Little Game

Chapter 49

Isabella ran towards the plane where most of her daddy's men were lined up to see them off. Tears were pouring down her face as she immediately saw her family slowly walking towards the stairs.

She didn't want them to leave. She needed them here. With her. Where it's safe. Where they could stay in their own little bubble forever.

Why can't they just stay?

"Please stay." She said brokenly after she was finally close enough to them. Her voice sounded foreign in her ears. So weak. Pathetic even. This wasn't her. She wasn't supposed to plead. "I'll try to make things better."

I'll be better.

Being told a burden had been one of the most painful things she's ever heard. Especially when it came from the person you love. But she couldn't break. Not now. Not when she probably won't see them again.

Anthony looked at her so coldly. He was different from his usual self that it made Isabella feel like staring at a stranger instead of her brother. In fact, everyone was staring at her with their ice-cold gaze that was slowly making her heart shatter with unbearable emotions.

Still, the little girl looked at her brother with eyes filled with desperation. Desperation for a family. Desperation for them to stay. Desperation for comfort. Desperation. Just pure and raw desperation that claws her whole being, pulling her deeper and deeper into her self-made pool of darkness.

"And why should we?" Anthony asked before sighing, as if he didn't want to waste his time on her. "Honestly, why are you here, Isabella? Didn't papa already told not to come?"

He did. He did tell her.

Isabella shook her head in denial. She didn't want her family to end up like this. She needed to do something. Even if she was the one begging out for them in the end.

Isabella didn't want them to leave. Not like this. Not now. "Tony——"

"Don't." Anthony looked away, starting to look impatient. "Just don't. Don't call me that."

Isabella's heart cracked. "Tony, please." She whimpered. "Don't go. Please."

Anthony's head whipped towards her and she could see Elois clenching his jaw and Lucius shaking his head in disappointment. Disappointed at who? At her? For what?

For begging her family to stay? For calling her older brother by his nickname?

Maybe he's just purely disappointed at her.

Isabella's heart cracked. "Tony——"

"Stop, Isabella! Enough!" Anthony shouted, causing Isabella to flinch in horror. She have never heard her older brother raise his voice at her or anyone. He was always kind. He was always the caring older brother that everyone whished to have. The perfect son, the gentle brother. "Stop calling me that!" He demanded.

Dante stepped forward then and placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "That's enough, Anthony." He ordered. "We shouldn't be having this discussion here."

"To begin with, there shouldn't even be a discussion." Lucius rolled his eyes before glaring at Isabella. "But someone just didn't get the memo."

Isabella flinched at that before taking a step back.

"Honestly, where's Dmitri? And Rafael?" Lucius asks, taking a step forward. "Why did Dmitri even let you know? Why did you have to know? We were obviously fine without your presence here."