“Alex? Where did you find him? Who are you? Why did you kidnap our child?” asked Megan hysterically, rushing forward to take Alex from his arms. “Mom, I’m fine now. This uncle saved me from the bad men,” sobbed Alex, clinging to his mom. “I’m Andy Stewart. I’m the cab driver who brought his uncle here in the evening, but we witnessed your child’s kidnapping. We tailed the Honda Civic to Kensington Avenue and rescued the child. The criminals wanted his uncle. I didn’t wish to leave him there, but he was adamant. I’ve informed the local police and they will rescue him.” Megan scoffed, not believing his story. “Are you sure you aren’t involved in this for money?” she asked, carrying Alex inside. “I wouldn’t have risked my life and helped his uncle rescue him. I wouldn’t have brought him home in that case, but called you for a hefty ransom,” said the cab driver. “Uncle? What’s his name?” asked Amelia with wide eyes. Did he mean Matteo? “I didn’t ask his name, but I have an audio rec
“That’s what we’re trying to find. We have checked the traffic cameras at the Kensington Avenue Somerset Street Crossing. A white Nissan Rogue crossed the place once at 8:10 in the evening and back the same way at 8:55. We have two witnesses who have seen the car near the alley. The traffic control department is hunting for the car. Surely, it’s the one that took Matteo away from the crime scene.” Ryan massaged had temples as they looked like a lost case to him. It didn’t look like Matteo was alive. “Have you checked at the nearby hospitals for a critical patient with a gunshot wound?” “Yes, we have checked all the hospitals in the neighboring bureaus. There’s no news of Matteo. Maybe they’ve changed his name and admitted him somewhere if he’s alive. We have scanned the neighborhood for his body too. There’s no news so far. I’ll call you if there’s an update.” Ryan couldn’t face his sister after disconnecting the call. “What did he say? Have they found him yet?” asked Amelia, her e
Amelia gave birth to a healthy baby girl after eight hours. Matteo’s Mama had tears of happiness in her eyes when she held Matteo’s baby for the first time in her arms. The next day, Amelia returned home with her baby and they named her Mariella. Every time Amelia stared at Mariella's honey-hued baby eyes, her own filled up with tears. She looked so much like her dad. If only Matteo could see the angel who had come into their lives.“I wish Matteo could see her!” Amelia said, with tears in her eyes. They all sighed, trying not to break down in front of her.“No one wants to open the case without evidence. I will hire a private investigator if you want, but that will cost a fortune,” said Marco. “How much will it cost?” asked Amelia. “I’ll find out and get back. We can jointly bear the cost.” They approached a very efficient PI with an impeccable track record, Michael Shelby. He collaborated with Amelia, who still hadn’t given up hope. After a fortnight, Marco received a terminatio
Two days later, Matteo left for Spain with Di Salvo and Luca to kill the enemy. He still didn’t get back his memory, despite trying his best to remember. Therefore, he totally depended on these two for the details. Many times he had the feeling they were keeping things from him, but he hardly spoke to them more than the bare minimum. It was futile to ask them much, as they avoided divulging information about him. Matteo longed to know about his family, but mostly he longed to know about Emilia. But whom could he ask?They stayed in Madrid for two days to take an overview of the situation. Di Salvo engaged his spies to give him a rough idea of Luigi’s whereabouts. “Luigi has five armed men always around him. It would be difficult to outwit them and get to him. We need to plan this well,” said Di Salvo, watching a video of Luigi walking out of a busy commercial building to his car. “Tomorrow, Luigi will be here in Madrid to strike a weapon deal. You can attack him then. I’ll forward t
They climbed into Greco's car waiting outside when gunshots rang in the air. “Quick, Greco! Drive faster!” yelled Di Salvo, looking behind his shoulder at the two men chasing them. Greco sped away just in time and Matteo released a breath of relief. “I’ve completed the mission, Don. You promised to release me,” reminded Matteo.“Not yet. I’ll release you only when Luigi is dead.” For the next ten days, they had no information on Luigi. Even Greco didn’t know if he was alive. Di Salvo mourned his brother’s death every evening, drinking until midnight and crying for him. He was the only one the Don was close to. This time, two men stood constant guard outside their house. “Don, we have to vacate in five minutes. Luigi’s men have located us. They’ll attack us anytime!” said Greco, rushing in. Within minutes, they jumped into a car and escaped the place. On the way, Greco received a call that Luigi was alive and had attacked the house they were staying in. “We escaped just in time. L
