“Ciao,” the doctor said kindly, offering me a warm smile.
I tried to return it, but it came out weak.My head was spinning, and my throat felt like sandpaper.
“È meglio che la abbassi, sembra che stia per cadere,” he said to Bruno, who immediately steadied me with both hands.
“Come here, tesoro,” Dr.Araldo murmured as he helped guide me toward the hospital bed in the center of the room.“You definitely need treatment.”
He looked to be in his late fifties or early sixties, with kind eyes and a patient face.His white coat hung neatly on his tall frame, a few pens visible in his chest pocket.A stethoscope rested around his neck, his hair was entirely silver, and a clean beard framed his face.The small glasses perched on his nose caught the light every time he moved.
As soon as he positioned me on the bed, my body gave in completely.The soft pillow cradled my head, and my eyes fluttered shut.Within seconds, everything went dark.
A stinging sensation rippled through my body when I came to again.The surface beneath me was so soft, so comfortable, that part of me wanted to slip right back into sleep.I stirred slightly, shifting for a better position before finally opening my eyes — only to find three familiar faces watching me.
One was soft.
One was stern.
And one...was cold.
I blinked a few times to clear my vision, confusion clouding my thoughts.I was back in the little house where I’d first been placed.How did I get here?I was certain I’d been in Dr.Araldo’s room before passing out.
Bruno stood closest to me, Salvatore lingered just a few feet behind him, and farthest back — near the door — stood Alessandro.
He was glaring.
That same glare I remembered too well — sharp, unreadable, and far too heavy to hold.
I was stunned.In nearly a week of being here, Alessandro hadn’t come to see me once.And now, here he was.
With Bruno’s help, I sat up slowly, my tired eyes fixed on Alessandro the whole time.He didn’t move closer.He just watched.
“We nearly lost you, bella,” Bruno chuckled softly, placing a few pillows behind my back.“How are you feeling?”
I nodded weakly, though my attention never left Alessandro.His stare met mine, unflinching, almost daring me to look away.It felt like we were locked in some silent challenge — except I wasn’t trying to challenge him.I was just trying to understand him.
“Good,” Bruno said finally.“You have to eat something.But first...we need to speak to you.”
My body tensed instantly.Conversations that started like that never ended well.
Salvatore stepped forward slightly, his face grave.“Don’t worry,” he said, his tone calm but firm.“We’re not here to hurt you.”
At that, Alessandro looked away — the first movement he’d made since I woke.
“We just want to know what happened.”
The words made my skin prickle.
“What do you mean?”I asked, my voice small, already knowing I wouldn’t like the answer.
Salvatore’s expression didn’t change.“D’Angelo.”
The name hit me like ice water.My breath hitched, and I turned my face away as a tremor ran through my body.
“He’s dead,” I whispered, my hands twisting together in my lap.
“We know, fiore,” Salvatore said quietly.“But we want to know how it happened.”
My throat constricted.My heart pounded.Sweat rolled down my temple.Every nerve screamed at me to lie, to make something up — anything that would make them stop asking.
