Chapter 44: Meeting Chloe
Chapter 44: Meeting Chloe
She said she wasing in a week, right? How is she here already? Isabe had absolutely no
preparation for this. But thinking about it, it was quite typical of Chloe; she always enjoyed ying
games with her.
Telling her she''de in a week, only to arrive three dayster, was a way to shock and unnerve
her, catching her off guard – a type of yful maniption.
"Isabe, are you still there? Can you hear me?" Sophia hadn''t received any response from Isabe
and couldn''t help but ask again.
"Mom, I need to rest right now. I won''t be seeing her," Isabe finally found her voice after a
considerable effort.
After hanging up the phone, Isabe struggled to calm her emotions. Her heart was racing as if it
wanted to burst out of her chest. This feeling was terrible.
"Are you okay, Isabe?" Emanuele asked, breaking the silence at the dining table.
He noticed that Isabe''s face was terrible after taking that call, and she seemed as if she might
faint. Did she react this way every time she talked to Sophia? Was she just naturally sensitive or
timid? However, she sometimes stood up to his intimidation, so that didn''t seem likely.
If she cried and begged right from the start, he''d find it rather uninteresting. But Isabe was
different.
Looking at Emanuele''s concerned gaze, Isabe felt he was truly enigmatic. Sometimes ruthless
and sometimes surprisingly gentle. She knew better than to hope for the devil, as he would
inevitably shatter that notion whenever she started to think he might not be so bad.
With a sigh, Isabe realized that a calm life had be a luxury for her. She always told herself to
stay calm and think of strategies to ovee difficulties. However, with Chloe''s imminent arrival,
she couldn''t help but tremble. Her damn ustrophobia seemed to be acting up again.
After finishing her meal, Isabe returned to her room to rest. Although she didn''t have to work
today, she still needed to finish some reports she had been neglecting. She would be graduating in
a little over a month.
At some point, Emanuele joined her at her side, watching her work on her report. He said, "Isabe,
soon you''ll be finishing your studies."
? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.
"At that time, I''ll marry rk," Isabe preempted what Emanuele had likely wanted to say.
"Hahaha, it seems you''re already aware of that. That''s good." Emanuele patted Isabe''s head and
then reached out to y with her hair, causing her reddish-brown locks to coil around his fingers,
making Isabe feel as if she were being toyed with.
"However, rk recently returned to Canada for something important. He''s busy and probably won''t
have the time to visit you."
Recently, rk''s cousin had been in a critical situation, and he had been taken by the enemies,
barely managing to escape with his life. This incident had put rk''s authority to the test, and he
intended to make those responsible pay.
Isabe wasn''t aware of the details, but when rk left, he had called and said he had to go to
Canada and asked her to wait for him. She had agreed, although secretly, she hoped he would stay
away for a month or so, which would conveniently dy her wedding.
Emanuele studied Isabe''s face closely. She had just recovered from an illness, and her
expression appeared fragile and somewhat unwell. Yet, it didn''t diminish her beauty in the slightest.
He leaned in and gently kissed Isabe''s cheek, then slid his fingers to her lips, causing them to
be slightly swollen under his touch.
Her eyes were filled with innocence and confusion, as if she didn''t know what he intended to do. But
what if she used that mouth of hers to do something more intimate? Would her expression still be so
innocent? The mere thought of it made him frighteningly aroused, on the brink of explosion.
"Emanuele, what do you want?" The confusion in Isabe''s eyes had turned into anger. She thought
this man had gone too far. He was now treating her as an object, ying with her, treating her like
prey.
"I''m admiring you, you''re beautiful," Emanuele didn''t hold back his appreciation, even the simple act
of touching her body made his blood boil.
"Beautiful?" Isabe didn''t believe Emanuele''s words. She had always considered herself in, and
she''d known that from childhood. Chloe had always mocked her looks and figure, causing her to
lose confidence in dating after one failed rtionship. So she couldn''t understand why a man of
Emanuele''s caliber would be interested in her. Maybe it was just for the novelty, just to toy with her.
She wasn''t going to be his ything. Isabe turned away and buried herself under the covers.
"Please, I''ve just recovered from an illness and I''m still weak. I need some rest."
Emanuele, watching her huddle under the covers, wanted to keep teasing her, but considering her
recent illness, he didn''t want to push her too far. He gently stroked her hair. "Fine, get some rest."
No matter how many times Isabe visited the Lombardi mansion, she always felt uneasy. But
today, it was even more suffocating because Chloe was here. After work, she had no choice but to
go to her stepfather''s house. Yesterday, she had used the excuse of not feeling well to avoid
coming, but tonight, she couldn''t get out of it.
Chloe had moved into the Lombardi family mansion as soon as she arrived in Chicago since, other
than Isabe and Sophia, she didn''t know anyone else in the city.
Today, after several phone calls from Sophia, Isabe had to rush to her stepfather''s house
immediately after work to meet Chloe.
As soon as she entered the living room, she saw Chloe.
Chloe was now wearing thetest CHANEL dress, her thick hair cascading down her back, and she
had applied a subtle makeup that made her look extremely elegant anddylike. However, Isabe
couldn''t help but feel a sharp edge to her appearance.
"Isabe, long time no see. You''ve be so pretty!" Chloe''s voice was surprisingly cheerful
compared to her usual dark tone when she spoke to her alone.
She approached Isabe.
As Chloe came closer, Isabe felt her breathing bing increasingly difficult. Fortunately, she
had taken her medication in advance, or she feared she might copse.
Chloe arrived by Isabe''s side and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "You little bitch,
why do you think you cane here? Trying to steal Emanuele from me? I''ll tell you, you''ll pay for
your greed!"
Isabe''s body trembled uncontrobly. This was Chloe''s favorite phrase. Every time she said these
words, she would start hurting her. Now she was here again.
Isabe had to admit that she always felt powerless in front of Chloe. She had lived in Chloe''s
shadow from childhood to adulthood. She had hoped that she would grow stronger when she went
to college and moved to Chicago, far away from Chloe. But now, it seemed like nothing more than a
dream. She dared not say anything rebellious; every time she thought of the times when Chloe was
in a bad mood and would hit her, p her, or kick her, she didn''t know how to resist. Her fear of
Chloe had been deeply imprinted on her body, and she reacted like Pavlov''s dog, instantly triggered
when she saw Chloe.
Just then, a hand was ced on Isabe''s shoulder. She raised her head and saw Emanuele''s
handsome yet icy face. Emanuele also looked down at her. "What''s wrong, Isabe? You don''t
seem well. Is it because you haven''t fully recovered from your illness?"
Isabe hadn''t spoken yet, but Chloe had already taken the initiative to talk to Emanuele. She
walked up to him and extended her hand with a smile. "Mr. Lombardi, it''s a pleasure to meet you.
I''m Isabe''s cousin. You can call me Chloe."