Chapter 53: Broke my heart

Santino returned home with a heavy heart, feeling utterly devastated.

Everything had been going well in his life, and for the first time, he had been willing to change certain aspects of himself so that Soraya could accept him.

He had genuinely believed things were beginning to work between them, but now it seemed as though everything was falling apart.

"Boss!" Marco and Leo rose from their seats as soon as Santino entered the room.

"Where’s Soraya?" Leo asked, noticing that she wasn’t with him.

"She’s with Angelo, and she doesn’t want to come back to me," Santino muttered, his voice carrying the frustration he could barely contain.

"Boss, I told you not to let Emilio live. Look at what he’s done to you!" Marco spat angrily. He pulled out his gun and began loading it, clearly prepared to deal with Emilio himself.

"Do you want me to lose Soraya forever?" Santino demanded, his eyes burning with anger. "I know Soraya would hate me if I ever hurt Emilio. Do you think I don’t feel the urge to pull the trigger when I’ve carried a gun in my hands for most of my life?"

Marco fell silent, understanding that Santino was already struggling to control his anger.

"Boss, where is Soraya now?"

"At her family home. She left with Angelo." Santino settled onto the couch and rubbed his forehead, feeling a dull ache spreading through his temples. "She was crying because of me. Everything was going perfectly according to my plan. Emilio was never the right man for her."

"Exactly, Boss," Marco replied. "I tried explaining that to Soraya when I brought her to the bar, but she refused to listen. She kept saying you had broken her trust by hiding the fact that you had known her ex all along."

Santino leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment. He didn’t need anyone to remind him of what had gone wrong. He knew exactly why Soraya was upset, but knowing the reason didn’t make it any easier to accept.

"I want to be alone," he finally said.

Leo and Marco exchanged a brief glance before leaving the room.

He took out his phone and dialed Soraya’s number, hoping she would answer. The call rang several times, but there was no response. He tried again, only to be met with the same silence. When he called for the third time, her phone appeared to be switched off.

"Fuck!" Santino cursed and flung his phone onto the floor.

He got up and headed towards the swimming pool. He needed to cool his head before his frustration drove him to do something he would regret.

He discarded his clothes and jumped into the swimming pool, staying underneath the pool for a few seconds while holding his breath while recalling everything that happened.

Reaching the water surface, he gasped for air and ran his hand through his hair.

"Soraya, I will tell you the whole story tomorrow. Emilio was never meant to appear in your life. And the obsession I carry for you isn’t just simple desire but a true love. If it weren’t love, I would have never maddingly followed you. Indeed, I threw a pawn in Emilio’s life, but he chose to cheat on you with Gina."

As he murmured those words to himself, he took a few laps back and forth to keep his mind calm.

In his life, there was not a single incident when he would have been this restless and agitated. Even in some life threatening situations, he never lost his temper.

Stopping at the edge of the pool, Santino breathed heavily. "Fuck. Her face kept coming in front of my eyes. I need her right now by my side. But if I go to her, she will only be hurt. Gina... I need to find her first. Only she can show Soraya the truth."

~~~~~

Angelo had switched off Soraya’s phone, knowing that Santino wouldn’t stop calling her until she answered.

He glanced at his younger sister, who had finally fallen asleep, and quietly stepped out of her bedroom, making sure not to disturb her.

His parents were waiting for him in the living room. When he entered, he walked over and took a seat opposite them.

"Soraya went to bed without eating anything," Evelina said worriedly. She had been concerned about her daughter ever since Angelo had brought her home.

"She was exhausted, Mom. I think it’s better that she gets some sleep," Angelo replied.

"I’ve decided to meet Santino tomorrow and confront him about the way he’s treated our daughter," Antoine muttered in annoyance.

"Soraya was never meant to suffer like this. It was already difficult for me to give her hand in marriage to Santino when she hadn’t even wanted to marry him. All I expected was that he would keep her happy. Instead, he’s managed to ruin our friendship with his actions as well."

"Dad, please calm down," Angelo intervened. "There’s a huge misunderstanding between them, and Soraya’s ex has something to do with it."

"Her ex?" Evelina asked, looking at her son in surprise.

"Yes. The man who left her at the altar," Angelo explained. "Anyway, now that she’s finally back with us, let’s focus on giving her everything we failed to provide while she was growing up away from us. She has already been through enough, and I don’t want her to feel that she has to deal with everything alone."

"You’re right," Antoine agreed.

"I don’t want her to be under any more stress. Honey, don’t invite Santino here. If you want to speak to him, meet him somewhere outside and talk to him privately," Evelina said, turning towards her husband. "Did you see the state she was in? It nearly broke my heart. I can’t bear to watch my daughter suffer like this."

For Evelina, this was an opportunity to finally be the mother Soraya needed. She had spent years without her daughter, and now that Soraya was back in her life, she wanted to make up for all the time they had lost.