Florence, Italy“Mrs. Ricci, there’s someone who wants to meet you,” said Officer De Felice of the Direzione Investigativa Antimafia (Anti-Mafia Investigation Division). Amelia was instantly on her guard. “Who is it, officer?” she grabbed her five-year-old daughter instinctively. “Someone called Evita Ricci.” Amelia’s eyes widened with surprise. Who could she be? Was she related to Matteo? Hope filled her heart, and she left Mariella with Matteo’s Mama and followed the officer to the visitor’s lounge. The last five years had been quite traumatic for them. Four years ago, after a failed kidnapping attempt by Luigi and his men in New York, they had been having a tough time coping. Sensing more danger ahead of them, Marco came over to take them to Florence with him. He had landed a good job in Florence and had just settled down when Luigi attacked again. This time he sent a deadly bomb in a parcel. It was Marcello's timely intervention that saved them. After a few days, Amelia survi
Amelia’s eyes filled up with happy tears. Her little sister, at last, had found the happiness she deserved. She was glad Brandon pursued her and married her after so many years. “Why are they coming here? Do they know I live here?” asked Amelia with dread. With her own life under a threat, she didn’t want to meet anyone. She didn’t want to endanger their lives as well. “No. They'll be here to attend Carlos’ wedding and to celebrate their first anniversary, maybe. Even Brandon’s twin, Brooklyn and her husband, are coming over. Don’t you know? She’s your best friend,” said Evita. Evita’s words surprised Amelia. How did she know everything about her? Then how did she not know anything about Matteo? Or did she? Could she help? “I didn’t keep in touch with Brooklyn in the last five years. I called her five years ago to inform her about my family. After Matteo’s disappearance, life has been unbearable for all of us. With the mafia after us, we’re struggling to stay safe.” Evita sighed a
Carlos’s uncle went inside the heavily guarded place to have a word with the authorities. After a few minutes, he returned with a few officers who led them inside the base. They asked the group to wait in the visitor’s lobby instead while they went to summon Amelia. “We can’t allow you to the quarters. It’s against the rules. Mrs. Ricci will join you in a few minutes. The meeting will take place in the presence of Officer De Felice.” “That’s fine. We will wait,” said Carlos’s uncle. They sat waiting while Nikolas leaned in towards Carlos. “How are you planning to start the investigation?” “I’ll fit my spies and find out if Matteo is working for Di Salvo. Let’s find out if he is alive. Then we’ll plan the next step.” “Yes. Five years is a long time. If he was alive, he would have found a way out of this mess,” said Brandon with a sigh. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. First, let us talk to Amy,” said Nikolas. The door opened and a haggard Amelia walked into the room, looking puzz
A Month Later“Emilia, start packing up. We’re going to Sicily next week. Marcello just called to announce his wedding.”Amelia gaped at her husband in shock. “When is the wedding? I don’t have a dress to wear!” “Mama will arrange for a seamstress for you. The wedding is three weeks later but I have to help her out.”“Okay, Mila and I will start packing up. Have you informed Marie's school?” “I will today.” Amelia wondered why he looked so excited today. Was it because of Marcello’s wedding? “Will we celebrate our wedding anniversary there, or will we celebrate it here before we leave?” She needed to know to make the preparations. Matteo smiled, his eyes glinting with secrecy. What was he hiding from her? “We’ll celebrate it there. I’ve invited your siblings and their families. Even Brooklyn is coming over with hers.” “Oh, are you making any gala plans? I’m not prepared at all!” she protested helplessly, but he just winked and left. What did it mean? For the next few days, Ameli
After Six Months“Mmmmamaa!” said Aurelio and Mariella clapped with delight. “Mama, Leo said his first word. I taught him!” Amelia smiled at her firstborn with pride. She has been an angel in their lives, helping them in every way just like a grown-up would. “Yes, good job, Marie! I’m proud of you,” said Matteo, watching her interact with the little ones in the nursery. He had just come home after dropping his Mama and Marcello at the airport. His Mama had helped them for the last six months, although Marcello had returned two days after the twins were born. He just came over to escort their Mama back home. “Papàaaap,” said Armano, and Mariella’s little heart swelled with pride. “Yay! Even Armie has learned his first word!” Amelia fed the twins and tucked them for the night, but they didn’t at all look sleepy. “Marie, have you completed your home assignments?” Amelia asked as she went to the dining room. “Yes, Mama.” “Fine, have your dinner and sleep. Mila, please, can you hel
