Betrayal Uncovered
Chapter 19: Betrayal Uncovered
Luca Moretti had never trusted her.
From the moment Bella Caruso—no, Isla Romano—stepped into their world, something about her had felt off. She was too sharp, too careful. Her presence wasn't just coincidence—it was calculated. And Luca had spent too many years in the DeLuca family to ignore his instincts.
So, he dug.
And what he found changed everything.
---
The DeLuca estate's security room was dimly lit, the glow from multiple monitors casting eerie shadows across Luca's face. The DeLuca security team was efficient, but no one was more thorough than Luca when he had a suspicion to confirm.
He leaned over the keyboard, fingers moving with practiced ease, pulling up surveillance footage, access logs, and encrypted files. Isla's movements had always been controlled, but she had made one mistake.
She underestimated him.
His eyes narrowed as he watched the footage—Isla entering Dante's private office late at night, alone. A few minutes later, she left, tucking something into her jacket.
Luca's jaw tightened.
She had stolen something.
His gaze flicked to the access logs. And there it was—Dante's encrypted files had been accessed from an unknown external drive.
She took intel.
Luca's pulse hammered, anger coiling in his chest like a snake ready to strike.
This wasn't just betrayal.
This was war.
---
Pulling out his phone, he called one of his best contacts—an underground hacker who owed him a favor.
"I need a deep background check," he ordered.
Minutes later, the answer came.
Isla Romano.
The daughter of Emilio Romano.
Luca's fingers tightened around the phone.
This wasn't just some random spy.
She was the daughter of the man Antonio DeLuca had executed.
Dante was sleeping with a ghost from their past.
A past that was coming back with a vengeance.
Luca slammed his laptop shut, rising from his chair. He needed to tell Dante. Now.
---
Dante was in the middle of a conversation with one of his men when Luca stormed in.
"We have a problem," Luca said, voice like steel.
Dante arched a brow. "It couldn't wait?"
Luca threw the folder onto his desk. "Read."
Dante exhaled sharply but picked up the file. His expression was unreadable as he flipped through the pages.
Then he stilled.
Luca saw the exact moment realization struck.
Dante's grip on the paper tightened, his jaw locking.
Silence stretched between them.
Finally, Dante's voice came out low, deadly. "What the fuck is this?"
Luca leaned against the desk, arms crossed. "Your little obsession? Your Bella?" He scoffed. "She's not who she says she is."
Dante's eyes burned into the papers in his hands. "Isla… Romano."
A muscle ticked in his jaw.
His gaze flicked up, dark and lethal. "Tell me everything."
Luca didn't hesitate. "Her real name, her past, and—" He pulled out a USB drive, setting it on the desk. "This is what she stole from us."
Dante didn't speak for a long time. He stared at the USB like it was a ticking bomb.
Then, slowly, he exhaled. "Where is she?"
Luca checked his watch. "She left an hour ago."
Dante's expression turned unreadable. "Left where?"
Luca smirked. "To her house."
Dante exhaled through his nose. "So she stole from me and then ran."
"She doesn't know we're onto her," Luca said. "She thinks she's still playing us."
Dante was silent. Then, in a voice colder than death, he said, "Not for long."
---
Meanwhile, Isla sat in her small apartment, heart pounding.
Her hands trembled slightly as she powered on her laptop.
She had done it.
The files were secure. She and Alex had what they needed.
But instead of feeling victorious, a pit of unease settled in her stomach.
Her body still ached from the night before—from him. From Dante.
Everything had been a game. A mission.
So why did it feel like she had lost something?
The way he touched her. The way he looked at her.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
No.
She wouldn't let this happen.
She had a job to finish.
Her phone buzzed.
Alex.
She answered quickly. "It's done."
Silence on the other end. Then:
"Good. Now you need to disappear."
Isla tensed. "What?"
Alex's voice was sharp. "Luca Moretti is too smart. He'll put the pieces together."
She swallowed. "He won't—"
"He will." Alex's voice turned urgent. "Leave, Isla."
Her heart clenched.
Leave?
And never see Dante again?
The thought made something inside her tighten.
But she had no choice.
She was about to answer when another message popped up on her screen.
Her blood ran cold.
UNKNOWN NUMBER: You lied to me.
Her heart stopped.
Her breath caught in her throat.
She stared at the words, her fingers trembling over the keyboard.
Another message came.
UNKNOWN NUMBER: You should've been smarter, Bella.
Her pulse pounded.
She jumped to her feet, grabbing the USB and stuffing it into her pocket. She needed to go. Now.
A knock sounded at her door.
Her breath stilled.
Another knock. Louder.
Her heart raced.
Then—
The door burst open.
And there he stood.
Dante.
His suit was pristine, his stance relaxed, but his eyes—his eyes—were anything but calm.
They were full of murder.
Isla swallowed hard.
"Dante."
His lips curled into something that wasn't quite a smirk. "Surprised to see me?"
She forced herself to stay calm. "What are you doing here?"
He stepped inside, shutting the door behind him.
The air turned suffocating.
"I thought we had something, Bella," he murmured, stepping closer.
Her stomach twisted.
She had heard Dante angry before.
But this? This was something else entirely.
He was quiet. Controlled.
That was more dangerous than rage.
She took a step back, her spine hitting the wall.
"Dante, I—"
He pressed a finger to her lips.
"Shhh."
Her breath hitched.
He leaned in, his lips a whisper away from her ear.
"You played me," he murmured.
She trembled. "I—"
"Don't lie."
Her chest rose and fell rapidly.
His fingers brushed over her jaw.
"I let you in," he said, voice almost gentle. Almost.
Her throat tightened.
His grip suddenly tightened around her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes.
"And now you're going to tell me the truth."
Her pulse pounded.
Dante was always dangerous.
But now?
Now he was deadly.
She had to get out of this.
But she didn't know if she could.
Not this time.