Chapter 107: What Kind Of Support?

She’d just lie to him again. Promise to stop. Then go behind his back the second he turned around.

No.

Confrontation wouldn’t work.

So what then?

Warn Dimitri? Tell him Isabella was planning to drug him at the gala?

Enzo’s hand moved toward his phone, then stopped.

If he warned Dimitri, Isabella would be captured and tortured by Dimitri, Or worse, knowing his brother, probably worse.

And despite everything, despite her lies and her obsession and her willingness to throw away their partnership....

Enzo couldn’t bring himself to sign her death warrant.

His phone rang.

Antonio.

Enzo’s jaw clenched. His father calling was never good news.

He answered. "What do you want?"

"Is that any way to greet your father?" Antonio’s voice was smooth, amused. "I raised you better than that, Enzo."

"You didn’t raise me at all. You were too busy grooming Dimitri to be the perfect heir." Enzo kept his voice flat. "So I’ll ask again. What do you want?"

A pause. Then Antonio’s voice turned serious.

"I want to talk about Isabella Russo."

Enzo went very still. "What about her?"

"I know you’ve partnered with her. Built an organization together. The Volkovs speak highly of your operation." Antonio paused. "I also know you’re... fond of her."

"Fond." The word was bitter. "Is that what we’re calling it?"

"What would you prefer I call it? Love? Obsession? A strategic alliance with convenient emotional attachment?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because Lorenzo Russo and I have come to an understanding." Antonio’s voice turned calculated. "The Russo-Valentino alliance is critical to both our families. Dimitri’s infatuation with Eve Thorne threatens that alliance. So Lorenzo and I have agreed to... subtly support Isabella’s efforts to remind Dimitri of his obligations."

Enzo’s blood ran cold. "What kind of support?"

"Nothing overt. Nothing that could be traced back to us directly. But if Isabella needs resources, access, opportunities, we’ll ensure she has them." A pause. "And we expect you to do the same."

"You want me to help her chase Dimitri?" Enzo’s voice was ice. "To support her self-destruction?"

"I want you to protect the family’s interests. Which means ensuring Isabella has the best possible chance of succeeding in her mission." Antonio’s voice hardened. "You’re a Valentino, Enzo. That comes with responsibilities. One of those responsibilities is maintaining strategic alliances. Even when it’s inconvenient."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then you lose access to the Valentino resources that have been supporting your organization. The territories. The connections. The protection of the family name." Antonio let that sink in. "You can operate independently if you choose. But it will be significantly harder without our backing."

It was a threat wrapped in polite language.

Help Isabella, or lose everything.

Enzo closed his eyes. "What exactly are you asking me to do?"

"Watch her back. Provide support when needed. And if things go wrong, if Dimitri reacts badly to whatever Isabella is planning.....you step in. You protect her. You get her out safely."

"You want me to be her safety net while she drugs my brother."

A pause. "You know about the pharmaceutical."

"I have surveillance on her contacts. Of course I know."

"And you haven’t warned Dimitri." It wasn’t a question.

"Not yet."

"Good. Don’t." Antonio’s voice was absolute. "Let Isabella execute her plan. If it works, the alliance is saved. If it doesn’t....if Dimitri catches her, you extract her before he can kill her. Are we clear?"

"And if I can’t extract her? If Dimitri gets to her first?"

"Then you do whatever is necessary to keep her alive. Because if Isabella Russo dies on your watch, Lorenzo will hold you personally responsible. And trust me, Enzo....you don’t want Lorenzo Russo as an enemy."

The line went dead.

Enzo stood there, phone in hand, feeling the trap close around him.

Antonio and Lorenzo had decided.

Isabella would get her chance to seduce Dimitri. To drug him. To play out her desperate fantasy.

And Enzo would be there to clean up the mess when it all went wrong.

Because it would go wrong.

There was no universe where Dimitri Valentino....stone-cold sober or drugged out of his mind.....chose Isabella over Eve.

Which meant Enzo would have to watch the woman he loved humiliate herself publicly, then somehow extract her before Dimitri killed her for it.

Perfect.

Just fucking perfect.

Enzo spent the next hour pacing his hotel room, trying to figure out his next move.

He could still warn Dimitri. Blow up the whole plan. Let Isabella face the consequences.

But then Lorenzo would retaliate. Antonio would cut him off. And Isabella....

Isabella would be dead.

No question. No hesitation. Just dead.

Because drugging Dimitri Valentino was the kind of offense that got you disappeared. Slowly and painfully.

And despite everything, despite her lies, her obsession, her willingness to betray their partnership....

Enzo couldn’t let that happen.

So he’d do what Antonio asked.

He’d watch her back.

He’d be ready to extract her when the plan inevitably failed.

He’d save her life even as she destroyed herself.

Because apparently, loving Isabella Russo meant enabling her self-destruction while trying to keep her alive through it.

Enzo picked up his phone, dialed one of his contacts.

"I need an invitation to the Castellano Foundation Charity Gala this Saturday. Plus-one. Money is no object."

"That’s short notice...."

"I don’t care. Get it done. I’ll pay triple your usual rate."

A pause. "Okay. I can get you in. It’ll cost 75K."

"Done. Have it delivered to my hotel by tomorrow night."

"You got it."

Enzo hung up, moved back to the window.

Saturday night.

The Castellano Gala.

Isabella would be there, playing out her desperate plan to drug Dimitri.

Dimitri and Eve would be there, completely unaware of what was coming.

And Enzo would be there too, watching from the shadows, ready to pull Isabella out of the fire before she burned alive.

It was going to be a disaster.

A complete, absolute disaster.

And he was walking into it with his eyes wide open.

Because loving someone meant protecting them.

Even from themselves.

Even when they didn’t want your protection.

Even when it destroyed you in the process.