Chapter 59 Fifty Nine
Antonio stared at him for a long second before shaking his head. “You know what?”
“What?” Salvatore asked without looking away from the rain.
“I’m done,” he said, shaking his head.
Salvatore raised an eyebrow.
Antonio picked up his untouched coffee. “I’m going to bed.”
A faint smile tugged at Salvatore’s lips. “I thought you wanted to keep lecturing me.”
“I do.” Antonio sighed. “But you’ve reached the point where you don’t listen to anybody.”
Salvatore took another sip of his coffee. “I listen.”
Antonio scoffed. “No, you don’t. You hear people. Listening is a completely different thing.”
Silence settled between them. Antonio walked toward the door before stopping.
“Oh.”
Salvatore looked at him.
“The mayor’s charity ball is tomorrow evening.”
“I know.”
“You cancelled dinner with him today. So you have to make it up to him tomorrow.”
“Heard you.” Salvatore barely listening
“You can’t cancel the ball,” Antonio said, staring at him to make sure he heard him
“I wasn’t planning to,” Salvatore said, his eyes on him none.
Antonio nodded. “Better.” He reached for the doorknob, then looked back over his shoulder. “And you’re taking Mira.”
Salvatore frowned. “Do I have to?”
“Yes,” Antonio answered immediately
“I'd rather go alone.”
Antonio laughed. “Oh man, you are not going alone.”
“I don’t need a date,” Salvatore said
“You do tomorrow,” Antonio replied.
“I’ll go alone.” Salvatore said adamantly, “ I don’t need Mira to come with me.”
Antonio shook his head. “The mayor specifically asked if Miss Voss would be attending.”
Salvatore’s eyes narrowed. “He asked about her?”
“He did.”
“Why?” Salvatore asked, confused.
Antonio shrugged. “Apparently she made quite an impression. He can’t wait to see her.”
Salvatore didn’t like that answer. “Who told him about her?”
“I don’t know.”
The room fell quiet again.
Antonio sighed. “Either way, she’s going.”
Salvatore rested his cup on the desk. “She won’t come.”
Antonio said at him for a while, then “ You’ll figure it out.”
“Nah, I don’t want to deal with that right now .”
Antonio laughed. “The great Salvatore Corvin is scared of asking a woman to attend a charity ball.”
“I’m not scared.” Salvatore let out a deep, frustrating sigh.
“Then ask her.”
“She’ll say no,” Salvatore said in a low voice.
“Probably.” Antonio said, “ Do you expect a yes after the madness you displayed?”
Salvatore looked at him. “So why would I waste my time?”
Antonio grinned. “Wow… you’re the only idiot I know who can threaten an entire city without blinking…”
He pointed a finger at him. “…but asking a woman to spend one evening with you suddenly becomes impossible.”
Salvatore rolled his eyes. “I don’t have time for this.”
“You’d better make time.” Antonio opened the door.
“And don’t expect me to help.”
Salvatore frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I mean exactly what I said.”Antonio smiled. “I’m not knocking on her door for you.”
“I’m not asking you to,” Salvatore said, his jaw tightened
“You were about to,” Antonio said
“I wasn’t.”
“You were thinking it.”
Salvatore stared at him.
Antonio laughed. “You’ve got yourself into this mess, brother.” He stepped into the hallway. You get yourself out.”
“Anton.”
Antonio stopped. What?”
“If she refuses…”
Antonio smirked. “Keep begging until she says yes”.
Salvatore looked completely unimpressed. “I don’t do begging.”
“I know.”Antonio’s smile widened. “There’s a first time for everything; you just need to learn.”He started walking away. “Oh, and one more thing.”
Salvatore pinched the bridge of his nose. “What now?”
“Try talking to her like a normal human being.”
“I am normal.”
Antonio burst into laughter. “No, Sal.”He continued down the hallway, still laughing. “You’re many things.”His voice echoed through the corridor. But normal isn’t one of them.”
A few seconds later, his office door closed.
Silence returned. Salvatore remained where he was, staring out at the rain.
Finally, he let out a quiet sigh. “Asking her can’t be that difficult.”
He stood, straightened his jacket, and left the study.
A few minutes later, he found himself standing outside Mira’s bedroom once again.
His hand hovered over the door.
Salvatore stood outside her bedroom for another minute, his hand hovering over the door.
He had faced men with guns. Negotiated with politicians. Looked murderers in the eye without feeling a thing.
Yet somehow… Knocking on one door felt harder than all of it. He let out a slow breath before knocking twice.
No answer.
He waited. Still nothing.
He knocked again, a little louder this time. “Mira.”
Still silence.
He frowned. “I know you’re awake.”
Still silence.
He rested his forehead against the door for the briefest second before straightening again.
“I need to talk to you.”
The only response was silence.
Inside the room, Mira sat on the floor beside the bed, hugging her knees. She had heard every word.
She simply refused to answer.
After everything he had said to her that afternoon, he expected her to open the door?
Not a chance. Outside, Salvatore rubbed the back of his neck.
This was going terribly. “…Mira.”
Still nothing.
He sighed. “Fine.”
He slipped one hand into his pocket. “I’m not here to argue.”
Nothing.
“I’m not here to threaten you either.”
Mira almost laughed.
Now he says that after what he did earlier
She stayed exactly where she was.
Another long silence stretched between them.
Finally Salvatore spoke again.
“I need you to come with me somewhere tomorrow.”
Still nothing.
“It’s important.”