106| Denials.  

ROSALINDA

He embodied the archetype of typical mafia bosses, exploiting women for their selfish needs and discarding them at will, like dirt bags. I only knew of Rebecca, but I was sure there was a lot more. Antonio was everything I was against, everything I vowed to never condone, everything about the mafia.

Yet, here I was, betraying my own principles and compromising my moral compass. Despite what he did to Rebecca, I didn’t stop loving him. I loved him as much as I loved myself—even more. Now, I was convinced that there was nothing he could do that could ever diminish my love for him. He was my everything. I had fallen so deeply that I could never be saved—I didn’t want to be saved.

I woke up to the sound of splattering water from the bathroom, signifying that Antonio had returned home. I had slept off while thinking of him and waiting for him to return. I wondered where he went.

Getting out of bed, I walked towards the bathroom to see him, only to stop in my tracks when my gaze