“Oh, is everything okay?” the nurse asked her while checking her IV bags.
“No, everything isnotokay. I want him to leave,” she repeated.
The nurse sent me a nervous glance, and I smirked.
“What’s so funny?” Gigi asked, looking between us.
“I own this hospital.”
Her eyes bugged out like a cartoon character’s. “What? Are you serious?”
“Yes, I’m serious. You can hate me, but I will never stop loving you. I’ll leave for now, but I am not giving up,” I promised.
She didn’t say anything, but I could sense her eyes following me as I walked out the door.
The cold winter air seemed to creep into the room, matching the chill in my heart as I glanced out the window, my gaze fixed on the falling snowflakes.
My eyes wandered to the right, landing on the white roses perched on the windowsill, courtesy of Nico. I remembered the first time he gave me roses and the handwritten note he left behind. It was a reminder that there was no escaping him.
I let out a sigh and glanced toward the clock hanging on the wall above the television. An hour had passed since Nico’s departure, and what the nurse said about him never once leaving my side while I was unconscious echoed in my mind. It should have sent warmth fluttering through my heart, but it just enraged me even more. My emotions were torn between anger and a desperate need for comfort. One minute I wanted to kick him in the dick, and the other to fall into his arms.
But he fucking betrayed me, treating me as if I were one of his enemies. I guess our love wasn’t strong enough to withstandwhat he’d done. How could he possibly think we could just pick up where we left off as if nothing had happened? The audacity of that man was staggering.
Someone knocked at the door, and when it opened, a familiar face brought a smile to my lips.
“Hi, Enzo.”
He grinned. “Can I come in?” he asked.
“Yes, please.”
He walked into the room and settled beside my bed. I couldn’t help but notice how different he looked. Gone was the guard uniform, replaced by fitted jeans, a crisp dress shirt, and a leather jacket.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“I’m okay,” I replied, forcing a small smile.
He nodded, a solemn expression crossing his features.
“What’s going on? Did you find…Massimo?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Not yet, but we’re doing everything we can to track him down.”
I let out a heavy sigh, sinking my head back into the pillow. I was so ready for this nightmare to end, to start piecing my life back together.
“Gigi. There is something you need to know and I would rather you hear it from me.”
When a conversation begins with “there is something you need to know,” it rarely leads to anything good. “What is it?” I inquired with hesitation.
He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath as if bracing himself for my reaction. When he opened them, he said, “I’m not Nico’s guard.”
My brows furrowed in confusion. “I don’t understand.”
He ran a hand down his face, clearly feeling the weight of what he was about to tell me. “I’m an FBI agent with RICO. I’vebeen working undercover to expose Mayor Walsh and his illicit activities.”
“You’re… you’re serious?” I felt the ground shift beneath me. “You were a spy?”
“Not exactly,” he clarified quickly. “Working for Nico was my only way into that world and my best shot at getting close to Walsh and shut down his operation.”
