Page 46 of The Don's Eternal Vows

Gianni nods, his chest heaving. "Yeah, we did."

I look around, disoriented. The familiar forest looms before us, yet it feels... wrong. It is too vibrant, too alive. My eyes can't seem to focus properly, and everything is a blur of greens and browns.

"Is this real?" I whisper, more to myself than to Gianni.

He reaches out, his hand finding mine. "It's real, Genoveva. We're home."

I dig my fingers into the grass, feeling each blade. The scent of pine and earth hits me, overwhelmingly potent after the sterileemptiness of the Underworld. It's too much, too fast. My head spins.

"I never thought..." My voice breaks, and I swallow hard. "I never thought I'd see this place again."

Gianni squeezes my hand. "I know. But you're here now. We both are."

I turn to him, drinking in the sight of him silhouetted against the trees. "How did you—"

But the words die in my throat as a wave of emotion crashes over me. I'm back. I'm alive. And Gianni... Gianni came for me.

“How did I what?” Gianni asks carefully, reaching over to caress my cheek.

I take a shaky breath, my eyes searching his face. "How did you do it? How did you reach the Underworld?" My voice trembles, a mix of awe and lingering fear. "It shouldn't be possible."

Gianni's expression softens, his dark eyes holding mine. "I couldn't leave you there, Genoveva. I had to find a way."

"But how?" I press, my curiosity burning. "The living can't just waltz into Hades' realm."

He hesitates, something flashing across his face. "It's... complicated. It was a great and terrible journey."

A chill runs through me. "What kind of journey?"

Gianni stands, extending his hand to me. "Walk with me. I'll explain everything."

I take his hand, letting him pull me to my feet. As we start moving through the forest, I can't help but lean into his steady presence. The familiar scent of his cologne grounds me and reminds me of what it is to be human.

"You're shaking," Gianni murmurs, wrapping an arm around my waist.

I hadn't even noticed. "I feel... unsteady. Like I might float away if I'm not careful."

He pulls me closer. "I've got you. You're not going anywhere."

As we walk, I steal glances at him. His jaw is set, eyes focused ahead. There's a new intensity to him, a hardness that wasn't there before. What did he go through to reach me?

"Gianni," I start, my voice barely above a whisper. "What happened while I was gone?"

Gianni's grip on my waist tightens, his voice dropping to a low, gravelly rumble. "I... I tried to end it, Genoveva. After you died, I couldn't—" He breaks off, swallowing hard.

My heart lurches, a painful mix of sorrow and gratitude clenching in my chest. "Oh, Gianni," I breathe, reaching up to touch his face. His stubble is rough against my palm.

"I had the gun to my head," he continues, eyes fixed on some distant point. "I was ready to pull the trigger, to follow you into oblivion."

I shudder, imagining Gianni's strong hands trembling around cold metal. "What stopped you?"

His dark gaze finds mine, intense and haunted. "A gypsy woman. She appeared out of nowhere and convinced me to put down the gun."

My eyebrows shoot up. "A gypsy?"

Gianni nods, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "I know how it sounds. But she knew things, Genoveva. Things no one could know. She told me there was a way to bring you back, a path to the underworld."

I feel a chill that has nothing to do with the forest air. "How?"

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