Alessandro slammed the door of Rosa's bedroom as he burst in harshly, breath ragged, eyes wild.
Rosa's voice came from the bathroom, edged with irritation.
"Who is it?"
"It's me."
"Who exactly?"
"It's me… Alessandro."
There was a pause. A long one. Heavy with memory, regret, and unfinished pain.
Rosa stood still behind the bathroom door, water still dripping from her skin. She hated herself in that moment—hated that she hadn't made the breakup final, hadn't cut him off completely when she had the chance.
"What is it that you want?" she finally replied, her tone cold. "Haven't I told you to find another lover? You broke my heart, Alessandro… and now you come crawling back here?"
"Can we settle all of this later?" he snapped, glancing nervously toward the window. "I'm not in the mood for this. There are men out there—one with a knife, another with a bat. They're going to break my jaw before I say one more word."
Rosa's irritation melted into alarm.
She rushed out of the bathroom, water trailing behind her, a towel tied loosely beneath her breasts. Her hair clung to her shoulders, and despite everything, Alessandro couldn't take his eyes off her.
He had left her. Betrayed her. And yet here he was—desperate, begging for refuge.
"Why are you always in trouble?" Rosa demanded, grabbing a dress from the bed. "Always at that gambling bar… spending nights with Ammie—the gimpy girl?"
"That's not true," Alessandro said quickly, though his eyes betrayed hesitation.
The sounds outside grew louder—footsteps, voices.
Alessandro hurried to the window and slammed it shut.
Then he froze.
"They're here," he whispered.
He saw them—Marco and Rodriguez—moving steadily up the stairs. Rodriguez held a gun, pointed downward but ready.
Alessandro turned sharply, rushing to Rosa.
"It's Rodriguez. He has a gun. What do we do?"
Rosa's face hardened, but her hands trembled slightly as she pulled on a thin dress.
"It's been three years," she said, voice tight, "since my father was killed in his own barn… by that man's father. And now his sons stand outside hunting you."
She looked straight at him.
"You shouldn't have killed him. I told you."
"And you forget?" Alessandro shot back. "He murdered my father in his cellar!"
"He's mafia," Rosa insisted. "They don't forget. They don't forgive. They destroy everything."
Alessandro clenched his fists.
"Someone has to die before this is over."
Rosa swallowed hard.
"Who?"
"It won't be us."
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"Who dies… and who does the killing?"
Silence.
Then Rosa added, more urgently, "If it's in our favor, let it end now—before Giuiliana or Carmela gets hurt. Rodriguez is a hunter… a bloodthirsty beast. I don't want him anywhere near her."
"She's a good girl," Alessandro muttered. "A virgin too."
Rosa shot him a sharp, disgusted look.
"Don't you dare talk about my sister like that."
Before he could respond—
A shadow appeared on the window.
It grew… larger… darker…
A man holding a gun.
CRASH!
Rodriguez stormed into the room, weapon raised, eyes blazing with fury.
"Alessandro!" he roared. "I know you're in here! Come out, you bastard, and fight for the last time in your life!"
Rosa slipped into the closet, her heart pounding.
"Rodriguez," she called out, trying to steady her voice, "what do you want? We both have our reasons. Your father killed mine… and Alessandro killed him. Our fathers were brothers—they swore an oath. Your father betrayed it."
BANG!
Rodriguez fired into the ceiling.
"Shut the fu** up, you dirty whore!" he snarled. "Your father was a master of assholes and concubines! My father was nothing but a third-class servant—his slave!"
His voice shook with rage.
"My father worked himself to death for your family… treated like nothing. So he took his revenge when he could. But that boyfriend of yours—he took his life. Now I've come to collect."
Rosa stepped slightly out from hiding.
"And what does revenge give you?" she asked quietly. "What do you do with his life when you take it?"
Rodriguez ignored her, turning to his men.
"He's here. Search the place. If we don't find him—burn it down!"
Alessandro, hidden behind the back door, saw his chance.
He slipped out silently—
Only to be struck violently across the head.
The world spun.
Marco stood there, gripping the gun he had used to hit him.
"I have him!" Marco shouted.
