ONE HUNDRED AND ONE

I was consumed by fear and an even greater desire to figure out what the hell was going on with Alessandro. It's been weeks since the decimation of Syrius and I was supposed to have the best time of my life at this point. I had been working hard to pick up the pieces of the rubble the scuffle left behind. It was over now, our enemies and anyone who might have wanted to stand against us, their prestige, and honor were in the dirt now.

Everyone was begging to swear fealty to the mafia. Life couldn't have gone any better or so I thought.

I had to face the backlash head-on, I had everything to lose and nothing to gain if I didn't figure out what was wrong with Alessandro.

Thankfully, our child had been drugged with sleeping pills throughout, so he wasn't traumatized and the doctors had cleared him a few days after I was discharged but Alessandro's case was proving to be quite difficult.

It was expected that defeat would come at a huge price and seeing Alessandro lying unconscious in his bed might have done something to make me regret my actions as well but I was determined to make it work by any means possible.

I couldn't stop the negative thoughts from coming in, no matter how hard I tried. If I hadn't gone there myself, there might be a chance Alessandro wouldn't be battling for his life. It was difficult to put up a strong face but I had to do it for our son, Ethan.

I also owed it to Alessandro to fix this mess and restore our mafia to what it once was, no matter how long it might take. I was tired of looking over my shoulders on a daily basis and I didn't want that life anymore.

It was pointless running away from destiny and after three long years, I was ready to accept it all over again. It was better to be feared than to live in fear.

It was up to us to make sure that our son had the best life possible and we had to make sure it happened and being in control was the only way to ensure it happened.

I wasn't going to go down without a fight. Alessandro had to survive by any means necessary. I would have it no other way. I needed him to survive and I had no plans to lose him this early.

I had delved into a world where simmering vendettas and an unquenchable desire for revenge reign supreme. It would be a long, lonely walk but I was willing to push past my limits and embark on any treacherous path to seek for the cure to this mess. Alessandro and I had suffered a great deal already and it wasn't my intention to bring her more harm than what she had already been through.

I was willing to go to the ends of the earth if that was what it would take to make everything whole again. The deaths and random outbursts were becoming uncontrollable and it waxed stronger as each day grew back.

My sleep was often haunted by the grotesque image of Alessandro lying in a pool of his blood on the battlefield, his nightmares were so severe that he resorted to staying up all night, seeking any help or vital information meticulously that would aid him in creating a trap to seal these memories for good.

Every day for the past few days, I had gotten a step closer to achieving my goal but by the next morning, I was two steps back, intensifying my anger and pushing me to the brink of madness.

My sanity tethered on the edge of driving me mad and I couldn't let it happen.

I didn't know what to make of the recent developments and all the doctors that we could find from far and wide had the same conclusions as well; there was nothing physically wrong with Alessandro.

But, I couldn't bring myself to believe it. The first couple of weeks since I recovered, I'd made sure that Alessandro had been treated with the best care and he had the best doctors that money could buy as well.

I made sure that she lacked nothing and everything she ever needed was brought to her, the idea was to make sure that her memories were filled with happiness and I worked hard towards ensuring that it would be that way no matter what happened.

The door to Alessandro's room opened and I forced myself back to reality as the doctor walked in, flanked by his nurses.

"I didn't expect to see you in here, ma'am." The doctor said, quite shocked at seeing me.

"I told you I wasn't going to leave his side and I meant it." I replied.

"What about your son, he-"

"Ethan's asleep, doctor. I made sure he had eaten, taken his bath and medication before rocking him to sleep." I said, cutting him off politely.

"I admire your efforts but the last time we spoke, we both came to the conclusion that you need to rest. Your body has been through a lot this past week but you've refused to heed my advice. You're risking yourself and Don Alessandro will have my head on a plate if he finds out how much stress you're putting yourself under."

I admired his concern but it was the last thing on my mind right now. All I wanted was for Alessandro to come out of his coma and all would be well. I couldn't afford to rest if that didn't happen.

"I promise you that nothing will happen to you or your head, doctor. I'll make sure to tell him how well you looked after him while he was in coma." I said.

"Ma'am, I understand your frustration but the truth of the matter is that, Alessandro needs you hale and hearty. If you fail to take care of yourself, you'll be in his position any moment from now and I don't know what your son would do without his parents."