In His Grasp: A Mafia Romance novel Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Triggering Her Psychological Trauma

Isabella felt like she was about to die. Emanuele's fingers stirred inside her mouth, and that nauseating, suffocating sensation spread in waves.

Tears rolled down her cheeks, but Emanuele didn't seem to have any intention of letting her go just yet. When Isabella was on the brink of giving up, Emanuele finally withdrew his fingers from her mouth. However, her relief was short-lived as he firmly grasped her breast.

His hands squeezed her breasts, causing Isabella to gasp in pain. "Emanuele, are you out of your mind? I'm your stepsister. If our parents find out, it'll be the end for you. Let go of me!" Fear and anger filled Isabella's eyes as she protested his actions.

She had thought Emanuele might kill her, but she had never imagined that he would humiliate her in such a degrading way, making her feel like a worthless dog.

"Isabella, you're too naive. If they find out, it'll be the end for you, not me. My father might kill you for the family's honor, and your mother won't say a word," Emanuele cruelly revealed the truth as he continued his actions.

As he spoke, his hand roamed further down, touching Isabella's lower abdomen, feeling her trembling, and finally, reaching between her legs.

"Emanuele, please, I'm begging you, stop. My mom is getting married today, and I haven't even congratulated her," Isabella pleaded, her voice filled with despair. She was genuinely terrified.

She wished someone would pass by the locked door at that moment and put an end to this nightmare.

Emanuele, hearing Isabella's pleas, smiled more tenderly, as if he were savoring her suffering. He did take pleasure in this, especially watching others beg for mercy after enduring various forms of torture during his work. Seeing Isabella in her current state gave him a sense of accomplishment.

Yet, seeing her struggle to breathe, he decided to cease the torment. Killing her now would deprive him of future enjoyment.

Emanuele reached out to touch Isabella's cheek and then her neck. His warm, rough hand on her delicate neck could easily snap it, but his actions were unexpectedly gentle.

"Isabella, you're now part of the Lombardi family, a princess of the Mafia, and I'm the boss. Don't ever try to resist me again. Do you understand? Otherwise, I'll show you what real hell on Earth is like."

Isabella nodded. She had no strength left, and if Emanuele didn't leave soon, she feared she might die right there.

"Freshen up, and come out. Your mother is waiting for your congratulations," Emanuele said before turning to leave.

He still appeared as composed as ever, while Isabella was left in disarray. Her makeup was ruined, her clothes were dirty, and her own saliva had dripped onto her. She felt utterly disgusted.

But her priority was to take her medication. Isabella retrieved the pills from her purse and swallowed them. It took a while, but she finally felt some relief. However, she couldn't shake the feeling that her world was growing increasingly darker, as if there were no hope left.

Even though she had fought so hard to escape this situation, it seemed that she was sinking deeper into it. Could she really escape at all?

Emerging from the study, Isabella sought out her mother.

Today, Sophia was dressed in a pristine wedding gown, mingling with Leo, toasting champagne to their friends and guests. When she spotted Isabella approaching, her face lit up with joy.

"Isabella, you look stunning today. Is that a CHANEL couture dress? Where did you get it?" As Isabella's mother, she knew her daughter well. Isabella was just a struggling student, interning at the hospital. How could she afford such a dress?

Isabella glanced at Emanuele not far away, and he was watching her too.

"It was a gift from my brother. He wanted me to look nice today," Isabella replied, her mind still tormented by the recent events in the study.

Sophia was pleased with Emanuele's thoughtfulness and raised her hand to call him over, praising his generosity in considering his stepsister to this extent.

"She's my sister; it's only right to do this," Emanuele said with a smile.

Isabella couldn't help but feel that Emanuele was a master of disguise. In front of others, he always appeared gentle and refined, but when he was alone with her, his true, sinister nature emerged. This man was truly terrifying.

Isabella had initially intended to report the incident to her mother, thinking that her mother would stop Emanuele from mistreating her. However, at that moment, another voice nearby interrupted.

"Sophia, congratulations on finding true love again!" It was her aunt, Madelyn Whitaker.

If Isabella hadn't recently taken Estazolam, and its effects still lingered, she wouldn't have known if she might have suffered an immediate breakdown. At this moment, Isabella felt her blood freeze as her whole body began to tremble uncontrollably upon seeing Madelyn. She saw a grim reaper that seemed to have emerged from hell.

Fortunately, her cousin Chloe was reportedly traveling abroad and couldn't return for the wedding. Otherwise, if Chloe and Emanuele had simultaneously tormented her, she might have instantly gone mad and ended up in a mental hospital.

Madelyn's power to intimidate her was nowhere near as terrifying as Chloe's.

However, Isabella couldn't utter the words she had initially wanted to tell her mother about Emanuele's actions. Chloe's menacing threats from the past resurfaced in her mind.

Over the years, Chloe had bullied her, beaten her, insulted her, pushed her down the stairs, whipped her, causing wounds to bleed, healing fractures only to break them again, and repeating the cycle. But she had never dared to tell her mother about it due to Chloe's menacing threats. She believed that Chloe would actually kill her.

Now, with Emanuele's mistreatment, she had intended to inform Sophia, but Madelyn's sudden presence made her remember Chloe's threats, and she couldn't speak. Those psychological wounds were far from healed, and now, new ones had been added, intensifying Isabella's fear.

Her mother was completely unaware of all this. When she was younger, Isabella didn't know how to tell her mother. They were both dependent on others, and she was afraid that her mother would be hurt if she shared the truth. So, every time Chloe would claim that she had injured herself, Isabella never defended herself. Her mother would scold her, calling her clumsy and questioning why she always hurt herself. She didn't doubt Chloe's words and reprimanded Isabella based on them, making Isabella even more afraid to speak the truth.

Isabella gazed at Sophia, who was currently engaged in a pleasant conversation with Madelyn. Since her mother and she had moved to Chicago, they hadn't seen their uncle's family again. Yet, this period of not seeing them had been the most tranquil and beautiful time in Isabella's life.

In the past, every time she had to meet Chloe, she would require a long time to prepare herself mentally. And every time she met her, Chloe's harsh and cruel words would leave Isabella sad for a long time.

Now, seeing Madelyn, Isabella was once again plunged into immense pain.

Emanuele also noticed Isabella's distress. She should be happy when meeting her aunt, but she appeared even more tormented than when she was with him. He couldn't help but put his arm around her shoulder and lowered his head to ask, "What's wrong?"