Twisted Fixation

『 Chapter 88 』

Just like she had predicted, her mother was surprised upon seeing her. When she opened the door, she was yawning and rubbing her eyes, but once her mom finally recognized her, her tired expression quickly transformed into disbelief.

"Yuri, is that you? Why did you not tell me that you were coming?" her mother asked as she opened the door wider to let her inside. She then pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Why are you alone? Where is Giancarlo?"

At the mention of his name, Yuri's tears began to well up in her eyes. Agatha could only watch as she held Yuri closer, sensing her pain.

"What happened, Yuri? Please tell me," her mother urged gently, concern etched on her face. Yuri just shook her head as she continued to cry, and once she had calmed down, she told her everything, including the donna's attempt to poison her.

She could have never imagined that her daughter would go through such a terrifying ordeal. She thought that Giancarlo was listening when she said that she wouldn't stand idly by if any harm came to her daughter. Her mind raced with thoughts of revenge and justice, but for now, she had to focus on comforting Yuri first. Her daughter, who just left Sicily with nothing but herself,

"You came somewhere far away, and I know that you are tired. I just cleaned your room yesterday so you can stay there and rest for as long as you need. I'll make sure you have everything you need, and we can talk about what happened in the morning. You're safe now, and I won't let anyone hurt you again, alright?"

Yuri nodded at her, her face still soaked with tears as she clung tightly to her mother.

The last time Agatha saw Yuri cry so intensely was when she watched a movie about a dog who waited for his owner to come back to a train station, not knowing that the owner had passed away.

When her husband died, Yuri was devastated, but she did not show her emotions as openly as she does now because back then, she was trying to stay strong for the both of them.

She reached out to remove the strands of hair that were sticking to Yuri's wet cheeks. She had already fallen asleep, but her tears were still fresh on her face. It seemed to her too that she was having a nightmare because she could hear her muffled cries and whimpers.

She stayed by Yuri's side for a couple of hours until she noticed a slight change in her breathing, indicating that she was finally starting to calm down. Relieved, she gently kissed Yuri's forehead before going out of the room to go to her own.

Upon remembering what Yuri said—that the donna attempted to poison her—she couldn't help but feel the anger that surged within her.

She looked at the framed photo of her husband on the bedside table and brought it closer to her.

"I know I made a promise to you, but just this once, allow me to break it," she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. "I can't let someone hurt Yuri and get away with it."

She returned the framed photo to the table, putting it face down, as if doing that would shield her from the guilt she felt for breaking her promise.

She had managed to keep her promise to her late husband for years, but now the circumstances were different. The threat to Yuri's safety was too great, and she couldn't bear the thought of standing idly by while someone could kill her daughter at any time.

She went outside the room to retrieve her phone and dialed a number that she had memorized a long time ago.

***

It was already noon when Yuri finally woke up. At first, she was confused about where she was until the events of the previous day came rushing back to her.

With a sad smile, she stood up and stretched her stiff muscles. The weight of the decision she had made still lingered in her mind, but she knew deep down that it was the right thing to do.

Although she couldn't help but wonder what Giancarlo could be doing right now—is he sleeping peacefully, unaware of the turmoil she has caused? Or is he awake, consumed by anger and hurt?

Regardless, she hopes that he is doing well. At the end of the day, he is still the father of her child, and she doesn't want to wish any ill will upon him.

"Oh, you are finally awake. I brought some food, and if you are hungry, I could reheat it for you."

Yuri narrowed her eyes at Gillian, whom she did not expect at all. And what made her more confused was that when she looked around, her mother seemed not to be home.

"What are you doing here, and where is mom?" she asked, her voice carrying a mix of surprise and concern as she tried to make sense of the situation. But of course, not forgetting that she was happy to see Gillian, she walked over to her and gave her a warm hug. Gillian returned the hug, a smile spreading across her face.

Gillian hesitated for a moment before responding to her question: "George ordered me to go here and take care of you. When I went here, Auntie Agatha was already gone, but I suppose George and her talked beforehand. The only instruction I was told was to not leave you alone until she comes back."

Yuri tried to remember her conversation with her mother last time to see if she had mentioned anything about leaving; however, no such mention came to mind.

Feeling a wave of uncertainty wash over her, she retrieved her phone and tried to call her mother, but her mother's phone was turned off.

Yuri wondered why her mother would suddenly disappear without any explanation. They have no friends or family members nearby, so it seemed unlikely that her mother would have gone to visit someone.

She couldn't help but wonder if something was wrong or if there was more to the situation than she knew. Regardless of the reason, her mother would not just leave without informing her, especially about her situation right now.

"I want to go to George. I need to know where my mother is," she told Gillian, who nodded in understanding.

"Of course, let us do that, but make sure to eat well. You are pregnant, Yuri. It's important to take care of yourself and the baby," Gillian gently reminded her. "Once you have already eaten, I will take you to George."

Yuri muttered her thanks to Gillian, and just in time, there was a knock on the door. She was about to answer it, but Gillian beat her to it and opened the door. She was hoping that it would be her mother, but it's Lorenzo, who carries some grocery bags.

It seemed like Lorenzo was about to say something, because he was evidently surprised to see an unfamiliar face in front of him, so Yuri quickly introduced them to each other.

"It's a pleasure meeting you, Signorina. Just like Yuri, you are also beautiful," Lorenzo complimented, but Gillian only laughed and shook her head.

"Italian men are surely charmers," she said, and Lorenzo just laughed.

Yuri just watched them interact, and when they stopped talking, she thanked Lorenzo for the groceries and for stopping by to check on her.

"I guess it was my lucky day, Signorina. There was signage in front of this apartment complex saying that one of the units below was available for rent, so I figure that it was a good chance to get closer to you. I just ordered a bed and some furniture for it, but I will be moving in tonight," Lorenzo said excitedly. Yuri widened her eyes at that.

"Why do you have to do that? Did you not see the condition of the apartment? It's in such a terrible state, and I wouldn't want you to live in such a place."

Lorenzo's face turned serious. "Then why are you here then? If the apartment is in such a terrible state, shouldn't you be concerned for your own well-being too, especially now that you are pregnant?"

"I am used to a certain level of discomfort, and I can manage. But anyway, it's your choice," she answered in resignation because she knew that she wouldn't be able to convince Lorenzo to change his mind anyway.

"Lunch is ready,Yuri. I thought you wanted to go to George?" Gillian said, setting the plateson the table.