Chapter 5
I didn’t want to go to the hospital.
He brought me back to the hotel penthouse, where the housekeeper helped me shower and change.
By the time I stepped out, the private doctor had already arrived.
Once the IV was in place, the room was silent, just the two of us. We could hear each other’s
breathing.
“Thank you, Don Vitelli.” I spoke first, my voice dry and hoarse.
“Here. Drink.” He picked up a glass of water and guided the straw to my lips.
My eyes stung.
“How did you… just suddenly…” I trailed off.
He smiled. “I came to the U.S. on business last week. Today I had a day off, so I went for a walk.”
“Fate works in strange ways, doesn’t it?”
I nodded.
Inever imagined I’d see him again-especially not under these circumstances.
Cynthia and I had been college roommates. She rented a place off-campus and rarely stayed in the
dorm.
Halfway through the semester, I woke up early one weekend to work a part-time job.
It disturbed another roommate’s sleep and caused some friction.
Cynthia saw it and immediately said, “Move in with me. You don’t have to pay rent.”
I felt a little embarrassed and turned her down, thanking her.
She was angry. “I just didn’t like them. I liked you, we clicked, I wanted to be your friend. You just
had to say yes or no!”
I was touched and nodded.
Salvatore Vitelli had been set up as a blind date for Cynthia by her family.
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Cynthia dragged me along to the dinner. There, Salvatore kept his eyes on me the entire time.
After the meal, he handed me his business card.
I realized then that he was not only an old friend of my late father’s but also the Don of the most historic and ruthless mafia family in Seville. The well-known mafia king in Italy.
I was afraid to interact with him, worried Cynthia would be upset-but she didn’t care.
“I don’t like him anyway. Forget about his leg. He’s a decent guy otherwise.”
“If you two hit it off, I’m taking credit for setting you up.”
But my gut told me something was off, so I ignored Salvatore’s advances.
A week later, Cynthia was fuming and called him every name in the book.
She found a photo of him with his late first love. The girl looked a lot like me.
“That explains why he kept staring at you that day and gave you his card.”
“He thought you looked like her. Did you know he lost his leg trying to save her?”
Cynthia used my phone to give him a scolding, then blocked him completely.
Later, on the third anniversary of my relationship with Orlando, we went to a French restaurant and
ran into Salvatore.
He looked surprised to see me, but only gave a slight nod and smile before passing by.
And now… today.
He carried himself with an even more composed, mature demeanor.
His voice and expression were gentle, but there was still a quiet pressure about him.
“Do
you want to tell me what happened? I have a feeling you won’t be able to sleep tonight.”
He said nothing more, just waited.
I was silent for a long moment.
Then, as if telling someone else’s story, I told him everything in two or three minutes.
He didn’t say anything.
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“Can I borrow your phone for a moment? My sister might worry if she can’t reach me.”
He handed me the phone and then stepped outside.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
