로그인Do you think you can do that?
Vincenzo’s question lingered in Vito’s mind long after the call ended.
The cigarette burned slowly between his fingers while he sat alone in the dark office, smoke curling through the silence around him.
Since he had stopped liquoring up, smoking cigarettes has become a regular habit.
“If she leaves me again, I’ll treat her like she’s dead to me.”
Vito’s teeth gritte
Vito forced himself to stay focused.Whoever had taken Aurora was still out there.His violet eyes swept across the cottage with cold precision, searching automatically for anything useful like footprints, weapons, discarded items, and anything carelessly left behind.At first, he only saw dust and decay, but then his gaze caught an old newspaper that lay crumpled near the fireplace.He reached for it slowly.The front page showed a photograph of him, Luca, and Aurora from years ago.Luca stood between them in the picture, smiling at something outside the camera frame while a much younger Aurora sat on his shoulders laughing.The sight made him grit his teeth.This picture was taken a few days before the fire that nearly killed the little girl.His face hardened the moment the memory slipped in.Beside the newspaper sat a gray wig. Short. Masculine. Cheap synthetic strands.Vito blinked, t
Do you think you can do that?Vincenzo’s question lingered in Vito’s mind long after the call ended.The cigarette burned slowly between his fingers while he sat alone in the dark office, smoke curling through the silence around him.Since he had stopped liquoring up, smoking cigarettes has become a regular habit.“If she leaves me again, I’ll treat her like she’s dead to me.”Vito’s teeth gritted as he recalled the conviction he used to say those words. It had sounded cold and final, but now they echoed back at him with a pressure he couldn't shake.Because he already knew the truth.He could endure Milan hating him.He could endure her fighting him, rejecting him, even betraying him.But living in a world where she no longer thought about him at all?That destroyed him in ways he could not explain.Against his will, the painful memory et
Diego couldn’t bring himself to kill Milan after meeting her that morning.She’d spoken to him without fear, served him food without hesitation, and listened to him like he was still human.Her kindness unsettled him and her courage attracted him.Against every order Antonio had drilled into him, he decided to become her shadow.A hidden ally in places she would never notice.Information came in pieces. Routes, warnings, names to avoid, shifts in Antonio’s movements. Whenever danger moved closer, Diego pushed it away before it could touch her.But secrets never stay buried for long.Antonio found out.The moment he did, rage followed.The outrage he felt was so blinding that he chose Plan B. A very dangerous plan he had intended to abstain from if Diego killed Milan.Antonio arrived at the remote hideout without warning.Rain slammed into the ground and onto the vehicles
The next morning, calm silence filled Milan’s apartment while she stood in the kitchen making breakfast.Soft music played from her laptop as butter melted in the pan.The smell of toasted bread and coffee drifted through the apartment, easing some of the heaviness left from the night before.Then a knock sounded at the door.Milan’s heart jumped.Vito.The moment she thought of him, heat spread through her body.She let out a deep sigh to recollect herself then she turned off the stove and hurried toward the door, smoothing a hand over her loose shirt on instinct.Suddenly, she became painfully aware of what she was wearing.An oversized cream shirt hung loosely over her bare legs, stopping just above her thighs.She wasn't even wearing any panties under it.Her hair remained slightly messy from sleep, and she wore no makeup at all.The realization made her slow down.
Milan walked back to the table with a neutral look on her face.The paper stayed hidden in her purse. She did not look like someone who had just run into a person from her past.Vito looked up the moment she returned.His violet eyes searched her face first before dropping to the purse clutched tightly in her hand. His gaze lingered there for a moment.He recognized that grip.Milan only held her purse that way when anxiety or shock crept under her skin.When she sat down again, he studied her for another second before asking, more gently than usual, “Are you okay?”“I’m fine,” Milan replied.“Who were you talking to?”“Just a pitiful man asking for directions.”Vito frowned slightly, unconvinced.“He gave you his number,” he said flatly.“So what?” Milan snapped.Vito wanted to press further, but Aurora was already
Vito drove them to a pizza restaurant not too far from Milan’s new apartment. But the ride was longer than expected, maybe because he was intentionally driving slowly after discovering that she was leaving.At the restaurant, Vito, Aurora, and Milan sat at a reserved table with two boxes of pizza and three cups of ice cream. The Trio were behind them, eating pizza and ice cream too, but their gazes were sharp and vigilant.Aurora stayed tucked close to Vito’s side. She was focused on carefully peeling cheese from her pizza before taking tiny bites. She didn’t speak, but every now and then she nudged Vito’s arm or pushed her cup toward him when she wanted more water.Vito understood every gesture and sound she made.He was also very gentle with her.He really is a good dad.Milan thought as she watched them quietly across the table.The evening breeze carried the scent of baked dough and roasted garl
Aurora, the no-touch, no-speaking autistic kid, lay soundly asleep in Kathleen's arms. The same little girl who would only hug him. Vito felt a surge of panic that consumed his whole body. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Did Kathleen do something to her? He blinked back his initial
“Did you get hurt trying to save her from Antonio?” Milan confronted Vito. Her gaze didn’t waver as she demanded the truth. She felt like it was her right to know. “Was it all because of me?” “It’s just business,” Vito said to avoid her question. In that beat of silence, a jagged memory of la
Vito bolted upright, gasping for air. He scoured Milan’s room but she was missing. His heart leaped as the haunting memory of yesterday seized him. Where’s she? The thought echoed, and as if summoned, Milan materialized in the doorway. A faint smile traced her lips when she found him con
Vito gently pulled away and slipped out of Milan’s room. As he opened the door, he caught a glimpse of Kathleen Dinar’s figure hurrying down the hallway. A frown creased his brow. Was she already awake? His curiosity flickered, but he chose not to confront her. After all, his heart was truly







