“Thanks,” I said, the words feeling too heavy on my tongue.
I stared at the package, trying to regain my composure, but Rachel had one last thing for me. “The deliveries,” she said quietly. “They’re all done. We’ve got the footage from the video.”
I felt a tightness in my chest as she pulled up the clip on her phone. The flowers, the cake, the gifts—all of it. And there she was, a smile so bright, so full of joy. Her hands flew to her face as she saw the peonies, her tears falling, her voice trembling.“Oh mio Dio, per me?55”Her excitement was palpable, and she kept repeating it, not quite believing someone cared enough to do all of that.
I clenched my jaw, fighting the sob that threatened to break free. I didn’t want to cry, didn’t want to let anyone see how much this was killing me. But I couldn’t stop myself.
Rachel paused, then spoke cautiously, as if testing the waters. “Not to be out of turn, but... is she...?”
I knew what she was asking. I knew the question she wanted to ask. And I didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
The word hung in the air, heavy with everything we both knew. It was the truth. Nina was always going to be the one. She had been the one from the very start.
The rest of the ride to Milan was silent. The sound of the car’sengine and the distant noise of the road were all I could hear as my thoughts spun in endless circles, all of them centered on Nina.
I pulled out the crochet from the bag, the one thing that kept my hands busy, kept my mind from going wild. I didn’t want to think, but I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t ever stop thinking about her.
So, I kept my hands moving, focusing on the soft yarn between my fingers. The only thing I could do was keep her near. The only thing I could hold on to.
Chapter Twenty-nine
RONAN
Present Day
NEW YORK CITY
“The contractor is here,” Rachel informed me. “Should I have him come in? Or wait?”
I sat upright, removing my bush jacket. “Have him enter, please, and stay as well.”
She nodded and left, returning with Mr. Lenworth Anglin from Dillon’s real estate and construction company a few seconds later.
“Good morning,” I greeted, leaning over my desk to shake his hand.
“Good morning, Dr. Romano,” he responded. “It’s a pleasureto be here.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” I said, gesturing for them to sit as I passed him a folder. “I need the property listed in that folder turned into a boutique in less than three weeks,” I stated, aware of the tight deadline.
Nina was set to leave the city today and return sometime within the next month. I wasn’t sure how long her next visit would be, but I estimated more than a week and less than three. This project needed to be completed by then.
“Less than three weeks?” he asked, a hint of shock in his tone. “It can be done, but it will require expedited efforts and substantial resources.”
“My assistant, Rachel, will be in contact with you, and money isn’t an issue. I need it done within the specified time frame.”
“We’ll need more details, as well as a walk-through, but yes, it can be done.”
A wave of relief washed over me. “Perfect. Rachel will send you the details within the next hour.”
“That would be amazing. Thank you, Dr. Romano.”
“The pleasure is mine,” I replied. He exited the office while Rachel stayed behind to receive all the necessary details. Then, I headed to the hospital, which was particularly busy today.
I entered the treatment room where Ms. Leann sat awaiting her chemotherapy. I had been caring for her for months now, and each day without improvement felt like a dagger to my heart. Despite our best efforts—she had quit her taxing job and was meticulously following her medication regimen—the cancer was spreading faster than I had anticipated.
She sat upright, looking as pleasant as ever as I approached to administer her Gemcitabine injection.
“It’ll only pinch for a second,” I said, bracing her for the momentary pain.
