Chapter 46
~Elle~
Panic.
There’s no other word for what I feel. No—if I’m honest, there’s something else too, something I’m not ready to face. Hearing that name again—Vitelli—sent me spiraling. Yet even in my anxiety, my eyes cling to my husband’s features, etched in shock and worry.
Dominic Vitelli stood before me, disheveled and raw.
His once immaculate white shirt was now streaked with red, collar loosened, cuffs shoved up to his elbows.
The strong arms that had once held me in the illusion of love were smeared with blood.
His stare was unrelenting—piercing, unwavering, impossible to escape.
My hand drifts instinctively to my abdomen, and he stiffens. A flicker of surprise flashes in those luminous blue eyes. We lock gazes—silent, calculating—suspended in a moment that stretches endlessly. His companions are stunned as well, but none dare break the silence.
I’m the first to break eye contact. My gaze flicks briefly to Dario and Jimmy, but I don’t acknowledge them. My legs feel rooted to the floor, yet somehow I force them forward, stepping into the room.
It’s a battle to keep my voice steady, professional. “I… ahem… I’m Doctor Ellen Thom. I understand you’re Dante Vitelli’s relatives.” Dominic’s jaw tightens, a flash of tension across his face. I avoid Dario and Jimmy, though their bewilderment is unmistakable—they must think I’ve lost my mind.
The nurse lingers behind me, breaking the silence as she gestures toward Dominic. Her eyes flick nervously between the men, curiosity written across her face. “Yes, Doctor Thom, Mr. Vitelli is our patient’s brother.”
I nod, forcing composure. “Mr. Vitelli, your brother is in recovery. He suffered multiple broken ribs and a ruptured spleen. We performed a partial splenectomy. He lost a great deal of blood and required several transfusions.”
The words hang in the sterile air—clinical facts concealing the storm raging beneath my calm exterior.
“So, he’s going to live?” His voice sent a shiver down my spine.
I folded my arms across my chest, rubbing them as if warding off a cold.
His gaze lingered, but I ignored it. “His condition is stable. We’ll monitor him for a few days.
There’s still a risk of infection, but he’s on antibiotics.
” I turned to the nurse. “Nurse Phillips will show you to your brother’s room.
Only one visitor is allowed at a time. I’ve another patient I need to check up on. ”
Before anyone could respond, I was already out the door, their stares searing into my back.
Looking back was impossible. Once out of sight, I released the breath I’d been holding, my shoulders collapsing under the weight of it.
The doctor’s lounge was mercifully empty.
I sank into a chair, heart pounding, hands trembling.
Pressing my palms against my abdomen, I tried to steady myself.
When Dominic had spoken—our baby, as if recognizing his voice, kicked wildly inside me. It took all my strength to stay calm, to pretend nothing was happening. All I wanted was to fall into Dominic’s arms again—but betrayal isn’t so easily forgotten. That’s why I fled.
Normally, I would accompany my patient’s relatives myself.
But Dominic’s presence was too overwhelming and tempting.
All I wanted to do was to throw myself into his arms. I cannot.
Not after everything. Nurse Phillips was so distracted by the three strapping hunks that she didn’t find my behavior bizarre.
I wonder if she would run for the hills if she knew that they were mobsters.
“It’s going to be okay my darling.” I say in a soothing voice, rubbing my hands on my abdomen as my baby’s acrobatics begin again.
My God. Horror grips me—I can’t believe what I’ve done. Pretending not to know them, denying the truth. I don’t understand what came over me.
It’s nearly midnight now, the end of my shift pressing down like a weight. Exhaustion gnaws at me, but the memory won’t let go.
Hours earlier, I was told a trauma patient was being rushed into emergency surgery. Abdominal injuries from an MVA. By the time I scrubbed in, the patient was already intubated, draped and faceless beneath the sterile sheets. I never saw who it was.
And now, the realization cuts deeper than any scalpel.
As soon as the surgery ended, I was told the patient’s relatives were waiting for news.
I went to speak with them before finishing the notes.
When I learned that Dante Vitelli was the man I had operated on, horror struck.
There was no time to prepare myself for what was inevitable—facing Dominic. Something I had dreaded all along.
