0031: Words Left Unspoken

ADRIANA’S POVI stood frozen against the cold hospital wall as Alessandro’s question cut through me like a knife. ““Does he hate his son so much that he can’t save him?” he asked, his voice rising. His eyes burned with a mixture of fury and confusion that made my stomach twist. This was my chance. The perfect opening I had waited five long years for. The secret I carried felt heavier than ever in that moment. Luca is your son. He has always been yours. I wanted to scream the truth at him. I needed to tell him everything right then. My mouth opened but the words stuck in my throat. Alessandro stepped closer. Anger rolled off him in waves as he glared down at me. “Answer me, Adriana. What kind of man did you choose to breed a child with? A man who would not lift a finger to save his own flesh and blood? Explain that to me because none of this makes any sense anymore.” “Please,” I begged. My voice came out shaky and weak. I reached for his sleeve but he jerked away. “Calm down and le

0032: The Son I Never Knew

ALESSANDRO’S POVI stormed out of the hospital with my blood boiling hotter than I could control. Adriana had stood there silent when I asked the hard questions. She offered no answers, no explanations, nothing. I did not even want to hear her voice right then. The anger pushed me forward as I climbed into my car and slammed the door shut. My hands gripped the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white. I started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot with tires screeching against the pavement. During the drive I grabbed my phone and dialed Rocco. He answered on the second ring. “Boss, what is going on?” “Where is Roman right now?” I demanded. My voice came out rough and low. “Tell me exactly where that bastard is.” Rocco hesitated for a second. “He was discharged earlier today. He is at one of the De Santis family bars on the east side. The Golden Lion. Should I meet you there with backup, Boss?” I ignored his question. “No. Do not meet me there. Stay where you are. This

0033: Rain and Reckoning

ADRIANA’S POVI stood there dripping wet in the middle of the bar with Alessandro’s question hanging between us like a live wire. “Why didn’t you tell me Luca is my son?” His voice came out rough from the whiskey and the shock. The words hit me harder than any punch Roman had ever landed. My knees nearly gave out. Everything I had buried for five years rushed forward at once. Tears spilled down my cheeks before I could stop them. I remembered the day I found out I was pregnant. One month after the wedding. I was shocked when the doctor said I was two months gone with Alessandro’s child. I had sat on the cold bathroom floor in Roman’s mansion and cried for hours. The De Santis family discovered the truth in the third month when Roman told them that we hadn’t consummated our marriage and that the child wasn’t his. Their hatred turned vicious. They called me a whore who carried another man’s bastard. They pressured me to get rid of the baby. And when I refused they made my life hell.

0034: Blood and Bonds

ALESSANDRO’S POV I sat in my study the next morning with sunlight streaming through the tall windows. Sleep had barely touched me. The whiskey from the night before still lingered in my system but the truth burned away the fog. Luca was my son. My own flesh and blood. The boy I had kept Adriana from seeing. The child I had dismissed as Roman’s. I clenched my fists on the desk and stared at the grain of the wood. People had lied to me. They had lied to her. They had torn us apart for their own gain and I would make them pay.I picked up my phone and dialed Rocco. He answered immediately. “Boss.” “I need everything from five years ago,” I said. My voice came out flat and cold. “Every detail about Adriana’s sudden marriage to Roman. I need to know who pushed for it. Who sat in the rooms and decided her fate. Who fed me the lies about her choosing him. I want their names, and their families. I want proof. Be thorough, I do not want any of them to escape this time. Not her father. Not th

0035: Fragile Hope

ADRIANA’S POVI stood outside the doctor’s office as I heard Alessandro speak with the doctor. My arms stayed wrapped around myself as if that could hold all the fear inside. He listened carefully and asked sharp questions. Part of me still could not believe this was happening. The man who had stormed out of the hospital in rage now stood there arranging surgery for our son. The father Luca never knew stood ready to give whatever the doctors needed. I wanted to cry from relief but I held the tears back. I had cried enough for five whole years. Alessandro finished with the doctors and walked out of his office only to run into me. He walked toward me, his steps stayed steady but his eyes carried a weight I had not seen before. He stopped in front of me and spoke in a low voice. “The surgery is scheduled for three days from now. They will run more tests on both of us tomorrow morning. The defect is a ventricular septal issue with some complications in the surrounding valves. They wil

All Chapters of AFTER FIVE YEARS, HE FOUND ME: Chapter 31 - Chapter 35

0031: Words Left Unspoken

0032: The Son I Never Knew

0033: Rain and Reckoning

0034: Blood and Bonds

0035: Fragile Hope