Chapter 15

Luna woke up, gently getting out of bed. She quietly descended the stairs, guided by the tempting aroma spreading through the house. In the kitchen, she found Amália busy preparing dinner. As she approached, Amália, noticing Luna’s presence, asked if she needed anything.

“Are you okay, dear? Do you need anything?” Amália asked.

“No, don’t worry. I don’t need anything. I just wanted to get out of the room for a bit,” Luna replied with a shy smile.

“I just made this delicious pie. Would you like a piece?” Amália asked.

“The smell is perfect, but I’m not hungry. Thanks, though.”

“I’ll cut a small piece anyway. You can eat it whenever you want. Is that all right?”

“All right then. Thanks for your kindness. I don’t even know why you’ve been so nice to me.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Amália asked, not understanding.

“Because of Vincenzo. Maybe he wouldn’t like it if you helped me so much.”

“He’s the one who asked me to be at your disposal and help with anything you needed. He wants you to feel comfortable. He knows it’s hard being away from family.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Earlier, I overheard you talking, and I heard him say he doesn’t know why he doesn’t just let me go. I confess, I’m a bit confused. I don’t know why he’s keeping me here. Furthermore, I don’t know if he wants to protect me from his father or if it’s part of their revenge.”

“I practically raised Vincenzo. He was always a sweet, incredible child, but after his mother died, he became what his father cultivated in him. But I know there’s still something good in him. He genuinely cares about you and wants to keep you safe, and believe me, in all these years, I’ve never seen him care for anyone as much as he does for you. I’d say he’s in love with you and doesn’t know how to express it.”

“In love with me? That seems unlikely, especially since we’ve only known each other for a month. I think he might be feeling possessive, wanting something he can’t have. You say nice things about him because you raised him, and he would never do anything to hurt you. But he beat my brother in front of me and was about to kill me. I don’t think that’s being in love,” Luna says, downcast.

Vincenzo enters the kitchen and hears Luna expressing her concerns and accusations. He stops at the door, watching as Luna vents her anger. Amália notices Vincenzo standing there and gestures for him to come in, leaving Vincenzo and Luna in a tense silence.

With a mocking smile, Vincenzo looks at Luna. Luna starts to get nervous, afraid of what Vincenzo might do. Amália leaves the kitchen.

Then Vincenzo looks at Luna and says with irony, “So you think I’m keeping you here to hurt you and that I’m such a terrible person?” He laughs, increasing the tension. Luna, a bit frightened, responds:

“Yes, you’re terrible. With what you did to my brother in front of me and the attempt to kill me, you’re a very bad person, much less someone who would be in love with me.”

At that moment, Vincenzo grabs her hands, pulling her close to his body. He speaks with determination: “I will prove to you that I won’t hurt you. I won’t let anyone lay a finger on you to harm you.”

Hearing Vincenzo’s words and feeling her waist pressed against his, Luna’s heart races uncontrollably, leaving her speechless. Vincenzo, confident, says, “I know you feel the same way about me; you can’t deny it.”

Faced with this, Luna, nervous, tries to pull away and clench her fists to free herself from the closeness. Vincenzo, however, holds her fists tightly and asserts, “You can’t escape from me. Eventually, you’ll realize that you’re also in love with me.” The tension between them grows.

“Never. That will never happen. Do you understand?” she mocks him.

Upon hearing Luna’s mockery that she will never fall in love with him, Vincenzo grips her waist more firmly and kisses her suddenly. After the kiss, he lets her go, and Luna stares at him, speechless. Vincenzo, confident, says, “I know you liked my kiss.”

Without hesitation, Luna extends her hand and gives Vincenzo a strong slap on the face. As his face turns to the side from the impact, he comments, “Wow, you hit hard. You don’t hit like a girl.” Luna looks firmly at him and replies, “Good that you know. That way, next time, you won’t do this again.”

Furious, Luna storms up to her room, stomping on the stairs. Upon reaching her room, she closes the door, leans her body against it, and runs her hand over her lips, recalling Vincenzo’s impulsive kiss. Caressing her lips, she thinks about the moment, murmuring to herself, “Stop it, Luna. You have to be strong; you can’t fall in love with him; you mustn’t.”

Back in the kitchen, Vincenzo, smiling, murmurs to himself, “I know she likes me. I’m sure of it.” As he revels in the certainty of his convictions, Amália returns to the kitchen and asks, “So, are you two getting along?”

Vincenzo smiles and replies, “Not yet, but we will soon.”

“I hope so, my son. She’s quite resentful, but I know she’ll reciprocate. When we talked, she didn’t speak of you with hatred. She even tried to hide it, but it was clear she doesn’t hate you.”

“Something tells me that, too. I was talking to Laurenco. I asked him to help me get her out of the country. Furthermore, I can’t let my father hurt her. I wouldn’t be able to bear it. And the worst part is that I don’t know how to act. I’ve never felt any of this before; it’s all new to me. Maybe I’m being a fool.”

“I think you’re being human, not foolish. Go on, my son. Go to her room and tell her how you feel. Try to get close to her.”

“I don’t know if I’ll have the courage, but I’ll go up and see how she is. I’ll invite her to take a few days off. I need to change her impression of me before I tell her how I feel.”

Vincenzo heads up to Luna’s room, his heart racing. He takes a deep breath before knocking on the door. All these feelings are completely new to him.
Don Vincenzo : between love and the mafia
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