Chapter 5
1279 Words
Mara
It has been three days since the night my family died. Not only my parent lost their lives,majority of our workers were also dead.
The rain hadn’t stopped since that night.
I sat inside the small cafe waiting for Elena, my best friend. The cafe is tucked away in one of the quiet streets of Florence.
I keep staring at the untouched cocoa mug in front of me.
Since the attack,I have been experiencing an insomnia and anxiety attack.
I haven’t been able to sleep since the attack.
Every time, I try to close my eyes, I keep having nightmares. My mother and father cold dead bodies. Salvatore with his cocky grin and annoying confidence.Despite the fact that our age difference is seven years. We’re like two peas in pod.
My brother is now lying motionless in the hospital.He absolutely hates the hospital.
I squeeze my eyes shut trying to stop my tears.
“Mara”, I opened my eyes hearing Elena’s voice.
Elena then sat across me, dropping her bag on the table before lifting up her head to watch me carefully.
“You haven’t touched your drink.”
“I’m not hungry.”, I said avoiding her eyes.
“I’m fine.”
“No you’re not and you can’t lie to me about being fine.”, Elena said.
Her expression hardened.
“Don’t do that, don’t shut me out,I’m your best friend and I’ll always be there for you forever, you can’t get rid of me.”
She reached across the table and gently took my hand.
“You need to eat, you need to take care of yourself,not only for your sake but for your brother’s sake as well.”
My throat tightened.
“I keep thinking that they’re here and all of this is a nightmare and that I’ll wake up but this isn’t a nightmare, they’re really gone.”
My voice broke, I started hiccuping.
“What did uncle Giovanni mean when he said there’s someone who can help.”
I froze. I pulled my hands away from her and stared through the window.
“Lorenzo Rossi is the person.”
Her face lost its color. “You don’t mean it”
Her face lost its color. “You don’t mean it”
“I wasn’t joking.”
“Mara,he’s dangerous.”
“I know who he is.”
“He’s a ruthless killer,A mafia king.”
“Then why is Gio advising you to go to him.”
He’s the only one who can help Ellie, I don’t have a choice.
I finally looked at her. I had visited him and he offered me a deal.
“What??,and you’re just informing me”, she screeched.
Her eyebrows drew together.
“What kind of deal?”
I swallowed.He offered me a marriage deal.
Elena stared at me,then burst into laughter.
“I couldn’t believe my ear.”, she said.
“Don’t tell you have started comedy show yet.”
“He wants me to marry him,he needs wife”
“Why would he need wife.”
“He has a daughter.”
I remembered Angelina toothy grin.
“She’s five .He’s said she needs a mother figure.”
“I need his protection and his support while he needs my help to raise his daughter and become his wife.”
Elena’s expression changes.”So this isn’t a real marriage, just business arrangement.”
I looked down at my hand.
“Some of the shareholders are looking for a way to kick me out of the company,they’re saying that they don’t trust my leadership.”
Her eyes widened.”Those piss of s**t,how could they?,You have not even been buried, they’re looking for a way to overthrow your company.”
She then lowered her voice,you can’t marry a man like Lorenzo because you’re desperate.
“I don’t have a choice, I’ll have to negotiate the deal to suit me.”
She fell silent.
I looked at her intensely.
“My parents, my grandparents spent years building the empire. If I lose it during this terrifying period, then everything my parents sacrificed means nothing.”
Elena reached across the table to hold my hands.
“You have lost your parents,Salvatore is lying in a coma in the hospital , we don’t know when he’ll wake up.You are being attacked left and right.”
Her voice softened, you don’t have to shouldered it alone.I’m always here for you .
“ I honestly don’t know what else to do.”
Elena wiped my tears.
“Then don’t decide today.”
My phone suddenly rang.
The sound startled me so bad, that I nearly dropped my phone.
I glanced at the screen.
St.Alessandro Hospital
“Why is the hospital calling, has he wake up.”
My heart leaps at the possibility of him waking up.
“Hello,Mara De Luca, This is Nurse Eliza. I’m the nurse assigned to your brother.”
Is my brother okay, I asked.
There was brief silence on the other side.
“We had an incident at our side.”
My stomach churned.
“What happened”
There was an attempted abduction”
For some seconds, I couldn’t breathe.
“Someone tried to gain access to your brother’s room.They managed to get past the security checkpoints, but the hospital security intervened before they could reach him.”
Is Salvatore okay, is he safe.
“Yes, he has been provided with an additional security and we have moved him to a more exclusive room.”
A shaky breath escaped from my mouth.
“He wasn’t harmed or anything.”, she continued.
Relief washed over me quickly .
“Thank you,thank you, I really appreciate “
“What about the culprit”
“He cut himself with a scalpel ,when he realized that he can’t escaped.”
“Oh!!”
The culprit is the only link to the perpetrator , now it’s a dead end.
The fact that the culprit killed himself, this is more than I imagined. The brain box behind the m******e is lurking around .
“We’re increasing precautions around the room .”
“I understand, thank you Nurse Eliza”
The call ended.
Elena was already standing.
“What happened”, she asked.
“Someone tried to take Salvatore from the hospital.”
Her face went pale. I know that she’s in love with Salvatore, although she likes to deny it.
I nodded. He was almost kidnapped from the hospital.
“Oh my Goodness, is he alright “
“What about the person that tried to kidnap him, is he arrested “
“He killed himself with a scalpel.”
Elena hugged me, trying to console me but ended up crying with me.
I looked out towards the window.
My parents were dead.
The only person who could possibly give an insight to what happened that night was lying unconscious at the hospital.
If they were able to take him, we might never know what happened that unfortunate night.
This wasn’t about saving the De Luca empire, this is about saving my brother’s life. I have made my decision, I hope it won’t backfire on me.
Elena watched.”You have made your decision.” She pointed out the unsaid words.
I nodded slowly.
I looked down at my phone.
My fingers hovered over the screen.
Then I typed .
Im accepting your proposal but one condition, we must meet face to face when signing it.
My thumb pressed send.
The message delivered instantly.
Three dots appeared.
Then his reply appeared.
Very Good, princess
From this moment henceforth, you are under my protection.
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