Chapter 125: Do You Believe Her Confession?

"Let him retaliate. I’m not afraid of Lorenzo Russo."

"You should be. He’s already making calls. Already mobilizing resources. If you don’t release Isabella within the next hour, he’s going to declare this a kidnapping. He’s going to demand her release through official channels. And if that doesn’t work...." Antonio paused. "He’s going to come for her himself. With an army."

Dimitri stood, began to pace.

He was trapped.

Antonio had built the perfect case.

Victoria’s confession. Isabella’s medical records. A complete alternate narrative that explained everything.

And even though Dimitri knew...knew....it was fabricated...

He couldn’t prove it.

Not without more time. Not without deeper investigation.

And Lorenzo Russo wasn’t going to give him that time.

"What about Enzo?" Dimitri asked. "How did Isabella get out of the building during the lockdown? Enzo helped her. We have traffic camera footage placing his car near her hotel right after she escaped."

"Enzo helped her because she was having a panic attack." Antonio’s voice was calm, reasonable. "She needed her medication immediately. She couldn’t wait for the lockdown to lift. So Enzo, knowing about her condition, knowing she was in distress.....got her out through a service exit and took her back to her hotel so she could take her pills."

"And the corrupted security footage?"

"What corrupted footage? I’m looking at the security logs right now. The ballroom cameras experienced a technical malfunction at 9:46 PM. It happens. Equipment fails. It’s not evidence of a conspiracy."

Dimitri closed his eyes, felt fury burn through him.

His father had an answer for everything.

Every question. Every inconsistency. Every piece of evidence pointing to Isabella.

He’d built an airtight alternate narrative.

And he’d done it in less than forty-eight hours.

Which meant he’d been preparing this contingency from the beginning.

Had known Isabella might get caught.

Had prepared a scapegoat....Victoria in advance.

Had fabricated medical records, bribed doctors, orchestrated a confession.

All to protect Isabella Russo.

"Why?" Dimitri asked quietly. "Why are you protecting her?"

"Because she’s innocent. Because she’s been through enough. Because keeping her locked up when we have the real culprit is wrong." Antonio’s voice softened. "And because, Dimitri, the alliance between our families matters. Destroying Isabella....innocent Isabella would damage that alliance beyond repair."

There it was.

The real reason.

Not justice. Not truth.

Politics. Strategy. The fucking alliance that had dictated Dimitri’s entire life.

"I’m going to do my own investigation," Dimitri said, his voice hard. "I’m going to verify every piece of evidence you’ve sent me. I’m going to interview Victoria myself. I’m going to dig until I find the truth."

"Do what you need to do. But release Isabella while you investigate. You can’t hold her without proof. And right now, all the proof points to Victoria."

"And if my investigation proves Isabella is guilty?"

"Then I’ll hand her over myself." Antonio’s voice was absolute. "But it won’t. Because she’s innocent. And you’re wasting your time and resources chasing shadows."

Dimitri wanted to argue. Wanted to refuse. Wanted to keep Isabella locked up until she broke and confessed everything.

But he couldn’t.

Not with Victoria’s confession. Not with medical records. Not with Lorenzo Russo preparing to go to war over his daughter.

He was trapped.

Checkmated.

By his own father.

"One hour," Antonio said. "Victoria’s father is already making calls. He’s furious that his daughter has been arrested. He’s demanding answers. If Isabella is still locked up when the authorities start asking questions about why Dimitri Valentino has been holding an innocent woman...."

"Fine." The word tasted like ash. "I’ll release her. But this isn’t over."

"It is over. Victoria confessed. Case closed."

"Not for me." Dimitri’s voice turned lethal. "I’m going to find the truth. And when I do, when I prove that you fabricated this evidence, that you paid Victoria to confess, that you protected Isabella because of your precious alliance....I’m going to remember this conversation."

"I look forward to your apology when you realize I’m telling the truth." Antonio’s voice held no anger. Just calm certainty. "Release Isabella. Let her go home. Move on."

The line went dead.

Dimitri stood in his office, staring at the medical records on his laptop screen.

Years of prescriptions. Doctor’s notes. Evidence of addiction.

All perfectly crafted. All completely fake.

But provable as fake?

That would take time.

Time he didn’t have.

He called Marco.

"Release Isabella."

Silence. Then: "Boss, are you sure?"

"No. But do it anyway." Dimitri’s voice was tight. "Get her out of the reservoir. Clean her up. Return her to her hotel."

"What happened?"

"Antonio happened. He found a scapegoat. Victoria Ashford confessed to drugging Eve."

"Victoria....wait, the socialite? The one you used to..."

"Yes." Dimitri cut him off. "She confessed. Turned herself in. It’s all over the news. Check for yourself."

A pause. Then Marco’s voice, carefully neutral: "Do you believe her confession?"

"No. I think my father paid her. I think he orchestrated the whole thing to protect Isabella. But I can’t prove it. Not yet."

"So we’re just letting Isabella go?"

"For now. But Marco....I want surveillance on her. Round the clock. I want to know everywhere she goes, everyone she meets, every call she makes. And I want a full investigation into Victoria Ashford. Her finances, her connections, her movements over the past month. Someone paid her to confess. I want to know who and how much."

"On it."

"And Marco, when you release Isabella, make sure she understands that this isn’t over. Make sure she knows I’m watching her. Make sure she knows that if I find proof...any proof that she was involved, I will come for her. And next time, no one will stop me."

"Understood."

Dimitri hung up, looked out at the city.

Somewhere out there, Antonio was congratulating himself on a strategy well executed.

Somewhere out there, Isabella was about to be released, probably thinking she’d gotten away with it.

Somewhere out there, Victoria Ashford was sitting in a police station, confessing to a crime she didn’t commit, for money or favors or protection from the Valentino family.

And Dimitri...

Dimitri was furious.

Not just at being outmaneuvered.

But at being forced to let Isabella go when he knew...knew she was guilty.

He pulled out his phone, called his private investigator.

"I need you to dig into Victoria Ashford. Everything. Bank records, phone records, travel history, connections to the Valentino and Russo families. Someone paid her to confess to drugging Eve. I want to know who, when, and how much."