, innocent and carefree, unaware of the paths their lives would take. He almost reached her, his hand brushing against her arm, but suddenly, the scene shifted.

The garden faded away, replaced by a cold, air breeze of memories lingering around him. Matteo stood frozen at the entrance, watching Isabella, now an adult, in the fields full of flowers, she's holding flowers and smiling at him. Her face was serene, simple yet so beautiful. He tried to speak, to call out to her, but no words came.

He felt the weight of his world pressing down on him—the mafia, the secrets, the blood on his hands. In the dream, he was no longer the carefree boy running through the garden but the man he had become, hardened by life, his heart heavy with the love he could never fully express.

Isabella glanced at him with a smile in her face as if she's telling him to come to her and take the flowers from her, her eyes meeting his, and for a moment, everything stilled. In that gaze, he saw everything they had shared—the love, the loss, the longing. But before he could move, the scene shifted again.

This time, he was standing at the edge of a cliff, the sea crashing violently below. The sky was dark, stormy, and Isabella was there again, standing at the precipice. Her back was turned to him, her figure silhouetted against the angry sky.

Matteo reached out, his heart pounding in his chest. "Bella!" he shouted, his voice breaking the silence of the dream. She turned slowly, her face pale, eyes filled with tears. "You can’t save me," she whispered, her voice carried away by the wind.

Before Matteo could reach her, she stepped off the cliff, disappearing into the abyss.

Matteo jolted awake, his heart racing, sweat beading on his forehead. The room was still, the early morning light now casting long shadows across the floor. He sat up, running a hand through his hair, the remnants of the dream clinging to him like a fog.

Bella. Always Isabella.

Even in his dreams, he couldn’t escape her

“Matteo, it’s time to wake up,” his secretary, Mia, said, her voice cutting through the haze. She stood at the door, her brow furrowed with concern.

He blinked, the sterile bed room lighting piercing through his drowsiness. “What is it?” he asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“There’s an urgent matter that needs your attention,” she replied, stepping inside. Her professionalism was a stark contrast to the softness of Isabella’s memory.

Matteo sat up, the weight of his responsibilities crashing down on him. “Can it wait?”

“Not this one,” Mia said, her tone firm yet gentle. “It’s about the deal with the Stk enterprise.”