In His Grasp: A Mafia Romance novel Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Claustrophobia Attack

Emanuele led Isabella outside, holding her hand. To an outsider, their relationship seemed quite amicable, but little did they know that each regarded the other as an enemy.

They arrived at the car, and Emanuele finally noticed that Isabella's hand was unusually cold. He furrowed his brow, remembering that her hand had been warm when he first held it. But now, it felt lifeless, like a corpse's hand.

Turning to look at Isabella, he noticed her vacant eyes, which seemed to hold a hint of fear, as if she had encountered a devil.

"What's wrong with you?" Emanuele asked. It was strange; why did Isabella seem so frightened now? She appeared as though her soul had left her body in fear.

Emanuele had never seen Isabella react this way before. Even though he had threatened her life several times, even held a gun to her when they first met, she had never shown such fear.

Isabella seemed unresponsive to his questions. She didn't react at all. Emanuele noticed that her breathing was barely perceptible, as if she might suffocate at any moment.

What was happening? He had spoken those words earlier with far less intensity than his usual threats. There was no way they could have scared her like this.

But her current reaction made it clear that she had been genuinely frightened by his words.

Seeing Isabella's lack of response, Emanuele couldn't help but shake her body gently. "Isabella, what's wrong? Should we go to the hospital?"

Damn it, even though he enjoyed seeing her in pain and torment, making her lower her expensive head in submission, he didn't want anything to happen to her. If she were to die, he would lose an interesting toy.

Isabella, shaken by Emanuele's shaking, felt her soul return to her body. She slowly turned to look at him, realizing that her claustrophobia was slowly taking over.

No, she couldn't let this happen. She couldn't let him know about her condition, or he would use it against her the next time.

Just as their Mafia family would exploit an enemy's weakness, they would show no mercy, resorting to murder, arson, even harming their enemies' wives and children. For them, her condition was just a minor vulnerability.

She couldn't let Emanuele use this against her, or she felt that she would soon be dead.

"I'm fine," Isabella managed to utter, then opened the car door, got in, and quickly, when Emanuele wasn't paying attention, retrieved some estazolams from her purse and swallowed the medication. The bitter taste spread in her mouth, and Isabella finally began to feel somewhat comfortable.

Emanuele also got into the car, watching as Isabella's condition gradually improved. Her complexion wasn't as pale as before, and when he held Isabella's hand, he noticed her warmth had returned. He could finally lay to rest the concern he had been carrying.

A mocking smile played on Emanuele's face. "I told you, your resilience is like that of a cockroach. You can't be killed no matter what. How could such a minor threat scare you to death?"

Isabella glared at Emanuele, her eyes filled with fury. "Mr. Lombardi, how long do you plan to torture me? Can't you just leave me alone?"

"Leave you alone? Isabella, you're a toy that fits my tastes perfectly. How could I possibly leave you alone?" Emanuele laughed, a cruel smile on his face. He felt that Isabella existed solely for him, from her appearance and figure to her personality. In fact, everything about her suited his taste.

Yes, since meeting Isabella, he found all the other women he had been with to be inferior. Isabella had reignited his desire for conquest.

"Isabella, you're the first woman to defy me. I wonder if you're equally tenacious in bed," Emanuele's tongue lightly grazed his lips, a hint of desire in his expression, as he began to fantasize about that scene.

Isabella simply wanted to berate Emanuele as a pervert. Was he insane, thinking about having her? She was his step-sister, after all! Even though Emanuele hadn't physically touched her, at this moment, Isabella felt as if she had been violated in his mind.

The next day, Isabella had to take leave to attend a party. When she informed Evelyn about it, Evelyn was shocked. "You've never taken a day off before."

"Today is an exception. My mother returned from overseas, and I want to see her," Isabella said without much explanation, choosing a casual excuse. She hoped that with so many people at the party, even if Emanuele were there, his attention wouldn't be solely focused on her. This would provide an opportunity to talk to her mother.

But damn it, every time she thought about this, Emanuele's warning came back to haunt her, and Chloe's voice echoed in her mind. She truly carried a deep-seated fear of Chloe.

Today, Isabella wore a strapless black gown that accentuated her curvaceous figure. The dress had a fishtail design, hugging her from top to bottom before flaring out at the hem, creating a sexy and cute look.

"Oh, dear, you look absolutely stunning in this outfit!" Grazia exclaimed.

She had intentionally called Isabella over early because she had prepared this ensemble for her. Along with that, there was a stylist who enjoyed working with Isabella, hoping to make her look even more glamorous.

The stylist crafted a refined makeup look for Isabella, and her hair was left to cascade down in loose, voluminous waves, soft and silky, draping elegantly over her shoulders.

Grazia was highly satisfied with Isabella's appearance and eagerly ushered her downstairs to mingle with more people.

Today marked a grand celebration for the young elite, with many heirs and heiresses of noble families in attendance. Isabella noticed that even Clark had made an appearance.

Ever since the last disagreement between Isabella and Clark, she had been avoiding him. She couldn't allow him to marry her, especially considering his involvement with the mafia. She had no intention of marrying into that world.

At this moment, Clark was engaged in a conversation with Emanuele. Grazia promptly pointed at Clark and said, "Isabella, I heard that Clark is pursuing you. Is that true?"

Isabella nodded in response.

"You could give it a try. He's the head of the Canadian mafia, but he's witty and humorous. Being with him would bring you happiness."

Isabella glanced toward Emanuele, who stood beside Clark. His expression resembled that of an ice block, his features tightly held. Even when some attractive young ladies approached him to strike up a conversation, he remained silent, his cold and menacing demeanor sending them scurrying away.

"Has Emanuele always had this kind of personality?" Isabella asked curiously, feeling that nobody was better suited to be a mafia boss than Emanuele. He seemed like he was born for the job.

However, to her surprise, Grazia, who had been cheerful until now, suddenly lost her smile and shook her head.

"No, Emanuele wasn't always like this. It's after he went through three kidnappings that he became this way. But, to be honest, as long as he accepts you, he can be quite good to you. Deep down, he's not a bad person."