جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 238

That evening, everyone gathered for dinner at the Romano's mansion. It was a rare sight to have all the family members present, but in the past few weeks, there have been changes. Good changes.The table was full of chatters and warm with giggles and laughter. Eli was talking, telling some story with his hands, imitating the way his private tutor talked, filling the room without even trying. Since he hadn't returned to school yet, Calla made Rico get him a tutor. That way, he doesn't fall behind in schoolwork.Donna Marta cut in somewhere to correct someone about something and nobody was surprised. Calla laughed, her face seeming bright and easy, leaning back in her chair.And Sophia smiled. She smiled the way she always did at dinner. Although she wasn't her usual chatty self, she was still warm and comfortable in the noise of her family around her.Rico was quiet for most of it. He ate with little appetite and spoke only when necessary. He watched his family quietly, waiting for th

When Calla woke up, she found herself alone in bed. A yawn escaped her as she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, trying to clear the sleep from them. Her eyes slowly opened again, and she found Rico standing at the far corner of the room. He was on a call, and his back was partly turned to her and his voice was low, almost quiet enough to disappear into the room. Calla blinked and watched him for a few seconds, then Rico turned. His eyes landed on her immediately and something shifted in his expression. He said something quietly to whoever was on the other end before ending the call without hesitation. Calla frowned at his actions. Rico slipped the phone into his pocket and walked toward her. By the time he reached the bed, his expression had already softened. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Good morning, beautiful.” Calla looked at him for a second. “Everything alright?” she asked instead. His eyes narrowed slightly, then he stepped back from the

Calla stayed in his arms for a few more seconds before finally pulling away. Rico looked at her for a moment. He lightly tilted his head toward the tent. “Come," he said.Calla smiled and followed him.Inside, she realized he had arranged an actual dinner. It wasn't overly luxurious, or something prepared to impress. It was things she liked.There was creamy seafood pasta, grilled chicken with herbs, warm garlic bread, roasted vegetables, and small bowls of fresh fruit arranged neatly to the side.Her lips slowly parted, and she turned to him. “When did you get all these prepared?”Rico chuckled lightly and sat down first. “It wasn't that hard, you know," he replied. That alone made her smile.Dinner passed more easily than she expected. At first, she thought the mood would feel emotional because of where they were.But somehow, it didn’t. Rico didn't let it get to that. They talked and laughed. She complained about him leaving her alone all day, and he defended himself. She accused h

~10 Months Later~ Rico didn’t bother parking the car properly. He was out of it before it had fully stopped, the door left swinging behind him as he pushed through the hospital entrance with heavy strides. His heart was beating too fast and too loud. His fingers were curled into tight fists at his sides, his jaw set hard with the impatience of a man who was not used to being anywhere other than in control... and who was currently very far from it. He moved through the hallway without slowing down, bumping into staff and visitors as he went. He didn't register any of it, as there was no room in him right now for apologies. He had to get to Calla. When his mother called, her voice was high and hurried in a way Donna Marta’s voice rarely was. Rico had been seated at the head of a table full of territory heads, in the middle of a meeting that had taken three weeks to arrange. He listened to four words and stood up. Without any explanation or handover, he simply walked out, and wha