Chapter 98
ISABELLA
My siblings and I were sprawled across the old, secondhand couch like melted candles, half-watching some loud, chaotic reality show that made my head throb. The tiny living room pulsed with noise, the TV flickering like it was gasping for life.
The doorbell rang just as Caroline hurled a pillow at Matt’s face.
“I’m not your damn slave!” she snapped.
“Just open the damn door!” Matt shot back, not even glancing away from the screen.
Their bickering pounded in my skull like a migraine waiting to erupt. I sighed, pushed myself off the couch, and headed for the door before either of them could escalate further.
The second I opened it, the world outside hit me like a wave.
The sun hung low in the sky, golden and heavy behind a smear of grimy blue clouds. Warm light spilled through the crack in the door, filtering into our apartment with a haze that almost—almost—made the Bronx look gentle. But the street still reeked of hot tar, old grease, and something faintly metallic—maybe the busted radiator in our hallway, or maybe blood from last week’s alley fight.
And then I saw him.
A man in a sleek black suit stood on our doorstep, wearing sunglasses like he’d just stepped off the set of a high-budget spy flick. Tall, unreadable, completely out of place on our cracked pavement.
“Delivery for Isabella,” he said smoothly.
I blinked, stepping outside. “I’m Isabella.”
That’s when I saw it.
Parked directly in front of our building was a jet-black Ferrari. Shiny. Flawless. Absurdly real.
My breath caught in my throat. I froze. My lips parted, but no sound came out. My heart stuttered. My vision tunneled until all I could see was the sleek, glinting body of the car.
It wasn’t just a Ferrari.
It was the Ferrari.
My dream car. The one I used to whisper about to myself when no one was around. The one I swore I’d sit behind the wheel of someday—even though it cost more than our building’s entire yearly rent.
And now… it was here. On my street. In front of my building.
“A gift from Levi Ferrari,” the man added, holding out a thick envelope. “Please sign here.”
My fingers shook as I scribbled my name. I barely heard his polite congratulations as he handed me the keys.
The moment the Ferrari’s key hit my palm, something in me shifted. I clutched it like it might vanish if I blinked too hard.
He returned to a much less impressive black sedan and drove off, disappearing down the block like a scene cutting to black.
I stood frozen, the smell of hot concrete and gasoline wrapping around me, the street spinning just a little. It felt like a dream. No—like a dare from the universe.
I never actually thought Levi would go through with it. Never imagined he’d send this to my doorstep. And I had no idea how I was going to explain it. Especially not to my siblings.
Last night, I’d come home in Levi’s car. Caroline had been out playing basketball, and Matt had shown up later, distracted and yawning.
“Where’s the truck, sis? Didn’t see it parked out front,” Matt had asked, concern flickering in his eyes.
“It broke down,” I’d lied, smooth as ever. “Had it towed to the mechanic.”
They worried, of course. Money was always a shadow in our home, lingering in every corner. But I kept brushing it off, promising them I had everything under control.
This, though?
This wasn’t something I could sweep under a rug.
But God, did I love this car.
I didn’t realize I was smiling until I heard the door creak behind me.
Matt and Caroline stepped out. I turned slowly, keys clenched in my fist like a secret.
Matt’s eyes widened. “Sis… don’t tell me that’s for you.”
I tried to sound casual. “My boss gave it to me.”
“What?!” Matt didn’t even wait for the rest. He snatched the keys from my hand and bolted down the steps like a kid on Christmas morning. “Oh my God. This is sleek. My dream car, sis!”
I watched him slide into the driver’s seat, his hands moving reverently over the steering wheel like he’d just found religion.
Caroline remained beside me, arms crossed tight. She didn’t say anything.
She didn’t have to.
She wasn’t buying it. Not one bit.
“What exactly is this job?” she asked, her voice low and suspicious. “What are you doing for this boss of yours? You never told us. When you were at Ford’s, we knew you were a waitress. Now it’s all just... vague.”
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