บททั้งหมดของ The Pensive Gentleman: บทที่ 121 - บทที่ 130

Angelica ~Opening my eyes this time, I’m not surprised I’m in a hospital, in a hospital gown, connected to multiple machines.I feel the grip on my hand before he speaks.“Angelica.” Marciano’s voice is soft and raspy. My eyes coast over to him. His hair is slightly tousled on one side, and his eyes are tired, indicating he might not have slept. Words don’t come out as I part my lips to speak, and I can only manage a measly hum in response.Marciano shoots to his feet, startling the rest of the room. He grabs my hands.“How are you feeling?” “She’s awake?” I hear a voice like Marina’s before she comes closer. Marciano turns his head over his shoulder.“Get the doctor.” Marina nods and leaves the room, while Marciano’s gaze melts into my face.I press my elbows into the bed, trying to sit up but Marciano stops me with a hand on my shoulder and a shake of his head.Slowly, I relax on the bed, taking a deep breath. An eerie silence, accompanied by the beeping sound of the machines

Angelica ~“You’re back.” I kneel on the bed, watching Marciano sluggishly make his way into the room. He doesn’t respond. He strips out of his clothes with a slight frown etched across his face.‘He’s not who he says he is.’ The letter crosses my mind for the umpteenth time since I read it. I bite down on my lower lip hard enough to hurt, just to distract my brain from the thoughts. I don’t want to believe that this man who is good to me is someone else. I don’t want to believe this is not the real him.The sting distracts me long enough to watch him disappear into the shower.When he returns he’s still irritable, but I can tell it’s slightly less than before. A second sigh escapes him before he reaches the closet.“Are you alright? You look stressed,” I finally ask while he dabs himself.“I am stressed, Angelica.”“Why? What’s happening?”He lets out a breath and puts on a pair of briefs before coming to join me in bed.He pulls me to him and wraps his arms around me. My head is

Angelica ~Maybe I should’ve listened to myself more and stayed clear of the sketch, the tattoo shop and everything about it.My conviction only lasted a week before something much uglier, and much darker took root in my chest anytime Marciano even so much as whispered Vittoria’s name during his calls. I was going to let it go but Gypsy came to me. He couldn’t let it go either. Maybe it’s because he worked for Vittoria, but he claimed he was more suited to investigate the matter than Ky. I couldn’t help but agree.“What if something happens though? Shouldn’t we have a backup plan?” I ask him, my arms folded, my head tilted to the side.“Signora I’m not going to barge in there and ask if anyone knows about the tattoo,” he says with a little shake of his head. I smile because he sounds just like Joey trying to explain something to me after a few times.“My purpose of going there is to see if someone moves. The messenger, Ronan, or someone else. That’s how we’ll have a solid idea of w

Marciano ~"At this point, I don't believe that bastard is still in this country," Leo declares with a puff of smoke exiting his mouth, bopping his leg to the muffled sound of music filtering in."But whoever took him is," Sergio throws, twirling the amber liquid in the glass he's holding.Over the past few weeks of searching for the missing brother and running into one dead end after another, I’d come to one conclusion.Someone other than Ronan was involved. And this person knows too much about my family and me.It quickly became the catalyst for my short temper and constant irritation, which only seem to thaw whenever I'm around my wife.She’s the much-needed calm in the storm my life has become, the only thing I look forward to after a shitty day. Just thinking about burying my face in her neck is enough to—"What if we go big? Let's cause a ruckus, bring in all the guys and scare the shit out of everyone?" Sergio's voice pulls me back to the present. He slams his glass on the

Angelica ~“You left.”I turn on my side so I’m backing him, but I don’t say a word. I hear his footsteps cross the room the further he walks in, and I imagine he’s at the foot of the bed, but I don’t turn to check. I’ve been here alone for two hours, and in that time I've willed myself not to cry or do anything dramatic even though I feel hurt.“I know you’re awake.”Silence.“Why did you leave, Angelica?” Fed up, I swallow and sit up. He’s at the foot of the bed like I suspected, dressed in a white dress shirt with the sleeves folded to his elbows as usual.The red bracelet around his wrist glistens in my eyes and my annoyance heightens.“How did you know I was there?” I hate how small my voice sounds. “Angelica.”“Because I didn’t see you there, and you didn’t tell me you were coming even after I asked.”Instead, he was too busy talking about how Vittoria is his priority.He goes around the bed so he’s standing right in front of me and I have to raise my head to meet his eyes.