Lahat ng Kabanata ng THE MAFIA'S JEWEL: Kabanata 51 - Kabanata 60

Massimo’s POVThe journey in the van goes on for an hour, and that is enough time for me to ponder why I didn’t think of coming with my men. Maybe because I just wanted to have a normal dinner with Elena. One where gunmen wouldn’t be hovering around over our heads. I guess that’s impossible for someone like me.When the van stops, I tighten my hold on Elena.“Wait,” I mumble.She settles against me again while I listen. The engine is still running, but I can hear another vehicle somewhere nearby and a man speaking to the driver.I ease the hay away from my face. We have stopped beside a small roadside stall. Beyond it, there are fields, a few scattered buildings and bright light.I touch Elena’s shoulder and point towards the tailgate.“Quietly.”She nods. I climb down first, then lift her out, keeping her close until the van pulls away. Neither of us speaks as its rear lights disappear around a bend.Elena brushes hay from her dress.“Where are we?”“I don’t know yet.”She looks along

Massimo's POV“My father loved me, Massimo,” Elena shrieks. “You make it sound like he was helping them hide something from me.”“I’m not questioning whether he loved you, Elena. I’m questioning whether he did something he wasn't supposed to do.”She puts her fork down. “He warned me not to come back. He knew something about this place was going to be bad for me.”“And you are not even slightly curious about how your father suddenly managed to become an accurate prophet of doom?”She glares at me, and I have never seen her this angry. Then I watch the anger drain out of her.“Massimo, I would never disrespect your family. Do not disrespect mine,” she says.I nod. She is right. No matter what, strangers don’t get to meddle with family.Besides, if I am being truthful, all of this is my fault.I officially became a Don at sixteen. Before then, I had been managing my father’s business under my uncle’s supervision. I took down my first man at eleven. I learned early what happened when I le

Massimo’s POV“You cannot be serious.”“No, hear me out,” I say.“No. I don’t need to hear you out.”Elena sets the plate aside so abruptly that the fork falls onto the floor. She doesn’t reach for it. Instead, she lets out a laugh, pressing her fingers against her forehead.“Oh God, I’m so stupid.”“Elena.”“I trusted you, Massimo.”I stop speaking. Her voice breaks on my name, and I have to remind myself that she hasn’t let me finish. Whatever she thinks I am about to say, she has already decided what it means.“Please just listen to me for once.”“I don’t need to hear anything from you. You gave me your word. You said I could leave.”“And you can.”“Then why are you changing things?”She gets up, her face flushed with anger. I reach towards her, but she steps back so quickly that I lower my hand.“So that was why you were trying to paint my father as some evil man? You wanted me to believe I had nowhere safe to go?”“That is not what I said.”“You don’t even know him.”She is tremb

Massimo’s POVElena climbs the steps ahead of me without looking back. I follow behind her into the jet, watching as the hostess welcomes her and gestures towards the seats. She thanks the woman quietly, chooses a seat beside the window and settles into it with her hands in her lap. I can see she is trying to put as much distance as possible between herself and me, but I don't make much of it.I close the distance and take the seat in the aisle opposite hers. Outside, the last of my stuff is being loaded, and Elena watches with an interest I doubt she actually feels. Even when I sit down, her eyes remain on the window.“Are you comfortable?”“Yes. Thank you.”I wait, thinking she might say something else, but she turns away again. I should be pleased. We have managed to get onto the plane without another argument. This is what I wanted, and she is no longer looking at me as though every word out of my mouth must be a lie. Yet, after a few minutes of sitting across from her in silence,

Elena’s POVWe arrived at Hacienda del León yesterday, but I have barely noticed anything beyond the room where Massimo is being treated. His cardiologist told me this morning that he is stable and doing better. I thanked her, then asked if I could sit with him again.Now I am beside his bed, watching him sleep.There is more colour in his face today. I noticed it as soon as I came in, and I have been holding on to that small improvement ever since. His hand is warm beneath mine, and his chest rises and falls without any of the terrible effort I saw on the plane.I should feel better. In some ways, I do. But every time I remember yesterday, my stomach tightens, and I have to look at him again.The doctor who travelled with us managed to get his heart beating again before we landed. I remember the relief in his voice when he told Benito, although he continued attending to Massimo throughout the descent.His cardiologist was here when we reached Hacienda del León. She took over his care