The Mafia’s Forbidden Desire

ROSALINDA.

Everyone had gone home, leaving me to my loneliness. I had been watching the news for over an hour now, and I was bored already, but there was nothing more to do. I hated it here.

I had been trying to remember what happened that led to the accident, but my head was blank. The last thing I remembered was that I was supposed to meet Ruby.

Right, Ruby. I was all over the news, and I wondered why she hadn’t visited or called already. She probably hasn’t heard of it. If she knew that I was in the hospital, she would have rushed here that second.

Looking to my side, I picked up the phone that was on the bedside table to call Ruby. Papà had given me another phone through which they could contact me, and luckily, my SIM card was retrieved from my damaged phone and was still working well.

I dialed Ruby’s number, but it wasn’t reachable, and I wondered why. Before I could try her number again, a knock sounded on the door, and the people behind the door didn’t even wait for my permission before pushing the door open and slipping through the door. A man with a bald head and a blonde woman appeared before me.

As they approached me, I wondered who they were. Before I could voice out my thoughts, they flashed their badges at me, introducing themselves.

“I am detective Tony.” The bald guy said before gesturing at the woman. “And this is my partner, detective Sarah.”

I nodded. “How may I help you?”

“We came here to ask you some questions about the accident and-”

“I can’t remember anything.” I cut him off.

“Nothing at all?” He asked, raising a questioning brow.

I shook my head. “Nothing.”

“What is the last thing you can remember?” He asked. I had heard that question a billion times already. The doctor, Papà, and everyone kept asking me that question, and I was really tired of having to answer each time.

Tony suddenly received a phone call and asked me to excuse him before picking it up.

“Good evening, sir.” He said into the phone.

I didn’t know what the person on the other end of the phone said, but he nodded his head and muttered. “Understood sir.”

After the call ended, he darted his gaze at his partner. “We are to report back to the station right now. A suspect has been found.” He informed her, and my eyes widened with curiosity.

“Who?” I quickly asked.

“I don’t know yet. I just got an order to return. Get well soon, Ms. Moretti.” He told me before turning on his heels and walking out of the room, with Sarah walking behind him.

A few seconds after they left, the door dinged open again, and I had expected to see their faces again, but my expectations were wrong. My eyes widened and my heart rate increased as I laid my eyes on the person who slipped into the room.

Antonio.

“What-what-are you doing here?” I stammered.

“Checking up on you, sister-in-law.” He muttered, a small, charming smile playing on his lips as he approached me.

This man. Even though I was not feeling okay, he still managed to exert his effect on me.

“Leave. I don’t want to talk to you.” I muttered as I turned to face the other side of the bed. I still hated him, no matter what.

I waited for his retreating footstep, but it never came. Instead, he exhaled as he slouched on the sofa beside me.

I swiftly turned to look at him, raising a brow. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you busy or something? You can go back to looking for Carlo’s dad, or you could even look for the culprit that tried to kill me and Giovani.”

“The culprit has been caught.” He muttered as he picked up the remote control to change the TV channel.

“You know about it too?” I quickly asked, surprised. “Did the police tell you on their way out?”

He waited for about three seconds before nodding. “Yes.”

“Did they tell you who it was?” I asked as I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain struck my abdomen, causing me to groan in pain.

I tried to sit up again, but Antonio quickly leapt to his feet and held my shoulders, forcing me to lay back.

“Stay down.” He groaned.

My pulse pattered to an uneven beat at his close proximity, his hands on my shoulders causing heat to rush to the pit of my stomach.

“Are you okay?” He asked with his entrancing voice, and I nodded, unable to utter a word.

“I am glad you survived. I was scared of losing you.” He admitted, and my already rapid heart rate accelerated.

Words betrayed me, and I became speechless. As I continued staring at him, with him smiling charmingly at me, I miraculously managed to find my words.

“Have you eaten?” Was the stupid question I blurted out.

He shook his head, his smile still lingering on his lips. “I haven’t. I will when I go back home.”

“I couldn’t finish the food that was brought for me. You can have some.” I offered as I gestured at the food flask that was sitting on the over-bed table.

I tried to stand up to get it, but he swiftly stopped me by holding down my shoulders.

“I would serve myself, Princess.”

Princess? That was unexpected. My cheeks started heating up involuntarily at his words, and I could feel them getting red. Oh, no.

Leaping to his feet, he walked towards the over-bed table to get the food-Brown Rice with Spinach and Parmesan Cheese.

After serving himself, he trudged back to the seat that was beside me and settled on it.

“Mmm. Who made it?” He let out a satisfactory sigh after taking the first spoon.

“Mama.” I told him, and he turned to look at me, satisfaction still glistening in his eyes.

“I guess I would visit your place more often. This is the best I’ve ever had.”

A muffled laughter escaped my throat. “Really? What of your mom’s?”

“My mom?” He chuckled softly. “Let’s not talk about how terrible her cooking skills were.”

“Tell me.” I insisted as I continued to stare amusedly at him.

“You’ll literally vomit if I tell you.” He said, and I couldn’t control myself as I burst into a fit of laughter. My laughter infected him, and echoes of laughter soon filled the room.