Chapter 71

Alessia.

I slid the door open and slowly stepped inside, the room was warm but instead, I felt cold engulfing my body as I fixed my eyes on Angelo's form on the bed. He regained consciousness an hour ago. I didn't want to see him then because I was still battling with pain and betrayal. I knew I would fight him off if I had seen him immediately. So, I allowed Kelvin and Annie to see him first until I had composed myself.

Angelo sensed a presence in the room, making him lift his head. The moment our eyes met each other, the tears I'd been hoarding it summoned itself out. I pushed myself forward to his bed. "Hi." He muttered in a weak voice. I kept my gaze on him. I know I told myself I would go all soft but looking at how weak he was demolished the patience I had left inside.

"I am not here to exchange greetings with you."

He chuckled lightly. "I know you're angry at me."

"Yes, I am. I am fuming with rage. I want to hit you so badly for keeping this away from me. Do you think you will win a trophy just because you're being perfect? You won't even get recognition. No one will acknowledge you for saving the world. I will not praise you for that." I didn't know how the words kept flowing out. My anger had taken over me completely. Angelo didn't say anything. He watched me vent all my anger out.

I was more pissed at the way he was smiling. Acting as if everything was fine. Acting as if he was okay. When we both know he is not. "Stop smiling else I will hit your chest," I warned but his smile only grew bigger.

I turned my face to the other side of the room to suppress more tears from coming out. "I hate you," I muttered under my breath still not looking at him.

"Can you help me up?" He said. I didn't turn my face around nor did I attempt to. "Please." He added.

I dropped my hands and helped him up to a sitting position then diverted my face away again. "Alessia." He called. Silence. I know how raw my emotions would be if I looked at his face. It would be hard for me to keep my tears in.

"Can you look at me, please?" He whispered in a voice that melted my heart in every possible way. Biting my lip, I mustered up and looked at him. "I hate you, Angelo."

"I know you do." He replied. His eyes were pale and did not look like their form. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry will not fix this, Angelo. Why did you have to keep everything to yourself? Why? You always take care of other people and don't even think about yourself. What will you gain by doing that? Nothing."

"I will gain your care and affection. I didn't want to make you worried. You have your problems full on your plate. Your family problems and all. I didn't want to add more to it."

I can't believe how Angelo thinks. Why was it so hard for him to understand that his problems are my number one priority? "You're wrong Angelo. Your problems are mine. You're already a part of my life and everything about you is my number one priority. I thought I was going to lose you." I hit his chest not caring about the condition he was in. He allowed me to.

"We were supposed to share our problems together. You knew everything about me. You know me better than myself. Why is it hard for you to trust me with yours? Why did you do this to me? I hate you for that." I hit him continuously feeling more pain inside me. "I hate you, Angelo," I whispered as he pulled me into his embrace.

"I thought I was going to lose you. Please don't leave me." I poured out my heart wetting his shirt with my tears. Angelo wrapped his arms tightly around me. I could feel his heart beating inside his chest.

We break free from the hug. Angelo cupped my face, the action making me melt in his touch. His touch that warms up my heart all the time. "I know you're angry at me right now and I'm sorry for that. I had to keep it away because of this. I hate to see tears in your eyes. It breaks my heart whenever you shed a drop of tears. I promised myself that I would set things right and I did that. Everything is over. The culprits will get the punishment deserving of them."

"And it breaks my heart seeing you in pain like this."

His eyes darted left to right. "I'm not in pain. I'm fine."

"No, you're not. You are not okay Angelo. You can lie to Annie or Kelvin but you can't do that with me."

He ran his thumb across my cheeks. "Looks like someone knows me better than myself now."

"I thought I did but after finding out about the sickness, I don't think I do."

"But I said I'm sorry. Are you still angry?"

I cast my head down. "I can't even if I want to. I can't even hate you even if I want to. You're an important person in my life, Angelo. And I don't think my life will ever be meaningful without you." I confessed.

Angelo lifted my face to meet his gaze. I saw moisture in his eyes. "Do you know you're the first woman I've ever loved?"

"Lies! I fail to believe a man who grabs every woman's attention wherever he goes has never been in love." There was no way I would believe Angelo Santoro had never been in love in his life.

"Believe me now. You're my first love. The first woman I was willing to risk everything for." Should I say Angelo needed an award for the best talker in the world? Because how could he be so perfect with his words?

"And your first kiss too?" I raised a questioning brow. He didn't answer me. I gulped down a bitter saliva and moved away from him. I knew it. I'm sure he had kissed thousands of women. "Get some rest," I said proceeding to stand up but Angelo held my face back, pulling it closer to his. "Why? Are you jealous? Because you were not my first kiss?"

"Why would I be jealous? It's normal for you to. And have met other women before me." I tried to defend.

A loud chuckle erupted from him. "I didn't say I have kissed a lot of women."

"It doesn't matter. You had your first kiss with another woman."

"A fake kiss. But I had a real kiss with you. So, I won't count what I had with them. A real kiss happens with someone you are in love with. You are my first in everything." I didn't intend to blush but my inner self betrayed me.

"What will you do to convince me?" I asked avoiding his gaze. "Maybe we could kiss? Your lips is tempting me already."

Okay, I think my heart will burst at any moment. Angelo's eyes shifted down to my lips while I clutched the bed cover awaiting to feel the lips of one of the great kissers in the world, on mine. However, the kiss didn't happen due to the clearing of the familiar voice of Kelvin.

Damn, Kelvin. I jolted back while Angelo attacked him with his death glare.

"I'm sorry for interrupting something serious here but I need to talk to you, Angelo." Kelvin approached us unbothered by the glares we were hauling his way. He passed Angelo his phone.

"Ryan sent this?" Angelo asked his fingers scrolling over the screen.

Ryan? As in the Ryan, I know?

"Yes. I was surprised when he called to meet me. I don't know how he got this but this would help in their prosecution." Kelvin explained. I haven't been in touch with Ryan since the day I left his house. I suddenly felt bad. Ryan is a good man and I appreciate the time we spent together. I wonder whether he had patch things up with his father and siblings.

"Send it to the police department. They should open the case as soon as possible. I want them to start serving their punishment as soon as possible."

"Alright, Sir."

"As for Ryan, set up a meeting with him. I want to meet him personally." Kelvin nodded his head before walking out. Angelo inhaled a deep breath. "What did Ryan send to you?" I curiously asked.

"Evidence that will prove Dominic and Enzo have a hand in the recent embezzlement from the World Bank. His father is an accomplice."

My mouth hung open in shock. "Ryan must be going through a lot right now."

"Yeah, I'm sure he is."

"I need to talk to him. We haven't been in contact since the day I left his house." I said absentmindedly getting off the bed. "Where are you going? You know I'm sick and need proper care."

"I will get the nurse to check on you then." I gestured to the door. The next thing he did didn't only make me laugh, it made me see him as a small kid. "Are you a kid? Why are you pouting?"

He pouted even more. "You want to leave me and go to another man."

"What?" A laughter erupted out of me. "When did I say that?" He avoided my gaze and didn't say anything. I moved closer to him, cupping his face. "Why would I go to another man when I have a perfect man sitting here looking hot even in his sick bed? I have my eyes only on you. You belong to your Bella. I'm all yours."