Chapter 161: His Fury, Her Silence

"Say it again."

Dante's voice was low, rough, dangerous.

Bella swallowed hard, her body still pinned between him and the cold stone wall.

She had told him she never loved him.

And he hadn't believed her.

She lifted her chin, forcing herself to hold his gaze.

"You heard me."

Dante's jaw tightened.

His grip on her wrist flexed, his knuckles white.

"Lie to me again, Bella."

Bella exhaled slowly, forcing herself to stay calm.

"You want me to say it a different way?"

She smiled, slow and mocking.

"I never loved you, Dante."

Then—

Pain.

Sharp.

Brutal.

Dante had slammed his fist into the stone wall beside her head, the impact shaking the entire cell.

Bella flinched.

Not from fear.

But from the way his breathing broke, from the way his entire body trembled, from the way his pain filled the room like wildfire.

Dante had never handled grief well.

And this?

This was destroying him.

"You want to break me?" he murmured, voice hoarse.

His forehead pressed against hers, his breath ragged, his hands shaking.

"You already did."

Bella's throat tightened.

Because this wasn't rage anymore.

This was anguish.

And for the first time since she left, she realized—

Dante hadn't moved on.

Hadn't healed.

Hadn't let her go.

He had been waiting for this moment.

Waiting to finally have her in front of him again.

Waiting to tear her apart the way she had torn him apart.

But as much as Dante wanted to hurt her—

As much as he wanted to break her the way she had broken him—

He couldn't.

Because some small part of him still ached for her.

Still wanted her.

Still loved her.

And Bella?

Bella felt it too.

And it terrified her.