Chapter 49 - Aftermath

Vincenzo

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Vincenzo Capone - Fifteen years old...

I was just fifteen, sitting beside my mother's sickbed, my heart heavy with concern. Her once vibrant face now appeared pale and feverish. Tiny beads of sweat clung to her forehead. I held her hand, which had always offered me warmth and comfort, but now felt cold and clammy.

"Mom," I murmured, my voice trembling, "You have to get better. I don't know what to do without you."

She managed a faint smile, her hand reaching up to caress my cheek. "Vincenzo, mio amore, don't worry about me, it's just a fever. I'll be fine."

I nodded, "Yes, you will because I'm here to take care of you."

Dipping a cloth into a bowl of water, I gently wiped her forehead, hoping to relieve her fever. As I tended to my mother, the weight of responsibility settled on my shoulders. This was the first time I had seen her so vulnerable.

My father's deep voice echoed through the house, calling my mother downstairs to his office, "Isabella!"

A frown appe