Chasing Sandro: A Dangerous Obsession

Chapter 43: Sandro's Realization

Sandro sat on the cold, hard floor of his confinement, his hands bound and his mind racing. Days had blurred together since he'd been taken. At first, anger and confusion had been his only companions, the disbelief that someone would dare kidnap him—*a congressman*, no less. He had fought, demanded answers, but all his struggles had been in vain. The more time passed, the more his defiance began to wane.

Now, in the quiet moments of isolation, with only his thoughts to keep him company, the weight of his situation was beginning to sink in. The questions that had once consumed him—*Who did this? Why me?*—faded, replaced by another question, one far more troubling: *What had I done to deserve this?*

At first, he had believed this was a simple case of political sabotage, an attempt to undermine his growing influence. But as he pieced together the subtle hints, the anonymous letters, and the carefully orchestrated abduction, a different picture started to form. A picture that led him back to Bella.

Bella's name had resurfaced in his mind several times since his kidnapping, but he had pushed the thought aside. It couldn't be her—Bella, the quiet girl who had always admired him from afar, who had never caused trouble. She wasn't capable of something like this... was she?

But the more he thought about it, the more the pieces fit together.

He remembered her shy smiles, the way her eyes had lingered on him longer than necessary during their brief interactions. He had been aware of her feelings, of course. It was hard not to notice. But he had never taken them seriously. To him, Bella was harmless, just another admirer who would eventually move on.

But she hadn't moved on, had she?

Sandro's brow furrowed as memories began flooding back. He recalled the small favors she'd done for him, the anonymous donations that had always arrived at just the right time for his political campaigns, the way she had been present at almost every public event, always just on the periphery. At the time, he hadn't given it much thought, chalking it up to coincidence or the actions of a particularly devoted supporter. Now, though, it felt different. It felt calculated.

And that's when it hit him—he had taken advantage of her.

Sandro closed his eyes, a wave of guilt washing over him as he acknowledged the truth. He had known Bella had feelings for him, but instead of being honest with her, he had let her admiration fuel his ego. He had used her adoration to his advantage, basking in her attention when it suited him, but never once offering her anything in return.

He had taken her for granted.

There had been moments when Bella had reached out to him, when she had tried to get closer, and he had shut her down. Not harshly—no, never that. He had been careful, always polite, always distant enough to keep her at arm's length while still allowing her to orbit around him.

He had assumed she would always be there, quietly supporting him from the shadows, never demanding anything from him. But now, as he sat in the dark, the realization that Bella had orchestrated this entire situation began to take root. This was her way of making him see her, of forcing him to acknowledge the role he had played in her obsession.

He had toyed with her feelings, whether he had intended to or not. And now, he was paying the price.

As the reality of his actions sank in, Sandro felt a deep sense of regret. He had always prided himself on being in control, on being the one with the upper hand. But now, he realized that in his arrogance, he had underestimated Bella. He had assumed that her love for him was harmless, that it would never amount to anything more than quiet devotion.

But love, when ignored and taken for granted, had turned into something far more dangerous.

Sandro's chest tightened as he thought back to the last time he had seen Bella. She had attended one of his events, standing quietly in the back, her eyes fixed on him with that same mix of admiration and longing that she always wore. He had barely acknowledged her that night, brushing past her with a quick smile and a wave, too focused on his own ambitions to notice the hurt in her eyes.

Now, he realized that had been a mistake. A terrible mistake.

Bella wasn't just some nameless supporter. She was a person, with real feelings, and he had treated her like she was invisible.

The more Sandro reflected on his past behavior, the more ashamed he felt. He had always believed that as long as he didn't outright reject Bella or hurt her intentionally, he wasn't doing anything wrong. But indifference, he now understood, could be just as cruel as outright cruelty.

Sandro leaned his head against the cold wall of his cell, the weight of his guilt pressing down on him. He hadn't meant to play with Bella's feelings, but that's exactly what he had done. And now, she was making sure he felt every bit of the pain he had caused her.

For the first time since his abduction, Sandro felt something other than fear. He felt remorse.

He didn't know how to fix this, or if it even could be fixed. But he knew one thing for sure: Bella wasn't the only one at fault here. He had played a role in creating the situation they were both now trapped in.

He had ignored her, used her, and now, he was suffering the consequences.

As the hours passed, Sandro's anger began to fade, replaced by a strange sense of understanding. He wasn't excusing Bella's actions—what she had done was wrong, and dangerous—but he couldn't deny that he had contributed to the mess they were in.

He had failed to see her as more than a means to an end, and now, she had forced him to confront the damage he had done.

Sandro knew that if he ever got out of this, things would have to change. He couldn't continue to treat people the way he had treated Bella, using them for his own gain without considering the consequences. He had always thought of himself as a good person, but now he realized that he had been blind to the harm he was capable of causing.

He wasn't blameless. And that was a hard pill to swallow.