This marriage. Us. It’s over.”

"Bella," his voice is soft, almost too soft. "We need to talk."

She doesn't answer immediately. Part of her wants to turn around, to face him, but another part wants to hold onto this last shred of control.

Roberto steps inside, closing the door behind him. He's always been able to command a room with his presence, but tonight it feels different, less assured, less certain. His eyes flicker to hers, but there's something in them now she hasn't seen before, vulnerability. It almost makes her pause.

"What do you want, Roberto?" Bella's voice is calm, colder than she feels.

He hesitates, his jaw tight, before he takes a step closer. "I know you've heard the rumors, but they're not true. What you think, it's not what it seems."

Bella's heart thuds in her chest. It's the same words, the same excuses. He's done this before, pulled her back into his web of lies, wrapped her in his apologies. But something inside her is different now. She's heard it all, and it's never enough.

"No," she says, her voice cutting through the air. "I don't need your excuses anymore, Roberto. You've made your choices, and I've seen them."

His eyes darken, and for a split second, she sees a flicker of anger beneath the calm exterior he tries to maintain. But it's gone in an instant. He's used to controlling situations, used to getting what he wants. But he doesn't understand, he no longer holds that power over her.

"Bella," he says, taking another step forward, his voice now strained. "This is a misunderstanding. I'm not the enemy here. We've built something together, don't you see that? You can't just,"

 "You're right," she interrupts, standing now, meeting him in the middle of the room. Her gaze is unwavering, the edge of her anger sharp. "We've built something together. But you've torn it apart."

He reaches for her, his hand almost brushing her arm, but Bella steps back, shaking her head.

"Do not touch me." The words are barely a whisper, but they carry all the weight she's been holding back. "You don't get to pretend anymore. Not after everything. Not after her."

Roberto's hand falls to his side. His breath catches in his throat as if he's been struck, but the moment of weakness passes, replaced with something colder. He's a man used to control, but Bella can feel the shift. The power is slipping.

"I never wanted to hurt you," he says quietly, but the words feel empty.

Bella turns away, unable to look at him any longer. The sight of him, this man who once swore loyalty to her, has become something unrecognizable. He's lost to his own ambition, tangled in the lies he's spun. And now, she knows, she can't trust him anymore.

She looks out the window again, the vast city before her now feeling like a prison, a reminder of all she's lost.

"I'm done, Roberto." The words come out almost too easily, but they feel like a release. "This marriage. Us. It's over."

 Silence hangs between them, thick and suffocating. He doesn't move, doesn't say anything, but she feels his presence, his disbelief, his anger, radiating off him.

 Finally, Roberto steps back, his eyes cold. "You don't know what you're doing, Bella. You think you can do this alone? You think you can control everything?"

 "I don't need to control everything," she says softly, her back still to him. "Just what's mine."

 With that, she turns away, not looking back as Roberto stands there, rooted in place, his world falling apart before him.