Chapter 28: Uncovering Secrets
As the car came to a step outside the villa, Isabel’s heart pounded. She spotted Matteo Manding there, his face shadowed in the dim light, and even from a distance, she could sense the tension radiating off him.
The moment Alberto opened her door, Matten strode forward, his pure fixed and intense. Without a word, he seed Alberto by the collar, his voice a low grow “How could you let this happen? His grip tightened, his tone edged with fray “What I that thirt had a knite? what he’d hot her?
Alberto remained calm, but his jaw clenched, the held Matteo’s gaze with steady resolve..
Isabel stepped forward, het beat racing “Matteo, step!” she placed a hand on his arm, her voice steady despite her own lingering fear. “I wasn’t Alberto’s fault. I’m the one who decided to go out alone. If you want to blame someone, blame me!
Η
Matteo’s eyes shifted to her, but his expression stayed tense. “Do you realize how reckless that was?” he demanded. “You’ve done this before–slipping out on your own like
there’s no risk”
“I didn’t think I needed permission,” she replied, her tone edged with defiance.
He let out a frustrated sigh, releasing Alberto and stepping back “sabel, do you understand how dangerous this city can be?”
“I’m aware,” she replied. “But I’m not going to live in constant fear.“
His jaw tightened, his frustration mingling with something softer. “If anything happened to you…1
Toould never forgive myself!
The vulnerability in his eyes caught her off guard. She hadn’t expected to see that side of him, the part that truly cared beyond the guarded walls he usually hid behind.
Slowly, she moved closer, her voice gentler now. “I’ll be more careful. I promise.”
A soft sigh escaped his lips as he looked at her, his expression softening. He lifted a hand, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Their eyes met, and for a brief moment, all the tension melted away.
Without thinking, she leaned in, her lips brushing his in a tender, lingering kiss, He held her close, his arms around her, grounding her in a way she hadn’t felt in a long time.
She pulled back, a faint smile turging at her lips. “I’ll be inside. I need to take care of something”
Matteo watched her go, his gaze following her until she disappeared into the villa.
Inside her room, Isabel took a steadying breath, closing the door quietly. She went to her laptop, pulling the flash drive from her bag with a mix of excitement and trepidation. She plagged it in, her fingers trembling slightly as the screen came to life.
A single folder appeared on the screen. She clicked it open, her heart racing with anticipation, only to find it filled with photos–each one marked with a number in sequence,
starting with non.
She felt a twinge of frustration. She’d been hoping for documents or messages, something with clear answers. But images? This felt almost like a letdown
Taking a deep breath, she clicked on the first image. The screen was filed with a photo of a nightclub. The name Clubhouse glowed brightly above the entrance, surrounded by neon lights. She frowned, studying the details of the building. It looked unremarkable at first, but something about it nagged at her.
She clicked to the next photo, expecting more of the same. But it was just another location–an alleyway, followed by a small café, then a street corner. Each image seemed random, yet they all felt interconnected in a way she couldn’t quite place.
Isabel sighed, leaning back in her chair. Had Johnny really given her this just to throw her off? She didn’t want to believe it, but the lack of clarity was making her doubt. If there was a trail here, it was a subtle one, woven through these images in a code she didn’t yet understand.
She scrolled back to the photo of clubhouse, her gaze lingering on the name. Was this the starting point? if so, what exactly was she supposed to find there?
Her mind raced as she pieced together possibilities. Matteo truly had a hidden life, this place might hold the ches she needed. She couldn’t shake the feeling that it was worth Investigating.
Determined, she resolved to start with Clubhouse. If she was going to uncover the truth, this was her firststep
As her gaze remained fixed on the image, thoughts of Matteo’s words echoed in her mind, mingling with doubes and suspicions. She couldn’t Ignore the pull toward something dark, hidden beneath the surface of everything she’d seen so far.
Isabel took a deep breath, closed her laptop, and slipped the flash drive back into her bag. She didn’t know what she’d find, but she was done ignoring the signs. If there were secrets waiting to be exposed, she would be the one to uncover them.
Her path was set. Clubhouse would be her first destination. And if it led her deeper into Matteo’s world, so be it
