27
The Second Chance for & Mala Runaway Bride
I couldn’t control my emotions as I cried. I didn’t want to hear anything about hope–I didn’t want to be hurt again. But deep inside, I was hoping… yearning.
Silence stretched between us before Lorenzo spoke again, his tone softer. “I’m sorry, Aletta. I wasn’t trying to hurt you. I just… I know how much he meant to you. I thought you’d want to know.”
“Yeah…” My anger deflated, replaced by exhaustion. “I know you’re only trying to help me, Lorenzo. But I can’t live on rumors. I can’t live with hope.”
“But sometimes hope is all we’ve got,” he said quietly.
There was silence again. For a moment, it felt like he was talking about himself, about a love he could never have anymore. A message buried in the words he didn’t say.
Before he hung up, his voice softened even further. “I know you’re doing well, Aletta. Better than you think. Matteo would be proud. And you’re a fighter–you and I both know that. You beat me once, remember?” He chuckled
I laughed between my tears. “Yeah, Lorenzo. I did.”
One late afternoon, as the vineyard was bathed in golden light, another storm threatened. Not a literal storm, but the kind that sweeps into your life and uproots everything. And this storm had a name: Stefania.
She wasn’t going to stop. She’d made her move.
Her plan was intercepted, and Lorenzo sent his messenger
When the man arrived at the villa, bruised and shaken, he carried a warning: Stefania was targeting my vineyard and the Vitale holdings. It was a declaration of war. Now that her lover hadn’t been chosen as the new mafia emperor, Stefania had turned to rogue elements, lashing out like a cornered animal..
“You knew this was coming,” Mama said, her voice calm but firm as we sat in the study, discussing how to
chest. defend our own. Her presence was a steadying force, her sharp eyes betraying none of the fear tightening my “Stefania’s attacking now because she knows you’re vulnerable.”
I sighed, looking outside. “She doesn’t need to worry–I’ll wait for her. I’m not running from her antics, Mama,” I said, my voice stronger than I felt. “But I’ll admit, I’m not ready either.”
er, the one “I know.” Mama smiled knowingly. “But ready or not, we must face her. And that devil she calls her lover, backing her up now… He’ll be dealt with too, along with whatever schemes Stefania is plotting”
Lorenzo worriedly called me again hours later that day. His voice was tight with urgency.
“She’s planning to hit the vineyard tonight,” Lorenzo said. “I’m sending men, Aletta, but they won’t get there in time. I hope your mother’s men are ready.”
I gripped the phone tightly, my mind racing. “How do you know about this planned attack, Lorenzo?”
“Does it matter?” His voice was sharp, but then it softened. “Aletta, listen to me. I have some contact spying on her. You and your mother need to leave the vineyard. Now.”
“I’m not running,” I snapped, though my heart pounded. “This is my home, Lorenzo. Matteo and I built thist
won’t let Stefania keep winning.”
“Then let’s defend it,” he said simply. “I’ll do what I can to get there fast, but-”
“No,” I interrupted, the fire in my voice surprising even me. “This is my fight, Lorenzo. Just make sure Stefania’s reinforcements or Ricci’s friends don’t get anywhere near us. I want to end this–for Matteo,”
There was a pause, and when Lorenzo spoke again, his voice was heavy. “Just be careful, Aletta.”
The attack came as expected, under the cover of darkness. Stefania’s men were skilled and ruthless, but they underestimated the strength of my mother’s defenses. Gunfire shattered the vineyard’s stillness, and smoke filled
mocking. “I thought you’d run. How brave of you to stay.”
“This is my home,” I said, stepping forward. “I won’t let you ruin what Matteo gave me.”
“Oh?” Her laugh was cold, her eyes glinting with malice. “You think you can stop me? Really, sister?”
*You underestimate me? Again?” I replied, my voice steady even as fear coiled in my stomach. “Don’t forget that once upon a time, I caused your father’s organization to crumble.”
“Because you cheated!” she screamed, her eyes bulging with rage. “You cheated, and you caused Papa to have a heart attack! How could you stand there so calm when you’re the reason he died?”
“Do you
hear yourself?” I snorted. “Blaming me again? Why are you always like this, Stefania? Everything that happened was because of your own choices! Your evil doings!”
Stefania stepped closer, her men fanning out around her. “Let’s see how brave you really are,” she sneered,
raising her weapon.
The moment stretched into eternity, every sound fading into the background as I prepared to defend. And then, a voice shattered the silence.
was.
“Step away from her, Stefania!”
The voice was deep and commanding, filled with a quiet strength that made my heart stop. I turned, and there he
Matteo.
Oh, God. He’s alivel
He stepped into the light, his presence as powerful as ever. But he was different. His face bore scars from the explosion, his body marked by months of recovery. Yet, his eyes were the same–piercing, unwavering, and locked on Stefania with a fury that could have melted steel. The scars didn’t mar him; they made him more striking, a testament to his survival.
“Matteo…” I whispered, my voice trembling
Stefania’s smile faltered for the first time, her confidence shaken. “Impossible!” she spat. “You’re supposed to be dead! Ricci is supposed to be the emperor of Emperio!”
“And yet here I am,” Matteo said, his voice cold and unyielding. “Alive and ready to end this.”
He moved with the precision of someone who had been planning this moment for months. Within seconds, he disarmed Stefania, her weapon clattering to the ground as his men swarmed the vineyard, securing the area.
I stood frozen, unable to process what was happening. Matteo turned to me, his gaze softening as he took a step closer. “Hey,” he said, his voice breaking. “It’s just me, Damsel.”
