Home / He Chose My Best Friend, But He Regretted It Three Years Later / Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

All Chapters of He Chose My Best Friend, But He Regretted It Three Years Later: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

1

With every step she took, something inside me broke a little more.I stared into her eyes, searching for any sign at all that this was a joke.I didn't find one."Lillian... what is this?"Tears slid down Lillian's cheeks, but she said nothing.Vittorio, who'd been quiet all this time, suddenly stepped forward and took her hand.He looked at me with those dark blue eyes, his face calm."I wanted to wait for a better time to tell you."You'd been gone 42 days, and I missed you so much... Lillian and I both got drunk that night..."Santina, it happened. It wouldn't be fair to keep it from you."I stared at their joined hands, and the world tilted.After a 12-hour flight across the ocean, I hadn't even stopped for a sip of water. All I'd wanted was to see the man I loved and my best friend.I never expected them to have such a big surprise waiting for me.I stumbled back a few steps and almost fell.Vittorio tensed. He reached out to catch me on instinct, but one cold look from me made hi

2

Around midnight, I woke with a start and called Vittorio's name without thinking."Vittorio, can you get me some water..."No one answered.It took me a moment to remember that I was alone.I got up from the cold floor and poured myself a glass of water. Then I sat on the couch and stared at the old pendulum clock on the opposite wall, watching the second hand tick.I stayed like that until the sky began to pale. Then the doorbell rang and snapped me out of it.There was no one outside. Just an insulated bag.A note was stuck to it.It read, "I know you've skipped another meal. Whatever happens, take care of yourself."Inside was a container of steaming pasta. The smell hit me right away.It was from my favorite place.I glanced at it, then threw the whole thing, bag and all, into the trash.I went into the kitchen and quietly made myself an espresso.Whenever I came home after a late night of work, Lillian would be waiting up for me in the living room, yawning.She'd nag me about my h

3

The next afternoon, Lillian was obviously distracted.At first, I didn't pay much attention.Then I picked up the file on my desk to check the plans for tonight's shipment, and my expression hardened."Lillian."Her head snapped up. She looked nervous but a little hopeful."Santina? Did you get the chocolates...""Explain this."I cut her off and set the file in front of her.Lillian looked down at it, and every bit of color drained from her face."You changed the convoy's route without clearing it with the head of security. And then you sent the new schedule to three people who don't have clearance to see it?"I tapped the desk with one finger."Do you know what happens if this gets into enemy hands?"Lillian's lips trembled."I'm sorry. I just wanted to do more for you both. I thought...""You thought?"My voice turned cold."Lillian, one careless mistake could get the whole transport crew killed."She looked down, and her eyes went red."But I already said I'm sorry."Right then, Vi

4

When I went back downstairs, Vittorio was leaning against the door, waiting for me.He had a cigarette between his fingers. He looked tired."Santina, we've been together for years."He sounded resigned."You've always been the strongest one. You never tell me when you're scared. You never ask me to stay with you. You won't say you need me, and you'd never ask me to do anything for you."He exhaled a stream of smoke."Every time I give you a gift, you insist on giving me something of equal value. When I try to give you an easier job, you act like I've insulted you. Sometimes I wonder if you want someone to share your life with or just a partner at work."I looked at him and gave a bitter laugh."So you decided to hook up with my best friend?"At the mention of Lillian, his face softened almost instantly."She doesn't hide how she feels. She's willing to lean on me, and she lets me know she needs me."She makes me feel wanted."I didn't say anything for a long time.Suddenly, the whole

5

Three years later, I was sitting in an office on the top floor of the Moretti family's building.Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, Mediterranean sunlight spilled across the blue water. Yachts drifted by in the distance. Everything was so peaceful it hardly seemed real.I looked out at the sea and flexed my right arm without thinking.The injury from that attack had healed, but I still felt a deep ache in the bone whenever the weather changed.Three years ago, lying in that hospital bed, I'd seriously considered leaving the Cordano family for the first time.The Moretti family had reached out to me long before that.They liked how I fought, how I read situations, and what I'd accomplished in several clashes between the families.Their Don, Matteo Moretti, had even promised me straight out that if I joined, I'd be his underboss.But I'd turned him down.Because I was deeply in love with Vittorio.I used to think that as long as we stood side by side, there was nothing we couldn't do.

6

In the conference room, Vittorio never made it through the proposal in front of him.His eyes kept drifting to me.It had been three years. I'd cut my hair short, and after a long stretch of physical therapy, I'd regained 90 percent of the use of my right arm. I could handle most guns without any trouble.When the meeting was over, I closed my file."The Moretti family will give you a final answer on the details of the port deal within three days."Vittorio finally spoke."Santina, I'd like to talk to you alone.""If it's about work, send an email.""It's not about work."I looked up at him calmly."But work is the only thing I want to talk to you about."The color slowly drained from his face.Once everyone else had gone, Vittorio stopped me before I could leave the room."For three years, I looked everywhere you might have gone. I even sent people to New York, London, and Munich. Nobody had heard a thing about you.""That's because I didn't want you to find me."He flinched, but he k

7

Another week went by. The port deal with the Cordano family was officially underway, and I was in my office studying a crowded map of shipping routes.Gia knocked and came in with an encrypted report."Santina, we just heard from the port in Sicily. The route for the Cordano family's shipment may have been leaked."I opened the report and scanned the times and coordinates.One of the routes was the exact shipping lane our joint deal was about to use.If the intel was right, tomorrow night's convoy was going to be ambushed.I called Vittorio directly."Who's in charge of your security?""I'm overseeing it myself. Don't worry. I'll answer for this personally.""Then you'd better pray it's a false alarm."I handed the report back to Gia."Tell the Moretti security team to switch to the backup plan right now. By tonight, I want to know who touched this file."At 11 that night, every piece of evidence pointed to one person.Lillian.For three years, she'd been Vittorio's administrative assi

8

When Lillian was brought into the conference room, her eyes were puffy from crying, and her hands were knotted tightly together.She saw me, and the first thing out of her mouth was another apology."Santina, I really didn't know it was Daniel. I thought he was just an ordinary logistics consultant...""You sent him the shipping routes without checking who he was?"Her lips started to tremble."I just wanted to prove I could help. Vittorio's been so busy with the port deal, and I didn't want to be useless. I thought he could actually help us sort out our problems with the shipping companies."I looked at her and suddenly felt tired.Three years ago, she'd made the same kind of excuse.Whenever something went wrong, she'd cry and apologize and expect someone else to clean up her mess.She wanted to be needed. She wanted to be protected. She wanted someone she could lean on.To get those things, she'd crossed one line after another, lines she should never have gone near.And I used to th

9

The day after the celebration, Vittorio came to my office again.This time, he didn't bring flowers or any expensive gifts.All he brought was an official document."This is the Cordano family's final report on the leak. Everyone responsible has been investigated, and our security procedures are being overhauled."I read through it and signed my name."The Moretti family will continue with the deal as agreed."He didn't leave."Santina, there's one last thing I want to say."I glanced at my watch."Ten minutes."He seemed surprised that I'd agreed. He froze for a second, then gave a bitter smile."I used to think you could handle anything. You didn't need me to protect you or comfort you. You didn't even need me around. So I started to wonder if you really loved me at all."And Lillian made me feel important. She needed me. I thought that was what love was."He looked down, his voice rough."I mistook your strength for not needing me, and her dependence on me for love. I thought you'd

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