For the rest of the drive, Matteo sat in a dazed state. He was sure he had seen Di Salvo in the car. Was he tailing him? If he was alive, why wasn’t he taking his revenge on Luigi and killing him already? “Tired or worried?” asked Freddie, noticing his silence. “Both,” said Matteo without elaborating further. They reached, and Matteo went to his apartment while Freddie went to the shop. Matteo rang the doorbell absent-mindedly, wondering why Di Salvo was following him around. What could he want from him? Marcello opened the door with a wide grin on his face. “Emilia, come quick,” he yelled at the sight of his older brother. It brought Matteo out of his daze, and he gave Marcello a quizzical look. “What’s up now?” he asked as he entered his home. He saw the wide grin on his Mama’s face too. “Guess what?” asked Marcello, wiggling his eyebrows excitedly. Amelia came out of her bedroom and smiled at him. Matteo understood from everyone’s reaction that she might be pregnant. Yet he
“We haven’t heard from Luigi for almost three months. According to police evidence, he died three months ago in a fight with Costello and his men. A week later, we nabbed Costello and his gang,” said Walsh. Matteo gaped at him in disbelief. When did Luigi die? How did they have no information on this? “Are you sure? I don’t believe this. I can smell foul play. Maybe he has escaped,” said Matteo with a deep frown marring his features. It was the most baffling news he had ever heard. Was that the reason Rafael called them? “The FBI is investigating his mysterious death. I think it has been staged, but the evidence and post-mortem report are totally fool-proof. In the meantime, the FBI is interrogating the gang members they have arrested.” “I really hope this is true. With Luigi’s death, we can lead a free life,” said Matteo with a smile of relief on his face. “Yes. Let’s wait for the results of the investigation.” Walsh stayed with them for the next few days until the FBI invest
It was the most devastating news Matteo had ever heard, but the need to revive Amelia was upmost on his mind. “We have to revive her. She’s pregnant!” he said, patting her cheek to help her gain consciousness. Megan gasped and got up to get some water. She returned in a few minutes and sprinkled water on Amelia’s face. “Emilia! Please open your eyes,” begged Matteo, looking lost. “I’m sorry, Matteo. I shouldn’t have told her the devastating news so bluntly. I didn’t know her condition was so delicate.” Matteo sprinkled some more water and patted her cheeks. “It wasn’t your fault. You don’t know what she went through for the last three years. It was more than anyone could handle,” said Matteo with a sigh. Amelia blinked when Matteo sprinkled more water on her face. She sputtered and opened her eyes wide, looking at them in a dazed state. “Matteo, what happened to me?” she whispered hoarsely. “Nothing, Tesoro. You just lost your consciousness. I’m sure you’ll be fine if you reste
The next day, Matteo accompanied Megan to the hospital to get Ryan discharged. He would have to remain under bedrest until he was better. Amelia and Alex waited for him at home. Last night after Matteo explained to her about his condition, she felt bad for her older brother. However, considering her delicate state, Matteo couldn’t tell her about Gia’s ordeal. Maybe he would explain everything to her before they left for LA. Amelia and Alex sat in the front yard, waiting for them. “Will you stay with us forever, Aunt Amy?” asked Alex. “I can’t stay here forever, sweetie, but I’ll surely visit you soon. You can come down to New York when my baby is born.” Alex turned to her excitedly. “Baby? Where is your baby now?” Amelia stroked his hair off his face and smiled at his enthusiasm. “It’s growing inside my tummy now,” she explained patiently. “Oh, really? Are you sick? Is it a boy or a girl, Aunt Amy?” he asked, touching her tummy with wide eyes. “I’m not sick, just a little tired.
Lost in his thoughts Matteo walked down the street, unaware that he had left the residential neighborhood far behind him. Amelia’s accusations disturbed him to the brink of losing his mind. He cared little about himself, having always lived dangerously. It was the thought he failed her which gripped his heart. A car screeched to a halt beside him, bringing him out of his reverie. He instantly stopped in his tracks to look and froze immediately upon seeing two men emerge from the car. Were they here to get him? He couldn’t take the risk of being captured! Matteo ran into the shopping mall he had just crossed. He could hear the footsteps of the men chasing him. So he was right. They were here to grab him! But who were they? With Costello’s men and the NSM arrested, who would want to capture him now? He entered the mall and hid behind a wall. As he looked outside, he gasped with shock at seeing Luigi standing at the entrance with the men. So Luigi was alive! He had produced fake evide
“Don’t stop. Please follow that car. They’re kidnapping my nephew!” said Matteo to the cab driver. After Di Salvo left, he took a cab to return to Ryan’s house, but before he could reach it, he saw Alex rush out of the house. Before he could reach him, a Honda Civic pulled up beside the little boy and two men emerged. They grabbed him and climbed inside, speeding away immediately. Realization hit Matteo hard, and they chased the car. “Do you have a phone with you? I left mine at home. Please, can you let me call the cops?” asked Matteo agitatedly. With the criminals escaping with Alex, he had to act fast. “Sure. Here.” The cab driver handed him his mobile phone. Matteo called 911 and informed them about the kidnap. He gave them details about Alex. “Can you keep the phone switched on for the police to track our location?” “Sure. Are you a tourist?” asked the cab driver as they negotiate around a turn and tailed the Honda Civic. “No, I’m visiting my wife’s family.” “The car's he
“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
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.