Chapter 137: Discovering the Good Side of Alessandro

**GIULLIA SANTORI’S POV**

I don't know what could have happened to him after the gunshot. The staff brought the meal for the room, and I ate because I was famished. After a shower, I put on the available clothes and find myself pondering over everything he organized to kidnap me. I'm not in a dirty, foodless, and uncomfortable captivity. Quite the opposite, I'm in a luxurious house, with clothes bought for me and a room overlooking the sea.

Alessandro is contradictory, and I conclude that he suffers from emotional traumas. He developed a spiritual feeling for me, so much so that he didn't allow the men to hurt me, even after shooting him.

I leave the room and walk cautiously down the corridor. An employee emerges from one of the doors, holding a tray of medications, and I assume he's in that room. The door is slightly ajar, and I peek through the crack; Alessandro is lying on the bed.

The man beside him looks at me with concern. Alessandro turns his face and looks at me; a small smile appears on his lips, and he looks at the concerned man.

"Leave me alone with Giullia," he speaks softly.

"But, boss..." the man tries to intervene.

"Do as I'm telling you!" he orders once more.

The man leaves, and we're alone in the room. I noticed that the gunshot was in the leg, as his thigh was bandaged. I feel awkward because I've never been face-to-face with someone I shot. He looks at me attentively, and even though he is debilitated, he smiles.

"That was close!" he says, and I notice his low voice.

"I don't know if I should apologize; you kidnapped me!" I approach cautiously.

"I understand perfectly," he agrees.

"How can you be lying in bed with a gunshot wound to your leg and still agree with me? What's going through your mind?" I grow irritated.

He falls silent and closes his eyes. I realize he looks pale, and I approach, placing my hand on his forehead and noticing a high fever.

"You have a fever; why don't you call a doctor? My god, we're in the middle of nowhere." I roll my eyes and sigh.

"Are you worried about me?" He laughs.

I became even more irritated by the question. I don't hate him; I feel sorry for him being lonely. From what he described, his childhood was difficult. I look to the side and see a bowl of water and a folded cloth inside. After squeezing the cloth, I place it on his forehead without saying anything.

Alessandro observes me as I leave the damp cloth on his forehead. I feel like he doesn't deserve to go through this; even though he did everything he did, there isn't so much malice in his heart.

"When I was a child, I would get sick, and the woman who took care of me would give me medicine and leave me locked in a room. If my mother were alive, she would be by my side." He confides.

I feel a pain in my heart, hearing him. I think of my son and feel an absurd longing; I also imagine that he might think the same as Alessandro would if I weren't there. I imagine how difficult it must have been for him.

"Why did you do this to me? You took me away from my son, from my family!" I question with bitterness.

"You were the only person I met who showed me sincerity. I felt envy towards Vittorio for having you and anger towards him for killing my father," he reveals.

"Your father wasn't the person you imagined. Messina did a lot of harm to us, and in the world of crime, it's kill or be killed."

Our eyes meet, and he falls silent, turning his head to the side. I realize that my presence is no longer necessary, and when I try to pull away, he grabs my hand.

"Don't leave me alone," he pleads.

His gaze made me realize the child that existed, a frightened look full of pain. I decide to comply with the request and sit beside him. We remain silent for an indeterminate amount of time until he falls asleep.

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*The next day,*

I wake up and realize I slept beside Alessandro's bed. He's peacefully asleep, and as I touch his forehead, I notice he's fever-free. I stand up and leave the room, feeling sore from sleeping in a chair.

The sensation that a child had occupied that bed, in reality, the traumas he shared with me, made me empathize with that feeling.

A staff member approaches, and I instruct her to take breakfast to him when he wakes up. I'm also famished and take the opportunity to have breakfast myself. As I sit at the table, I observe the men walking around the house, always eyeing me suspiciously. Understandably so, given that I shot their boss.

After finishing breakfast, I head to the chairs on the beach sand, sit on one of them, and gaze ahead. I observe the sea and close my eyes, beginning to imagine my son running on the house's lawn, Bella chasing after him while Vittorio plays with them. I also imagine my parents in the new house, my father sitting on the porch while my mother takes her first swimming lessons.

These days here seem like an eternity.

Amidst my thoughts, I hear Alessandro's voice calling my attention.

"You slept all night sitting; you should have been resting!" He exclaims.

I look at him, standing with his leg bandaged and walking with difficulty. I'm surprised to see him out of bed so quickly.

"You shouldn't be up," I complain.

"It was just a scrape. The fever was probably emotional; I've always had it since I was a child. I want to tell you something," he informs, sitting beside me, slightly awkward due to his injury. "I'm going to take you back to Italy."

My eyes widened upon hearing what he had just said. I couldn't believe he was reversing his decision to keep me here.

"Are you serious?" I'm ecstatic. I thought this situation would end in war.

"I've never been more serious in my life," he says, smiling at me.

Anxiety overwhelms me. I'm immensely happy to be returning to my family without the need for deaths or spilled blood. I knew that behind this vengeful man, there could be someone good who was just a victim of cruel fate.

"Why did you make this decision?" I ask, curious.

He smiles and looks at the beach. For a few seconds, I notice he's thoughtful, and when he looks back at me, I see a kind and respectful look in his eyes.

"After you cared for me all night, I realized there's goodness in people. Even after kidnapping you, you gave your best, not your worst. Besides, I don't think my father was as good as I believed. He abandoned me and never cared about my pleas," he says calmly and without bitterness.

"You deserve to enjoy life and find someone who loves you. The past will be just a bad memory that will soon fade away," I say, reaching out to hold his hand.

"I hope that person is like you," he smiles, and so do I.

We concluded our conversation after Alessandro informed me that we still had to wait one or two days to leave. He must arrange the travel arrangements, request a private plane from Miami, and organize the flight to Italy.