HIS

Chapter 50

Tomorrow is never guaranteed. While some live as if life is theirs to command, others have that choice stolen from them—fate deciding their end without warning or consent...

awoke with a deep, gasping breath, as though tasting life for the very first time.

The gift of another chance fills me with the drive to face a new day. I feel blessed to have opened my eyes again—and more than that, I now carry a renewed clarity about my purpose moving forward.

That's why I must fight—not just for myself, but for my husband and our unborn child. I'm determined to secure our family's future, no matter what stands in our way, whether it's the Mafia or any other threat that dares to challenge us.

Yes, I have taken lives and been the cause of death—but never by choice, and it's nothing I take pride in. It was a matter of survival: kill or be killed. And if I had to choose, I'd rather remain in this world a little longer, just to witness the life I've built with my husband.

The room was silent and bare, with only me lying on a hospital bed. As my eyes slowly adjusted to the brightness of the overhead light, I began to make out the stark whiteness of the space surrounding me.

As I glanced around the room—one of the medical bays at the Mafia base, judging by the sterile walls and familiar equipment—I turned my attention to the bruises covering my hands and arms. If this is what the visible parts of me look like, I can't even begin to imagine the damage hidden beneath the sheets.

As the panic begins to take hold, my thoughts instantly drift to Domenico. Is he safe? Where could he be? Why is everything so eerily silent? What unfolded after we arrived?

My chest tightens at the unbearable thought that he might no longer be alive. If that's true, it would shatter the fragile grip I have on reality—a reality that only began to matter when he became part of it. I need to get out of this room. I have to find him.

I need to uncover who within the Mafia is working to break Domenico. That's why I won't trust anyone—family included. It doesn't matter who they are. I have to speak with Domenico, lay everything out, and come up with a solid plan of action.

I'll have to play dumb until I can figure out who's truly on our side—and who's not.

The one person I truly hope is on my side is Marco—at least, that's what my heart wants to believe. But until I can be sure of his loyalty, I have to treat him like one of the enemies.

I'm not sure where to place Domenico's parents in all of this. I don't believe they'd ever harm their own son, but their true intentions remain unclear. Only time will reveal what role they're meant to play—if any.

After everything that happened—and the fact that no one came to help—it's clear: trust no one but yourself.

This Mafia is the most powerful in America, which makes Santiago's claim believable—that some of its members were working for him. But with Santiago dead, who are they answering to now? None of it makes sense at this point, but I'm determined to uncover the truth.

I reach up to wipe the sleep from my eyes, only to be hit with a sharp, burning pain in my shoulder. Of course—it's the same side that took a bullet.

I swing my feet off the bed as quickly as my body allows, but a wave of dizziness hits me hard. Probably just low blood pressure.

After sitting up for a few minutes to let the dizziness pass, I slowly ease myself off the bed and head toward the door. Barefoot, I lean on the steel IV pole—its small wheels squeaking beneath me—as I use it for support with the drip still attached, inching my way forward.