Chapter 5

• Six years later...
• Vittorio walked with determined steps toward his car, his serious expression reflecting the intensity of his thoughts. As he opened the car door, he picked up the forgotten lunchbox from his son's seat. Sighing, he took the object and was about to close the door when the insistent ringtone of his phone interrupted him. The screen displayed Rocco's number, his current Consigliere. With a hint of irritation, he answered the call, his voice laced with impatience.
• “What is it, Rocco?” he questioned brusquely.
• On the other end of the line, Rocco's voice sounded serious and resolute. “The French are waiting for you at the meeting, Don Vittorio.”
• Vittorio slammed the car door, frustration painting his features. “I'm on my way. I'll drop my son off at school and my wife at work before I get there.”
• He was about to ask Rocco to delay the Frenchmen a bit when, in the background, he caught a conversation at the school.
• “Thank you, Mrs. Smith,” the teacher said. The response that followed resonated in his mind like an echo from a distant past.
• “You're welcome.”
• A chill ran down Vittorio's spine as if he had been transported back in time, six years ago. Slowly, he turned on his heels, finding a silhouette that seemed to fit perfectly into his memories: brown hair, and a confident posture. He advanced hesitantly, hoping his mind wasn't playing another trick on him.
• “Mrs. Smith?” he started, a touch of uncertainty in his voice, “Until a few years ago, I used to call you Mrs. Amorielle.”
• The woman turned slowly, revealing the face he had longed to see. It was her. It was Ellis Barker.
• Surprise dominated Vittorio's eyes, while emotions clashed within him. For a moment, he had to blink to make sure he wasn't dreaming. And then, before him, stood the woman he thought he would never see again, the woman who had left and taken a part of his soul with her.
• “Vittorio?” Her voice was almost a whisper, as if she, too, was afraid it might be an illusion.
• He felt a lump in his throat, words stuck. For an instant, everything around them faded away, and it was as if they were alone again, as if time hadn't passed.
• Vittorio's gaze remained fixed on Ellis's face, his eyes tracing every contour as if engraving it into his memory once more. To him, it seemed like time had barely left marks on her features. Her full lips, about to form a teasing smile, held the same seductive quality that had always drawn him in. Her rounded brown eyes shone with a characteristic light that was uniquely Ellis. He studied every inch of her face, searching for any sign that this wasn't just another mirage fueled by his desire.
• His eyes traveled down, taking in her figure. He couldn't help but notice that her hair was now shorter, falling just beyond her shoulders, but she still maintained that laid-back style that had always characterized her. It was a subtle change, but it was her, unmistakably her.
• While Vittorio was lost in Ellis, she was equally absorbed in studying the man she had once loved so deeply. Even with time, Vittorio seemed to have retained that magnetic presence she remembered. Yet, there was an undercurrent of difference, a nuance that added a touch of maturity. Perhaps it was the strands of gray that now mingled shyly in his once-black hair, giving him an aura of virility that she couldn't help but find appealing.
• As her gaze roamed over his strong physique, she noted the subtle shift in his posture. He stood there, with a quiet intensity that reminded her of a predator, ready to pounce. This realization sent a shiver down her spine, awakening emotions she had tried to suppress for so long. Vittorio's serious expression and the way he held himself left little doubt that he was still the man who commanded respect and exuded power.
• Ellis had to fight the urge to bite her lip as she felt her heart accelerate in response to his presence. Six years had passed, but the magnetic pull between them hadn't weakened. If anything, it had only grown stronger, more palpable. She couldn't help the flood of memories that invaded her mind—the moments of pleasure, the shared laughter, the love they had once shared.
• Their gazes met, and in that fleeting instant, a silent conversation occurred between them, laden with emotions words couldn't adequately express. The world around them seemed to vanish, leaving only the two of them there, locked in each other's gaze.
• Vittorio took a step closer, his voice a whisper as he finally uttered her name, “Ellis...”
• The name left his lips like a prayer, laden with years of longing and regret. Six years of separation vanished in an instant, and he knew deep in his heart that no matter what had happened in the past, they were standing on the precipice of a second chance.
• Vittorio took another step forward, the distance between him and Ellis rapidly diminishing. She didn't step back, didn't show hesitation. On the contrary, her lips already parted slightly, craving the imminent touch. Desire was present, tangible in the charged air between them. Time seemed suspended, for just them, as each millisecond brought them closer still.
• However, reality shattered with the soft, feminine voice that echoed from behind Ellis, interrupting the moment that was about to happen.
• “I'm glad you found the lunchbox, dear,” she said.
• Ellis and Vittorio's gazes shifted to the source of the voice, revealing none other than Eleonora Gattone. The impact of Eleonora's presence triggered a sequence of reactions. She approached Vittorio, initially not noticing Ellis. But when she finally turned and saw Ellis there, a look of shock crossed her face. The surprise and discomfort she felt at encountering Ellis at that moment were undeniable.
• Eleonora greeted Ellis with a brief “hello,” but the atmosphere was charged with tension. Ellis, in turn, couldn't help but release a sardonic laugh, finding the irony of fate almost comical.
• At that moment, Ellis pointed to Eleonora and Vittorio, who were now side by side, and said with a touch of sarcasm, “Of course, it would end up like this, wouldn't it?”
• It was Vittorio who finally broke the silence, addressing Ellis. “Ellis, please wait. There's an explanation for all of this.”
• Ellis stared at him, her gaze reflecting a mixture of complex emotions. She looked at their hands, where identical wedding rings rested, and then back at Vittorio.
• “There's no need for an explanation, Don Vittorio,” she said with a firmness that hid the pain she was feeling. It was too much for her to deal with, that whirlwind of past feelings, mixed with the shock of the present.
• She took a deep breath and took a few steps back, distancing herself from Vittorio and the disconcerting presence of Eleonora. She walked toward her car, feeling the need to get away, to process everything that was happening. The past and the present collided in a way she could have never imagined.
• Vittorio watched her leave, a lump forming in his throat as he struggled to find the right words, to explain the truth behind all of this. But, at that moment, words seemed inadequate in the face of the complexity of their intertwined stories. He stood between two worlds, two women, and the choice he had made could only have led to this ending.