“The child.” The doctor said. “I’m sorry.” He said as he tried to sound empathetic when he was used to saying the kind of word to others.Luca felt his leg weakened as the doctor’s words reverberated in his head. Elena’s gone.“She was in a bad state when she was rushed here, we tried to save both mother and child but we couldn’t.” The doctor said. Luca stood there as he heard his father say something to the doctor which he didn’t pay attention to.“Luca?” That was Lucia’s voice that brought him back to the harsh reality he escaped in a moment.“She’s gone,” Luca said almost in a whisper. Andrea who had now turned his attention to Luca watched him with a careful gaze. “It wasn’t your fault…” he said as Luca took a deep breath. “Do you want to see the child? Although He is stillborn, he’ll live according to the doctor. He said we could see him….” Andrea asked as it took a while for Luca to process the question. And to be honest, the child was not his major concern. Yes, he was happy
Six years later….“Yayyy…..Dad’s gonna make dinner!” Angelo hopped about the kitchen as Luca turned to look at his son who hovered behind him while he tried to concentrate on the ingredients he was preparing for his favorite food.“Yeah. Even though it looks unreal.” Another voice said as Luca and Angelo turned their heads to the doorway, where the sound came from. “Rio!” Angelo screamed happily as he lunged at a smiling Rio who had his eyes on Luca. Although, he turned his attention to the hoy when he was close enough. “Look who missed his favorite godson.” Rio crouched beside him so that he was the same height as him, he ruffle his hair as Angelo revealed his perfect white set of teeth as he smiled.“Where is my gift?” The enthusiastic boy asked, ignoring the older man's remark.“Of course, I can’t forget that for anything in the world. It’s in the house but you will get them on one condition.” Rio said as Angelo frowned.“Dad! Rio’s cheating again! He promised he would get me a gi
Luca pressed the accelerator as he sped off in the less busy student of Venice in the hot afternoon. He had received a call earlier in the office that day, telling him that Angelo had been rushed to the hospital due to an injury. He cursed under his breath as he overtook a black car. If Maria hadn’t come to the house to clean it up as her usual routine, no one would have been around to take him to the hospital.He didn’t have enough time for regrets as he pulled over at the hospital’s driveway. He took quickened steps towards the hospital reception where he was given full information about his son.When he got to the emergency ward where Angelo sat, with a bandaged ankle looking lost. Luca rushed up to him.“Angelo!” He held his shoulder as the boy’s eyes glinted in happiness at the sight of his dad.“Papa!”“Oh, my God. What happened to you?”Angelo pouted. “ I had a little cut but Maria freaked out and brought me to the hospital. I told her…”Luca drew him into his embrace without a
“And so?” Elena gave a sarcastic look.“Elena?” Rex gave a confused look.“My son died six years ago. Plus everything that concerns Luca. I don’t care about anyone now.” She frowned irritatedly.“Elena!” Rex eyes widened.“What!” She returned.“What have you become?” Rex voice sounded so low, calm. But it was laced with hurt.“What are your plans, Victoria? You sure do have one…” her lips curving into a smile.“That is why I was brought back here right?” Elena looked from Victoria to Rex in anticipation.“Well Elena….”Victoria started slowly.“Nothing?” Elena asked and chuckled bitterly.“Maybe I will have to take things into my own hands.” She eyes them and ascended the narrow stairs to her room.As she got to the room, she slumped on the floor and cupped her face. She sobbed as she remembered Rex’s word about her son. Caring about her child would only make her give up on her revenge. And that was the last thing she needed. She needed the Morettis to pay. When her accident happened,
