30. Encounter

Isabella's pale face faintly illuminated under the soft blue light of the intensive care unit. With each breath, a rhythmic beep echoed on the monitors, sounding like a song of hope to Sofia.

The interior of the ICU was silent. There was only one sound; the slight hum of machines and drips. During the lunch break everyone took, the hospital corridors were relatively quiet. However, for Sofia, feeling the passage of time was nearly impossible. Each minute by Isabella's side felt like an hour.

There was not only a physical weight in the room but an emotional one as well. In this waiting period where everyone refrained from naming the thing they feared, the weight was heavily felt on Sofia’s tired shoulders. Yet, her faith and hope were intact. She had an unwavering belief that Isabella would wake up and they would create many more beautiful memories together.

Nurses would come and go for checks now and then, nodding at Sofia with an encouraging smile. But while she waited for Isabella to open her eyes and come around, she couldn't quite grasp how slowly time was moving. Yet, in Sofia's eyes, there was a gleam of hope that one day they would walk out of this ICU and create new memories.

“How many days has it been?” I asked Sofia, who was wiping Bella’s face with a wet cloth.

“Today is the fourth day, Leo,” she replied. I leaned my head back. A full four days. Damn it! Four days since Enzo's death, and Bella had shown no signs of waking up. The anger and tension built up inside me made me jump up.

“Stay with her, I’ll come in the evening,” I said and left the room, throwing off my robe and removing the mask from my face.

“Boss?” Roberto called out, standing by my side.

“Did the footage reach the address?” I inquired.

The answer that fell from Roberto’s lips did not comfort me. “It did, Boss, but they remained silent.”

Silence... The one thing I couldn't stand. A laugh burst from my lips out of anger. I felt my clenched fists whiten.

“Then let’s send a greeting to the big Bianchi. Burn the grape storages in Toscana and Piamonte,” I ordered.

There was concern in Roberto's eyes. Two days ago, Doctor had said Bella might wake up. But she hadn't. Enzo's death had bought them this silence. For every day she did not wake up, it was going to cost them dearly.

“As you command, Boss,” Roberto said, a hint of worry in his voice. “If Bella doesn’t wake up tomorrow, send a small warning to their homes,” I added.

The concern on Roberto’s face deepened. “That means starting a war, Boss. The families might retaliate.”

But for me, this wasn't a war, it was a message. And it needed to be understood.

“Then we’ll have to sit them all down, Roberto. Anyone who raises their voice will get their share,” I said sharply. The taste of that loss I felt years ago left a bitter taste on my tongue again. The thought of losing the woman inside. The thought of not making love to her again. After so many years, the only woman I was curious about was about to slip away from me.

This reality gnawed at my brain. Every second, tracking and counting her heartbeats, I hadn’t even been able to sleep. Once again, I didn't want to see a heart stop because of me.

“Take that little bastard home too. I’ll entertain him personally,” I said.

“Big Bianchi won’t stay silent this time.”

“Let him not! Let him raise his voice so I can rip his vocal cords out, Roberto. Those old fools, thinking they can control everything, are nothing but assholes. They rely on my father, thinking I won’t go too far. What nonsense, right?”

“You order, and I’ll do it, boss. In an hour, the little bastard will be home. Let's go if you wish,” he replied. I gave Roberto an approving look. He knew what I wanted. Even if I decimated their whole family without laying a finger on that guy, my anger wouldn’t cool.

If he had stayed away from Isabella, my woman would be with me now. She wouldn’t be in a hospital fighting for her life.

An hour later, when I returned to the farmhouse, this time it was Mattio Bianchi sitting in Enzo’s place. His hands tied behind the chair, his suit bloodied from a split lip and eyebrow. Such a shame. The guys hadn’t worked his handsome face enough. They obviously left that to me.

I took off the coat I was wearing and handed it to one of my men. There was no rush. In fact, there was absolutely no rush. Slowly unbuttoning my shirt, I started to fold it. It was time to relieve the tension built up over the last four days.

“What a shame,” I said, standing right in front of Mattio.

“Leonardo De Luca. What do you want from me? Don’t you know who I am?” Apparently, my men hadn’t worked on Mattio’s jaw enough.

He could still talk. The thing I hated the most was my enemy still being able to speak.

“You didn’t take my warning seriously, Mattio. I had sent a personal greeting just for you,” I said with a mocking tone.

“You bastard. Was it you who tampered with the brakes on my car?” he said with clenched teeth and anger.

I shrugged. “It was just a small warning, but I didn’t expect you to be this stupid. Is there something really wrong with your brain? Or is it that your father hides his bastard son because he's an idiot?”

With every word, the anger in Mattio’s eyes grew. Although he tried to break free from the ropes tying his wrists, all he could do was shuffle on the spot. How comical.

“You know who I am, and yet you dare to kidnap me. I knew the De Lucas were fools, but I had no idea you were this foolish.” I landed a punch on his jaw with my clenched right fist. His head tilted to the side, and blood oozed out of his mouth once again. He spat out the blood and looked at me. In this state, he looked so much like his father.

“You’ll soon realize who the real fool is, don’t worry Mattio. I will personally teach you that by repeatedly drilling it into your head,” I said, my voice ice-cold.

“What do you want from me?” he asked. I felt a tremor in his voice for the first time. As he gradually lost control, he began to confront reality.

“What do I want from you? You genuinely have no idea why you're here, do you? What a pity. I thought you were informed.” I stared at him intensely.

“What are you talking about, De Luca? Speak clearly,” he hissed.

Reflecting the pain in my heart on my face, I yelled, “About what your father did. Ordering Isabella's death. My woman fighting for her life for four days because of you bastards.”

“No. No, no, this can’t be. My father wouldn’t harm Bella. He knows I love her and want her back. You're lying.” There was genuine disbelief and devastation in Mattio’s voice. Panic-filled disbelief shone in his eyes.

As he tried to free himself from the ropes around his wrists, I gave my men a look. Holding him firmly, I looked him in the eyes and said, “Oh, young and foolish Bianchi. Are you truly this naive? Did you really think your father would let you be with Bella? Are you that stupid?”

“You're lying,” he said, panting.

“Lying? I wish I was, Mattio. I'd prefer to be a liar. But your senile father overlooked me and harmed my woman,” I whispered. My words cornered him even more.

“Your woman?” he replied, bursting into laughter. But that laughter seemed like a mask for underlying distress. I could easily sense the deep anxiety behind it.

“Isabella would never be with you, Leonardo. She despises Italian mafias, you know why? Or perhaps you don’t?” The smugness returned to Mattio's eyes. “Then listen closely. Because her father was murdered by our very families. With her father's blood ingrained in these cold walls, do you think she’d come to you after leaving me for that?”

As he spoke, I noticed a gleam and a smug grin in Mattio’s eyes. Yet, it did not deter me, instead igniting a deeper fury.

“Step back,” I ordered my men firmly. They quickly stepped away, leaving Mattio and me face to face. I focused intently on his eyes, took a deep breath, and chose my words carefully.

“Yet, as you were passing by my car, Bella was right in my arms. And believe me, I clearly saw the glow in her eyes when she felt the happiness, the peace, the freedom in that moment, Bianchi."