Chasing Sandro: A Dangerous Obsession

Chapter 26: Bella's Guilt

Bella sat in her sprawling penthouse, the vast floor-to-ceiling windows offering a stunning view of the city skyline. The city sparkled beneath her as if nothing had changed, as if the world was still turning just as it always had. But for Bella, everything felt different. The weight of her choices hung heavy on her chest, and her mind was a storm of conflicting emotions.

She had finally done it—taken control, made a move that no one had seen coming. Sandro was no longer untouchable. For so long, she had watched him rise, watched him play her feelings like a pawn in his political games. And now, for the first time, he was at her mercy.

But instead of the satisfaction she had imagined, all she felt was guilt.

Bella's fingers trembled as she clutched her phone, staring at the message she had received earlier: *It's done. He's in our custody.*

She had hired the best, making sure every trace of her involvement was erased. No one would ever know that she had orchestrated this. She had played her part perfectly, weaving through the shadows, making sure everything went according to plan. But now that it was real—now that Sandro was truly gone, taken somewhere against his will—she couldn't help but feel a deep, unsettling sense of dread.

She had wanted him to suffer, to see what it felt like to be powerless after all the ways he had ignored her, used her. But this? It was different from the fantasies she had nurtured in the dark corners of her mind.

Bella closed her eyes, trying to suppress the image of Sandro in captivity, bound and helpless. She didn't know where they were keeping him, didn't ask for details. The less she knew, the better. But the guilt gnawed at her. She hadn't expected it to feel like this.

In the days leading up to the kidnapping, she had been filled with a burning rage. Each public event where Sandro had smiled and charmed his way through the crowd, his eyes sliding over her as if she were invisible, had fueled her determination. She had been patient—so patient. She had supported him from the shadows, donated millions to his projects, ensured his political success. And how had he repaid her? By treating her like she didn't exist. Like her feelings were nothing.

But now, as she sat in the stillness of her penthouse, her thoughts haunted her.

What if something went wrong? What if Sandro was hurt? What if... what if he never forgave her?

Bella pressed her hands to her temples, willing the thoughts away. She couldn't afford to think like that. She had made her decision. She had crossed the line. There was no going back now.

Her phone buzzed again, pulling her from her thoughts. Another message from her hired men: *Everything is under control. No need to worry.*

No need to worry.

Bella let out a shaky breath, her heart still racing. She should feel relieved. Everything was going according to plan. Sandro was exactly where she wanted him—away from his cushy life, away from his political career, dependent on someone else's mercy. Maybe now, he would see her. Maybe now, he would understand what it was like to be powerless, like she had felt for so long.

But instead of satisfaction, the guilt crept back in.

She stood up and walked toward the window, staring out at the city below. It all looked so peaceful, so normal. The people down there had no idea what she had done. They didn't know that behind the glittering façade of her wealth and power, she was hiding a secret that could destroy her.

She could see the headlines now: *Billionaire Socialite Behind Congressman's Kidnapping*. Her life would be over. Everything she had built, all the respect she had gained, it would all come crashing down. The media would devour her, the public would turn on her, and she would lose everything.

But worst of all, Sandro would hate her.

She hadn't thought that far ahead when she made the decision to have him taken. In her anger and frustration, she had only wanted to make him feel the pain she had endured. But now, as she imagined him sitting in some cold, dark room, helpless and confused, the reality of what she had done hit her like a tidal wave.

Could she really live with this? Could she live with knowing that she had crossed a line that could never be uncrossed?

Bella's chest tightened, and for a moment, she felt like she couldn't breathe. She had wanted power, control, revenge. But what she had gotten was something far more dangerous. Something she couldn't take back.

As the sun set and the city lights flickered on, Bella found herself pacing her penthouse, her mind racing. She had to keep it together. She couldn't afford to let guilt consume her. Not now. Not after everything she had done.

But the more she tried to suppress it, the more the guilt festered, growing louder with each passing hour. She had told herself that she was doing this for justice—for payback. But deep down, she knew the truth. She had done it out of desperation, out of a need for validation, for love that Sandro had never given her.

She sat down on the plush sofa, her hands trembling as she reached for her glass of wine. The rich, red liquid swirled in the glass, but it did nothing to calm her nerves. She took a long sip, hoping it would dull the gnawing sense of unease that had taken root inside her.

Bella's thoughts kept circling back to Sandro—his face, his voice, the way he had looked at her with indifference for so long. She had thought this would make him see her, finally recognize her worth. But now, she wasn't so sure. What if he never forgave her? What if, instead of falling in love with her, he ended up hating her more than ever?

The guilt tightened its grip around her heart, and Bella realized with a sinking feeling that she had made a terrible mistake.

For the first time since she had set her plan in motion, Bella wondered if she had gone too far. Maybe she had been wrong to think that power and control could win Sandro's love. Maybe she had underestimated just how much this would cost her—not just in money, but in her own soul.

And as the night stretched on, Bella found herself unable to shake the overwhelming feeling that she was standing on the edge of a cliff, about to lose everything she had ever wanted.