Page 107 of Mafia Daddy's Christmas Bride

I recall Elena saying I was lucky to be matched to him because he was capable of love, but I know he’d never feel those feelings for me.

He had a once in a lifetime love. I’m happy for him.

Me? There’s no true love for me.

19

ROMAN

I watch Isabella leave and consider switching my hot chocolate to something more potent.

But something inside me propels me toward the bedroom, not the bar.

Today was a good day. Isabella seems less angry and distant.

But I’m not sure she fully understands our situation and what needs to be done to stay safe.

When I reach the doorway, I pause. Isabella sits at her sewing table, hunched slightly over her work. Her fingers guide the fabric beneath the needle of the machine I had delivered last week.

I lean against the doorframe, watching. There's something captivating about her focus, the way her brow furrows slightly, how she bites her lower lip.

The dress taking shape under her hands is a deep emerald green that will look beautiful on Angelica.

"That's beautiful work," I say quietly.

Isabella startles, her hands freezing mid-stitch. Her eyes meet mine, wary and uncertain.

I enter the bedroom, shutting the door. Moving to the settee at the foot of the bed, I take a seat. Isabella shifts, her eyes tracking me like prey watches a predator. She’s still afraid of me.

"I don't regret scaring you," I say plainly. "Fear has its purpose."

Isabella's lips part, but I raise my hand to stop her.

"You needed to understand what's at stake here. This isn't some game where the worst outcome is hurt feelings." I lean forward, elbows on my knees. "People die in our world, Isabella. Not just soldiers like me, but innocents too, like your mother."

The machine sits silent now. I have her attention.

"When you play both sides, when you keep secrets, you endanger everyone. Me. Yourself. Angelica.”

Isabella flinches at the mention of Angelica, and I know she understands.

"Fear keeps us alive in this life. It sharpens our instincts, makes us cautious when we need to be. I needed you afraid enough to see the real danger, not just from me, but from whoever is using you in this game."

Her shoulders remain tense, but something in her expression shifts. Not trust, not yet, but perhaps understanding.

"I won't apologize for making you understand the stakes," I continue. "But I will promise you this. As long as you're honest with me from now on, that fear doesn't need to exist between us."

Isabella's eyes flash with irritation. "I'm not trying to be reckless, Roman. Why can't you understand that? I'm not plotting against you or La Corona or anyone. I just want to know what happened to my mother."

I straighten my back, frustration bubbling up inside me. "And what if that truth leads to your death? To all our deaths? Or maybe it will go nowhere. What then?"

She opens her mouth to respond, but I press on.

"What if all this digging, all this sneaking around with the FBI, all these secrets, what if they only serve to put Angelica in danger? Have you thought about that? My daughter has already lost one mother. I won't let her be harmed because you’ve put your crusade above all else."

Isabella's face pales. "That's not fair."

"Fair?" I bark out a laugh. "Nothing about our world is fair. You know that better than most."