Dangerous Secrets: My Mafia Stepbrother

After Emanuele returned home that evening, Isabella told him about the incident. Emanuele fell silent for a moment before saying, “You did well.”

Being busy with work, he often overlooked things, like when he had sent Isabella to Italy, failing to notice any signs that Grazia might be mistreated. If not for Grazia’s close relationship with Isabella…

Emanuele hugged Isabella. “Isabella, having you is wonderful.”

Now he felt that marrying Isabella was a stroke of great luck. This girl always brought him surprises.

While in Italy, she was alone, albeit with bodyguards. Still, it was Rocco’s territory. Yet, she wasn’t afraid and even managed to protect Grazia, making Rocco realize his shortcomings. If her personality had been weak, both of them might have been bullied.

Despite Isabella’s petite and delicate appearance, she seemed like an innocent girl. However, when a friend was in danger, she courageously stepped forward to protect them.

Emanuele felt that the current Isabella was no longer a little kitten; she resembled more of a lioness.

Emanuele’s admiration for Isabella grew.

He inexplicably recalled Isabella’s past experience of being bullied by Chloe. This brave girl, who had suffered so much, developed a severe case of claustrophobia, requiring medication to stabilize her condition. At that time, he found pleasure in tormenting her, deriving joy from her suffering.

Thinking about these things, Emanuele felt his heart being crushed, causing him difficulty in breathing. Fortunately, he later pulled her out of the abyss of hell. Chloe died, and her psychological shadow lifted.

Emanuele held Isabella’s hand tightly. His strength was immense, and in Emanuele’s embrace, Isabella felt like she might be completely absorbed into his body. It made it challenging for her to breathe.

“Emanuele, can you please loosen your grip?” Isabella felt a bit helpless. “I feel like I’m suffocating.”

Emanuele realized and released Isabella. He didn’t understand why he became so emotional after Isabella shared this with him.

“I’m sorry, Isabella.” Emanuele immediately let go, then rubbed Isabella’s head. He placed a kiss on her forehead. “Isabella, you are my lucky charm.”Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

His heartfelt confession made Isabella feel a warm current surging through her body. Despite the misunderstandings and conflicts between them, Isabella felt that, at least for now, Emanuele genuinely liked her. Their relationship wasn’t just a game anymore, and she had entered into a happy marriage, hadn’t she?

“Do you have time tomorrow night? I want to take you to a business banquet.”

“Sure,” Isabella replied. “Are you finally trying to improve your image?”

“I can’t stay in the dark forever. Considering the current situation, it’s for your safety, darling.” Emanuele kissed Isabella’s cheek.

It was just an ordinary banquet, so Emanuele didn’t need to specially tailor a dress for Isabella. The ones in her closet would be more than enough.

The next evening, Isabella chose a black dress from her wardrobe.

She had a variety of dresses in her closet, all simple and elegant, suitable for various occasions. They were usually tailored to fit her body, enhancing her figure. However, today, as Isabella put on her clothes, she suddenly felt something was off. She looked down at her outfit, sensing it was a bit tighter than when she tried it on before. Oh no! Was she gaining weight? Why did she feel a tightness around her waist? It seemed that Lilly’s delicious meals during this period had caused her to gain a bit of weight. If she gained a little more, the clothes wouldn’t fit anymore. Isabella couldn’t allow herself to continue gaining weight. She believed her figure was already curvy enough. That’s why she had been mocked by Chloe before and later encouraged by Emanuele, gradually building her confidence. But she thought this level was just right. If she continued gaining weight, it wouldn’t look good. It seemed like she had to start eating salads at night and continue exercising.

Isabella changed into a black dress, and Emanuele admired her beauty. He also changed into a black suit, and standing together, they looked incredibly matched. Emanuele put his arm around Isabella’s waist, pressing her against him. Isabella frowned and said, “I’m too fat. The dress doesn’t fit properly. I need to lose weight.” However, Emanuele’s hand continued to caress Isabella’s waist, feeling soft and comfortable. “I think it fits perfectly, Isabella. You don’t need to lose weight. If you feel the dress is small, I’ll have the designer measure you again tomorrow and get you a batch of new dresses.”

Isabella couldn’t believe that Emanuele was fine with it. It made her feel grateful. It seemed that, for Emanuele, everything about her was good. This praise and appreciation made Isabella extremely happy, like she had fallen into a cloud, soft and comfortable.

Emanuele would never know how much he influenced her. Isabella felt like a seed buried in the soil, constantly nourished, slowly breaking through the soil, taking root and sprouting. She felt herself becoming more powerful, stronger.

Unable to resist, Isabella tiptoed and kissed Emanuele on the cheek. “Emanuele, I love you.” After saying this, she broke free from his embrace and walked to the dressing table to prepare for makeup. As she spoke those words, she felt a bit nervous and shy. She needed to shift her attention immediately.

Hearing Isabella’s words, Emanuele seemed struck by lightning. His eyes widened, seemingly incredulous. This was the first time Isabella had confessed her love to him. In the past, he had always been the one expressing affection, while she quarreled with him over the child issue.

Now, unexpectedly, she confessed to him, catching Emanuele off guard. After a moment, Emanuele’s mind went blank. When he finally reacted, he quickly caught up to Isabella. At this moment, his light brown eyes emitted a bright light.

“Isabella, what did you say?”

“I didn’t say anything just now,” Isabella smiled, applying lipstick and pretending not to know anything.

“No, you said something just now. Say it again.” Emanuele grabbed Isabella’s shoulders, forcing her to look at him. His gaze became increasingly intense, like the sun.

A big smile blossomed on his lips. It was evident he was ecstatic. Isabella rarely saw Emanuele so happy. His laughter was truly charming, adding a few more traces of tenderness to his handsome face, captivating and making her heart beat faster.