Todos os capítulos de The mafia king’s substitute husband: Capítulo 111 - Capítulo 120

THE BOARD MEETINGSALVATORE’S POVWhen Costa first proposed the council, Salvatore had doubted it would last. Getting a handful of rival families to sit in the same room without arguing had been difficult enough. Now, years later, twelve families worked together on city projects, charity programs, and opportunities for young people who might otherwise end up following the same path their parents had taken.Salvatore had watched the council grow from a small idea into something that actually mattered.He had never been fond of standing in front of a crowd to talk about his accomplishments. Matteo usually handled those things while Salvatore stayed behind the scenes. But Costa had insisted that this year’s annual gathering was different.“They need to hear it from you,” Costa had told him. “You started this. Let them hear why.”So here he was, standing backstage with his speech in his hands, reading the same paragraph for the fourth time.“You know you’ve read that thing enough to memor

MTHE NEWSELIAN’S POVLeo called on Tuesday evening.“Can you and Papa Salvatore come over this weekend?” he asked. “Beatriz and I have something to tell you.”“Is everything okay?” I asked.“Yes, Papa. Everything is fine.” He laughed softly. “Just come, please.”After the call, I spent the next few days wondering what he had planned. Salvatore found my constant questions amusing.“You know something,” I told him one night.“Maybe.”“Salvatore.”He laughed and pulled me closer. “Let the boy surprise us.”On Saturday, we drove to Leo and Beatriz’s apartment. They were waiting for us when we arrived, and I noticed how nervous Leo looked. Beatriz kept smiling, holding his hand as though they were sharing a secret they could barely contain.“Okay, we can’t keep this from you anymore,” she said.She looked at Leo, then back at us.“We’re having a baby.”For a moment, I simply stared at her.Then I hurried over and wrapped her in my arms.“Oh, my goodness! Beatriz, congratulations!”She lau

A LETTER TO THE FUTUREELIAN’S POVI found Salvatore in his study one evening, sitting at his desk with a pen in his hand. He was writing on paper, something I rarely saw him do anymore.I stood in the doorway for a moment, watching him before I spoke.“What are you writing?”He looked up, then glanced at the page with a small, almost embarrassed smile.“A letter. For young Salvatore.”I walked closer. “Our grandson?”He nodded. “He won’t understand it for years, but I want him to have something from me. Something he can read when he’s old enough to understand what I’m trying to say.”“Can I read it?”He paused, then handed me the pages.To my grandson, who carries my name,By the time you read this, I hope the name Salvatore means something better than it did when I was your age.I spent much of my life believing that people had to fear me to respect me. I thought showing kindness was an invitation for someone to take advantage of me. So I kept my guard up, made sure nobody saw my we

THE DIAGNOSISELIAN’S POVMy mother called on a Thursday morning. I could tell from her voice that something was wrong.“I don’t want you to worry,” she said.“What happened, Mother?”She paused before answering.“I went for some tests last month. The results came back today. There’s something wrong with my heart.”My heart sank. “How serious is it?”“The doctor says it’s manageable, but I’ll need medication and some changes to my routine. He believes I can still live for many years if I take care of myself.”“Why didn’t you tell me you were going for tests?”“I didn’t want you worrying before I knew the results.”“You should have told me.”“I know, Elian.”I drove to see her that afternoon. I expected to find her frightened, but she seemed calmer than I felt. She had written down the doctor’s instructions and was already thinking about the changes she needed to make.She sat in her favourite chair when I arrived. Looking at her, I remembered how difficult things had once been between

THE QUIET SEASONSALVATORE’S POVThe house was quiet now. The children had grown up and started families of their own, and the grandchildren had taken over, filling the rooms with laughter and leaving toys everywhere. Elian never seemed to mind the mess.Salvatore spent most afternoons in the garden with him. Enzo had taken over the business, leaving Salvatore to enjoy his retirement. He only stepped in when something needed his attention.One afternoon, Elian watched him close a folder.“Do you miss being in charge?”“Sometimes,” Salvatore admitted. “I spent so many years thinking the business was my whole life. I didn’t know what I’d do without it.”“And now?”“Now I wonder why I spent so much time worrying about it.”Elian laughed and took his hand. Salvatore smiled, happy to sit beside him without another word.Leo’s children visited often, and young Salvatore was always asking questions. Carrying his grandfather’s name seemed to make him even more curious about the man.One after