Backed by the murmured encouragement of the adults around him, the little boy broke free from his parents' hold and rushed toward me. Before I could react, he grabbed my hand and sank his teeth into it. Hard. The pain shot through me instantly, sharp and raw, and he didn't let go.
"Hey—" someone gasped, but no one stepped in.
The more gently Adriana crouched beside him, coaxing him in a soft, soothing voice, the deeper his teeth seemed to press into my skin, as if her words only fueled his stubbornness. Her tone was all concern, all patience, the picture of kindness.
"Sweetheart, let go… okay? You're scaring me," she murmured, reaching out but never quite pulling him away.
I stood there, frozen.
I couldn't exactly push a child off me. Couldn't raise my voice. Couldn't defend myself without looking like the villain they already believed I was.
So I swallowed everything.
Swallowed the pain. Swallowed the humiliation.
"I'm sorry," I said quietly, forcing the words out as evenly as I could. "I'm sorry, okay?"
The boy finally loosened his grip, stepping back, still sniffling. My hand throbbed where his teeth had broken the skin, a dull, pulsing ache that quickly turned wet.
But Salvatore wasn't satisfied.
He didn't notice the blood slowly seeping from the bite mark. Didn't notice the way my fingers trembled slightly from the pain. Didn't even glance at me properly.
All he cared about was salvaging someone else's dignity.
He reached out and grabbed my arm just as I turned to leave.
"Elena," he said sharply, his grip tightening. "Apologize. To Adriana."
Adriana immediately put on that same gentle, self-effacing expression, tugging lightly at his sleeve as if trying to stop him. One finger drifted to the pearl at her throat and touched it, barely, the way someone checks a pin before walking into a room full of cameras.
"Salvatore, it's fine," she said softly. "Really, it's not a big deal. I'm okay." She paused, lowering her gaze with perfect timing. "It's just the little boy… he got hurt, and he's probably scared."
Her words were modest.
Her tone was forgiving.
And yet, they only made everything worse.
Salvatore's attention shifted instantly.
His eyes dropped to the back of her hand, where a faint red mark had formed—barely noticeable, nothing compared to the blood on mine.
But to him, it was everything.
Something in his expression softened, almost pained.
Then, just as quickly, it hardened again as he turned back to me.
Before I could react, he grabbed my injured hand and shoved it straight into the bowl of hot soup that had just been set on the table.
The heat hit me instantly.
The soup wasn't boiling, but it was scalding enough. At least sixty degrees, maybe more. The broth soaked into the fresh bite wound, salt and heat combining into a sharp, searing pain that shot up my arm like an electric current.
My entire body jerked.
A gasp tore out of me before I could stop it.
The pain was unbearable.
It spread, burned, throbbed, every nerve screaming at once. My fingers curled involuntarily, trembling as I tried to pull back, but his grip held me in place for a second longer. A Don's grip. The kind that didn't negotiate.
"Elena, what is wrong with you?" Salvatore hissed, his voice low but cutting. "You need to be taught a lesson."
My vision blurred slightly from the pain.
Still, I looked up at him.
"Is that who I am to you?" I asked quietly, my teeth clenched so tightly they ached.
I already knew the answer.
But I still asked.
Maybe some part of me hadn't fully given up yet.
Around us, the whispers grew louder. The other diners at the Family-friendly trattoria weren't even pretending to look away anymore.
"Wait… so which one is his actual woman?"
"Are you blind? Obviously the one he's protecting."
"Yeah, look at them. Matching everything, couple photos on their phones… it's obvious."
Their voices weren't even hushed anymore.
Their gazes shifted toward me, heavy with something worse than judgment.
Pity.
"Hey, man, enough is enough," someone at a nearby table muttered. "Another few seconds and you're going to boil her hand off."
Only then did Salvatore hesitate.
I stood there, my lips pale, my body still trembling slightly from the pain, and yet, somehow, I was smiling.
A faint, fragile smile.
I looked straight at him.
And for the first time, something flickered in his eyes.
Unease.
Just for a moment.
Then he let go.
He released my hand as if nothing had happened, reached for Adriana instead, and took her by the arm.
"Let's go," he said quietly.
And just like that, he walked away with her.
Didn't look back.
Didn't say another word.
When I got home, the apartment felt colder than usual. The hallway was dark, the deadbolt still set from the inside the way he always left it, as though security mattered more than the person locked within.
A notification popped up on my phone.
He had ordered a box of burn ointment for me through a delivery service.
I stared at it for a long moment before opening the message that came with it.
