Chapter 35: #35 - Before Night Falls

Caterina Bellini

I woke up like someone returning to breathing after a long time. A silent scream. I felt panic suffocating me with the same memories.

The feeling that everything was ending, and there was nothing I could do. This terrorized me day after day since I was reborn. It was like struggling in the darkness, having no one to save me when I was vulnerable and defenseless.

But then, just as I was being overtaken by the panic of those vivid sensations, I realized where I was.

Vincenzo murmured, still keeping his arms around me, 'Tutto bene, amore mio?'

I didn't know how to answer if everything was fine or not a few seconds ago, but one look in his direction was enough to see that all of that was a distant past now. They were like ghosts trying to drag me back, and I didn't know why, but I understood that it was all over.

I was safe now. I felt safe.

The warm body that enveloped me, the scent, the bed... though new to me, it didn't feel strange. It was as if I had been there my whole life.

'Did you have that nightmare again?' he said, pulling me to him and sealing his lips on mine in a long, lingering kiss.

I just nodded before burying my face in his chest. I felt the warmth of his still-naked body against mine, and the feeling that everything was ending vanished in a flash. Finally, I felt something beyond despair and betrayal.

He held me close, knowing exactly what I needed by remaining strong and stable while my body slightly trembled.

'You haven’t had a chance to tell me what happens in those nightmares,' Vincenzo said softly, his tone tender, like someone who didn't want to force anything, despite his curiosity.

But there was worry in his eyes; I saw it when I looked toward his face, handsome and well-lit by the newly born sun filtering through the curtain gap. Seeing him like this made me even more surrendered, if that was possible.

'What do you see, Caterina? What scares you so much? Did someone hurt you?' Vincenzo sat up, pulling me with him.

I froze before him, because the answer was yes, but not in this reality we now lived in. His face was serious, analyzing my expression with worry and curiosity, but also confusion.

I wanted to tell him, I felt I needed to, in fact, but… it was too much.

What if he thought I was crazy and threw me out? What if he came to his senses and realized he had allied with a delusional woman?

All those thoughts filled my head with worries greater than I could handle.

'I… I'm afraid you’ll think I’m crazy,' I confessed with a weak laugh, hiding my nervousness.

Vincenzo’s hand reached my cheek, gently caressing the surface of my skin with his thumb.

'I've been a Don on this path for many years, mia bella. I deal with all kinds of madness every day, and I know we all have a part of it within us. But I would never use that word to refer to you.'

Then I took a deep breath, gathering all the courage I had, and started from the beginning.

'When we first spoke, you asked me how I was so sure I had been betrayed if I had no proof. I didn't say it that day for obvious reasons, but… I… I was murdered, Vincenzo.'

As he listened to me, he stopped breathing for a second. He didn't move; he just stared at me.

'It’s crazy, I know. But I was killed and I came back. I came back to the exact day that Nathalia, the woman who finished ruining my marriage, entered my life.'

'The one who was there on the day of the greenhouse?'

'Yes, Nathalia Ferrari. Things were already bad before, of course. Adrian hadn't treated me as a wife for a long time. But after she arrived, everything got worse. Until the day it all happened.'

My eyes filled with tears, and I swallowed hard. I looked at the ceiling, trying to push away the image of the bottom of the pool that still haunted me.

Vincenzo was silent for a long moment.

'The orange juice I drank earlier, which had a strange taste… She drugged me. Nathalia drowned me in the pool. And Adrian… he let it happen. He is the Don. He should have eyes on everything. He allowed it.'

'My God, Caterina…' he said, stunned.

'Do you think I’m crazy?' I asked in an almost childish tone, afraid of his reaction.

But then, he kissed me. That answer said everything I needed.

'I’ve seen many things in this life, Cat… many things that would be considered impossible or miracles. This… you being here is a miracle. But it's also your chance to get revenge on those sons of bitches.'

I smiled, hugging him. There could be no better answer.

....

We had breakfast alone in the room and went down to his base of operations.

I started talking about what really mattered: what I would do when I recovered the Bellini Famiglia and divorced Adrian. I couldn't wait for that to happen.

'I want you to understand that I don't just want revenge. I want to change the game,' I said, pointing on the map toward my territory. 'I want to ruin this dynamic of female servitude to the male in the Mafia. I want important and active roles for women. I want security to prevent harassment from Capos and Soldatos toward unmarried women. Everyone knows this happens. I want a woman to be able to act as the Dons do, leading the Famiglia. That's what I'll do with Bellini.'

'And we will do something incredible together,' Vincenzo agreed, his smile making me giddy.

But our moment of strategy was interrupted by Luca, who was surprised to see us together.

'Sorry to interrupt, but it's urgent, Boss. The Boston report has arrived, and it's not good. We have to go now.'

Vincenzo’s expression hardened, putting me on alert. Luca was also more serious than usual.

'Two days at least, and then we'll be back,' Luca reaffirmed.

We looked at each other, and I understood that we would have to interrupt our moment, even against our will.

We said goodbye quickly. He promised he would return soon and asked me to wait for him, as if I were going somewhere. Lara was in one of the many classes Vincenzo made her take to keep busy, and I was left alone.

In my room, I saw my cell phone screen lit up.

15 missed calls.

I should block Adrian's number. And just as I seriously considered doing so, a message arrived.

'Your friend is in serious trouble. Come back now if you want to save her.'

Victoria hadn't answered me for days. She's always involved in her mysterious work, but she always makes time for me. I thought it was just one of her adventures.

But now, I see that the problem is much bigger than I imagined.