Fatally Yours

Chapter 33

•INDIANA•

As I stood in the living room, my gaze was drawn to the huge portrait hanging above the fireplace. It depicted a young middle-aged couple, their faces set with quiet strength.

The man was seated in a grand chair, his posture regal, while the woman stood behind him, her arm draped down his chest, fingers interlocked with his in a tender yet powerful display of connection.

Their eyes met the camera's, as if locking onto anyone who dared to look at them. The image carried a sense of both authority and affection, as though they were the bedrock upon which everything else had been built. 

I was so lost in the details—the way their faces held stories untold—that I didn't notice Aleesa standing next to me until she spoke. 

"That's Dominik's grandparents," she said softly, her voice laced with affection. "Alexandru and Elisabeta Vitale. Alexandru was half Romanian and half Italian. He was raised by his single mother so he adopted her maiden name Vitale which will forever be this family's name." 

I turned to her, a questioning glance in my eyes, and she took the cue. 

"Let me break down the family for you," she continued, her gaze lingering on the portrait with something akin to reverence. "It's going to take a some time to remember everyone's names, but I'm sure you'll get the hang of it." 

She paused and began to speak slowly, as though she were offering me the key to understanding the complex web of relationships. 

"Dominik's father, Senior Dominik Vitale, was the oldest in the family. He's the patriarch. He married Sofija, a Serbian woman he met during a work trip to Serbia. Their love story is one of the most talked-about in the country. They were an unexpected pairing, but their love was undeniable. She came from a poor family in Serbia, but when he married her, everything changed for the better. Their wedding was a grand event, and the whole of Romania celebrated." 

Aleesa's voice softened as she continued, her eyes briefly clouding over.

"They had two children: Dominik and his sister Ana." 

It was then I noticed the subtle shift in Aleesa's expression, the sadness that slipped into her eyes as she mentioned Ana and Sofija. The warmth that had been so present before now seemed to dissipate, and for a moment, there was a quiet weight hanging in the air. 

I stayed silent, sensing that whatever story lay behind those words was not for me to ask about—not yet. Aleesa's sadness was palpable, and I instinctively held back, waiting for her to continue at her own pace. 

She cleared her throat, wiping a quick tear from the corner of her eye, and smiled softly at me.

"I know it's a lot to take in, but you'll start seeing how everything connects soon enough." 

I nodded, not wanting to press, but feeling the pull of curiosity. There was so much history here, so much beneath the surface, but I had learned to wait for the right moments to dig deeper. I didn't even know Dominik had a sister because no one ever mentioned it, till now.

It was enough to understand that this family was more than just what I had expected. There was depth, love, and loss—and I was beginning to feel the weight of it all.

Aleesa gently linked her arm through mine, guiding me down the hallway. The walls were lined with portraits of family members, each painting telling its own story, a visual legacy of the Vitale family's history.

We stopped in front of the first portrait. The painting was large and grand, taking up most of the wall. It captured a moment frozen in time—Dominik's parents, and Dominik himself, along with his sister.