Chapter 6 - The Medicine
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I woke up the next morning surrounded by the softest silk sheets I had ever felt in my life. For a brief, disorienting moment, I forgot the terror of the previous night. Then the dull ache in my ankle returned, and the reality of the mafia penthouse crashed over me.
I carefully got out of bed, grabbing the crutches leaning against the nightstand. Emma was already awake, sitting on the floor in her pajamas, playing happily with a set of wooden blocks that certainly had not been there the night before.
“Mommy, look! A castle!” she giggled, holding up a crooked tower.
“It’s beautiful, sweetie,” I smiled, kissing the top of her head.
I hobbled out of the bedroom and made my way toward the massive, open-concept kitchen. The smell of fresh coffee and bacon filled the air. Dante was standing near the refrigerator, looking completely out of place in his tailored suit while holding a spatula.
“Morning, Miss Ava,” the giant bodyguard grunted politely. “The boss had to step out for a morning meeting. He said to make sure you eat.”
“Thank you, Dante,” I said awkwardly, taking a seat at the marble island.
I noticed a small, white pharmacy bag sitting on the counter with my name written on it. My heart skipped a beat.
I pulled the bag toward me and opened it. Inside was Emma’s specialized asthma inhaler—the exact prescription I had been desperately trying to save $237 for. But it wasn't just one inhaler. There were six boxes. A six-month supply.
Tears immediately flooded my vision. I covered my mouth to muffle a sob.
“He sent a guy to the twenty-four-hour pharmacy at three in the morning,” Dante offered quietly, flipping a pancake. “The boss doesn't like it when kids don't have what they need.”
I stared at the boxes, completely overwhelmed. This ruthless, terrifying man who supposedly ran the Seattle underworld had remembered the terrified rambling of an exhausted waitress.
The private elevator chimed, and Luca stepped into the penthouse. He was dressed in a sharp navy suit, his face unreadable and cold. But when he saw me crying at the kitchen island holding the pharmacy bag, his expression instantly softened.
May you like
He walked over to me, ignoring Dante completely, and gently wiped a tear from my cheek with his thumb.
“I told you, Ava,” Luca whispered, his touch sending a jolt of electricity straight to my heart. “Your daughter will never go without again. That is a Castellano promise.”
