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I nod, slowly. "But I don't know what to do."
"Stefano, I know you're struggling right now," he begins cautiously. "But your actions have consequences, not just for you, but for all of us. People are scared – and not just the ones who cross you. You're isolating yourself, and it's only making things worse."
"Is that your way of telling me I've become a monster?" I snap, already knowing the answer.
"Perhaps, the way you threaten people, the way you attack those who defy you, it's not a good look," he says, his voice steady despite my outburst.
"But I also believe there's still some part of the man I once knew inside you – the one who cared about people, who wanted to make a difference. It's not too late, Stefano. You can still find your way back."
His words hit me like a punch to the gut, but I don't let it show.
"Maybe you're right," I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. "But first, I need answers from Isabella. Then, maybe, I can find a way to move forward."
"Let's hope so," Leo replies, clapping me on the back as I rise from my seat. "Find a way to let her go," he suggests, placing a hand on my shoulder. "If not for yourself, then for all of us who rely on you, for our familia."
I nod, knowing he's right. Somehow, I need to find a balance between the man I've become and the man I once was – for the sake of my organization and my own sanity. But first, I need answers. And the only person who can provide them is Isabella herself.
I pace up and down my room, wondering if I'm about to make a mistake. While I know I should trust la familia, no matter what, I can't. There's only a few I can trust with a matter this secretive.
A knock on my door. "Come in."
"Salvatore," I greet the nervous man standing before me. "I need you to take care of something for me."
"Of course, boss," he replies, barely meeting my gaze. "What do you need?"
"Find out where Isabella is," I say, my voice cold and commanding. "And bring her to me unharmed."
"Y-Yes, boss," he stammers.
"No one must find out. If I hear a single soul knowing about this hunt, I will have your neck for it."
"Si, boss."
Why can't I just forget about Isabella? I ask myself, clenching my fists until my knuckles turn white. Why does she still haunt me after all this time? Maybe because I've become a monster, and it's all because of her. And she is the only one who can put that monster to rest.
I know that the last words I said to her were that I'd kill her if I see her again, but if I see her again, all I'm going to ask for is answers.
And then I can go back to never seeing her again.
Chapter 41
Isabella
It'sbeenthreeweekssince I was discharged from the hospital. Each day, the pain from the wound heals, and the pain in my heart grows. I always believed people say things in anger, but never really mean it.
I hoped it would have been the same with Stefano when he told me he’d kill me if he saw me.
But I hear he's the Don of the New York Unit now, and he still hasn't called me or made an attempt to see me, which tells me in no uncertain terms that he meant what he said.
I've gone and lost the love of my life, and that kind of pain is one that'll surpass even a hundred bullet wounds.
I sip my wine, trying to get drunk enough to sleep. Without the pills and alcohol, it's difficult to sleep nowadays. The door creaks open and Felix steps in, looking worried.
"Isabella, there's something you need to know," he says, his voice tight with urgency.
I set down my glass and look up at him, searching for answers. "What is it, Felix?"
"Stefano... he's looking for you. And not just him, the New York mafioso – they want revenge for Don Conti's death."
