Alessandro is not dead.
Alessandro was not dead.
To say I was shocked was an understatement — I was petrified.My heart pounded violently in my chest as my body trembled.For years, I had believed Alessandro was gone, but now...
I was terrified, because I was convinced these past five years that Alessandro was dead — and to find out now that he isn’t really made me tremble with fear.
I moved away from the door and began to saunter toward Mom’s room, my mind spinning with confusion.If Alessandro was alive, why didn’t he come looking for me?Why had he stayed away all these years?I was so lost in thought that I didn’t even realize how pale I’d become until I reached Mom’s room.The moment she saw me, her eyes widened and she quickly stood up from her bed, rushing to my side.
“Cara, Dio mio...”she gasped, guiding me to sit down.“Are you okay?You look very unwell.”
“Mom,” I whispered, my voice shaking as I swallowed hard, “Alessandro didn’t die that day.”My throat felt dry and tight as I looked at her over my shoulder.“H-he’s alive.”
The words tore something open inside me, and I broke down, crying so hard that my body trembled.The realization hit me like a tidal wave — I had spent the past five years mourning Alessandro, believing he was gone, when in reality...he wasn’t.
“What?”Her reaction mirrored mine — complete shock.She wrapped her arms around me, shaking her head in disbelief.“Ariana, calm down.You know this is good news, right?It’s a good thing that Alessandro is alive, no?”
“Yes, Mom...it definitely is,” I sobbed, clutching her arms tightly, “but I have this life with Nicola that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get away from.And I’m also carrying a child that doesn’t belong to Alessandro!”
Mom’s expression hardened, her eyes filled with determination.“Oh, Ariana, there is something you must do right away before it’s too late.”She pulled back from our embrace and cupped my face in her hands, her palms warm against my chilled skin.She kissed my forehead and looked into my eyes.“Listen to me.You are going to get out of this, no matter the circumstances.Do you hear me?”
“How?”I croaked, shaking my head weakly.“It’s impossible.”
“Do you want to get married to Nicola?”she asked sharply, her voice commanding.
I looked up at her, meeting her eyes — they were filled with both rage and resolve.
“No,” I whispered, shaking my head.“I don’t want to marry him at all.”
“Then we are definitely going to get out of here.Do you understand?”
In that moment, it felt like Mom was my savior — the only one who could pull me out of this nightmare before it consumed me completely.And she was right.If I married Nicola, my life would be ruined forever.
I nodded, holding onto that fragile spark of hope.Maybe, just maybe, this would work.
Well, I hoped it did, because I was running out of options.And on the other hand, I had to act quickly.
I had to go ahead of Nicola — before he caught up to me.
