Chapter 26 Conclusions
"You're here already? How's your shoulder?" I ask.
It's the next morning after the attack. Despite what I told Dante last night, he's already standing here, right outside my bedroom. I'm not sure about the specific time he came here, but it's definitely since early in the morning. Dante's a stubborn one, isn't he? He should still be resting right now, yet he's already here. Even if he still wants to do his job, he could've at least got some more rest first and come here in the afternoon instead.
"It's fine. I've replaced the wound's dressing, so no need to change it for me again," Dante says. Disappointed, I frown at his statement.
Aw man. I was excited to clean Dante's wound and change his gauze pad again. Unfortunately, I didn't get to appreciate the view last night since I was too worried about Dante's well-being. Damn it.
"You should've asked for my help. What if you didn't clean your wound properly? It might end up infected. And anyway, you should also still be resting. I'm sure my father will understand if you take a day or two off," I say. I'm saying the truth. Even though my father could be heartless sometimes, when it comes to his men's well-being, I'm sure he'll prioritise it more than work because without proper rest, then they won't do a proper job which might end up with my father losing his advantages and especially if they're a guard, it'll only end up hurting him in the end since they'll be less focused in protecting him.
"And what? Do nothing in my room? Boring," Dante says. My eyes instantly roll at his annoying answer.
Seriously? Is he too ambitious or just dumb?
"What I mean by resting is for you to get more sleep, you dumbass. Not just stare at the old, boring ceiling above you in silence as you contemplate life," I say.
"I can't sleep for too long. I'm already used to staying up all night guarding the warehouse, and now, you," Dante says. He has a point, but he could've done something to make himself rest a bit more than usual, like taking a sleeping pill or something. That shit should've worked wonders, right?
"This is unacceptable. You must get more sleep. Or should I force a damn sleeping med down your throat or drug you so you'll fall asleep?" I say. Furrowing his eyebrows, Dante shifts away from me with concern showing on his face as clear as day.
"Thanks for the offer, but that's absolutely unnecessary," Dante says.
What am I supposed to do with this man? If he won't rest, then not only he'll end up endangering himself, but he'll also lose his full capability in protecting my father and me, not that I expect him to do it anyway. Regardless, he should be taking care of himself more and getting more fucking rest so he can protect himself better in the future.
"Just come inside and sit down. Get some more rest," I say. The way Dante squints his eyes at me makes me roll my eyes again.
Seriously? He's still suspicious of me trying to lure him inside and then running away when he's off guard? Well, he's just doing his job, so I shouldn't be mad.
"You should know already by now, I won't try to run away again until my business with the Romanos is over," I say. A resigned sigh leaves Dante as he stares down at me.
That's a good sign, I guess? I think he's agreeing to take more rest now. I really hope that's the case.
"If you insist," Dante says.
To leave any suspicion between Dante and me, I leave the door open and go to my bed with Dante. We sit side-by-side in silence, unsure of what to say to each other. A thought appears in my mind, causing a frown to mar my face. Maybe I've been successfully manipulated by Antonio, but I can't shake off this thought in my mind about how innocent Antonio and his family are in relations with the Romanos. Maybe all this is just a misunderstanding because all this time I've spent time with Antonio, he's been nothing but kind and polite, and kinda romantic too. It just seems like a stark difference compared to how the Romanos act all this time.
"You know what? I've been thinking since last night," I say, hesitating about what I'm about to say to Dante about Antonio.
I hope Dante won't get mad and just give me a logical reason or something to get rid of this annoying thought about Antonio in my mind because another part of me knows I can't draw any conclusion about the Ricci yet. We barely know about their connections with the Algerians, so the allegations regarding the Riccis and the Romanos working together might turn out to be true.
"About what?" Dante asks.
"Antonio. This whole thing with the Algerians and the Romanos doesn't seem right to me. I mean, if the Riccis really work with the Romanos, they could've killed us all years ago, and they won't need to go through the hassle of being our ally just to take what's ours. This is just based on how the Romanos do their work to claim other's territorry as their own in the past," I say.
"Yeah, no. We can't draw a conclusion this early. Don't be fooled by how Antonio has been treating you. Even the most innocent-looking people can be the cruellest. We're getting closer to uncovering the truth, so stay focused and don't fall into their trap," Dante says. He's right. There are always wolves in sheep's clothing everywhere. Anyone like the Romanos will literally do anything to get everything they want, so it could be the same with the Ricci.
"Right," I say.
"Are you by chance falling for him?" Dante asks.
For the longest time, I stare at Dante with wide eyes as realisation hits me. Shit. Dante's kinda right. I am falling for Antonio, and it's not a good thing. It's definitely because of his stupid charm. Antonio's too charming for his own good.
Fuck. I'm absolutely fucked. Antonio should be the one who falls in love with me, not the other way around. This plan is literally constructed to trap Antonio and the Ricci, not me, dragging my own family into the enemy's trap.
What should I do now? I can't let this happen any further. No. Absolutely not. Think, Ale, think. Quick. What should you do right now? I must resist Antonio's temptation. I can't let myself fall in love with him. Nuh-uh. Not with how unclear their connection is with the Romanos. If it really turns out they've been working together, then they've gotten me fooled, and I don't want that to happen. No. I can't let them get the upper hand.