The Mafia’s Forbidden Desire

ROSALINDA.

He lied to me. Antonio fucking lied to me, and I couldn’t even believe that I actually fell for it. I should have known better.

“You lied to me.” I called him out with rage burning furiously within me.

“I-” he trailed off, raking his fingers through his hair frustratedly.

After a while, he blew out an exasperated breath, then turned to look at Oliver and completed losing the rope that was used to tie him around the chair. It seemed like he had started losing it before I went in, though.

Returning his gaze to me, he muttered. “I was about to let him go. He is free to go.”

“You lied to me.” I seethed again as I began to close the distance between us. “Antonio, you lied to me.”

“What was I supposed to do?!” He suddenly snapped.

My eyes narrowed as I gazed at him, my nose flaring in rage.

He exhaled sharply before continuing with a calmer voice. “I am sorry. I lost it. But Rosa, what was I supposed to do? Sit back and do nothing when I thought he was after my life.”

“How sure are you that he was the one?” I challenged.Material © of NôvelDrama.Org.

I flicked my gaze at Oliver, and my anger intensified the more I took in his pitiful figure.

“How sure are you?” I repeated as I returned my gaze to Antonio. “Just because someone told you that a person named Oliver sent them, you just assumed that it was this Oliver.”

“You are right! I was wrong! He was setup.” He groaned, avoiding eye contact with me.

“And that’s why he’s free to go.” He added, mumbling.

Confusion spread across my features as I questioned. “What do you mean by he was set up?”

“I’ll explain that to you later. Now is not the time. I have even more pressing issues to attend to.” He retorted.

Sighing, I turned to look at Oliver and inched closer to him, crouching before him. “I am so sorry this happened to you. I am really sorry, Oliver.”

“It’s not your fault,” he drawled, his voice barely audible.

He looked really weak. And as evidenced by the bruises and splatters of blood all over his body, he was terribly tortured. He looked like he could pass out at any moment.

Antonio didn’t just keep him here; he tortured and probably starved him. The thought of that act of cruelness against an innocent man made the rage burning within me consume me more than it already did.

Leaping to my feet and returning my attention to Antonio, I finally addressed the statement he made earlier.

“I want that explanation now. No issue can be more pressing than torturing an innocent man.” I groaned.

“I figured you wouldn’t relent.” He muttered, and before I knew what was happening, he had already scooped me up and placed me over his shoulder, securing me with his hands.

“What are you doing?” I yelled. “Drop me down!”

“I’m taking you home before your dad starts to worry about you. It’s getting late.” He told me as he made his way towards the exit.

“I am not leaving here without Oliver.” I yelled.

“I am sorry, but you have to.” He responded rather calmly.

Marco and one other man were standing just outside the basement, and Antonio halted in front of them long enough to say. “Watch Oliver until I return. We have a problem. And also, one of you should go to my room and bring Carlo outside.”

I wiggled and twisted in a desperate attempt to get him to put me down, but he was relentless and only tightened his grip on me.

When we got to his car, he gently dropped me inside, and I didn’t even try to protest anymore. I knew he would forcefully take me home no matter how much I tried to, so why bother?

I was hurt. Really hurt. But I should have known better. Mafia bosses always did whatever they wanted without caring any less about other people’s feelings.

I thought I was special to him, and my feelings mattered to him. But well, it was bold of me to assume that.

Antonio ignited the engine of the car and powered up the road the moment Carlo was brought to the car. He was still sleeping.

As much as I wanted to ignore him and give him a silent treatment for everything he did, I still needed to make sure that Oliver was really free to go and that he would be okay.

“Are you sure that you’ll release Oliver?” I asked when he pulled up on the driveway of our mansion.

“Yes.” He simply replied.

“Today?” I asked to confirm.

“Yes.” He said again.

He looked worried. I could tell that it wasn’t because I found out that he lied to me, but because of something else. He told me that he had a more pressing issue to attend to, and I also heard him tell Marco that they had a problem.

I was curious to know what the matter was, but I hoped that problem or pressing issue wasn’t about Oliver.

“You told Marco that you had a problem at hand. Is it in any way concerning Oliver?” I voiced my thoughts.

He stared in a blank space for a few seconds before exhaling sharply and finally answering me. “Yes.”

“What? What happened?” I quickly asked.

“Someone else wants Oliver.” He replied, and I panicked.

“Why? Who?” I asked impatiently as I scanned his face, waiting for a response.

He couldn’t even look into my eyes. He had been avoiding eye contact with me ever since I caught him in the basement.

“I’ll explain everything to you when I have more details. But for now, I can’t tell you anything.” He said.

Of course, I needed to know everything. I needed to know if Oliver was in danger or not. Who else would want Oliver anyway?

As if reading my mind, he added. “You don’t have to worry. I don’t think he’s in any danger. I believe he’ll reach out to Sofia once he can.”

“But who wants him? Why?” I persisted with my question.

“Trust me. I’ll tell you everything once I have more details.” He blurted out.

“Trust?” I rolled my eyes. “You know you’ve lost me in that department.”

“I know I lied to you. But I just did what I had to do.” There he goes again. He didn’t even have it in him to think what he did was wrong. He didn’t have it in him to take accountability for his wrongdoing. No regrets whatsoever. And I hated it.

“I’ll make it up to you. I promise.” He continued.

I was livid, extremely livid. If I stayed there for one more minute, I might lose control and do something that I might regret later.

So, pushing the door open, I angrily stepped out of the car.

“You are not good at keeping promises, remember?” I seethed before forcefully slamming the door shut.