“Nice to meet you here, Carlos! Let’s catch up! I have a good proposition for you. Get inside my car!” said Luigi, as he stopped a few feet away from him. “Why don’t you get into my car instead?” said Carlos, still on high alert. “Ask your men to step back,” Luigi asked his men to stay in the car while he followed Carlos into his. Carlos climbed into his car, but he was on high alert in case Luigi’s men attacked him. There was no trusting Luigi and his men. “So, how have you been, Carlos? I heard you’ve been searching for your cousin?” asked Luigi with a crooked grin. Carlos wanted to smash his crooked face into a pulp, but he took a deep breath to calm himself down. “Yes, I am. Let’s come to the point, Luigi. What do you want from me? Why are you tailing me?” he demanded, not in the least perturbed by Luigi’s awareness of his motive. “I can help you rescue Matteo if you help me kill Don.” His request didn’t surprise him at all. “How can I believe you?” he asked instead. “You h
Inside Di Salvo’s Mansion/Headquarters, Hammam Al Agzaz, Tunisia, Africa. “Don will arrive here any minute,” said a guard of the dungeon. “Here? Are you sure? He hasn’t been here for the last five years,” said another guard in disbelief. “He has some work here. He will stay the night.” Matteo strained his ears, listening with interest as he carried the empty food trolley back to the kitchen. So, Di Salvo will be here tonight. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for. It was now or never. He had to take his revenge on the man. For the last five years, he trudged on like an automaton with only one hope. Revenge! He was mentally unstable, but he meditated every day to keep his sanity.“Matteo, make Don’s special breakfast tomorrow morning. He will leave afterward,” said the guard. Matteo nodded, a plan forming in his head. They would open the prison lock to allow him access to Don’s kitchen. He wouldn’t eat food cooked in the dungeon’s dirty kitchen.“Open the lock. I need t
Carlos, and Donovan accompanied Matteo out of the house for the first time since Mariano came to power. “It’s such a beautiful morning!” said Matteo, breathing in the fresh air outside the house. “Yes, it is. So do you remember me? I’m Carlos Sorrento. We’re both related to Evita, your cousin.” Matteo smiled and shook his head. “No, I don’t remember you now but maybe I will soon.” “Yes, I’m sure you will. This is Donovan, my best buddy. We both used to work for Don long ago. Do you remember your cousin, Rafael? He died, but he too used to work with us.”“Good that Rafael died,” said Matteo as they walked down to the main gates. Carlos immediately turned towards him with a frown. “Do you remember Rafael?”“I don’t remember distinctly but I think I’ve heard the name a million times. He harmed someone close to me.”“Yes, he harmed your wife’s family. They died in the accident he was in. It’s a long story,” said Carlos, not going into the details now. “Do you remember your Mama, your
“Emilia has gone to the school nearby to drop the children off,” said his Mama, wiping her eyes. “Children?” asked Matteo in confusion. “Yes. We have been blessed with two baby girls, your daughter, Mariella, and Marco’s daughter, Angela.” “I remember Angela! She was tiny when I last saw her,” said Matteo with a smile. It was strange that the moment he saw them, he started remembering his past. “Wow! Your memory is coming back, Matteo. It’s a great sign,” said Brandon. “I’m sure he will remember everything soon,” said Carlos’s uncle. “We will leave now, Mrs. Ricci. The paperwork is complete. You are free to return home. Both mafia leaders are dead and their gang has been arrested.” They thanked the officers profusely before they left. “We will go back to Sicily, to your Pápa’s house,” said their Mama. “You can stay at my house for a few days before you leave, Aunt Bianca,” offered Carlos. “Thank you, Carlos, but I want to go home now. It’s been so long since we lived there,”
This time, the kiss was hungrier and more passionate than earlier. It had finally sunk into their brain that they found a second chance with one another. It was truly a blessing that a few fortunate ones had. After losing all hopes of reuniting with one another, they just couldn’t get enough of the other. The entire world ceased to exist around them. It was just the two of them and their feelings for one another. “I don’t know how I lived without you, Emilia!” he said, at least breaking the kiss and pulling her close to his chest. She could hear his heartbeats pounding inside his rib cage. “It still feels like a dream, Matteo. Do you know we have a baby girl? She’s now five!” “Yes, Mariella?” Amelia gaped at him with a surprised smile on her face.“How did you know about her?” “I met Mama, Marco, and Viola before you arrived.” “Oh, that was why Viola called me five times when I was in Mariella’s school.”“Will Mariella accept me? I kinda look scary now!” said Matteo with a ruefu
In an hour, they wrapped up all the work at home and went out to fetch the girls. Matteo grabbed Amelia’s hand, and for the first time in years, they got a taste of their newfound freedom. Life was indeed beautiful, and they had wasted a lot of years in captivity, in constant fear of death. But not anymore! They were now free to live life the way they wanted.With every step he took toward his daughter’s school, Matteo’s heart filled up with apprehension. Would Mariella accept him in her life? Would she love him as Angela loved Marco? He had wanted to be in her life but was helpless! At five, would she understand his inadequacies? He gripped Amelia’s hand, having second thoughts now about this meeting. What if she insulted him in front of the entire school? “What’s wrong, Matteo? We’ll be late. Mariella’s dispersal is fifteen minutes earlier than Angela’s. I have to hurry to collect both on time. We will then visit the administrative office.” Matteo released her hand and stood near
“Why not? Don’t you want to start Synergist?” asked Amelia in surprise. “Not yet. I want to concentrate on my children. I have three,” said Genelia proudly. “I too have three. I’ll bring them the next time we meet,” said Brooklyn. Matteo, Marco, Marcello, and their Mama joined them soon. “You can keep Dad’s money, Amy. I will shift to South Africa near Brandon’s place soon. I’ve applied for a senior position in a prestigious hospital there,” said Ryan. “Are you both sure? I’ll divide the money and transfer your shares to you.” Viola brought the girls into the room and Amelia introduced them to her guests. “So, when are you shifting to Sicily?” asked Carlos. “In a couple of days. We still haven’t booked the flight tickets,” said Marco. “I could drop you on our way back home. I have my private jet. We’re returning to Napa Valley, California, a day later,” said Nikolas. “That would be great, Nikolas. I don’t want to stay here for so many days. We’ll go with you,” said their Mama.
The next day, Evita visited them with her son, Riccardo. Not once did she mention Rafael during the entire time she stayed in their house. Amelia felt bad for her. She was quite nice and didn’t deserve a man like Rafael who destroyed her life. “You should move on, my dear. You can’t live alone all your life,” said Matteo’s Mama. “I’m working in a multinational company now as a PA to the CEO. I’ve moved on, Aunt Bianca.” “I meant it on a personal front. Rafael didn’t marry you despite everything. I think you should marry a nice young man and settle down.” “I am marrying my boss next month, Aunt Bianca. He loves me and Riccardo. No one has ever loved me the way he does. I’m glad I met someone like him,” said Evita, and they felt relieved that she found the happiness she deserved. “What’s his name?” asked Marco with avid interest. “Leonardo Bernardi.” “Ah, Leo? He’s a gem of a guy!” said Marco with a satisfied grin. “Do you know him?” asked Evita with surprise. “Yes, he’s Viola’