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Suddenly, I hear wood splintering around me. Rafaele screams and lets me go. I turn around, clutching my throat to soothe it and see Romola in his grip, her eyes wide with fear. She just smacked a chair over his head.
Rafaele holds her by her waist and raises his fist at her face, but before he can make contact, I lunge at his back, pulling him off her.
He runs backward, slamming me against the wall before jumping forward. I fall to the ground, and he comes running at me with a kick, but I slide out my right leg and raise my knee, making him fall on the ground beside me.
"Is this how you defend what’s yours?" Rafaele sneers, landing a kick to my face that sends my head whipping backward. As much as it hurts, I refuse to let him win.
”I’m just getting warmed up,” I smirk, sitting back up and wiping away the blood trickling from my lips.
With one final burst of energy, I launch myself at Rafaele, bringing him to his feet by the lapels of his collar, catching him off guard. I then land a reverse kick on his abdomen. He doubles over with a groan, and just then, I raise a punch to his jaw, sending him flying back.
He does a summersault in the air before falling to the ground. With big strides, I close the gap between us and grab a bottle of water from the side. I slam it on his head. His eyes go wide as blood trickles down his forehead, and then, he falls to the ground - unconscious. Exhaustion doesn’t stop me from smiling triumphantly.
But there's no time to celebrate.
"Romola!" I call out, rushing to her side. She stands dead still, not moving, her eyes brimming with tears as I make my way to her. "Are you alright?" I ask, taking her hands in mine.
"I am now," she replies, her voice shaking. Her gaze meets mine, and I see the fear and guilt in her eyes. “Why?” she whispers, and I know exactly what she means to ask.
“Because I’ve had a glimpse into your heart,” I lean forward, resting my head on her forehead. “Are you certain you’re alright?”
“I’ll live,” she whispers back. I nod and pull away from hers, making a mental note to have her checked by a doctor once all this is over. I see some bruises on her arms and some cuts on her face. I know she’s been pushed around.
While I want to ask her a million questions, I know we're not out of danger yet. I glance back at the unconscious Rafaele, knowing that he won't be down for long.
"Come on," I urge Romola. "Help me tie him up. Do we have some rope around here?”
Romola rushes to her right and gets on the floor. I see her bring over some used rope. I take it in my hands and give her a curious glance.
“It’s mine … earlier today…,” she whimpers, looking away.
I nod, knowing full well what she means, and it enrages me to know she was put through that. Now, we both understand the horror that comes with being bound and helpless.
"It's all over," I assure her, trying to offer her some comfort. "We're safe, at least for now."
I tie Rafaele’s hands behind his back while Romola works on his feet.
As we each focus on our task, I ask her the inevitable - "Romola, why did you get involved with someone like Rafaele?"
She hesitates for a moment before answering. "I didn't have a choice," she admits, her voice cracking. "My father and I perform the magic show at the circus. Somehow, Rafaele found out that we sometimes did small jobs on the side, you know.” She shrugs her frail shoulders and looks at me apologetically.
“Rafaele hired us to steal a diamond for him, saying it was his birthright. We didn’t know you back then. We thought you were just like him, another mafia thug. Rafaele’s offer was more than generous, well worth any risk, and besides, we have never been caught on any of our previous heists.”
A tear comes to her eye, and she wipes it away. “Father was working so hard, and with everything going wrong at the bakery…I just knew he would never be able to retire in peace. This was supposed to be our ticket out.
“Was?” I focus on the word, my hands turning cold.
Her breath hitches in her throat. “Was,” she whispers. “He murdered my father. Never returned the body. He told me he’d do the same to me if I didn’t succeed in bringing him your half of the diamond. And I know what he did to Papa…” she goes pale in the face.
"Your father's murder?" I repeat, my heart pounding in my chest. I had known that Romola's father had been killed, but hearing her tell me Rafaele killed him sends a chill down my spine. “Did you watch it happen?”
"Yes," she whispers, tears streaming down her cheeks. “They made me watch every second of his torture and then took him away to shoot him dead.”
"Dio mio," I say, my voice barely above a whisper. "I'm so sorry, Romola. No one should have to endure that.”
She looks up at me, her eyes bloodshot and swollen from crying. I want to gather her in my arms and comfort her, but I know we must move quickly before Rafaele regains consciousness.
“Romola,” I whisper, reaching over and taking her hand in mine. She looks up at me, surprise etched on her face. “I forgive you, cara mia. I forgive you with all my heart. You tried to save your life. Who wouldn’t, given what you were threatened with?”
