Mafia Runaway Lover

Chapter 2

Dr. Alexandro entered the operating room with a team of specialists and nurses. Everyone immediately took their positions, preparing for the dangerous procedure ahead.

"Anesthesia?"

"Ready, Doctor."

"Monitors?"

"Stable, but her pressure is dropping."

"Then we don't waste a second." Alexandro held out his hands for the gloves. "Let's begin."

A moment later, the light above the operating room doors turned red.

The operation had begun.

Rafaello stood motionless in the corridor, his eyes fixed on the illuminated sign. He had faced countless dangerous situations without the slightest hesitation. He had watched men die before him and had never once lost his composure.

But now, waiting outside an operating room, he could barely control himself.

Rose.

Her name was the only thing occupying his mind.

"Sir," Enzo said quietly, stopping a respectful distance away. "You should sit."

"No."

"You've been standing for two hours."

"Then I'll stand for two more."

Enzo did not argue. He had learned long ago which battles could not be won. He simply took his place beside the wall, silent and watchful, as the rest of the men filled the corridor like shadows.

Rafaello could still remember how she had looked in his arms when he brought her here. Her pale face, her bloodied clothes, and her frighteningly shallow breathing. The weight of her had been so light. Too light.

He had never imagined that things would come to this.

Time passed painfully slowly.

When the red light finally went out, Rafaello immediately approached the doctor as Alexandro emerged from the operating room.

"How is she?"

Alexandro removed his surgical cap, looking exhausted. Sweat darkened his hairline, and for the first time that night, his hands were not quite steady.

"I did everything I could, Rafaello. But she's still in critical condition. Whether she'll wake up or not is something I cannot promise."

Rafaello's expression hardened.

"Explain."

"Her injuries were severe, especially the trauma to her head. Even if she survives, we still don't know whether she'll recover completely. There may be lasting consequences. We'll have to wait and observe her condition."

"How long?"

"Days. Maybe longer. The next forty-eight hours will tell us a great deal."

Alexandro paused before continuing, and the hesitation in his voice made the corridor feel suddenly colder.

"And about the baby..."

For the first time, Rafaello's expression changed.

His jaw tightened. He did not ask what baby. He did not need to.

"Tell me," he said quietly.

Alexandro lowered his eyes. "The baby couldn't be saved. I'm sorry. We did everything we could."

Silence.

Enzo looked at the floor. Not one of the men in the corridor dared to breathe.

"The impact, the blood loss..." Alexandro's voice softened. "There was nothing more to be done. Her body could not sustain both of them. I had to choose, Rafaello, and I chose her."

"You chose correctly," Rafaello said.

The words were steady. His voice was not.

"You knew," Alexandro said, watching him. It was not a question.

"I knew."

He had known for weeks. He had known before Rose had gathered the courage to tell him herself, and he had let her believe that he did not. He had stood in front of her and spoken words so cruel that even now, he could not bring himself to remember them.

Rafaello did not respond further.

His eyes slowly turned red, but he said nothing. His hands remained at his sides, his fingers curling into fists until the knuckles went white.

It was because of him.

He could no longer pretend otherwise.

He regretted what he had done. He regretted the cruel words he had deliberately spoken, the game he had played with her feelings, and the fact that he had underestimated how much those words could hurt her.

But he had never imagined Rose would take things this far.

He had never thought she would choose death rather than return to him.

Not with their child inside her.

"Just..." His voice came out hoarse, barely recognizable. "Do everything you can. Whatever it takes."

Alexandro nodded.

"I will."

---

Rose was transferred to the intensive care unit.

However, Rafaello wasn't allowed to enter her room immediately.

"Only the medical staff for now," the head nurse told him firmly, apparently the only person in the building not afraid of him. "She needs to be monitored closely, and any disturbance could interfere with her recovery."

One of his men took a step forward. Rafaello lifted a hand without looking at him.

"Let it be."

So he could only stand outside, looking through the glass partition.

There she was.

The woman who had once filled his arms, who had looked at him with those beautiful amber eyes, and who had foolishly believed she could escape him.

Now she lay motionless in a hospital bed, surrounded by machines that beeped and hummed in a steady rhythm. Her blonde hair spread across the pillow, and her face looked even paler beneath the harsh hospital lights.

Rafaello pressed his hand against the glass.

"Rose..."

His voice was barely audible.

"Please, don't go."

