INSEPARABLE | 18+

E L E V E N

Present time.
Rome, Italy.

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The hospital staff was in a frenzy. Everyone was alerted about the arrival of the Don. The doctors and nurses were working hard to avoid running into him. Their panicked states grew tenfold when they heard the cars being parked outside.

Valerius entered the hospital and walked towards the elevator. His guards pushed away the people disrupting his path. His quick steps flattering when he noticed that the elevator wasn't on his floor. Valerius immediately turned towards the stairs and started climbing them.

He walked even faster when he reached the top floor. It had taken him six hours to reach her.

Six hours.

It was far too long.

"Where is she?" He asked Antonio when he came closer to her suite. Dimitri was standing beside him, leaning against the wall.

"She is resting," Dimitri answered instead. "I will get the doctor for you." He moved away. He knew that Valerius wanted to see the man in charge.

Valerius ran a hand through his hair and smoothed the rough ends. The tie around his neck hung loosely and he ripped it off.

Valerius had never been this unkept before.

"Don," The doctor addressed him. "Doctor John." He placed his hand out to him.

"How is she?" Valerius asked him instead. The doctor placed his hand away and cleared his throat.

"She lost unconsciousness because she had a mild concussion. She will take a few days to recover fully. The patient might also suffer from headaches, dizziness, and nausea."

Valerius nodded. He felt a little relieved. Yet, he wouldn't be fully relaxed until he saw her.

"I am going to see her." He said to the men around him and turned around to walk towards her room.

Valerius opened the door and noticed Valentina lying on the bed with her eyes closed. There was an IV attached to her arm with a bandage supporting the side of her forehead.

He made his way close to her and sat down on the stool beside her bed. Valerius grabbed her hand gently in his, caressing her knuckles. He raised the other hand and pushed the hair back from her forehead.

"Mio cuore," He called out to her. His voice was barely a whisper.

Valerius knew this accident was planned. It must have been the doing of Vladimir. He had to find the snitch among them. And he had to do it soon. If it involved only him, he wouldn't have batted an eyelid. But with Valentina in the picture, the situation became even more intense.

_

Valentina ran her hand through Valerius's hair. She had woken up to the sight of him sitting on the chair beside her bed. His head was placed forward on the comforter as he slept. She gently massaged his scalp, smiling as he moved even closer to her side.

Antonio had told her that Valerius had been wide awake the whole night. He refused to leave her after he returned from Russia. Valentina knew he was tired. The back-to-back flights with almost no sleep had worn him out.

She noticed as he shifted. A grin crept up on her face when she realized that he was waking up. Valerius slowly raised his head and rubbed his eyes.

Valentina was embraced instantly by two strong arms. She buried her face in his neck, a slight shiver running through her. His scent enveloped her, comforting her shaken nerves.