The Mafia’s Forbidden Desire

ROSALINDA The very next day after Sofia’s wedding, our own wedding preparation began. Antonio called Papa over the phone to inform him of our plan, while I, on the other hand, planned to tell Mama, Sofia, Matteo, and Giovanni in person-that is, if Papa hadn’t already told them before we got to the mansion. Antonio and I planned to go to my parent’s place today. We had a lot on our schedule, but the first place we visited was the hospital. I had an appointment with the sonographer to get the baby’s ultrasound done. “She’s so healthy.” The sonographer said, smiling as she moved the transducer around my belly. This wasn’t the first time I saw my baby girl, but each time I heard the whooshing sound of her heartbeat, I felt an unexplainable warmth radiate through my entire being. I couldn’t wait to hold her in my arms. “She’s so cute.” Antonio said, a small smile on his face. “I bet she’d look like me.” “She’d definitely be my carbon copy.” I countered. He chuckled softly. “We’ll find out in four months.” ***Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

Rubbing my already protruding belly, I couldn’t stop staring at the sonogram of our baby girl while we drove to our next destination-the boutique for my wedding dress. She hadn’t been born yet, but the intense love I already felt for her was ecstatic. “Oh, I’ll give the world to that girl.” Antonio said excitedly as he briefly glanced at me. “Me too.” I said, smiling. We got to the boutique, and we were welcomed by Lily, the designer, with a big smile. “Hello, and welcome.” She said, darting her gaze between Antonio and me. “Thank you,” I replied, mirroring her smile. “This way, please.” She said as she turned around and led us through a hallway, down to her office. Antonio and I settled on a sofa while Lily trudged to her desk and picked up a tablet computer. “You know, I wasn’t expecting you to patronise me again so soon.” She said as she walked back to us, her heels clanking against the marble floor. “Your sister made a beautiful bride. The dress I made fitted so well.” She came to a stop in front of us and handed me the tablet. “I promise to make the perfect dress for you too.” I sighed. “I’d be glad.” “So, these are the designs I drafted. Go through it and make a pick. Excuse me for some minutes; I’d like to quickly attend to something while you go through the designs. Take your time, pretty.” She walked out of the office afterwards, leaving Antonio and me alone. I turned to look at him, a smile forming on my lips. “Do you want to help me out?” “You needn’t ask.” He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer than I already was, causing me to giggle. “Do you like this?” I asked, staring at the design on the screen. “I like you.” He leaned in and planted a warm kiss on my neck. “Antonio!” I laughed, playfully smacking him on the shoulder. “We are here to pick a design, not…” I rolled my eyes. “Mess around.” He smirked. “That’s exactly what I want to do.” “I guess I’ll have to do this alone then.” I sighed as I tried to stand and walk away from him, but he quickly grabbed my arm, holding me down. “Okay. Okay. Okay. I would behave.” He said, chuckling. “I promise.” He added when I shot him a skeptical look. We looked through the designs afterwards, and I was amazed at how beautiful they all were. I had told her I wanted something simple but elegant, and she delivered. She was so good at her craft. The designs were so excellent that we had a hard time coming to a conclusion. Sofia was so good at picking the best dress out of many incredible dresses, and I would have loved to bring her here to help me pick a design, but what kind of big sister would I be if I disturbed her newlywed life? After what seemed like an eternity, Antonio and I finally picked a design. I mean, he finally picked a design for me. “So you are going with this, right?” Antonio asked, and I nodded. “Are you sure you like it? I hope you aren’t picking it because I’m the one who likes it. If you don’t…” “Babe, if I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t have agreed with you. You selected it, and I like it also, so I’m going for it.” I cut him off. “I’m sure about the dress. I want it.” The door was pushed open almost immediately, and Lily walked inside. “Have you made a decision yet?” She asked as she approached us. “Yes.” I nodded, showing her the design on the screen. “This one.” “It’s perfect.” She said, flashing her teeth at me as she took the tablet from me. “You’ll look beautiful in it.” After every necessary arrangement, we left the boutique and started making our way to my parents’s place. “We’re running out of gas.” Antonio said, sighing after we covered a few kilometers. “We’ll have to take a quick stop at a gas station.” He drove into the nearest gas station and parked by the gas pump. “I’ll be right back.” He leaned in and gave me a kiss on the cheek before jumping out of the car and filling the tank with gas. A wave of thirst suddenly hit me, and I wound down the car window to talk to my man. “Babe.” I called, plastering a smile on my face. “Yes?” He inched closer to me without hesitation. “Need something?” I nodded. “Water.” “Okay, I would get it for you from the convenience store.” A sweat trickled down his forehead, and he wiped it off. The weather was so hot. “Anything else?” I nodded, pouting as I rubbed my belly. “Your daughter wants some gummies.” “Is that so?” He chuckled softly. “How’d you know?” The smile on my lips spread wider. “You know our souls are connected.” “You’re hilarious.” He shook his head unbelievably, chuckling, as he turned around and headed to the convenience store to get what I requested. I loved that man! *** ANTONIO. This was the happiest moment of my life. I had never imagined falling so deeply in love with any woman. My heart used to be so cold that I thought I was incapable of knowing what love felt like. But Rosalinda came and filled my heart with warmth, making me feel all the things I thought I wasn’t capable of feeling-even more. Once I was inside the store, I quickly grabbed chilled water from the fridge and gummies from the shelf before heading to the checkout counter. I only left her a few minutes ago, but I already missed her so much. I couldn’t wait to get back to her. “Do you mind sharing what is making you smile so hard? Did you win a jackpot?” The cashier asked, interrupting my thoughts. I hadn’t even realised I was smiling from ear to ear until he pointed it out. Oh, what has this woman done to me? I didn’t utter a word. I just handed him the items, and the payment was processed. “Yes.” I nodded, finally replying to him after I finished paying. “I won a jackpot with the woman I fell in love with.” “I’m happy for you, man!” The cashier exclaimed, smiling widely. I was happy for myself too. I walked out of the store, elated that I was finally returning to my woman. As I exited the store, a brief moment of pause overtook me. My heart raced dangerously against my ribcage as I beheld the sight of the wide-open car doors, with Rosalinda nowhere in sight. Fear surged through my entire being as I sprinted towards the car with urgency.

I searched every corner of the car, looking for Rosalinda as if she were a needle hidden in its depths. Her phone was on the car seat, but she was nowhere to be found. I shook my head, despair washing over me as realisation fully set in. “No!” A primal growl escaped my lips, reverberating through my chest. Regret gnawed at me as I cursed myself for leaving her alone in the car. She was my greatest weakness, and I had always known that my enemies would come for me through her. But I foolishly left her alone in the car. I was so damn stupid. I shouldn’t have fucking left her alone! “No. No. No.” I vigorously shook my head, and I felt my chest squeezing so tightly at the thought of losing her. I couldn’t lose her. I wouldn’t. I would hunt down whoever dared to take her from me and make them pay. Even if I had to burn New York City to the ground.