A Thousand Ways To Say I Love You

CHAPTER LXVI

As Matteo turned, his heart dropped at the sight of Isabella standing a few feet away, her face pale with shock and horror. She looked disheveled, her eyes wide as they darted between him and Mia’s lifeless body on the ground. It was a moment frozen in time, the reality of the situation crashing over them both.

Matteo stood there, a stark figure against the dimly lit, his presence commanding yet fraught with tension. His usually immaculate suit was now marred by dark, crimson stains splattered across his white shirt, the blood stark against the fabric, a grim testament to the chaos that had just unfolded.

His eyes were dark and stormy, reflecting a tumultuous mix of emotions—fear, guilt, and a deep, abiding love for Isabella. The lines of his jaw were tense, his features drawn tight, as if the weight of the world pressed down on him.

In his right hand, he gripped a gun, the cold metal heavy against his palm. His grip was steady but betraying a slight tremor, a testament to the adrenaline coursing through his veins. The gun, once a symbol of power and control, now felt like a harbinger of danger, poised between him and the woman he loved.

As he faced her, the gravity of the situation hung thick in the air, every heartbeat echoing the conflict within him. He was a man on the edge, battling not only the external threats surrounding him but also the internal demons that threatened to drive them apart. The blood on his shirt and the gun in his hand painted a picture of a life steeped in danger, she could clearly see

“Matteo!” she gasped, stepping forward, but he quickly raised a hand to stop her.

“Isabella, don’t come any closer!” he warned, urgency lacing his voice. The last thing he wanted was for her to be caught in the crossfire of his dangerous world.

Her eyes locked onto his, and he could see the pain reflected in them. “What happened? Is she—?”

“She’s gone,” Matteo replied, his voice breaking as he struggled to contain his emotions.

As Isabella stood frozen in place, her heart raced with a tumult of emotions—shock, betrayal, and deepening confusion. The sight before her was almost surreal: Matteo, the man she had loved with all her heart, stood with blood on his shirt and a gun in his hand, the dim light of the building casting shadows across his face.

To her, the blood seemed to pulse with the weight of a damning truth. “You killed her,” she uttered, her voice trembling, laced with disbelief and sorrow. The air around them felt heavy, thick with the acrid scent of gunpowder and fear.

Matteo's eyes widened in a mixture of shock and pain as he realized how she must perceive the scene. “Isabella, please—” he began, but his words faltered, trapped beneath the tidal wave of her emotions. He could see the accusation in her eyes, the way her body instinctively recoiled from him, as if she could sense the danger that came from his world.

“How could you?” Isabella continued, her voice breaking. “How could you take a life? I didn't expect you to...” Her heart felt like it was being ripped apart as she grappled with the truth of what she was witnessing. All the warmth and love she had felt for Matteo turned to ice, as if the very essence of their bond was shattering in front of her.

Matteo stepped closer, desperation etched on his face. “No! You don’t understand! I didn’t kill her!” His voice was urgent, a plea that fell like lead against her ears. “Mia—she—she was caught in the crossfire. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this!”

But Isabella’s eyes glistened with tears, and the hurt in her gaze cut deeper than any physical wound. “You’re a monster, Matteo! You can’t just pretend this didn’t happen! She’s dead!” The reality of the situation began to crash down around them, and she struggled to reconcile the man she loved with the scene before her.

“I tried to save her!” Matteo’s voice rose, a raw edge of frustration mingling with his anguish. “This is why I didn't wanted you to know about all of me, Bella” He gestured to the chaos around them, but to Isabella, it all fell on deaf ears.

In her mind, the blood on his shirt and the weapon he held were undeniable signs of guilt. “ohhh, because you like killing someone, wow Matteo wow that's why Andria and Carter had been warning me about you but my stupid heart didn't want to listen hahh, that why it comes to the fact that I have to see all of this with my own eyes” she said, stepping back as if to create distance between them, the emotional chasm widening.

"Bella... Listen please---" Matteo took a step closer but she creates a distance by raising her hands to a stop

“I don't know you anymore,I can’t be with someone who is capable of this.” she whispered, as she walked away

Matteo's heart sank as he watched the last remnants of their love slip away, the words hanging heavy in the air. He knew he had to find a way to prove his innocence, to show her that the man she loved was still there beneath the surface of this nightmare, but time was running out, and he could see the walls closing in around her.

Just then Joo along with Albert and Teros came "What happened Matteo?"

"Take her," Matteo said looking at Mia lifeless body "and wait until I come" he orders as he left to chase Isabella, she couldn't have gone far.

Matteo's heart raced as he chased after Isabella, panic surging through him. He couldn’t let her walk away—not like this. Not when everything was at stake. He saw her reaching for her car door, the tremor in her hands betraying her own turmoil.

“Isabella, wait!” he shouted, his voice cutting through the tension that hung in the air. But she didn’t stop. He quickened his pace, adrenaline fueling his every step, until he reached her just as she grasped the handle.

In a swift motion, he grabbed her arm, spinning her around to face him. Her eyes widened in surprise, hurt etched across her features, and he could feel the heat of her anger radiating toward him.

“Let me go, Matteo!” she demanded, her voice a mixture of defiance and fear. “You have no right to touch me!”

He tightened his grip, not enough to hurt her but firm enough to keep her from pulling away. “Please, just listen to me!” His voice was strained, desperation pouring out of him. “I didn’t kill her. You have to believe me!”

Isabella shook her head, tears glistening in her eyes. “How can I believe anything you say? You were there! I saw you!” Her heart raced, conflicting emotions threatening to overwhelm her. She wanted to trust him, but the evidence before her was too damning.

“I know how it looks, but it wasn’t like that!” Matteo insisted, searching her face for any sign of understanding. “Mia was caught in the middle of something I tried to stop, and everything just went wrong!”

Isabella's breath hitched, caught between her love for Matteo and the horror of what she believed he had done. “You’re part of this world, Matteo. I can’t—”

“No!” he interrupted, frustration leaking into his voice. “You don’t understand! I’ve been trying to protect you from this!… it was never supposed to touch you! I was going to get out—get us out—if you would just let me explain!”

“You… protect me from this, all about your Mafia world thing huh, why you didn't want me to know and wanted to keep me in utter darkness, you know  what I hate is people like You! if I had known I shouldn't have love you or fall for you” she said

Tears streamed down Isabella's cheeks, and she felt the weight of her own heartache. “You think I can just forget everything? The blood on your shirt… the gun… the death body…”

“She was my friend, Bella! I would never intentionally hurt her!” His voice softened, sincerity shining through his anger and desperation. “You have to trust me. I’ve kept my life separate from you for a reason. I didn’t want you to be involved in any of this. You’re the only good thing in my life, and I can’t lose you.”

She looked into his eyes, searching for the truth. She saw pain, fear, and love swirling in the depths.

"If you really wanted to protect me, protect me from you, Matteo" she says, reaching for her car door, stepping inside the car and driving away leaving him.