Chapter 22 - Dominic
The weight of the night presses heavily on me as I pull up outside Isabella’s apartment. My chest feels tight with anxiety. I can’t shake the feeling that something is terribly wrong. It gnaws at me like a persistent itch I can’t scratch, a sensation that sinks deep in my gut.
I have never been here, yet the apartment feels familiar. I can almost see Isabella sitting on the couch and singing to herself. But someone doesn’t feel right. I can’t put my finger on it, but the dread is insufferable, like the air itself is thick with unease. I’m on edge. I tell myself it’s nothing—just nerves, nothing more—but the pit in my stomach tells me otherwise.
I get out of the car, my boots hitting the pavement with force, and walk toward the door. Each step feels heavier than the last. I reach the door and knock, my knuckles rapping against it firmly.
“Isabella,” I call out softly, half-expecting her to answer right away. But the silence that follows feels oppressive. There’s no response. Not even the sound of her footsteps.
I knock again, harder this time, my mind racing. Why isn’t she answering? Maybe she’s just asleep, I tell myself, but the thought doesn’t calm me. The way my heartbeat picks up, says otherwise.
I push the door open, a sense of urgency creeping up my spine.
“Isabella?” I say her name louder now, almost hoping she’ll respond, but as soon as the door swings fully open, I know something is wrong.
The apartment is eerily still. The lights are on, the small lamp beside the couch casting a warm glow, but it feels like a stage set for a play that’s already ended. Everything is in place. Too in place.
I step inside cautiously, my eyes scanning the room. I close the door behind me quietly, the click of it sending a jarring echo through the empty apartment. It feels final, like a door that’s been shut for good.
Isabella’s not here.
My pulse spikes.
I walk through the apartment, my footsteps echoing loudly. I touch nothing but feel everything. My instincts are screaming at me now. Something isn’t right. I don’t know what it is, but I can feel it in the pit of my stomach.
Where the hell is she?
You let her go. You don’t even deserve to be here.
A voice in my head reminds me of what I did. But I ignore it. No matter what, I need to find Isabella.
The first thing I do is pull out my phone, dialing her number. The ringing fills the silence, but she doesn’t answer.
I don’t bother leaving a message. Instead, I end the call, my mind running wild with possibilities. Panic creeps up on me, but I suppress it. I have to think.
I turn around to look at her paintings once again, hoping for a clue, anything that might give me a sense of direction. But I see nothing—nothing to explain where she could have gone.
I walk to the window, the chill of the glass cold under my fingertips, and I look out at the night, the city lights twinkling like distant stars. I should have been with her tonight. Kept her close, kept her safe.
My mind is racing. I have no time to waste. I need to find her.
Before I can react further, my phone rings again. It’s Charles.
I answer immediately, urgency creeping into my voice.
“Dominic,” Charles’s voice comes through, calm and steady. “I tracked down Nico.”
Nico.
Ice grips my veins. I stop dead in my tracks, gripping the phone tighter. “Where the hell is he?”
Charles hesitates before responding. “I know where he’s been hiding. I think it’s time you knew everything.”
I don’t care. I don’t need this right now.
“Nico is the reason Jayden is dead,” I growl, the anger making my fists clench. “He’s the reason things are spiraling out of control. He’s the reason Isabella is missing. Unless he knows something about that, he’s completely useless.”
I turn away from the window, walking toward the door, ready to get the hell out of here.
“Dominic, please,” Charles presses, sensing my frustration. “We need to talk about this. I think it’s important.”
“I don’t give a damn about Nico, Charles.” My voice is harsher than I intended. “I need to find Isabella. Get rid of him”
There’s a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.
“What?” he asks.
“Get rid of Nico yourself. I don’t care if you shoot him or burn him. He’s a traitor and there’s nothing he can do to make up for his mistakes.”
“I’ll handle it.” Charles replies, hanging up.
My mind races, my thoughts spinning out of control.
Isabella’s gone. She’s disappeared.
I don’t have time for this.
Then it hits me. A bitter realization that turns my stomach. Samuel Delgado.
Samuel. He has her.
The feeling that knots inside me makes me nauseous, and I know in my bones I’m right. He’s the only one who could have taken her. The idea of her being with him, at his mercy, makes my blood boil. Rage fills me, burning hotter by the second.