His eyes remained fixed on her.

"Don't leave me yet. You have to stay alive."

For once, the powerful Don Vescari had no command to give, no enemy to threaten, and no amount of money that could guarantee what he wanted.

All he could do was wait.

And pray that the woman inside that room would open her eyes again.

---

Leonardo was assigned to monitor the condition of the young woman who had arrived at the hospital with that intimidating group of men.

"Why me?" he had asked.

"Because you're the newest," the nurse had answered, with the same grin as before. "And because everyone else is too scared to stand near that glass."

He had heard a little about the man who brought her in. According to one of the nurses, he was Don Rafaello Vescari, an extremely powerful figure in the underworld. Leonardo didn't know much about that world, nor did he particularly care to learn. The whole thing sounded rather fascinating to him, almost like something out of a movie.

Still, when he looked at the patient, he couldn't help feeling sorry for her.

She was so young.

And judging by the severity of her injuries, it was difficult to know what kind of condition she would be in if she survived. Head trauma could have serious consequences, and no one could say for certain whether she would recover as before.

Leonardo checked the monitor and recorded the patient's latest readings.

Everything seemed quiet.

"Hang in there," he murmured, adjusting her blanket. "Whoever you are, a lot of people are waiting for you."

Then he heard something.

A faint sound.

He paused, turning his head toward the bed.

Was that...?

Leonardo stepped closer.

The woman's eyelids were moving.

A second later, they slowly parted.

Her eyes.

They were a beautiful shade of amber, though at that moment they looked unfocused and bewildered.

"She's awake?"

Leonardo stared for a moment, hardly believing what he was seeing.

It was almost miraculous that she had regained consciousness so soon after such a dangerous operation.

"Miss? Can you hear me? Don't try to move."

She didn't answer. Her gaze drifted across the ceiling, the lights, the machines, as though none of it made sense.

He immediately pressed the call button.

"Get Dr. Alexandro in here. Now."

---

Dr. Alexandro arrived shortly afterward, nearly out of breath.

He approached the bed and carefully examined the patient. He checked her pupils with a penlight, observed their reactions, and assessed her neurological responses. He asked her to follow simple instructions, to squeeze his fingers and to follow the light with her eyes, and monitored her reactions throughout the examination.

After a while, he let out a quiet breath of relief.

"You're awake," he said gently.

He adjusted her oxygen support, replacing the previous mask with a more comfortable device that would allow her to speak.

The woman looked at him through her amber eyes.

There was confusion in them.

She seemed frightened, too, though she was trying her best to remain still.

"I'm the doctor who treated you," Alexandro explained softly. "Can you hear me clearly?"

She blinked.

"Are you experiencing any severe pain? Is there anything making you uncomfortable?"

The woman remained silent for a moment before giving a small shake of her head.

"That's all right. You don't need to force yourself to speak. You're still recovering."

He offered her a reassuring smile.

"Are you still feeling confused? That's understandable. You've been through a serious accident. I'll inform Mr. Rafaello that you've regained consciousness."

He was about to step away when a faint voice stopped him.

"I..."

Alexandro turned back.

The woman's lips trembled.

"I can't remember anything."

The doctor froze.

"What did you say?"

She looked at him, her amber eyes already filling with tears.

"I can't remember."

Her voice was weak and unsteady.

"My name... I don't know my name. I don't know who I am."

Her lower lip trembled. She bit down on it as if trying to hold back the overwhelming emotions building inside her, but a tear slipped down her cheek.

"I don't remember anything. There's nothing..."

Alexandro watched her carefully.

"You mean you've lost your memory?"

The woman nodded faintly.

"Where am I?" she whispered. "What happened to me?"

"You're in a hospital. You were in an accident. That's all you need to know for now."

For a moment, the doctor said nothing.

He had expected confusion after such severe head injuries. Memory loss was one of the possible consequences, and it was too early to determine whether hers would be temporary or permanent.

But seeing her frightened expression made his heart sink.

"Rest," he said finally, resting a hand lightly on the blanket. "Don't worry about anything. You're safe here."

Leonardo watched from the foot of the bed, saying nothing.

A woman of unknown identity.

A mysterious woman whose injuries had brought one of the most powerful men in the underworld to the edge of panic. A woman for whom Don Rafaello Vescari had demanded that everything possible be done to keep her alive.

And yet...

The very woman he had fought so desperately to save didn't even know who she was.