Rodriguez's voice came from inside.
"I'm coming!"
Rosa burst out of the house, panic overtaking her.
"Alessandro!"
She ran toward him—but Rodriguez grabbed her arm, restraining her.
"Let me go!" she screamed.
Marco sneered.
"Is this your bastard boyfriend, cousin? The man who murdered my father?"
He dragged Alessandro, unconscious, and threw him into the back of the car.
The engine roared.
They drove off.
Rodriguez released Rosa and followed in another car, leaving dust and silence behind.
Rosa collapsed to her knees.
Then the tears came.
---
Later, Rosa stood on her porch, wearing a thin, see-through polyester sun dress. The breeze brushed against her skin as she held a small flower, inhaling its faint scent.
But her mind was elsewhere.
The warehouse.
She had been there once—years ago—with her father, Mr. Salvatore.
Now it had become a place of death.
A place where Alessandro had been taken.
She felt it deep inside her—an emptiness, a certainty.
When Rodriguez takes someone… they don't come back.
The phone rang.
She answered with trembling hands.
"Hello?"
"Rosa?" Carmela's voice came through, urgent.
"Hi, Carmela… what's wrong?"
"Rosa—we're not home. There was a robbery last night. Gaius was shot… three times. The doctor says it's severe. He might not make it."
Rosa's breath caught.
"Where are you? Where's Giuiliana? Giuilia?"
"We're at the hospital. St. Magdalena Clinic."
---
Rosa arrived in a rush.
She ran down the corridor, heart pounding, until she reached the room.
Inside, Gaius lay unconscious, pale and still. Carmela stood beside him, Giuiliana and Giuilia holding his hand.
Rosa sank into a chair, tears spilling over.
"Rodriguez and Marco…" she whispered. "They stormed my house… and took Alessandro."
The room fell silent.
Giuiliana turned slowly, her aged face heavy with grief.
"What do they want?" she murmured. "They murdered my husband… and now my daughters are all I have. Why won't they leave us alone?"
She broke down, sobbing.
Rosa swallowed hard.
"I heard one of their men. They're taking him to the old warehouse… at the barnyard."
Giuiliana nodded slowly.
"That warehouse belonged to your father. He gave it to his brother… their father."
Carmela's voice sharpened.
"So what do they plan to do there?"
Giuilia turned to her mother.
"Mom… how did you let this happen? You knew their father wanted to kill Dad. Why didn't you stop it?"
"I tried," Giuiliana replied weakly. "I warned him. But Sansa was stubborn. He loved his family… more than his own safety."
The door suddenly opened.
The doctor entered, checking Gaius' vitals before pulling out a report.
"He was shot three times in the chest," the doctor said. "Some bullets struck near the shoulder plate. We'll need surgery to check for fragments affecting blood vessels."
He paused.
"He's strong. Most people wouldn't survive this long. We will do everything we can to stabilize him. His heartbeat is improving."
Rosa stepped forward.
"Doctor… what are the total medical requirements?"
"Please remain calm," the doctor replied. "We will provide a full breakdown once his condition stabilizes."
He exited.
Silence filled the room again.
Then Giuilia spoke.
"We have to make them pay. This is Rodriguez."
Carmela nodded.
"She's right. Last night Gaius was shot. This morning Alessandro was taken. It's all connected."
Rosa looked at them—fear and fire in her eyes.
"So how do we do it?" she asked. "We're women. I've never even held a gun before."
"I'm in," Carmela said firmly.
Giuilia raised an eyebrow.
"Have you ever fired one?"
"Not yet," Carmela replied. "But I will. I'll avenge Dad… no matter my age."
Giuilia smirked slightly.
"I'd like to see that."
Rosa took a deep breath.
"I know where the warehouse is. But how do we get there?"
Giuilia leaned forward.
"We make a plan."
Carmela hesitated.
"We should wait for Gaius and Alessandro. They're the men."
Rosa shook her head.
"Gaius is fighting for his life. And Alessandro… we don't even know if he's alive."
She clenched her fists.
"No. We don't wait."
The room grew still.
Outside, the world carried on.
But inside that hospital room—
A war had just begun.