7

“And you didn’t think to tell me?” I asked, trying to keep the edge out of my voice. “After everything that happened with him…”

Juan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I didn’t want to worry you, Salma. I know how you feel about him.”

I stood up, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Juan, this isn’t just about how I feel. He’s involved in something dangerous. I’ve heard rumors… about the mafia.”

Juan’s eyes flickered with something—fear, maybe—but he quickly masked it.

“Salma, don’t believe everything you hear. Vito’s a businessman. Yes, he has connections, but that doesn’t mean he’s involved in anything illegal.”

I stared at him, disbelief washing over me.

“You’re defending him? After everything?”

He stepped closer, reaching for my hand, but I pulled away.

“I’m not defending him,” he said, his voice soft but firm. “I’m just saying you don’t need to worry. We’re going to the wedding, we’ll make an appearance, and then we’ll move on with our lives. Vito won’t be a problem.”

I wanted to believe him, I really did.

But something in my gut told me he was wrong.

Vito wasn’t the type to just let things go.

And if he was really involved in the mafia, this was far from over.

I turned away from Juan, staring out the window as the sun set, casting long shadows across the room.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” I whispered, more to myself than to him.

Juan came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist.

“You can,” he said softly. “We’ll face this together, okay?”

I nodded, but the knot in my stomach remained.

I wasn’t sure if I believed him.

The doubts were growing louder, the questions piling up with no answers in sight.

That night, I lay awake, staring at the ceiling as Juan slept soundly beside me.

My mind wouldn’t stop racing, replaying every detail, every moment I had shared with Vito.

The way he had disappeared without a word, the way he had left me broken and confused.

And now, he was back.

And he was more dangerous than ever.

I closed my eyes, trying to shut out the thoughts, but they wouldn’t go away.

I couldn’t help but feel like I was walking into a trap, like Vito was waiting for me, ready to pull me back into his web.

And as much as I tried to convince myself that I was safe with Juan, deep down, I knew that Vito still had a hold on me.

I wasn’t sure if I would ever be free from him.

4

SALMA

I couldn't sleep that night.

No matter how much I tossed and turned, my mind wouldn’t settle.

Juan’s steady breathing beside me should’ve been comforting, but it only reminded me how different things were now. I was supposed to be happy, engaged to a man who cared for me, who offered stability and love.

But all I could think about was Vito.

His name echoed in my mind, like a whisper in the dark, dragging me back to a time I tried so hard to forget.

It started slowly, a flicker of a memory, and then more followed like a flood, washing over me, pulling me under.

Vito.

I hadn’t thought of him in years—or at least, I’d convinced myself that I hadn’t.

But now, with the news of his return, it was like every memory I’d buried deep inside had clawed its way back to the surface.

I remembered that night as if it had happened yesterday.

The way we met—how could I ever forget?

It was a summer night.

The kind of night that made everything feel electric, like the air was charged with something more, something exciting.

I had been out with friends, laughing, drinking, feeling alive.

We’d gone to one of those rooftop bars, the kind with twinkling lights strung across the patio, casting a warm glow over the crowd.

Music thumped in the background, and I remember thinking how perfect everything felt.

That was when I saw him.

Vito.

He stood near the edge of the bar, his tall, broad frame outlined against the night sky.

There was something about him that immediately drew me in, something magnetic.