Dangerous Secrets: My Mafia Stepbrother

“Isabella, since Chloe misses you so much, why don’t you let her stay for a couple of days? You two can catch up,” Sophia suggested, unaware of the situation. She believed that Isabella and Chloe, having grown up together, must have a lot to talk about.

Isabella hesitated, suppressing the trembling within her. “Well… alright,” she finally whispered. She couldn’t bring herself to refuse her mother’s proposal.

Emanuele gave Isabella an odd look, but since she had agreed, he chose not to say anything. Her state of mind seemed fragile, but since it was her choice, he didn’t want to interfere too much. After all, he wasn’t going to be around the apartment every day.

As soon as Isabella agreed, she began to regret it. She knew the days ahead wouldn’t be easy. Could she endure it? That was the question on her mind.

“Isabella, see you tomorrow,” Chloe said, hugging Isabella with apparent joy. Then, she leaned in close, speaking in a hushed tone, “Isabella, you’ve got to put in a good word for me with Emanuele. You know, among the Hurley family, I’m the one who truly deserves to stand by his side. I’m the queen who belongs with him. You’re just a stray dog, not even in the same league as me.”

As they sat in the car, Isabella’s mood remained low. Emanuele looked at her and asked, “Isabella, are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Isabella responded almost reflexively. It had become an automatic response by now.

Emanuele noticed Isabella’s discomfort around Chloe. He pointed out, “You seem to be afraid of Chloe. Even when she served you that awful food, you didn’t say a word. Last time, I had to coax you into eating.”

He didn’t buy into any notions of sisterly bonds.

Isabella tried to defend Chloe, saying, “No, Chloe is nice. And, Emanuele, did you notice? She seems to really like you.”

Isabella tried to recall Chloe’s positive attributes. But in her mind, all she could think about were the times Chloe had physically hurt her. Like when Chloe had used Isabella’s own violin to hit her, breaking it in the process. Then she’d lied to her parents, blaming Isabella for the damage, which led to Isabella being scolded and punished. Her parents even replaced Chloe’s violin.

Isabella’s childhood had been full of envy, always desiring the things Chloe effortlessly possessed, while she had to save up for even a simple Barbie doll.

Recalling these painful memories, Isabella forced a smile as she spoke to Emanuele. However, her words seemed to irritate him further. He couldn’t understand why Isabella was speaking so highly of Chloe, especially given the resentment he sensed.

Frustration overwhelmed Emanuele. He lit a cigarette, filling the car with smoke. Isabella coughed involuntarily, choking on the thick fumes.Property © NôvelDrama.Org.

Before she could question Emanuele’s smoking, he abruptly pulled her into his arms.

“Shut the hell up!” Emanuele barked at Isabella. His usually light hazel eyes darkened with anger, and his gaze was filled with menace.

Isabella shrunk into Emanuele’s embrace, too frightened to move. She didn’t understand why he was so furious. She had only complimented Chloe. If Emanuele disliked her, she could have kept quiet. Why was he reacting this way?

Emanuele himself wasn’t entirely sure why he was so furious. But hearing Isabella introduce Chloe and repeatedly praise her virtues had ignited a burning anger within him. It made him feel like he wanted to swallow Isabella whole.

Emanuele thought, “This woman doesn’t realize her place. Maybe it’s time to show her.”

Once the car came to a halt in front of the apartment, Emanuele dragged Isabella towards the building. His tall figure and fast stride forced Isabella to nearly run to avoid being pulled down.

“Is this man too strong?” Isabella couldn’t help but furrow her brows.

Emanuele brought Isabella back to her room, and she asked nervously, “Emanuele, what’s wrong?”

The room was dimly lit, and his foul mood filled Isabella with fear. It felt like a return to the initial days, or perhaps even worse than before. Back then, Emanuele had been stern but not openly angry. But now, he was furious, appearing more menacing than the time she had gone on a date with Clark. Was he thinking of harming her?

Emanuele said nothing and roughly threw Isabella onto the bed.

“Isabella, do you think I should forgive you?” Emanuele’s hand clamped down on Isabella’s neck.

In the past few days, Emanuele had displayed a deceptive tenderness, causing Isabella to forget just how cruel and brutal he could be. At this moment, she was reminded of her previous near-death experiences, and fear began to consume her.

Her body trembled uncontrollably, and she whimpered, “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Had she known that her words would provoke Emanuele, she would have kept quiet. At this moment, Emanuele’s eyes took on a hellish shade, intensifying Isabella’s fear. Her body tensed, and she felt a growing ache in her stomach. She needed Estazolam’s help, but Emanuele kept her pinned down, immobilizing her.

Emanuele’s fingers moved to her throat and down to her collarbone, and Isabella’s skin crawled at his touch. “You’re driving me insane!” Emanuele roared, and then he roughly kissed Isabella. It wasn’t a kiss as much as a bite; he bit down hard on her lips, his tongue probing every corner of her mouth.

Isabella wasn’t prepared to respond, making it difficult to breathe. Her lungs felt like they might explode, her mind blank. In the midst of the chaos, desire reared its head.

Compared to their previous encounters, Isabella quickly adapted. She felt Emanuele’s skilled kiss, his tongue massaging her, and it gradually turned pleasurable. His body heat, breath, and scent transferred to her, all infiltrating her senses.

He was utterly wild, as if he wanted to devour her.

These sensations intensified Isabella’s desire, causing her to uncontrollably moan. Her moan made Emanuele suddenly halt his actions.

Isabella felt ashamed; this infuriating man was making her feel comfortable. She shouldn’t be reacting this way, but her physiological instincts took over.

Just when Isabella thought Emanuele had stopped, he forcefully raised her arms above her head and began passionately kissing her. From her lips to her neck, collarbone, and even her chest.

Emanuele’s large body pressed against hers, enveloping her completely. She could feel his hardness against her leg.