In His Grasp: A Mafia Romance

Chapter 78: Fear Of Marriage

Chapter 78: Fear of Marriage

Isabella looked like boneless in that moment, leaning into Clark's embrace, their intimacyresembling that of a couple.

Emanuele's eyes were fiery, his bloodshot eyes filled with rage. His hands trembled on the steeringwheel as he struggled to control the impulse to rush out and separate them.

He bit down on his frustration, muscles tensing, watching Isabella and Clark as they disappearedinto the apartment.

Emanuele didn't leave in haste; instead, he lit one cigarette after another.novelbin

Smoke filled the enclosed car as Isabella and Clark's image replayed relentlessly in his mind. Themere thought of their closeness, of Isabella leaning into Clark's embrace, and now with Clarkresiding in her apartment, made him uneasy. With them being alone, about to get married, itwouldn't be surprising if things escalated.

Sex...

Whenever Emanuele thought of it, his mind inevitably wandered to the image of Isabella lying barebeneath Clark. Her ample bosom, shapely derrière, slender waist-all would now twist and turn onlyfor Clark.

He remembered that night and the intoxication in her eyes, her passion for his body, her skin turningpink, and her cheeks blushing. Her gaze held a clear affection that would now be exclusivelyClark's.

Thinking of this, Emanuele felt a heavy weight in his chest, his heart racing, overwhelmed by angerthat clouded his judgment. He wanted to rush into the apartment and take Isabella away.

However, his rational side prevailed. He couldn't act like this. There were more pressing matters athand, like finding Frederick and wiping out every last one of those Sicilian men. Isabella's presencewould divert his attention.

Despite his efforts to focus on the search for his enemies, thoughts of Isabella kept creeping into hismind during his rare moments of respite. He couldn't help but think about her and her impendingwedding.

Damn it, Emanuele, you've never been one to let emotions get the better of you. You don't needmuch when it comes to feelings. So why let your attention drift to a woman like this?

As the leader of the Mafia, there were countless women he could have, and Isabella was just anordinary woman. However, the defiance and determination in her eyes still captivated him.

The thought of her getting married tore at his heart like a knife, causing unrelenting pain. Emanuelepounded his steering wheel, then drove away.

Forget it. Don't think about it. Don't dwell on it. The wedding will be over soon.

Back at the apartment, Isabella and Clark returned home. Clark insisted Isabella go to her room torest.

"Your body hasn't fully recovered. It was my mistake to take you out today, Isabella. Get some rest;in a few days, it will be our wedding, and I hope to see a radiant you then."

Clark went to find Lilly, inquiring about the medications Isabella had been taking recently, asking herto get some for Isabella.

Lilly was shocked when she saw Isabella's pale, fragile state. "My God, if I had known, I shouldn'thave let you go out. Why did you go out for a short while and come back in such a bad state?"

She quickly poured a glass of water, fetched the medicine, and entered Isabella's room to help hertake it.

"I'm fine; I just feel a bit tired. Resting will help," Isabella said to Lilly.

In reality, her condition had been gradually improving. The sudden shift was due to the surprise kissfrom Clark, which had startled her. Her current state was a result of wanting to avoid furtherintimacy with him. Even though she understood she might become Clark's wife, she couldn't acceptthe idea of such closeness, despite his gentle demeanor.

"Alright, Isabella, take your time to rest. We'll head out for a bit," Clark said, his tone remaininggentle. However, Isabella felt no flutter in her heart.

It was strange. Emanuele had been rude, overbearing, and had constantly threatened her, keepingher in a state of fear. But her heart couldn't help but be drawn to him. Except for him, no one elsemattered.

Every time Isabella thought about Clark kissing her today, she desperately wiped her cheek, as iftrying to cleanse the spot where his lips had touched.

Although she had mentally prepared herself for possible intimacy with Clark, when the momentfinally arrived, she felt a twisting in her stomach. Goosebumps ran down her body, and she feltoverwhelmed.

Isabella closed her eyes, hoping this would be over soon.

Over the next two days, Isabella stayed at home, with Clark keeping her company. They watchedTV shows together and shared laughs about the guests' antics onscreen.

The day before the wedding, the wedding dress arrived by air. Isabella gazed at the luxurious gowncovered in scattered diamonds, shimmering under the lights. She couldn't imagine how beautifulshe would look wearing it.

But, no matter how beautiful, it brought her pain. Lilly, elated, said, "Isabella, let's try the weddingdress on first. It's custom-made to your measurements, but I'm not sure how it'll look on you."

Isabella hesitated; she didn't want to try it on because it caused her anguish. But she had to try it.

The wedding dress was quite large, and it took Lilly and several others to help Isabella put it on.

"Oh, dear, you look absolutely stunning!" Lilly admired her, her freckles seeming to dance on herjoyous face. "This dress fits you like a second skin, accentuating your curvy chest and slenderwaist. The flowing layers of fabric at the bottom, studded with diamonds, make it look like you'vefallen from the heavens. You look even fairer against the gown's white."

Isabella already had fair skin, and the gown's color made her look even more radiant. Her hair, likestrands of seaweed, lay casually on her shoulders. It was both natural and beautiful, as if she werea princess who had just escaped from a kingdom.

Isabella couldn't look away from the full-length mirror. She had never been dressed soextravagantly. Was this what many women eagerly anticipated?

Seeing Clark, who stood beside her, gazing at her intently, Isabella's emotions were complicated.Guilt tormented her when she considered how beautiful she looked in this dress, yet she didn't wantto enter into the marriage.

"Clark, what do you think? Isabella looks beautiful in this dress, right?" Lilly noticed Clark's gaze andcouldn't resist asking for his approval.

"I can't take my eyes off her," Clark said appreciatively. "Is this my bride? I'm truly honored to haveher as my wife!"

They all interacted in a relaxed and joyful atmosphere, but Isabella felt uneasy. Just the thought ofthe following day filled her with dread, making her body tremble.