When I stepped outside, I ran into Enzo.
"Adriana," he called out, both hands still gripping the doorframe as if he needed something to hold. "The Don said he lost his head over what happened at the hospital today. He told me to ask you not to hold it against him… He'll come to the house later to make it right."
I smiled faintly at him.
"Tell the Don it's all right. And remind him to come home early tonight… I have a surprise waiting for him."
Then I turned and walked away, ignoring the confusion that flashed across Enzo's face.
As I passed the girls' academy, I saw Salvatore up on the stage, holding Bianca by the waist as if she were the most precious treasure in the world. The crowd around me buzzed with talk, the way a room hums before a sit-down.
"Did you hear? Don Moretti and that new teacher, Bianca, just endowed a 'Self-Love' scholarship. Meant to reward girls who know how to respect themselves."
"Isn't that rich? After what happened with his wife… the poor man must be shattered."
"Of course he is. Who wouldn't be, tied to a woman like that?"
I looked up at the banner strung above the stage: the Moretti Scholarship, the Family name laundered clean in gold letters.
How touching. I hope this so-called 'devotion' survives the night.
Later, as the event wound down, Enzo crossed the floor to Salvatore and relayed my message.
"She said it's all right," Enzo told him. "And to come home early. She has a surprise for you."
Hearing that, Salvatore let out a slow breath, a faint smile tugging at his lips. He ran his thumb along the rim of his glass, unhurried.
He was certain of his hold on me. After all, I had nowhere else to go. He believed that even if he crossed the line, I wouldn't dare walk away from the Family that owned me.
Still… he admitted to himself he'd been too harsh. I was his wife.
Tonight, he decided, he would make it up to me.
After a night wrapped in Bianca's arms, he reluctantly began to dress, gently peeling away her clinging hands.
"Be good, Bianca. I'll see you tomorrow—"
Before he could finish, the bell rang. Loud and frantic, cutting through the night like a blade.
Salvatore frowned and moved toward the front door, scowl already set. The moment he opened it, Enzo shoved through, face bloodless, chest heaving.
Enzo threw a glance back to make sure Bianca hadn't followed, then held his breath for a beat before he spoke.
"Boss… something happened…"
Salvatore's expression shifted at once.
"The ones who came for Adriana before… they came back. Broke into the house… worked her over… then set it burning. She's gone."
Enzo's voice cracked as he forced the words out. "The neighbors said the men were shouting that Bianca sent them… And it gets worse, Boss. Adriana… she was carrying. Two lives, Salvatore. Two."
