Chapter 8 - THE GOLD BAND RETURNED
I woke up to the smell of sterile cotton and the rhythmic beeping of a heart monitor.
The light in the hospital room was soft and golden. I blinked, trying to clear the heavy fog of anesthesia from my brain. My left shoulder was tightly bandaged, throbbing with a dull, manageable ache.
I turned my head.
Sitting in a leather chair beside my bed, reading a newspaper, was Antonio Moretti.
He looked completely different.
The bruises on his face were healing, but it was his posture that caught my attention. He wasn't hunched over. He wasn't carrying the crushing weight of grief and secrets anymore. He looked like the proud patriarch of a powerful family.
"Mr. Moretti?" I croaked, my throat dry.
He immediately lowered the paper and smiled. "Ah. The hero wakes up."
He poured a cup of water from a plastic pitcher and held the straw to my lips. I drank greedily.
"How long have I been asleep?" I asked.
"Two days," Antonio said gently. "The bullet passed clean through your shoulder. No major arteries hit. You are very lucky, Sarah."
"Where is my mother? Is Leo okay?"
"Your mother is resting in the guest suite at our estate," Antonio said. "She is receiving the best medical treatment in the country. Her joints are already improving now that the poison is out of her system. And Leo..."
The door to the hospital room clicked open.
Michael walked in. Holding his hand was Leo.
The little boy was wearing brand new clothes—a soft sweater and fitted jeans. But more importantly, the terror was gone from his eyes.
When Leo saw me awake, he let go of his father's hand and ran to my bed.
"Miss Sarah!" he cheered, carefully hugging my uninjured side.
Tears filled my eyes. I wrapped my good arm around him. "Hi, sweet boy."
"Thank you for saving me," Leo whispered.
Michael walked over, his eyes shining with unshed tears. He took my hand and kissed my knuckles.
"I owe you my son's life, Sarah," Michael said quietly. "I will never be able to repay that debt. But I will spend the rest of my life trying."
"You don't owe me anything," I smiled. "He's family."
"Yes, he is," Antonio agreed warmly. "And so are you."
The old man reached into his vest pocket. He pulled out a small velvet box and placed it on my bedside table.
"What is this?" I asked.
"Open it," Antonio said.
I awkwardly opened the box with my right hand.
Inside, resting on the velvet, was the narrow gold wedding band. The one inscribed with Antonio & Elena.
The ring I had pulled from Vanessa's champagne glass.
I looked up, shocked. "Mr. Moretti, I can't take this. It's your wife's ring."
"It was," Antonio smiled softly. "But Elena told me before she died that if I ever found someone with a heart as brave and fiercely protective as hers, I should pass it on. I can think of no one more deserving."
Tears spilled over my cheeks. "Thank you."
"Besides," a deep voice came from the doorway. "My father thinks it will look nice on you."
I looked up.
Luca was leaning against the doorframe.
He was wearing a perfectly tailored black suit, but his tie was loosened, and he looked like he hadn't slept in two days. He looked at Michael and Antonio.
"Give us a minute," Luca said quietly.
Antonio chuckled, patting my hand. "Come, Leo. Let's go get some ice cream."
Michael smiled and led the boy out, closing the door behind them.
The room became very quiet.
Luca walked slowly to the edge of my bed. He didn't sit down. He just looked at me, his dark eyes tracing the lines of my face as if he needed to memorize the fact that I was alive.
"Marcus is dead," Luca said simply. "His men surrendered. The city is secure. My family is safe."
"I'm glad," I said softly.
He reached out and gently traced his thumb over the bandage on my shoulder. His touch was incredibly gentle.
"I have spent my entire life surrounded by people who only wanted something from me," Luca murmured. "Money. Power. Status. Vanessa played me for years because I was looking for someone who didn't fear my world."
He looked directly into my eyes.
"But you didn't fear my world, Sarah. You just didn't care about it. You only cared about doing the right thing."
My breath hitched. "I was just protecting a little boy."
"You protected my father," Luca corrected him. "You protected your mother. You protected my nephew."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. He laid it on the bed.
"What is that?" I asked.
"The deed to a house in the suburbs. Paid in full. Under your mother's name. It has no stairs, a beautiful garden, and a live-in nurse paid for the next ten years."
My mouth fell open. "Luca, I can't accept—"
"It is not a gift," he interrupted firmly. "It is compensation for the poison she ingested under my roof. It is non-negotiable."
I looked at the envelope, overwhelmed by his generosity. "Thank you."
Luca stepped back. "I will have my driver take you there when you are discharged tomorrow. You never have to return to the estate again."
My heart suddenly sank.
He was paying me off. He was making sure my family was safe, and then he was sending me away.
"Oh," I whispered, looking down at my hands. "I see."
Luca frowned. "What do you see?"
"You're dismissing me. You're settling your debts."
Luca let out a heavy sigh. He walked back to the bed, leaned down, and placed both hands on the mattress, trapping me in his gaze.
"Sarah," he said, his voice dropping to a low, rough whisper. "I am sending you away because if you stay in my house, I will not be able to keep my hands off you. And you deserve a normal life. Not the life of a mafia boss's woman."
I stared at him, my heart hammering wildly against my ribs.
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TITLE: THE SILVER BRACELET