Amelia could feel the contractions rocking her body after every few minutes. Matteo stayed by her side all the time, stroking her hair, and holding onto her hands with concern. It relieved her a lot this time, unlike the last time when she was all alone. Matteo’s family had arrived much later, and she had missed him like a sore thumb then. “Nurse, when will you take her to the birthing room?” asked Matteo agitatedly. “There’s time. It’s still early labor! When the contractions increase in frequency and last longer, we will take her to the birthing room.”Unable to see her in pain, Matteo called his Mama.“Can you come over, Mama? I’m feeling so lost with Emilia in labor pain.”“Are you in the hospital? Where’s Mariella?” asked his Mama in a state of panic. “Yes, Amelia started her contractions and we are in the labor room. Mariella is at my friend’s house.” “Why didn’t you inform me before?” said his clueless Mama. “The delivery date was two weeks later. I thought of informing yo
The next morning, Matteo received the biggest shock of his life! Lucas’s blog post and his social media post went viral overnight. His shop became the go-to place for people with expensive cars to repair. The space in front of his shop was teeming with cars left behind by the customers. The men were struggling with work. Matteo employed extra hands to help. He became a star mechanic overnight! “Mama, look! Papà is on TV!” squealed Mariella as she browsed through the channels. Amelia emerged from the kitchen and sat down to watch the talk show. Her eyes popped out to see her husband with Lucas Donnelly! They discussed cars and the cars he designed, repaired, and remodeled at affordable prices. Tears pricked at Amelia’s eyes while her heart swelled with pride for him. He had gone through a lot and truly deserved some happiness now. “What’s your inspiration, Mr. Ricci? Apart from your love for cars,” asked the host.“This shop is a dream project of mine, but I don’t give up only becau
With so much work to do, Matteo didn’t get a moment's respite to go home. Freddie and his team worked on the Ferrari, since their fate depended on it. They had to please Lucas Donnelly. It was, after all, his favorite car! It was late when Matteo returned home to find Amelia fast asleep with Mariella. He felt worried about her since she always waited up for him. He had to talk to her and convince her to see the doctor. The next morning he sat down to breakfast, but Amelia wasn’t present at the table with them. Mariella gave him a sad look as she ate her breakfast alone. “What happened to your Mama, Marie?” “She’s sick, Papà. Last night she threw up her dinner. Even today she threw up twice already. Can you make her better? I hate it when she’s sick!” “Don’t worry. Have your breakfast. I’ll check up with your Mama.” He went into their bedroom to see his Emilia lying down. “Emilia? What happened to you? I’ll take you to the doctor right away,” he insisted. “Who will drop Marie at
Matteo went to see his lawyer to take an update on his health. Mr. Berkeley had stood by him in his time of need, and he was indebted to the man. He wasn’t in great shape and Matteo found him resting on his bed, which was odd. He was the most hardworking person on earth and in all these years, Matteo had always found him in his office, working. “Matteo! I’m so glad to see you, son!” he said, getting up to embrace him.“I’m happy to be back too, Mr. Berkeley. How are you now? Freddie told me about your health issues.” “I’m much better now. I’m sorry I let you down. We didn’t have another option before us. The mafia Don would have burned the entire shop down or killed all of us if we didn’t pay.” “I understand Mr. Berkeley. I’ll figure it out somehow.” He spent some time with the lawyer and then returned home to help Amelia. It was evening and she would be worried about him. “Matteo! What happened? Did you find out anything? Is the shop still there? Marie and I were about to go dow
The customer care representative showed him the figures in their database. Matteo realized the money was withdrawn from the Brooklyn, New York, branch of the bank. It was too hefty a sum to withdraw from an ATM. What was going on? He had given Mr. Berkeley the sole authority to handle his account. It was alright that he shared it with his wife, but why did he confiscate so much money for himself?“Thank you for your cooperation. I’m not carrying money right now. I’ll deposit it later on.” They left the bank in a state of shock. “We have to go to New York right away, Emilia. I don’t know what’s going on. Apart from you, only one person had access to my account. That was Mr. Berkeley. How could he confiscate my hard-earned money?” Amelia looked at him with concern, wondering if he believed her. “You know, I withdrew very little, Matteo. I can show you all the ATM slips.” “I wouldn’t have minded if you used the money in my absence for your and Mariella’s needs. But it was a hefty sum
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’
“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.