Chapter 48 The Hidden Blade

• (POV: Isabela)
• The small victory of getting news access felt like a tiny drop of water in a vast desert. My cage was still a cage. The fear still stuck to me, always there. And the wedding was so close—less than four days. Each hour felt like a heavy clock tick, counting down to the end. Mateo's control was always there. Sometimes I felt him watching from afar, other times he was right there, too close, a terrifying weight. Seeing that flash of old pain in him still messed with my head. But his cold shutdown when he knew I’d seen it? That was a clear warning: Don't try to figure him out. Don't get near. And never, ever think he's being kind when he's just planning something.
• Every night, it was the same. Silent staff, untouched food tray gone. Then the heavy click of my suite door, locking me in for another long, dark night. That’s when the real weight of it all would hit me. The whispers Rena had reported, painting me as unstable, probably still swirled among the powerful families. Emilio’s deep-rooted rivalry with Mateo, which I’d overheard, felt like a hidden minefield I was being forced to walk through. And the anonymous note threatening my life before I even reached the altar… it still sent shivers of cold dread down my spine.