Getting down at the nearest bus stop, Matteo walked down via Barbarigo with his luggage. He could see the top floor of his house, the clothes drying on the terrace like always. There were a few cars parked right in front of their gates, like always. He remembered those luxury cars his dad had bought for rental purposes. They were their only source of livelihood! When younger, he used to fix them whenever they had a problem and save his dad’s hard-earned money. He always received a ten-dollar bill for his services. He smiled, remembering those glorious, carefree days. They were so different from the life he was forced to lead now. All because of his cousin Rafael. If he hadn’t taken a loan from Alfonso di Salvo, he wouldn’t have to work for him. He would have been a free man today. He stopped in front of his house and opened the gates to enter. His parents should lock the gates! Just then, the main door flew open and his youngest brother, Marcello, rushed out. He froze at the sight
“It doesn’t work that way, Matteo. I’ve branched out, but I will help Don financially. Whenever he needs me, I’ll be with him. So I’m not breaking away from the circuit. If you join me, Don will release you similarly,” said Rafael while Matteo sat in a dilemma. He wouldn’t join in anything illegal but fight for his freedom instead. However, he couldn’t afford to displease Rafael since he was powerful and could help them out in sticky situations. “Right now, I can’t join any other work, Rafael. I know I can’t give it time.” Rafael looked annoyed and stood up abruptly, ready to leave.“In that case, I guess you’re on your own, Matteo. Talk to Don and figure it out. Don’t blame me if they capture you. I’ll be leaving the country very soon. So I cannot protect your family this time.” Both the brothers watched him leave and then slumped into the sofa, realizing the deadly path ahead of them. Marcello opened his door and peered out. Seeing Rafael gone, he came over and sat with them.“I kn
Matteo was silent for a while, thinking over what Don said. His life depended on his reply, and he had to work cautiously. “I will work for you, Don, and help you recover all your financial losses. Will you release me afterward?” Di Salvo didn’t reply, dismissing the topic completely. There was a grave silence in the car as they sped towards suburban Palermo. Having worked for Don, Matteo knew what his silence meant. He wasn’t averse to the idea of releasing him if he performed as per his promise. Matteo swore he would help him recover his money in return for his freedom. He could sense the smug look on Luigi’s face as they entered a palatial house with guards everywhere. It might be their new headquarters!“Roberto, show him to the room next to yours.” Don marched off towards the main building, with Luigi and his men following him. “I haven’t brought my belongings, Don, nor have I informed my folks. They would be worried about me.” Di Salvo stopped in his tracks, his face furious
Matteo drove cautiously, knowing how dangerous his mission was. With so many weapons loaded in his car, he couldn't speed and draw attention to himself. By the time he reached the client’s warehouse, the sun was already up. He delivered the consignment and left in a relaxed state of mind. His first mission was successful, and he was one step closer to freedom. He reached Don’s house later and was applauded for his efforts, much to Luigi’s annoyance. Later in the evening, Don gave him more work. This time, he got little time to plan it out. It was a drugs deal he had to strike with an international drug lord, based in Calabria, the southern tip of Italy. He left immediately for Calabria, but this time, Matteo was doubtful of his success. With Luigi aware of the deal, he had to be extra cautious. This time, he involved Roberto and his friend, Lorenzo, who worked in a warehouse in Calabria. They were about to meet the drug lord at the warehouse, but Roberto changed the venue at the las
Amelia entered her office with a smile on her face, happy that her parents had finally accepted her disinterest in pursuing an MBA. She knew ultimately her dad would induct her into the family business and she would have to slog 24/7 like them. Maybe she would enjoy her internship in GOC Financial Group while she could. The work was enjoyable and so was the ambiance. She had settled down comfortably in the last eight months. It helped to keep herself occupied instead of wallowing in self-pity. Of course, she still missed Matteo, especially at night, but what was the use? He had already forgotten her.In the last few months, her friendship with Ryder and Brandon had strengthened a lot.“Hey, Amy! Guess who’s here today?” asked Ryder, his eyes twinkling with excitement as he approached her cubicle. “Who? I’m bad at guessing!” she chuckled, switching on her desktop. “Brooklyn!” Amy gaped at her friend, realizing who Brooklyn was. She was Brandon’s twin, whom Ryder was in love with. “I
Amelia gaped at her friend, her mind jumbled up in a state of confusion. “Why do you need to marry me, Ryder? If you want to move on, do so with your career. We don’t love one another. Our wedding will be a disaster.” She tried her best to make him see sense. How could she marry him when she loved someone else? “No, Amy. You don’t understand at all. If I’m single, I’ll end up disrupting Brooklyn’s life and mine as well. I’ll either kill myself or kill Nikolas and end up in prison. Please help me. Marry me, Amy.” Amelia was in the biggest dilemma in her life. She understood Ryder’s urgency, but her heart battled against the marriage. “You know I love Matteo. I can’t do justice to this marriage, Ryder. We can’t have a normal relationship, a stable marriage when every second I’m waiting for Matteo.” Ryder looked torn, and helpless, ready to convince her somehow. “I’ll release you if Matteo ever comes for you. I promise you that, Amy.” Amy chewed her lips, considering his proposal. S
“Amy, can we postpone the wedding date to a month? I’m sure Brooklyn will want to marry me once she gives birth. Nikolas had forgotten her and she would want a father figure for the twins,” said Ryder, and Amelia nodded, not at all keen to marry him. Something inside her prompted her not to go ahead with the wedding, yet she couldn’t back out because of their family’s involvement. “I’m in no hurry to marry you, Ryder. You’re free to opt out completely and save me the trouble.” “I can’t. My uncle, aunt, and your parents are going overboard with this wedding. I don’t have any say in the matter now.” “It’s better to opt out now than when the preparations are through.” “How can I opt out now when I’m not sure about Brooklyn’s decision? What if she declines to marry me? What if she reunites with Nikolas? I would need to move on, Amy.” Upset, he stormed out of the cafeteria without having his lunch. This has been going on for the last few months. They argued whenever they were together.
Amelia didn’t know if she did the right thing in agreeing to Ryder’s plea. While everyone around her busied themselves with the wedding preparations, she was in a state of shock. Would marrying Ryder mean she would have to forget her first and only love? She looked up to see her mom enter the room. “Don’t look so dejected! You will start a new life with Ryder after two weeks. Cheer up and start packing up.” Amelia nodded, not sharing her mom’s enthusiasm. “Can’t I continue living here? I don’t want to go, mom. Why can’t Ryder move in with us?” Her mom shook her head with a sigh. “It’s the norm, Amy. You have to move in with him after the wedding. There’s no use fighting over it. Try to accept what God has blessed you with,” said her mom, but Amelia shook her head vehemently. She didn’t consider this a blessing at all. “It’s not a blessing, mom. I can’t ever forget Matteo. He lives in my heart, in every cell of my body. This marriage will end in disaster!” Her mom sighed and pulle
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.