I can’t lose her. Not now. Not when I’ve let myself feel emotions I never thought I’d experience for her.
The thought of her in danger makes my hands shake. She’s not just some woman, not just a possession. She’s Isabella. And no one, especially Samuel, is going to hurt her.
I don’t care what it costs.
I turn on my heel and walk out of the apartment, slamming the door behind me. I head straight for the car, trying to steady my breath, but it’s hard. My mind is racing faster than my body can keep up.
The only place she could be is with Samuel.
I get into the car, my heart pounding in my chest.
I dial Hugo’s number with urgency, my grip tight on the phone. The engine of the car rumbles beneath me.
“Hugo,” I snap the moment he picks up, my voice strained. “Where is Samuel Delgado?”
There’s an echoing quiet on the other end of the phone before Hugo responds, his voice low, filled with a calm that only makes my frustration rise higher.
“You know what this means, Castellano,” he says, his voice a mixture of warning and challenge. “If I tell you, you’ll owe me. You’re aware of that, right?”
I can feel my jaw clench. I don’t care about what he’s going to ask. I don’t care about anything except finding Isabella.
“I don’t care if you want my soul, Hugo,” I growl, cutting him off. “I need to know where Samuel is keeping her. What’s his plan?”
I hear Hugo exhale slowly, like he’s weighing his words carefully. I don’t have time for his games. I’ve lost enough already. Every second counts.
I can’t think about the consequences. Not now. Not with Isabella in danger.
Finally, Hugo speaks again, his voice almost resigned.
“Alright,” he says, his tone flat, and I know I’ve worn him down. “Samuel’s taken her to the abandoned castle. The one his grandfather owned.”
“That motherfucker…”
I feel the air leave my lungs, the words slamming into me like a brick wall. The abandoned castle. Of course. It’s the one place no one goes to. The one place hidden from the world, where secrets are buried beneath the walls. Samuel's lair.
I can already see it in my mind: the crumbling stone, the darkened windows, the silence that always feels like it’s smothering you. I’ve been there once, long ago, but it feels like a lifetime since then. Since everything went to hell.
I grit my teeth, my grip tightening on the steering wheel until my fingers ache.
I end the call without waiting for him to respond, throwing the phone into the passenger seat with a growl of frustration. I don’t want to owe him anything. But if it means getting Isabella back, I’ll do whatever it takes.
I push the car even harder, the engine roaring as I hit the accelerator. The wind howls through the cracked windows, and the night feels endless. My pulse pounds in my ears, drowning out everything except the thought of Isabella. I have to get to her. I can't let her fall into Samuel's hands.
As I speed down the street, my thoughts race. What the hell is Samuel planning? What does he want with her? I had a feeling this would happen. Samuel and his obsession. It’s always been about control, about power, and now Isabella— my weakness, my fucking vulnerability—has become his new plaything.
I slam on the brakes, the tires screeching as I round a sharp corner, barely avoiding a parked car. The car lurches but I keep it steady, pushing forward.
Every turn I take, every mile I drive, I feel my anger burning brighter, my need to protect her becoming an uncontrollable fire. I’ve never been more desperate in my life, and it makes me reckless.
“Fuck!” I shout, slamming my fist into the dashboard. I can’t let Samuel win. I can’t let him hurt her. It’s all my fault, I know it is and I need to fix this.
The phone in the passenger seat vibrates again, but I don’t look at it. I already know it’s Charles, or one of my men, calling to tell me what I don’t need to hear. I’m past the point of caring. I only care about getting to that fucking castle before it’s too late.
I make another sharp turn, and the castle comes into view.
The abandoned castle looms in the distance, dark and ominous, perched on the edge of a cliff, looking out over a wide expanse of forest and rolling hills. It’s a place steeped in history, in secrets, and tonight, it’s a place of danger. I can see the silhouette of the castle in the distance, its towers reaching toward the sky like dark fingers, and my pulse quickens as I get closer.
I don’t know what I’ll find when I get there. I don’t know if I’ll make it in time. But I know one thing for sure: I’m not walking away from this without her. I’ll burn this entire place to the ground if I have to.
I don’t care what it takes. I’m going to save her.
And if Samuel Delgado gets in my way? I’ll make him regret the day he ever laid eyes on her.