“Angelo?” She breathed out absentmindedly.The little boy gave her a confused look as he let go of her skirt. “How do you know me?” Elena fought the tears that threatened to spill as she stared down at the little boy, who stared at her with this acute curiosity she bore when she was young. Even still, now.“Facebook.” She replied stupidly. What was she thinking? “Ugh? Are you a stalker?” Angelo frowned as Elena chuckled, even though his question wasn’t close to funny.“Of course not.” Elena crouched beside him, so that they would be the same height. He was smart too. She noticed.“Were you looking for someone?” Angelo changed the subject swiftly.Elena nodded. “But I found him.” She said.“Oh…” he said with a solemn look. “At least you’ve found him, I don’t know when I will find mine.” “Did you lose something?” Elena asked calmly, as she watched him carefully. She didn’t plan all this. Trying to reach out to him, make him feel happy. She had just wanted to take a glimpse of him and
Victoria and Rex exchanged glance as they opened their mouths in bewilderment. “You even know his name?” Victoria asked.“That’s not the main issue. Let’s get this over with. What’s the plan? I don’t care about any of them. I just need my son. I need him by my side.” Elena said with a new found determination.“Why did you change your mind suddenly, about Angelo? That is his name right?” Rex asked as he watched her intently.Elena stared dreamily. “You haven’t met him yet, that’s why you are so skeptical. He is a charming little kid. He would get you wrapped in his charm in just few minutes…” she sighed and rested back on her chair. “I couldn’t bear to leave him after we’ve met. And it looked like he was in pain. I felt like comforting him. It was pure misery watching him in pain.” “Wow. You’ve met.” Victoria said in awe. “I didn’t think you were interested in him.”“Which mother will not what to be with her child. I have a heart too!” She eyed Victoria as she stifled a laugh.“Sorry
“Ugh?” Rex gave her a questioning look.“Let me Seduce, Martino.” Victoria sat up, the same goes for Rex. “You know that is our best shot, Rex.” “No. Don’t. We talked about it. Elena will….”“You are worried about her. She is…”“And you are my girlfriend!” Rex interjected fiercely.“Don’t you know your plan is more dangerous. Even if Luca finds out she’s Elena, he wouldn’t dare hurt her. But you? Rio will crush you before you even know it.” Rex said with fierce determination but Victoria still gave him a insistent gaze.“They haven’t seen me before, they don’t knew we are connected….I will be just some girl Martino is hanging out with. It’s not like I’m gonna sleep with him or something.” Victoria frowned. Rex sighed as he licked his lips. Victoria held his hand and rubbed it slowly. “I will be fine. Please, let’s do this. And end it once and for all.” “Elena will never agree.” Rex said with a frown.“Not if we tell her. This will be our little secret.” Victoria gave him a reassuri
Victoria didn’t immediately tell Martino her wish in the boxing ring, instead she helped him out and when they were out of the underground boxing ground, now in a cafe. “Are you going to look at my face all night?” Martino frowned after the waiter had taken their orders.“Am I not allowed to do so?” Victoria smirked.“Where did you learn how to box like that?” Martino asked, disregarding her reply.“My father.” She said curtly as if she was not interested in furthering the conversation.“He was a professional?” Martino raised a brow.“Something like that.” Victoria shrugged.Martino nodded. “So are you a professional boxer?”Victoria watched him for while then her lips curved into a smile. “Why? You still can’t get over the fact that I kicked your ass.”Martino drew a deep breath. “Something like that.”Victoria scoffed and shook her head.“So what’s your wish? I don’t have all day.” “Aren’t you scared?” Victoria pressed.“What?”“I mean I’ve been unpredictable all night. Aren’t you
