Chasing Sandro: A Dangerous Obsession

Chapter 46: The Breaking Point

Bella stood in front of the surveillance monitor, her eyes fixed on the image of Sandro. His once confident, upright posture was now hunched over, his face pale and gaunt. It had been days since she had noticed the first signs—his sluggish movements, the way he winced when he stood too quickly—but now it was undeniable. Sandro's health was deteriorating, and fast.

At first, she had tried to convince herself it was just fatigue, the natural outcome of his captivity. But now, watching him, she couldn't deny that this had gone beyond what she had planned. Bella's heart raced, and the walls of her carefully constructed fantasy began to close in.

Sandro was suffering, and it was because of her.

Sandro's decline had been gradual, but steady. He had been resilient at first, pacing his small cell, mentally preparing himself for escape. But the isolation, the confinement, and the lack of proper nutrition had taken their toll. He had grown weaker, thinner, and more desperate.

Bella had tried to maintain control, telling herself that this was just part of the plan. But seeing him like this—so fragile, so vulnerable—it shattered something inside her. This wasn't what she had imagined. She had wanted to win his love, to make him see her, not destroy him.

Her hands trembled as she watched him collapse onto the bed, his body shaking with exhaustion. He was too weak to fight anymore, too weak to even stand.

Bella turned away from the screen, unable to look at Sandro any longer. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. She had wanted him to come to her, to understand her, but now all she could feel was guilt and regret. The fantasy she had built was unraveling, and she was powerless to stop it.

She had thought she could control everything—the donations, the projects, even the kidnapping—but she hadn't anticipated how fragile the human body was. Sandro's suffering wasn't just emotional now. It was physical, and it was her fault.

Her mind raced as she considered her options. She could continue as planned, let things play out, but the thought of Sandro's life slipping away because of her made her stomach turn. Or she could end it now—stop the madness before it was too late.

But could she really do that? Could she really let him go?

Inside his cell, Sandro's breathing was labored. He hadn't eaten much in days, and his body was beginning to fail him. His head pounded, and every muscle ached with the effort it took just to remain conscious. He had tried to stay strong, tried to keep his mind sharp, but the isolation was wearing him down. He had no idea how long he had been in captivity. Days had blurred into nights, and the letters—those strange, cryptic notes—were the only things that had kept him going.

But now, even the mystery of his captor was losing its hold on him. He had suspected Bella for some time, piecing together the clues, but what did it matter if he was too weak to escape? If he didn't make it out of this, knowing the truth wouldn't save him.

His vision blurred as he tried to sit up, but his body refused to cooperate. He felt a wave of nausea wash over him, and he collapsed back onto the bed, gasping for air.

Bella paced back and forth, her mind racing. She had always believed she could handle the consequences of her actions, that she was in control of the situation. But now, watching Sandro's health deteriorate, she realized how wrong she had been.

She had never wanted to hurt him, not like this.

She rushed to her desk, frantically writing a letter. It was the only way she could communicate with him without giving herself away. Her hands shook as she scribbled the words, her thoughts jumbled and panicked.

_"Sandro, this wasn't supposed to happen. You were never meant to suffer like this. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."_

She stopped, her pen hovering above the paper. What could she say that would make this right? Nothing. There was nothing she could say that would undo the damage she had caused.

Bella's heart pounded in her chest as she folded the letter and handed it to one of the guards. She knew she couldn't keep hiding behind these notes forever. Sandro was close to the truth, and his body couldn't take much more. If she didn't act soon, there would be no way to save him.

As she watched the guard leave, she realized she was at a crossroads. She could let Sandro die, and no one would ever know her secret. She could disappear, fade back into the shadows, and no one would ever link her to the kidnapping.

Or she could come forward, admit everything, and face the consequences. The thought terrified her. She had spent so long building her life around Sandro, her obsession with him consuming every part of her. To admit the truth would mean losing him forever. But to continue like this meant losing him in another, far more permanent way.

She couldn't let that happen.

The guard entered Sandro's cell, handing him the latest letter. Sandro could barely sit up to take it, his body shaking from exhaustion. His vision was blurry, his mind clouded with pain, but he forced himself to read the words.

_"I'm sorry. I never wanted this to happen."_

It was the first time his captor had shown any real remorse. Sandro clenched the paper in his hand, a surge of anger and confusion rising within him. Who was this person? And why were they doing this?

His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden wave of dizziness. He collapsed back onto the bed, struggling to breathe. His body was shutting down, and he knew he didn't have much time left.

In that moment, Sandro realized he didn't care about the mystery anymore. He didn't care about the power games or the manipulation. All he wanted was to survive.

Back in her apartment, Bella knew what she had to do. She couldn't let Sandro die. No matter what he thought of her, no matter how much she feared losing him, she couldn't live with the guilt of his death on her conscience.

Her hand hovered over her phone as she considered her next move. She had the power to end this, to save Sandro's life. But doing so would mean revealing herself, stepping into the light after years of hiding in the shadows.

Taking a deep breath, Bella made her decision.

She dialed the number of the lead captor, her voice shaking as she gave the order: "Let him go."