Chapter 5 Going Soft

Federico's POV

I leaned back in my chair, pressing my fingers to my temples.

My face probably looked calm enough, but my thoughts were in turmoil.

My mother, Anna, walked into my office and saw Evelyn's resignation letter on the desk. "It's best that she's gone," she said.

I didn't answer her. I just took a deep breath and frowned.

Just then, the office door opened again. My assistant, Felipe, hurried in without even noticing that my mother was sitting there.

"Don, Ms. Gambrelli is okay now. The doctor called about the instructions you gave when you brought her in..."

"What? You took her to the hospital?" My mother's face darkened.

Felipe realized he'd said the wrong thing. He hurried to explain. "It's not like that. Ms. Gambrelli passed out in the elevator, so..."

"You haven't gone soft on her, have you, Fede?" My mother cut Felipe off, staring at me, her voice shrill. "Have you forgotten how your father died? It was Carl Gambrelli! He destroyed the love of my life, the future we were supposed to have, the happiness we were supposed to enjoy!"

My mother shoved her chair back and stood. It scraped against the floor. "Remember those hard years when I had to work day and night to feed us! Remember how the Gambrelli family threw us out, how everyone turned their backs on us! And most of all, remember how Carl Gambrelli killed your father in the cruelest way possible!"

Her voice shook with rage. "Because of the Gambrelli family, we had to move to another city, change our names, and hide! Those years nearly crushed me. The stress gave me a stroke, and I'm still suffering the effects! All of it is because of Carl Gambrelli!"

My mother kept reminding me of everything we'd suffered, and my mind went back to the past.

When I was only ten, I watched Carl's men kill my father. After that, my mother and I were forced to live on the run.

Of course I'd never forget how hard those years were. Taking care of me wore my mother down. Her health had been bad ever since, and she needed medication every day.

From then on, I lived for revenge. Everything that kept me going, everything that made me stronger, was my hatred for the Gambrelli family.

My mother and I designed the perfect revenge plan together... until Evelyn Gambrelli came along.

She was the one thing in my life I couldn't control.

I had to admit, I'd developed feelings for Evelyn. That was never part of the plan. Little by little, I lost the will to go through with it. I didn't want to hurt her.

But I had to force myself to keep moving forward.

Because more than four months earlier, my mother had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and given only six months to live.

I couldn't accept it.

I'd already lost my father as a child. I couldn't lose my mother too.

My mother's illness meant I had to speed up the revenge plan, even though it was too cruel to Evelyn. But when I had to choose between love and family, I could only choose family.

Because blood is thicker than water.

Because my mother had sacrificed so much for me.

Because I couldn't let everything we'd worked for go to waste.

So Evelyn leaving now was the best outcome.

Suddenly, my mother reached out and took my hand, her eyes brimming with tears. Her touch pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Fede, I don't have much time left. You have to be with Bianca." A tear slid down my mother's cheek. "You know only Bianca's uncle can cure my illness. And Bianca is wonderful. She's the right woman for you.

"As for Evelyn," she said, frowning in disgust, "she's just a tool we used to bring down Carl Gambrelli. You have to remember that."

I didn't answer right away. I didn't know how to respond.

My silence worried my mother. She asked, "Federico, don't tell me you've actually fallen for that woman?"

I still said nothing because I couldn't admit how I felt.

My jaw tightened. Then I asked, "Mom, don't you think we've been too cruel?"

My mother shook her head without hesitating. "Carl Gambrelli killed your father and took the love of my life! Compared to what he did, we haven't done nearly enough!"

I understood how my mother felt. I knew how much she hated every single member of the Gambrelli family.

Some wounds go too deep to pretend they aren't there.

But some feelings... I couldn't resist either.

"Federico! Answer me!" My mother's voice rose. "Have you gone soft?"

I frowned and looked away. Then I got up, hugged my mother, and lied. "No, Mom. I haven't... gone soft on her.

"It's all over," I said softly, trying to calm her down. "Carl Gambrelli got the punishment he deserved. He'll spend the rest of his life suffering in ADX Florence. Evelyn and I have signed the divorce papers. We'll never have anything to do with each other again."

As I said it, my throat tightened, and a weight settled on my chest.

Can I really let Evelyn go?

I didn't know.