Chapter 2

Leopoldo opened his mouth, then awkwardly set the spoon down. "Sorry... I forgot."

"It's fine." Since I had already decided to leave, those small details no longer mattered.

On the drive back, I leaned against the seat, exhausted.

Suddenly, chaos erupted outside.

Gunfire exploded from all directions, and bullets slammed into the car without pause.

We were forced to a screeching stop.

I ducked instinctively and scanned our surroundings.

The shots kept coming. After receiving the alert, armed guards rushed in and took cover behind our vehicle.

"It's those bastards from the Reina family!" Leopoldo drew his gun, ready to return fire.

Elena screamed in terror and clung to him, refusing to let go. "Don Vece, don't leave me. I'm scared!"

Seeing her trembling uncontrollably, he shielded her with his own body.

A bullet tore into his shoulder, yet he didn't make a sound.

Around us, the sharp stench of gasoline grew stronger.

"This is bad. The car's going to blow. We need to break out now." My back pressed against the door as I stared straight at Leopoldo.

Still holding Elena, he clearly sensed the danger too.

With gunfire this dense, leaving the cover of the car meant getting riddled with bullets. But if we stayed, the explosion would kill us all.

Elena sobbed softly, clutching him even tighter.

Leopoldo fell silent.

Then, at last, he tightened his arms around the woman in his embrace. His voice was hoarse but unmistakably clear when he spoke to me. "Elena has never been through a shooting. I'll get her out first and come back for you."

In that instant, my entire body went cold as I stared at him in disbelief.

He ordered the guards to give him full cover, then leaped out with Elena in his arms without looking back even once.

At the same time, an explosion roared behind us. A wave of heat slammed into me, hurling me violently to the ground.

The last image that flashed through my mind before everything went black was Leopoldo clutching Elena tightly as he ran toward safety.

He never looked back.

I lay sprawled on the freezing pavement, hearing the Soldati shout in panic, before darkness swallowed me whole.

When I woke up again, I was in a hospital ward.

My injuries had already been treated, but the moment I shifted even slightly, a sharp, tearing pain shot through my back.

Leopoldo sensed the movement and immediately looked up. His eyes were bloodshot, his face shadowed with unshaven stubble.

When he saw that I was awake, he leaned closer, concern written all over his face.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

I let out a cold laugh, but when I tried to speak, my throat was too hoarse for words.

Leopoldo softened his tone and began to explain. "Elena doesn't know how to protect herself, and she's supposed to donate a kidney to Raffaello. I didn't have a choice. I had to save her first. I'm sorry you got hurt."

I tugged at the corner of my mouth and finally spoke, my voice rough and dry. "Leopoldo, if the kidney donation wasn't an issue, who would you have saved first?"

He froze, and a suffocating silence stretched between us.

In the end, he still answered, "I-I would've saved you."

I smiled, but my heart felt as if it were being torn apart.

Because I knew—the few seconds of hesitation had already told me everything.

Leopoldo's phone rang.

I could hear Elena's voice through the speaker. "Don Vece, I'm so scared. Every time I close my eyes, I hear gunshots. Can you come stay with me?"

At that, he looked toward me.

I closed my eyes and nodded weakly. "Go. I'm fine here."

He let out a breath of relief. "Call me if you need anything."

Then he hurried out.

A dull ache pulsed through my wounds as I drifted back into sleep.

Over the next few days, Leopoldo never returned to the hospital.

"I'm dealing with those bastards," he texted by way of explanation.

I didn't bother questioning it. Just as I was about to put my phone away, I caught sight of Elena's latest post.

A diamond necklace glittered against her pale neck, her smile sweet and radiant.

The caption read, "Gracias, Don Vece. The necklace is beautiful."

I zoomed in on the photo, and that was when it hit me.

That necklace was the coming-of-age gift Raffaello had given me.