Page 31 of Silent Night With Alessio

All I can think about is putting distance between us and the Vitale men, the twisted paths of the city flashing by as I drive.

Finally, I see the lights of the Bellini Lodge, The Luciana's cars parked in front. They moved past me quickly as I drove past the gate, their eyes darting around, presumably to make sure we weren't followed.

The moment I screech to a halt, I’m screaming for help, desperately voices drawing everyone's attention to Alessio.

I watch as a group of men approach the car, swiftly taking Alessio from the seat. A couple of them move to help Nico, though his injuries aren’t as severe.

One man, a doctor by the look of the stethoscope draped over his shoulders, leans over Alessio, checking for a pulse. After a tense moment, he looks up and gives me a reassuring nod. “He’s going to be fine.”

Relief floods through me, but exhaustion weighs heavier. They carry Alessio down the hallway, and the doctor glances back, advising me to get some rest.

My head feels thick with everything that’s happened tonight, my heart still pounding, but I rise, almost on autopilot, and walk down the corridor toward Massimo’s office.

The door is open when I reach it, and I step inside. The room feels less intimidating now, maybe because tonight has finally brought the ring back into Massimo’s possession.

Massimo is waiting, silent, his gaze steady on me as I cross the room and place the ring on his desk. He picks it up, turning it over in his hand, inspecting it as the haze of his cigar smoke fills the air.

After a long, weighty pause, he looks at me, something close to a smile forming on his face.

“Thank you, Isabella. You’ve proven yourself tonight.”

His words warm me, easing a small smile onto my face. “Thank you, Massimo.”

But as grateful as I am that this ordeal is over, a lingering thought keeps tugging at me, refusing to let go. My mind drifts back to Alessio, hoping…no, praying…that he truly will be alright.

13

Alessio

The room is stillwrapped in the dim blue shadows of early morning. I blink, my eyes heavy, and the faint, low hum of the ceiling fan reaches me as I stare up at it, trying to orient myself.

The air is calm, like nothing out of the ordinary has happened. But my mind knows better. Slowly, fragments of last night drift back to me…sharp flashes, sounds, images that burn their way through the haze of pain dulling my senses.

I lift a hand to my head, and it comes away trembling. There’s a dull ache pulsing from my temple, and as my fingers skim across it, I feel the thick edge of a bandage beneath my hair. I wince, my fingertips pressing gingerly against it.

How bad was I hurt? I don't even remember how I got back here.

But then… pieces start slotting back into place, one by one, each one digging into me like thorns.

I remember the heavy silence in the car as Nico and I waited, tension simmering between us as we watched Isabella’s movements through the camera on her ring.

I remember her sitting there, fearless, bidding against Dante Vitale himself. The sheer nerve of it sent a strange, sick thrill through me…a rush of pride and fear mingled so closely that it almost felt like madness.

Dante, cold and predatory, flashes across my mind, the way he walked to her with that unsettling intensity.

Even now, in the calm of my quarters, my chest tightens, anger and fear tangling inside me. I remember gripping the steering wheel so hard my knuckles went white, ready to throw myself into whatever storm would come if he tried to take the ring from her.

But she’d done it. Somehow, she’d walked out of there with her chin high, her hand wrapped around the ring that should never have left our family’s hands.

Relief had flooded through me then, my body finally letting go of the tension that had wound me up all night. But then, in a single second, it all shattered.

The car. That damned car, headlights glaring, speeding right at her. I didn't even think. I acted, instinct tearing through my veins, pulling the car between her and that maniac.

And then, the impact…metal crashing against metal, a shockwave that had stolen the breath from my lungs, the last thing I felt before the darkness swallowed me whole.

A dull ache blooms in my head as the memories snap back into focus, and I grit my teeth against it, cursing myself for not having the strength to see her safely all the way back here.

My own weakness disgusts me, makes my stomach twist with anger and frustration. But as I shift, I notice something that brings me to a sudden stop.

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