Who am I kidding? I’ve secretly dreamed of him bursting back into my life, swearing undying love and sweeping me off my feet. But then morning comes, and reality smacks me hard. Fairytales aren’t for women like me. My life has been a string of tragedies—why would this be any different?
Dominic has his own doctor. I never imagined he’d find me here. I had no intention of seeing him again. From now on, limiting our interactions will be my only goal.
Being trapped in a marriage where I’m not wanted feels like a slow suffocation. I don’t know how long I can keep up this facade before I break. With Dante in the hospital, I’ll be forced into contact with his brother—and that thought alone twists my stomach.
I won’t condemn our child to the fallout of a loveless union.
Yet guilt gnaws at me for keeping the pregnancy hidden.
The memory of Dominic’s shock when he realized…
I was pregnant. My God! I know that he’ll try to find me.
The dread of that inevitable encounter hangs over me like a shadow.
Avoidance is my only plan. I can’t face a confrontation, not now—not with his cruel words still echoing in my mind.
Dominic looked worn, haggard, and despite my anger, my heart ached for him. I could never truly hate him. His worry for Dante was etched into every line of his face. Other than Dario, Dante is all he has left. Losing him would shatter Dominic.
Relief washed over me with the knowledge that the surgery went well. Dante had become like a brother to me during my time with Dominic. Deceiving him to escape my husband weighs heavy with regret—but I know he would never have let me go if I’d asked.
Fifteen minutes before my shift ended, I forced myself to finish my notes before meeting Sam.
He’d been assigned to another operating theatre today, so I’d barely seen him.
Sam has been attending Lamaze classes with me, making the experience lighter, even enjoyable.
Sometimes, though, I wonder what it would have been like with Dominic beside me—and the thought leaves me aching.
Forty-five minutes later, I finally made my way down to the hospital lobby.
The night air was cold, seeping through the glass doors.
As I stepped out of the elevator, I spotted Sam waiting near the exit.
His smile warmed me instantly. “I’m so sorry to keep you waiting,” I said, slipping on my black wool gloves.
“It took longer than I expected to finish my entry.”
“Not a problem, darling. I heard about your emergency case today.” “Yeah, I had to perform a splenectomy.” Sam greeted me with a quick kiss on the cheek, then draped an arm around my shoulder as we stepped out of the hospital.
“A little birdie told me there were a couple of hunks pacing the corridors outside the surgical unit.” “Oh yeah? Where’d you hear that?” “Never mind where. I just regret not getting to admire the eye candy.” I giggled, imagining Dominic’s reaction if he heard another man call him that.
The thought sent me into a fit of laughter, with Sam joining in.
Once we sobered, we continued toward our apartments, my arm hooked into the crook of his elbow.
A minute of silence passed before Sam resumed.
“So, tell me, darling—were they as handsome as Nurse Phillips described? Would the dark-haired one really give Lucifer a run for his money? She swears he was tall, imposing, covered in blood and that all he was missing were wings.” The imagery had me cracking up again.
Sam looked at me expectantly. “Well? Was he?”
“Ah yeah, he was handsome they eh…. all were. Wait a minute mister, why do you care anyway. I thought you had your eye on a certain radiologist? Hmm.” “Listen girl, my heart may be taken, but that doesn’t make me blind.” He says laughingly.
An uneasy feeling creeps over me—a prickling sense that we’re being watched.
I tune out Sam’s chatter and scan our surroundings.
Shadows stretch across the dim street, cast by the buildings.
Our destination looms half a block away.
The street is deserted, save for us. Parked cars line the sidewalk, their owners long asleep.
Sam notices my silence and studies me. “Are you okay? I know you’re still pining for that husband of yours, darling. Maybe…” He hesitates as we stop in front of our building. “…maybe you should tell him about the baby.”
Dominic’s shocked expression flashes in my mind, the moment he saw my baby bump. He will have questions. Knowing him, it’s surprising he hasn’t cornered me yet. The thought fills me with both dread and a strange excitement.
“Hm, Sam… I think he knows.”
Confusion flickers across his face. We’re standing close now, his arms resting on my shoulders as he searches my expression. “Girl, what—”
I cut him off, the words spilling out before I can stop them. “I saw him tonight.”
“What? When? How, girl?” His voice rises with each question. I let out a nervous giggle, unable to contain the tension.
“Take your fucking hands off my wife or risk losing them.”