Chapter 43

Isabella’s POV The roaring sound of the bulldozers was still echoing in my head even after the machine that was meant to tear down my home was shut down. The sound of it made my chest tight, giving me something beyond reasonable pain. “Drink this.” Matteo handed me a sealed bottle of water. We’re alone in the orphanage playground, sitting on the metal swing. I lifted my face to look at Matteo after I accepted the water. He was sitting beside me, but he was still taller. He wasn’t looking at me. He was looking at the two-storey orphanage building, giving me access to his side profile. His jaw was emphasized, and his nose bridge was extremely defined. This man… I knew him as a cold-hearted person. He didn’t give me a reason to doubt him, even with his rude attitude. He never showed me mixed signals, even after I shared a night with him. I never imagined he’d come to help. “I…wanna know the reason why you helped me, Matteo. I understand that you want me to focus on my responsibility to yo