“Rio,” Rossi said. “There’s a commotion in the hospital he was admitted in. He is on the rooftop with Elena. Luca should have received a call by now. He keeps asking for him.” Rex turned to look at Luca who stared anxiously at him. “I’m with Luca right now. We’ll head there right away.” Rex said and hung up.“What…”“Your crazy Boyfriend has her.” Rex seethed.“What?”“There’s no time. Let’s leave.” Rex said as he walked out of the house, trailed after by Luca.As they entered Rex’s car, Luca was still oblivious to what was happening.“Aren’t you wrong? Rio is in a psychiatric hospital.”“And he has my sister. He is threatening to kill her.”“What?” Luca's eyes shone in surprise. How is that….”“I don’t fucking know!” Rex snapped as he faced the road and hit the accelerator. Luca stared at him and looked at the road ahead. What the fuck is happening?When they got to the hospital, there was greeted by the crowd in front of the hospital as Rio stood at the edge of the rooftop, with a
Rex paced around the living room frantically. It was late in the night and there was no sign of Elena. He has been trying to reach her since they left King’s Hotel. After the argument with Rossi, it was as of Elena had disappeared into thin air. She wasn’t even in the motel she has been hiding all this while. He dialed his father….they had both exchanged contacts earlier, both promising to give each other updates on how things would proceed.“I can’t seem to find her,” Rex said immediately after he heard the beep.Rex could hear him sigh from the receiver’s side. “Where she’s staying?”“Not there. And she isn’t picking up my calls. The call doesn’t seem to go through no matter how many times I try.” Rex said in frustration. “Does Levante have her?”“I will ask my people to track her. She’ll be fine, Rex.” Rossi said.Rex hung up but the gut feeling that his sister was in danger was overwhelming. He couldn’t just sit and wait without doing anything. What if Elena was in danger? A tho
Luca moved instinctively towards her and drew her into his embrace. Elena's lips curved into a smile as she snuggled close to him. “What happened with Rio wasn’t your fault.” She said.“I know. I know. But I can’t seem to stop blaming myself.” He murmured in her hair. Elena rubbed his back like a child that needs consoling.“Let’s get married. And leave this place.” Luca said as Elena’s body stilled in his arms. She didn’t expect things to be going this way.She freed herself from him and looked at him. “Really?”Luca smiled at her. “And it’s not because of the child. I haven’t felt attracted to anyone the way I am to you since Angelo’s mother died. I’ve only loved her.” He said as Elena forced a smile. She hated the fact that she couldn’t tell him the truth yet. It wasn’t the time. When everything’s settled, they would have the whole time in the world. She promised herself.“For now…” Luca stared lovingly at her as he removed the strand of hair that was covering her face. “Let’s help
“What development?” Elena asked.“Someone with the same goal as us contacted me.”“What?” Elena raised a brow. “What do you mean?”“I don’t know. He wants to stay anonymous till the day we meet.” Rex said, frustration evident in his voice.“Does that make sense? Do you want to meet up with some stranger? Because of what?” Elena asked with a sarcastic look.“I don’t care. I lost Victoria. I don’t want to lose you too. As far as I know, Levante thinks you’re dead. We need to strike now. When they least expect.” Rex said with determination.“Do what you want.” Elena stood up and picked up her cell phone on the bed. “I’m going to meet the father of my unborn child.” “What? By this time? Why are so stubborn? What if Levante sees you?”“I don’t care. I might as well tell Luca the truth about them. He would stop caring about that Rio.” Elena hissed and headed for the door.The evening breeze was gentle but Elena couldn’t help but feel chilly as she stood by the roadside, looking for a cab t
“I fucked Martino.” She said dryly as Rex's eyes flickered at her for a while and averted his gaze quickly as if trying to hide something. “I fucked him,” Victoria replied as Rex shifted his gaze to her face again. “Okay.” He shrugged. “It’s all for the plan, right.” He asked, desperation hidden in his voice.Victoria cupped her face in frustration. “I love him, Rex.” Rex's hands stiffened in his pocket. He parted his lips but nothing came out. “Say something, damn it!” She fired as Rex chuckled.“Say what?” He asked, trying to fight the emotion that was burning within him.“Curse me. Call me a filthy bitch. I can take it all. But I do love him, Rex.”“And us?” Rex asked as if that has been the question in his mind.Victoria closed her eyes for a while and opened it. “I don’t know.” She shook her head as Rex’s heart sank.“I don’t know, man. I need space.” She said as tears streamed from her eye. As she turned to leave, Rex caught her arm again.“Our plans?”“Are you kidding me ri
