Mafia's Obsession

• XXI•

Luciano made his way up the grand staircase, his footsteps echoing in the quiet corridors. As he approached his sister's room, he could hear the soft beeping of medical equipment. Pushing the door open, he found Alayna lying in her bed, her right arm heavily bandaged, a drip attached to her left hand. A nurse was quietly changing the IV bags, her movements professional and efficient.
Alayna looked up as Luciano entered the room, her face lighting up despite the pain she was in. "Luciano," she greeted, her voice soft but filled with warmth.
Luciano clenched his fists at the sight of her injured arm. His normally composed demeanour was cracking, his eyes burning with a fierce, barely contained anger. "I'm going to find out who did this," he said, his voice low and dangerous. His teeth were clenched, and his eyes were a storm of fury.
Alayna, ever the resilient one, gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm okay, honestly. I'm just glad I dodged it and it only skimmed my arm." Her attempt to soothe her brother did little to diminish the intensity of his anger.
"Whoever did this is going to regret the day they were born," Luciano growled. "How did they even manage to get close to you, let alone shoot you?"
Before Alayna could respond, the door swung open, and their father entered the room. The elder De'Romano was a formidable presence, his height and frame a mirror of his son's, though he was slightly shorter and less muscular. His light blue eyes, so different from Luciano's dark ones, were filled with a cold fury.
"Who even had the fucking balls to do such a thing?" their father demanded, his booming voice filling the room.
"I'm okay, I really am," Alayna insisted, trying to diffuse the tension. Her expression shifted to one of concern. "What about Aiden? How is he now?"
Aiden was Alayna's personal bodyguard, a man loyal to the De'Romano family to the core. During the attack, he had reacted instantly, pushing Alayna out of the way, taking the brunt of the first assault himself. Thanks to him, Alayna had only been grazed by the second bullet, but Aiden had been critically injured.
"Aiden is still in a coma," their father replied, his voice heavy with the weight of the news. "They're observing him for any improvements, but it's too early to tell."
Luciano's jaw tightened. His thoughts were already racing, planning, plotting. He pulled out his phone and quickly dialled Antony.
"I want each and every fucking detail," Luciano demanded as soon as Antony answered. "I want the names, addresses, and every bit of information on anyone who was in that cafe and the entire goddamn area." His voice was lethal, each word dripping with the promise of retribution.
"To hurt my fucking daughter, they're calling war upon themselves," their father added, his voice full of barely controlled rage. "I will not rest until every single one of them is dead."
Luciano's eyes met his father's, a silent agreement passing between them. This was more than just an attack on Alayna—it was an affront to their family, and the De'Romanos would not stand for it.
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Meanwhile, back in the city, Sophia was having a relatively normal day at the cafe, trying to immerse herself in work to keep her mind off recent events. She was busy going through the books, checking inventory, and ensuring that everything was running smoothly. The cafe was her sanctuary, a place where she could focus on something she was passionate about. She moved from one task to another, her movements efficient, her mind occupied.
But despite her best efforts, her thoughts kept drifting back to Luciano. It had been days since she last saw him, since that intense moment they shared, and the silence since then was driving her crazy. Why hasn't he contacted her? What was he doing?
She also noticed that Antony had stopped coming by the cafe for his usual coffee. He had been a regular, almost like clockwork, but now he was conspicuously absent. Did Luciano tell him to stop? Was he avoiding her?
Sophia's thoughts were interrupted by the buzzing of her phone. She glanced at the screen and saw a message from her best friend, Isabella.
Isabella: Dinner at my place tonight? I miss you!
Sophia smiled faintly and quickly typed a response.
Sophia: I'll be there. Can't wait to see you.
She put her phone down, but her thoughts lingered on Luciano. With a sigh, she pushed those thoughts aside and got back to work, focusing on the tasks at hand. But no matter how much she tried, the image of Luciano's intense gaze and the memory of his lips on hers refused to fade.

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