Chapter 24: Holding Isabe On His Lap
Chapter 24: Holding Isabe on His Lap
Inside the restaurant, the elegant sound of a violin floated down from the stage, casting a romantic
atmosphere with dimmed lights-perfect for dining and conversation.
The waiter brought in one exquisite dish after another, cing them on the table before Isabe and
rk.
"Isabe, have you ever been to Italy?" rk inquired.
? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.
Isabe shook her head, "No, I''ve never been abroad."
Going abroad seemed like a simple thing to do, Chloe often traveled to foreign countries for leisure.
However, Isabe didn''t have the money. She had to work constantly to support herself; she had no
time for international travel.
rk was surprised by her answer, "You''ve never been abroad? Isabe, if you have the chance,
you should experience the world outside. Every ce has its own unique charm. By the way, the
head of the Italian Mafia is my brother. If you want to go, I can introduce you, and he''ll make sure
you''re well taken care of."
Isabe felt a hint of bitterness in her heart and a touch of frustration. Perhaps in rk''s circle,
nobody had ever been unable to travel due to poverty?
"rk, I don''t have money. I have to keep working to ensure I can survive," Isabe confided in
rk about her situation.
"I''m sorry, Isabe," rk looked at the girl, slightly embarrassed. He had overlooked this detail.
When he decided to pursue Isabe, he had asked Emanuele about her financial situation and
knew that her father had passed away, and she didn''t frequently live with her mother. She was a
self-sufficient and independent girl.
In the past, the girlfriends he had were usually well-off. Even those with less wealth would
constantly use their credit cards to satisfy their material desires, unlike Isabe, who worked
tirelessly to support herself.
That''s why, from the moment he firstid eyes on Isabe, rk was drawn to her unique aura.
She was indeed very special, unlike any of the girlfriends he had been with before.
"Isabe, if you ever need financial assistance, don''t hesitate to ask," rk said, extending his hand
to hold Isabe''s hand, which was resting on the table. He intended tofort her.
Instinctively, Isabe pulled her hand away. She seemed ufortable with such intimate contact
with rk.
She knew that she and rk were not from the same world. Despite his gentle demeanor and
handsome appearance, she always thought of his current status, which was earned through a
series of killings. He lived in constant danger of being killed himself. This made her somewhat
resistant to him.
She was willing to interact with rk only to escape from Emanuele''s control.
However, when she thought about Emanuele''s warning-how more and more people would target
her, and there would be more assassination attempts-Isabe couldn''t help but rethink her current
n.
She didn''t want to admit that she was the Mafia Princess, a member of the Lombardi family. Yet,
their enemies already believed it.
If she escaped Emanuele''s control, would it still make sense?
Isabe felt the need to reevaluate her current course of action.
Seeing Isabe pull her hand away, rk smiled and didn''t feel awkward at all. It was normal for the
girl to be hesitant about physical contact in the beginning.
He thought he would take it slow, using tenderness, consideration, and gentlemanly behavior to
gradually warm Isabe''s heart and make her fall for him.
After finishing dinner, rk dropped Isabe off at her apartment. He was surprised to find that
Isabe lived in a top-tier apartment. He asked, "Isabe, did you move to a new ce?"
"Yeah, my previous ce wasn''t safe; someone broke in," Isabe replied.
"Oh my God! Why didn''t you tell me earlier?" rk was even more astonished, and he instinctively
put his arm around Isabe''s shoulder. "Who the hell did that? Does Emanuele know?"
Isabe nodded and gently stepped back to break rk''s touch. "He arranged for me to move to
this apartment."
rk understood now. He looked at Isabe and said, "Isabe, for your safety, I''ll drive you to and
from work every day. I promise to protect you like a knight guarding a princess."
"No need," Isabe refused rk.
"Please don''t refuse me," rk insisted, his face determined. "It would hurt me."
rk then turned and walked away, fearing he might hear Isabe''s rejection again.
"See you tomorrow. When youe downstairs, you''ll see me on time."
Isabe sighed, feeling that she would owe rk a favor, and she didn''t want that.
Lost in her thoughts, Isabe returned to her apartment. As soon as she entered, she found
Emanuele sitting on the living room couch. He was tall, dressed in dark clothing, and exuded a
powerful presence, like a towering mountain.
Isabe was startled.
He had done this before, freely entering and leaving her apartment. Now that he was the owner of
this apartment, he could do so even more effortlessly.
This was terrible, and Isabe felt ack of security.
"Come here," Emanuele ordered when he heard movement.
Isabe always felt that when she called him "brother" and acted docile and obedient in his
presence, it might awaken some trace of conscience or humanity in him. However, he was ruthless,
bloodthirsty, and had no use for humanity.
Furthermore, he would never treat her like he treated Grazia, even though she was ten years
younger than him.
Emanuele reached out and pulled Isabe onto hisp.
A faint scent of tobo mixed with woody notes, resembling a citrus and pepper perfume, wafted
over. There was also a strong, overpowering scent of pheromones. Isabe''s body trembled, and
she almost instinctively tried to jump off hisp.
However, Emanuele''s presence was imposing, and his hand around her waist kept her firmly in
ce, making it impossible for her to escape.
"Isabe, I heard you had dinner with rk today," Emanuele said softly, his hand caressing
Isabe''s cheek.
At this moment, he was extremely close to her, so close that Isabe could almost feel his lips
touching her cheek.
This made her very ufortable, and she squirmed, trying to shift her position or get off him.
However, Emanuele made a muffled groan. Isabe felt something hard pressing against her
underbelly, like an iron rod.