Martino sat down in the visiting room while Levante paced around in front of him. He didn’t dare to talk. After he received his call at the hospital earlier. His urgent tone signaled to Martino that Levante was, even more, crazier than his son. “PTSD ugh?” He stopped moving as he regarded Martino. Martino paused, nothing ever gets past this man. More reason why he should be more cautious.“The doctor hasn’t made any diagnosis yet. He’s still under observation.” Martino replied, careful with his words in order not to infuriate him any further.Levante nodded. “Will he be admitted to some psychiatrist hospital?”“Like I said…”“I bloody heard you the first time, Martino!” Levante fired as Martino bowed his head. That’s more like it. This was his true character. Not the unusually quiet type that was unpredictable.“I’m sorry boss.”“Did the doctor say what caused his trauma?”“I…”“I could get that information in a matter of seconds. Think before you lie.” Levante hissed.Then why did y
“What?” Luca asked, surprised. “This is crazy, Rio.” He added quickly when he noticed his surprised look wasn’t helping matters.“Yeah! I’m crazy about you, Luca!” Rio sobbed as Luca pressed his lips in exasperation.“Those times in the past…” he started slowly and his grip on the injection was less. “I would always watch your back. Dad said it was my duty. It was our duty to watch out for the Romanos.” He scoffed with a bitter smile as Luca watched him. He hated seeing him like this. He couldn’t do anything and it added to his frustration. “I misunderstood man.” He added.“You were the best thing that happened to me,” Luca said.“Were?” Rio raised a brow.“Rio…”“Those times when you would always stay alone. Angry you couldn’t approach other girls, I wished you would just look at me. Even for once.” Rio said.“I didn’t….” Luca brushed his hand through his hair. “I didn’t know, Rio.”“Well, Now you know!” He snapped.“Yes. I do. And I appreciate you….your love.”“No, you don’t,” Rio s
“Victoria….I…” Martino started to say but the words got hung up in the air.“Martino?” Victoria called when he didn’t say anything afterward.“Anything I do in the future, just know I love you. I love you so much, Victoria.” Martino said and hung up. He swung around and marched back to the cottage. He narrowed his eyes at Elena. “I’m not going to kill you. A certain person is betting on me. So I wouldn’t want to break her trust.” Elena watched him. Was it Victoria?“Then what?” She asked with a frown.“Let’s make a deal….” “Deal?”“You already know by now that Rio wants you dead. And I can’t seem to understand why you said he tried to kill you in the past…” Martino gave her a wary look. But Elena didn’t reply. There was no use hiding it. Or was there? He is going to spare her. She should keep her mouth shut till the end.“Your deal…” she said.“Stay away from Luca. Go far away from him. Out of the country….I don’t care. Because if I see you anywhere around him, I’ll be the first to
“How are you feeling, Rio.” Levante ignored his initial statement.“It’s not your concern. You’ve always wanted to do my bidding right? Then take her out? I don’t want to see her ever again!” A silence ensued for a while then Levante spoke up. “Did she try to hurt you?”“Is that more important to you?”“Answer the damn question, boy. I pay my enemies back in full.” Levante spoke harshly as Rio sighed.“Not directly.”“What do you mean?”“Luca slept with her.” He said and paused but his father didn’t say a word. “I got overwhelmed with the thought and crashed on a poll.”“I can’t believe this,” Levante muttered under his breath.“Well?” Rio asked.“Focus on recovering. I’ll take care of the rest.” Levante said and hung up.“That isn’t a bloody answer,” Rio muttered as he put down the phone. He lay there in silence as he took time to eventually review his decision. He had called his dad on impulse. He was angry. Especially after that talk with Luca. His rage knew no bounds. He just cou