Chasing Sandro: A Dangerous Obsession

Chapter 23: A Silent Goodbye

Bella stood in front of her mirror, staring at the reflection that had become a stranger to her. The woman looking back wasn't the Bella she used to know—the one who could move through life with some sense of morality, the one who had once valued her principles. The person she saw now was someone who had crossed lines, someone who had become consumed by an obsession that was no longer about love—it was about control, about power.

Her eyes were hollow, the weight of her actions etched into the shadows beneath them. Tonight was different. She could feel it in her bones. She had crossed the point of no return. The guilt that had been simmering inside her now threatened to boil over. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Sandro—scared, trapped, and unaware that the woman who had orchestrated his kidnapping was the same one who had quietly supported him from the beginning.

Bella sank onto the edge of her bed, her mind spinning. It had been hours since Luca had sent the message confirming Sandro was in their hands, and the gravity of her choices now weighed heavily on her. She had thought that once it was done, she would feel some kind of relief—some sense of satisfaction that everything was going according to plan. But instead, all she felt was a crushing sense of guilt.

She thought back to all the moments she had spent watching Sandro, supporting him, hoping he would one day notice her the way she wanted. She had invested so much of herself in him, in his career, in the dream of what they could be together. But what had it all been for? This? A sick, twisted fantasy where she believed that taking him against his will would somehow make him love her?

Bella felt a wave of nausea rise in her throat as the realization hit her with full force. She had lost herself in this obsession. It wasn't love anymore—if it ever had been. It was something darker, something uglier.

She stood up, pacing the room, trying to shake off the suffocating guilt that threatened to crush her. She thought of Sandro's face, his warm smile, the charisma he radiated so effortlessly. How had things gotten this far? She remembered the first time she had met him, how his charm had captivated her instantly, how she had been so eager to be a part of his world.

But she wasn't a part of his world, not really. She was an outsider, lurking in the shadows, controlling things from behind the scenes. And now, she had gone too far. She had crossed a line that couldn't be uncrossed, and the consequences were spiraling out of her control.

Bella walked to the window, staring out at the dark, quiet streets below. Somewhere out there, Sandro was locked away in an unfamiliar place, wondering who had taken him, why this was happening. The guilt twisted in her stomach again, and for the first time since this plan had taken shape, Bella questioned everything.

What had she done?

Her phone buzzed on the table, and Bella flinched at the sound. She walked over to pick it up, her hands trembling. It was a message from Luca: *All quiet here. He's asking for help again. Want us to say anything?*

Bella felt her throat tighten. She couldn't bring herself to respond. The reality of what she had done was crushing her. Sandro was terrified, and it was her fault. All of it was her fault.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she wiped them away angrily. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. She had convinced herself that once she had control of the situation, everything would fall into place—that Sandro would finally see her, that he would realize how much she cared for him. But now, standing in the aftermath of her decisions, Bella felt nothing but shame.

She walked back to the mirror, looking at herself again. For the first time in a long time, she saw the woman she used to be—the woman who still had a chance to walk away from all of this. But that woman was fading, disappearing beneath the weight of her obsession.

Bella's phone buzzed again, but this time, she ignored it. She couldn't face it. She couldn't face Luca, or Sandro, or the twisted version of herself that had orchestrated all of this. She needed to think, to breathe, to figure out what the hell she was doing.

She closed her eyes, taking in a shaky breath. Could she stop this? Was there any way to undo the damage she had done, or was it too late? The plan had already been set in motion, and there was no easy way out. But maybe, just maybe, she could still save herself from the inevitable fallout. Maybe she could walk away from this before everything spiraled even further out of control.

Bella walked to her bed, sinking down onto the mattress, her mind racing. She needed to say goodbye—to Sandro, to the fantasy she had built around him, to the idea that this could ever be real. It was time to let go.

She grabbed her phone, her fingers hovering over the screen for a long moment before she finally opened the message thread with Luca. She typed out a single sentence, her heart hammering in her chest as she hit send: *I'm calling it off.*

The message felt like a weight being lifted off her shoulders, but the relief was short-lived. She knew Luca wouldn't be pleased. She had already paid, already given him the details. Calling it off now wouldn't be simple, and it wouldn't be without consequences.

Her phone buzzed almost immediately. *You can't back out now. We've got him. What do you want us to do with him?*

Bella stared at the message, her mind spinning. What did she want them to do with him? The plan had been to wait, to let Sandro stew in fear before she swooped in to save him. But now, that idea felt sickening, wrong. She couldn't go through with it. Not anymore.

She typed back quickly, her fingers shaking: *Let him go. No harm. Just... let him go.*

There was a long pause, and Bella's heart raced as she waited for Luca's response. Finally, another message appeared: *We'll let him go. But you owe us.*

Bella swallowed hard, the weight of those words settling heavily in her chest. She had escaped, for now, but the price of her escape was far from paid.

She put the phone down and sat in silence, the realization washing over her. She had let Sandro go, but she hadn't escaped the consequences of her actions. The guilt still hung in the air, and the fantasy she had built around him was crumbling. It was time to say goodbye—not just to Sandro, but to the version of herself who had believed in this twisted dream.

Bella closed her eyes, whispering a silent goodbye to the life she had imagined, and to the woman she no longer recognized.