**chapter 19: shattered trusts**
The night before her wedding, Isabella stood on the balcony, staring out into the darkness that stretched far beyond the horizon. Her thoughts churned like a storm, swirling with the weight of the secrets that had been thrust upon her. Tomorrow, she was supposed to marry Tristan—a man she had once thought of as a stranger, a man who now felt more familiar than ever, but for all the wrong reasons.
Her mind spun back to earlier that evening, when she had discovered the truth. The scattered pieces of her memories, the trinkets in Tristan’s room, and the subtle similarities between Tristan and her long-lost best friend, Leo, had all come together in a way that she could no longer deny.
Leo and Tristan were the same person.
The realization had hit her like a punch to the gut, knocking the breath out of her lungs. All this time, Leo had been alive, right in front of her, and yet he had never told her the truth. He had allowed her to believe he was dead, leaving her to live in the misery of his absence. It was a betrayal that cut deeper than any sword, deeper than anything she had ever felt before.
Isabella’s fingers tightened around the edge of the balcony railing as her mind raced. How could he have kept this from her? Why hadn’t he told her? The man who had been her closest friend, her anchor in a world full of chaos, had been right there, watching her suffer. And he had said nothing.
The pain of that betrayal seared through her like fire. She had spent years mourning Leo, years wondering what might have been if he hadn’t died in the war. But now, everything she thought she knew was a lie. Leo hadn’t died—he had become someone else. He had become Tristan.
Tears stung her eyes as she replayed the memories of her childhood with Leo. How could the boy who had once been her entire world now be the man who threatened to control her future? The questions plagued her, but the answers felt just out of reach. And now, on the eve of her wedding, she was left with nothing but a shattered heart and a mind full of unanswered questions.
The night before her wedding, Isabella stood on the balcony, staring out into the darkness that stretched far beyond the horizon. Her thoughts churned like a storm, swirling with the weight of the secrets that had been thrust upon her. Tomorrow, she was supposed to marry Tristan—a man she had once thought of as a stranger, a man who now felt more familiar than ever, but for all the wrong reasons.
Her mind spun back to earlier that evening, when she had discovered the truth. The scattered pieces of her memories, the trinkets in Tristan’s room, and the subtle similarities between Tristan and her long-lost best friend, Leo, had all come together in a way that she could no longer deny.
Leo and Tristan were the same person.
The realization had hit her like a punch to the gut, knocking the breath out of her lungs. All this time, Leo had been alive, right in front of her, and yet he had never told her the truth. He had allowed her to believe he was dead, leaving her to live in the misery of his absence. It was a betrayal that cut deeper than any sword, deeper than anything she had ever felt before.
Isabella’s fingers tightened around the edge of the balcony railing as her mind raced. How could he have kept this from her? Why hadn’t he told her? The man who had been her closest friend, her anchor in a world full of chaos, had been right there, watching her suffer. And he had said nothing.
The pain of that betrayal seared through her like fire. She had spent years mourning Leo, years wondering what might have been if he hadn’t died in the war. But now, everything she thought she knew was a lie. Leo hadn’t died—he had become someone else. He had become Tristan.
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Bound by Obsession
Romance**Description:** Isabella Rossi is a fierce bounty hunter with a reputation for bringing in the most elusive targets. When she sets her sights on Tristan De Luca, the enigmatic and ruthless mafia king, she underestimates his obsession. Tristan is ca...
