Chapter 126: Isabella Has Been Released

"How deep do you want me to go?"

"As deep as it takes. I don’t care about legality. I don’t care about ethics. I want the truth. And I want it fast."

"You got it."

Dimitri hung up, turned to find Eve standing in the doorway of his office.

She looked tired. Worried. Beautiful.

"I heard you on the phone," she said quietly. "Someone confessed?"

"Victoria Ashford."

Eve’s eyes widened. "Victoria? Your..."

"Yes." Dimitri moved to her, pulled her into his arms. "My father orchestrated it. Found a scapegoat. Gave her a story. Probably paid her a fortune. And now I have to let Isabella go because I can’t prove it’s fake."

Eve was quiet for a moment, her face pressed against his chest.

Then: "Do you think Isabella did it?"

"Yes."

"But you can’t prove it."

"Not yet."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I’m going to investigate. I’m going to find proof. And when I do..." His arms tightened around her. "I’m going to make sure everyone involved pays. Isabella. my father. Victoria. All of them."

"And if you can’t find proof?"

Dimitri was quiet.

Because that was the question, wasn’t it?

What if his father had covered his tracks too well?

What if the evidence was too perfectly fabricated to disprove?

What if Isabella walked away free, and Dimitri never got justice for what she’d done to Eve?

"Then I’ll live with it," he said finally. "But I’ll never forget. And I’ll never forgive. And if Isabella ever....ever comes near you again, I won’t wait for proof. I’ll end her."

Eve pulled back, looked up at him. "I don’t want you to become someone you’re not because of me."

"I’m not. I’m becoming who I’ve always been." His eyes were hard. "The Devil. The man who protects what’s his. The man who destroys threats without mercy."

"As long as you remember who you’re protecting." Eve touched his face. "As long as you don’t lose yourself in the revenge."

"I won’t." He kissed her softly. "Because you’re here to remind me."

They stood there for a long moment, holding each other.

Then Dimitri’s phone rang again.

Marco.

"Isabella has been released. She’s back at her hotel. And boss, when I told her that if we found proof she was involved, you’d come for her...." A pause. "She smiled."

Dimitri’s blood ran cold. "She smiled?"

"Yes. Like she knows something we don’t. Like she knows she’s safe." Marco’s voice was grim. "Whatever your father did to protect her, it’s solid. She’s not afraid anymore."

"Then we’ll just have to make her afraid again." Dimitri’s voice turned lethal. "Keep the surveillance active. I want to know everything she does. And Marco....start looking into my father’s finances. If he paid Victoria, there will be a money trail. Find it."

"On it."

Dimitri hung up, looked at Eve.

"She smiled," he said quietly. "When Marco told her I’d come for her if I found proof. She smiled."

"Because she thinks she’s safe."

"Because she is safe. For now." Dimitri’s jaw clenched. "But I’m going to find the truth. I’m going to prove she did this. And when I do..."

He didn’t finish the sentence.

Didn’t need to.

They both knew what he’d do.

Eve just hoped he’d still be himself when it was over.

***

POV: ANTONIO

Antonio sat in his study in Rome, a glass of scotch in hand, watching the news coverage of Victoria’s confession.

The girl had done well.

Crying at exactly the right moments. Providing just enough details to be credible. Playing the role of remorseful socialite perfectly.

He’d paid her five million euros.

A fortune for a few hours of work.

But worth it to protect Isabella. To maintain the alliance. To outmaneuver his son.

Dimitri was furious, of course.

Antonio had heard it in his voice.

The barely controlled rage. The frustration. The certainty that he’d been lied to.

But fury without proof was useless.

And Antonio had made sure there would be no proof.

Victoria’s confession was airtight. Isabella’s medical records were real, he’d been building them for years, just in case. The security footage corruption was explained by technical malfunction.

Every angle covered. Every question answered. Every piece of evidence pointing away from Isabella.

Dimitri could investigate all he wanted.

He’d find nothing.

Because Antonio Valentino didn’t make mistakes.

His phone rang. Lorenzo Russo.

"It’s done," Antonio said by way of greeting.

"Dimitri released her?"

"An hour ago. She’s back at her hotel. Safe."

"And he believed the Victoria story?"

"He suspects. But he can’t prove anything." Antonio took a sip of scotch. "Your daughter is safe, Lorenzo. For now."

"For now?" Lorenzo’s voice turned hard. "What does that mean?"

"It means Dimitri won’t stop looking. He’ll investigate. He’ll dig. He’ll try to find proof that we fabricated the evidence." Antonio paused. "So Isabella needs to be very, very careful. One mistake, one slip....and all of this will have been for nothing."

"I’ll make sure she understands."

"You should also make sure she leaves the city. Goes back to Rome. Stays away from Dimitri and Eve. Because if she does anything...anything to draw suspicion again..."

"I know. I’ll handle it."

"See that you do. I’ve protected her once. I won’t do it again."

Antonio hung up, stared out at the Roman skyline.

He’d saved Isabella.

But at what cost?

Dimitri now knew that his father would manipulate evidence to protect the alliance.

Would lie to him. Would outmaneuver him.

That knowledge would change their relationship.

Already had changed it.

But the alliance was more important than one relationship.

More important than Dimitri’s feelings.

More important than Eve’s justice.

The Russo-Valentino partnership was worth billions. Controlled territories across Europe. Represented power that few could challenge.

And Antonio had protected it.

Even if it meant lying to his son.

Even if it meant protecting a guilty woman.

Even if it meant Dimitri would never trust him again.

It was worth it.

It had to be.

Because without the alliance, everything Antonio had built would crumble.

And he couldn’t let that happen.

Not even for Dimitri.

Not even for the truth.