Chapter 62
Bianca Ferrucci
Alessandro had his arms around my shoulders, carefully guiding me toward Tiziano’s car.
My mind was confused. I rubbed my eyes, trying to understand what was happening.
My brother... he was here? How? Alessandro was supposed to be in Lisbon, far away from all this madness, and strangest of all, he had never been Tiziano’s friend.
In fact, they were declared enemies. So what was he doing here, beside him, acting as if this were normal?
My head throbbed with unanswered questions, but I was tired, exhausted. Every muscle in my body seemed to scream, my wounds throbbing. It wasn’t the best time to ask questions or try to understand. I just wanted to get out of there, to breathe.
I felt Alessandro gently squeeze my shoulders, as if he wanted to calm me down, but that only increased my confusion. What was happening? Why was Alessandro acting as if everything were under control when clearly nothing was?
When we finally reached the car, he opened the door without saying a word and helped me inside. The silence was soon broken by the distant sounds of gunshots, and my body flinched involuntarily. Fear took hold of me, but it didn’t take long for Tiziano to return, approaching the vehicle.
My brother exchanged a quick look with Tiziano, and in that instant, something passed between them.
They talk with their eyes now?
“It’s going to be all right, Bianca,” Alessandro said.
I wanted to question him, wanted to demand answers, but my strength was fading. As the car began to move, with Tiziano behind the wheel, a wave of exhaustion washed over me.
When I opened my eyes, the familiar ceiling of the clinic in Tiziano’s mansion greeted me.
For a moment, everything seemed like a confusing dream, but the slight pain in my body and the weight in my chest reminded me that it wasn’t.
I blinked a few times, trying to shake off the feeling of vulnerability, and that was when I saw him.
Tiziano was there, sitting in an armchair beside the bed, his elbows resting on his knees, his hands clasped together, and his eyes closed.
I moved slowly, adjusting the pillow, and saw him lift his face, his eyes immediately finding mine.
“Are you okay? Do you want me to adjust anything?” he asked, leaning closer.
Before I could answer, he reached out and gently slid his fingers over my skin, delicately passing over the scratches on my arm. His movements were so careful that I barely felt any pain. All I could do was watch him.
“I... I’m okay,” I murmured, trying to convince myself as much as him.
Then I felt a natural impulse. My hand went straight to my belly, as if I needed reassurance about something my heart already feared. Before I could say anything, Tiziano seemed to understand. He moved closer.
“Our child is okay,” he said. “I guarantee it. Nothing will happen to him.”
My eyes filled with tears. The relief was inevitable, and my breathing grew lighter.
“You should be resting,” he continued, his fingers now tracing a gentle circle over my hand, which still rested on my belly. “But I know you’re too stubborn to listen to any order.”
I tried to smile, but all I could do was give a slight shake of my head.
“Thank you for coming to save me,” I replied, my voice still weak.
Tiziano gave me a crooked smile, the kind that always affected me in a way I hated to admit.
“I’ll always save you, Bianca. No matter how many times you tell me to go to hell.”
“Don’t get too full of yourself, Tiziano. I still haven’t decided if I’m going to forgive you.”
He tilted his head, his blue eyes fixed on me as if he were reading my every thought.
“I don’t need you to forgive me right now,” he said in a calm voice. “I just need you to know that I’ll never let anything happen to you. Not to you, nor to our child.”
“Thank you.”
“Rest, Bianca. Tomorrow is another day, and you’ll need your strength to keep hating me.”
I wanted to answer, wanted to say I had never hated him. I simply closed my eyes, still feeling the warmth of his touch on my skin. I couldn’t deny it, with him, I felt protected.