Chasing Sandro: A Dangerous Obsession

Chapter 74: Sandro's Confession

Sandro had never felt so conflicted. His emotions were a tangled mess, pulling him in directions he couldn't fully understand. He paced the room, the weight of his thoughts pressing down on him like a storm he couldn't escape. Everything that had happened between him and Bella—everything she had done—should have pushed him away for good. Yet here he was, standing on the edge of a decision that could change everything.

For days, Sandro had been wrestling with his feelings. It had started as anger, fierce and blinding, when he first learned that Bella had orchestrated his kidnapping. He had hated her for it, for the lies, the manipulation, for making him feel like a pawn in her twisted game of love and obsession. But as the days passed, that anger had begun to soften. He found himself questioning everything—his past, his choices, and, most of all, his feelings for Bella.

There was no denying the impact she'd had on his life. She had supported him from the shadows, giving him the means to achieve his goals, even when he hadn't deserved it. She had been there, always, quietly loving him from a distance. And though her methods had been wrong—dangerous, even—Sandro couldn't ignore the depth of her devotion.

A part of him had always sensed her feelings, but he had brushed it aside, choosing to see her as just another admirer. He had never allowed himself to look deeper, to acknowledge the possibility that someone could love him so completely, even if that love had taken a dark turn.

But now, standing here, alone with his thoughts, Sandro realized something that scared him more than anything else: he was starting to feel something for her too.

It made no sense. She had hurt him, betrayed his trust in the worst way. Yet, somehow, in the middle of all the chaos and lies, something had shifted inside him. He had seen her vulnerability, her broken heart laid bare, and it had touched something in him that he didn't know existed.

Sandro stopped pacing, running a hand through his hair as he stared at the door in front of him. Beyond that door was Bella, the woman who had upended his entire world. She had kept her distance since his release, probably thinking it was what he wanted. But that distance had only given him time to think—to realize that his feelings were no longer as clear as they once were.

He had to see her. He had to tell her what he was feeling, even if it made no sense to either of them.

Taking a deep breath, Sandro crossed the room and opened the door. His heart pounded in his chest as he made his way down the hall to the room where Bella had been staying since everything had come to light. The air felt thick with tension, the silence heavy with unspoken words.

When he reached her door, Sandro hesitated. For a moment, he considered turning back, pushing down the confusing emotions that had been building inside him. But he knew he couldn't. Not anymore. He needed to face this, to face her, and to figure out what these feelings truly meant.

He knocked once, softly, then twice more when there was no answer. A few seconds later, the door creaked open, and there she stood—Bella, looking more fragile than he had ever seen her. Her eyes were red, as if she'd been crying, and her face was pale, etched with the weight of her own guilt and heartbreak.

"Sandro," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Bella, can I come in?" His voice was steady, though inside, he felt anything but.

She nodded, stepping aside to let him in. As he walked into the room, Sandro's gaze swept over the sparse surroundings. It felt cold, empty, much like the space between them now. But that was why he was here—to try and bridge that gap, no matter how impossible it seemed.

Bella sat down on the edge of the bed, wringing her hands nervously in her lap. Sandro remained standing for a moment, watching her, unsure how to begin. The tension in the room was thick, but he knew he had to break it.

"I've been thinking a lot," he began, his voice low but firm. "About everything that's happened. About you."

Bella's breath hitched, and she glanced up at him, her eyes wide with fear. "Sandro, I—"

He held up a hand to stop her. "Just let me finish. Please."

She nodded, biting her lip as she waited for him to continue.

"I should hate you," he said bluntly, though his tone was soft. "After everything you've done, after all the lies and manipulation... I should want nothing to do with you. And for a while, I did. But things have changed. I've changed."

He moved closer to her, sitting down in the chair across from the bed, his eyes never leaving hers. "I've spent so much time focusing on what you did wrong that I didn't take the time to think about why you did it. Or how I played a part in it."

Bella's hands trembled in her lap, but she said nothing, letting him speak.

"I ignored you," he continued, his voice quieter now. "I used your feelings when it was convenient for me, and I didn't care how it hurt you. I thought I could push you away, and you would just disappear. But you didn't. You kept loving me, even when I didn't deserve it."

Bella's eyes filled with tears, and Sandro felt his chest tighten. He hadn't expected this to be so hard, but the truth was, he wasn't here just to confront her. He was here to confront himself.

"And now..." He hesitated, struggling to find the right words. "Now I'm realizing that, maybe, I didn't push you away as much as I thought. Because somewhere along the way, despite everything, I started to feel something for you too."

Bella's breath caught, her eyes widening in shock. "What?" she whispered, barely able to believe what she was hearing.

Sandro nodded, his gaze intense as he looked at her. "I don't know when it happened. Maybe it was during the kidnapping, or maybe it was long before that, and I just refused to see it. But the truth is, Bella, I can't stop thinking about you. About us."

Tears slipped down Bella's cheeks, and she shook her head, unable to process his words. "But... how? After everything I did... How could you feel anything for me?"

Sandro reached out, gently taking her hands in his. "Because, despite everything, you loved me in a way no one else ever has. And maybe... maybe that's what I've been missing all along."