Chapter 32: Getting closer

Dante
The hospital was calm, a disturbing serenity that didn't reflect the internal storm I was feeling. As I walked to the vending machine to get water for Ana, my thoughts were filled with uncertainty. Something about her behavior was unsettling me, but I couldn't pinpoint what it was.
When I returned with the bottle of water, I saw her standing in front of the glass of the intensive care unit, looking at Paolo with an expression I couldn't decipher. I approached her, and apparently, I surprised her.
"What did you say?" I asked, trying to understand what I had heard.
Ana turned around quickly, with a look of surprise and slight fear.
"Dante, I..." she began, but her voice trembled.
I looked at her curiously, waiting for an answer that would explain her behavior.
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you. What did you say?" I repeated, trying to ease the tension in the air.
Ana let out a sigh of relief and approached me.
"I was looking at Paolo and thinking that it's a relief he's not awake. I don't want to be apart from you, Dante." Her voice sounded sincere, and I wanted to believe her.
I took her hand, squeezing it gently.
"I understand, Ana. I know all this is hard for you." I offered her a reassuring smile, although inside I still felt a nagging uneasiness.
As we headed towards the hospital exit, my phone started ringing. When I saw the number on the screen, I knew it was the mysterious woman. I looked at Ana and excused myself before answering.
"I need to take this call," I said, and walked away a few steps to have some privacy.
"Dante, how are things going?" the voice on the other end of the line asked.
"Everything is under control," I replied, keeping my tone calm. "Ana only remembers things related to me. There's no indication that she's recovering other memories."
There was a brief silence before the woman spoke again.
"Good. Keep a close eye on her. We can't afford any mistakes at this point. Any slip could be disastrous."
"I know," I said, looking at Ana who was waiting patiently. "I'll do whatever it takes to ensure that."
"Keep me informed of any changes," the woman ordered, before hanging up.
I put away my phone and approached Ana again.
"Everything's fine," I said, trying to sound nonchalant. "It was just some mafia business."
Ana nodded, apparently accepting my explanation without question.
"Thank you for being here for me, Dante," she said softly, her eyes reflecting a mixture of gratitude and confusion. "I don't know how I would have handled all this without you."
I smiled at her, feeling a pang of guilt.
"I'll always be here for you, Ana. You can count on me for anything."
We walked to the car and, as I drove back home, I couldn't help but feel that this situation was turning into a trap we couldn't easily escape. Every day that passed, the lies piled up, and the fear that Ana would discover the truth grew bigger.
When we arrived home, I helped her out of the car and we headed towards the front door.
"Get some rest," I said. "It's been a long night."
Ana nodded and, before going in, she stopped and looked at me.
"Dante, I want you to know that, even though I don't remember everything, I trust you. And I hope that, with time, my memories will come back. But in the meantime, I want you to know that I value your presence in my life."
Her words touched me more than I wanted to admit, and for a moment, I wondered if I was really doing the right thing.
"Thank you, Ana. I trust you too, and I'll do everything I can to help you get your memories back," I lied, knowing that my true intention was to keep certain memories hidden forever.
We went to our rooms, and as I watched her walk away, a sense of heaviness settled on my chest. Things were far from simple, and every decision we made brought us closer to the abyss.
But for now, I had to keep up the façade, for Ana's sake, and for the sake of us all.
The next day, I headed to the kitchen to make some coffee. I needed a moment to think, organize my thoughts, and plan the next steps.
As I was filling the coffee maker, I heard the front door open. I turned around and saw Valeria enter with a serious expression on her face. I knew this didn't bode well.
"Dante, we need to talk," Valeria said as soon as she saw me.
I nodded and led her into the living room, away from Ana's room. I knew this conversation needed privacy.
"What's going on?" I asked, trying to keep my tone calm.
Valeria sat down, her gaze filled with guilt and determination.
"I can't keep doing this, Dante. I feel like I'm betraying Ana every day that goes by. She deserves to know the truth."
I tensed up, knowing that this conversation could complicate things a lot.
"Valeria, you know it's for her safety. The truth could do more harm than good at this point," I replied, trying to reason with her.
She shook her head, clearly struggling with her own feelings.
"That's what we've been saying since the beginning, but for how long? How much longer are we going to keep her in the dark? Ana needs the truth to heal and move on. We can't keep protecting her with lies."
I knew Valeria was right in a way, but I also knew that the truth could crumble everything we had built so far.
"I understand how you feel, but before we make any rash decisions, I want you to think about the consequences. Not just for Ana, but for all of us."
Valeria sighed, her gaze softening slightly.
"I've thought about it, Dante. And I think it's a risk we have to take. We can't keep lying to her anymore."
I saw the determination in her eyes and knew I had to act fast. I needed to find a way to stop her without losing her trust.
"Valeria, wait," I said, raising a hand to stop her. "Before you do anything, I want to know more about this mysterious woman who's helping you. Do you know her? Do you know who she really is?"
Valeria shook her head.
"No, I don't know who she is. I just know she has information about the person who killed my father. That's the reason I've been following her instructions so far."
I approached her, trying to keep my voice low and calm.
"So, we don't know what her real intentions are. She might have her own agenda and might not be entirely concerned about Ana's well-being. Have you considered that?"
Valeria seemed to hesitate, but the guilt and worry were still reflected on her face.
"I've considered it, but even so, I still think we need to tell Ana the truth. I don't want it to be too late to make things right."
I knew I had to act quickly to stop her. I leaned in towards her, looking directly into her eyes.
"Valeria, please, give me a little more time. If Ana remembers something naturally, it will be less traumatic for her. But if we tell her everything all at once, it could be devastating. We need to handle this carefully."
Valeria sighed deeply, clearly struggling with her emotions.
"I don't know how much longer I can go on with this, Dante. It's killing me to see her like this, so lost."
I took her hand and squeezed it gently.
"I know, Valeria. We're all doing the best we can. I just ask that you trust me a little longer. If we see that things aren't improving, we'll reconsider our strategy. But for now, we need to protect Ana from the truth until she's ready to face it."
Valeria nodded slowly, though she still seemed conflicted.
"Alright, Dante. I'll trust you, but not for much longer. I don't want Ana to suffer any more than she has to."
I offered her a reassuring smile, although inside I was still feeling the pressure of the situation.
"Thank you, Valeria. I promise we're doing the right thing."
She stood up and walked out of the living room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I knew I couldn't let Valeria reveal the truth, at least not yet. I had to find a way to keep everything under control and protect Ana, even if it meant continuing to keep secrets.