Chapter 176

Chapter 176
Marisa's POV:

I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror of Heartfelt Café, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear and wiping away a smudge of mascara from under my eye. My shift wouldn't start for another fifteen minutes, but I'd arrived early, hoping to catch a glimpse of Salvatore before the morning rush began.

These secret meetings with Salvatore had become the highlight of my days—brief moments of warmth in my otherwise cold existence. We weren't dating, not officially anyway. Just two people who enjoyed talking. Yet there had been moments—fleeting instances when his eyes had lingered on my lips, when his hand had brushed against mine—when I thought he might kiss me. But each time, something in him seemed to pull back, as if fighting against an invisible barrier.

Would he come today? I wondered, applying a thin layer of lip gloss. I'd seen his black Lamborghini in the parking lot yesterday, and he'd left me a generous tip with a note that simply read: "Tomorrow. 8 AM."

The thought of seeing him made my stomach flutter with butterflies, but it also filled me with guilt. I desperately needed someone to talk to about Salvatore—about how he made me feel alive in ways I'd never experienced before. But the one person I might have confided in was Beatrice, and that was complicated. Beatrice had once lived with the Vasquez brothers as their stepsister. Whatever had happened there had ended badly, and I wasn't sure she would understand my feelings for Salvatore.

Besides, Beatrice had her own problems these days.

My phone buzzed with a text from my father: "Don't forget to lock up tonight." My stomach tightened. Tonight was when I planned to rescue my mother. My father would be at a black-tie fundraiser until at least 2 AM—the perfect window of opportunity.

With a deep breath, I straightened my apron and pushed through the bathroom door into the busy café. The morning regulars were already seated, sipping their coffees and scrolling through phones. Amelia was handling the register, shooting me an impatient look that said hurry up.

And there, in the corner booth, sat Salvatore Vasquez. But he wasn't alone. His brother Matteo was with him, and they appeared to be in the middle of a heated argument. Salvatore's jaw was clenched, his eyes narrowed as he leaned across the table.

"—don't need to be so obvious about it," Salvatore was saying, his voice low but intense. "There are other ways to help. Stop acting like you're doing her a favor."

Matteo scoffed, his response too quiet for me to hear.

I hesitated, waiting for their conversation to reach a natural pause before approaching. When Salvatore finally leaned back in his seat, I moved forward, notepad in hand and a smile on my face that I hoped didn't betray my nervousness.

"What can I get for you guys today?" I asked, pen poised above the paper.

Matteo's eyes snapped to my face, irritation flashing across his features. "Can't you see we're talking here?" He slammed his hand on the table, causing his water glass to tip and spill across the surface. "Fuck! Look what you made me do. Don't they teach you how to do your job?"

Water dripped onto the floor, and I quickly grabbed napkins from the next table to mop up the spill. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt—"

"Matteo!" Salvatore's voice cut through sharply. "Calm down. It's just a bit of water."

But Matteo wasn't listening. He glared at me as if I were something stuck to the bottom of his shoe. "Thanks!" he spat. "If we need anything, we'll call you, okay?"

I felt my cheeks burn with humiliation. I nodded quickly and backed away, nearly bumping into another table in my haste to escape. I heard Salvatore behind me, his voice raised. "What the hell was that attitude for?"

I didn't wait to hear Matteo's response. Instead, I pushed through the kitchen doors and kept going, out the back exit into the alley behind the café. The cool morning air hit my face, a welcome relief to my burning cheeks. I leaned against the brick wall and let the tears come, hot and fast.

It wasn't just Matteo's rudeness that hurt, though that was bad enough. It was the knowledge that I carried another burden—a secret too dangerous to share. My mother, locked in that basement, waiting for me to save her.

I wiped furiously at my tears. I needed help, but who could I turn to? The Vasquez family had executed Carlo Rossi just for being on their territory. What would they do if they found out I was harboring another Rossi? Even if I did confide in Salvatore, how could I expect him to choose me over his family?

The back door creaked open, and I quickly turned away, not wanting anyone to see me crying.

"Hey."

Salvatore's voice was soft, concerned. I hadn't expected him to follow me.

"I didn't know he'd make you cry this badly," he said, moving to stand beside me.

I sniffled, trying to compose myself. "It's fine. I think he was just in a bad mood."

Salvatore reached out, his fingertips lightly touching my chin, turning my face toward him. My breath caught in my throat at the contact. "I'd like you to come with me tonight. To see a movie, then dinner afterward. Just the two of us."

For a moment, everything in me wanted to say yes. To lose myself in an evening with Salvatore, to pretend that my life was normal and that I was just a girl being asked out by a boy I liked.

But my mother's face flashed in my mind—gaunt, afraid, waiting. Tonight might be my only chance.

"I can't tonight, Salvatore," I said, forcing myself to look away from his disappointed expression. "I have something really important I need to take care of at home."

Salvatore frowned, his eyes searching my face. "What's so important? Maybe I can help."

I shook my head, unable to meet his gaze. "It's a family thing. I need to handle it myself."

"Alright, maybe another time then." His voice held a note of resignation. "If you change your mind, call me."

I watched him walk back toward the door, knowing I was letting something precious slip away. But my mother had to come first.