/Riccardo's POV/
I was on my way to my house after dropping Regina at her apartment. I'm now feeling better thanks to her. I always thank God for giving me the best woman on earth. As I was lost in my thoughts, a ringing of a phone brought me back to reality. I parked my car on the spot I found near me and took my phone out but it wasn't ringing. I looked around and there was a light coming from the passenger seat. I picked it up and it was Regina's phone. 'She must've forgotten it,' I thought before taking a U-turn to her house.
It nearly took ten minutes since I haven't gone too far. I stopped my car in front of the building and went inside. To my surprise, I saw someone who shouldn't be here at this time. Eliana Cassidy was leaving the building while scrolling through her phone. She wore her reading glasses and her coat was on her shoulders. My eyes followed her every move until she was completely out. When she was finally out, I rushed towards her and stood in front of her. She didn't see me coming so she bumped her head on my chest.
"Watch where. . ." she stopped as her eyes meet mine. Her sentence was completed by a loud sigh. "Do I really have to finish my day with your annoying face?"
"We need to talk," I grabbed her hand and took her behind the building. We are now standing beside the street light.
"What do want?" she said putting her phone inside her pocket.
"What are you doing here?"
"What?" she raised a brow.
"You heard me loud and clear," I could feel losing my patience.
"I just wanted you to hear how stupid that sounded."
"Just answer the damn question!"
"It's none of your business," she crossed her arms.
"It is. Especially when someone like you gets near to my loved ones," she poked her tongue inside her cheek as she looked away. "What did you do to Regina?" this time she turned her head to face me.
"So, this is about her."
"It's always about her. Now tell me what the fuck you are doing here?!"
"As much as you want everything to revolve around you, I wasn't here for her," she smiled.
"Am I supposed to believe that?" I scoffed.
"I hate to break your delusion, babe. But I wasn't here for her," she said in pity.
"Why are you here then?"
"You know in this world there are some things that shouldn't concern you. For example, in other's businesses," I was losing the last patient I had so I grabbed her elbow and pulled her closer to me.
"Stop these games and tell me why you're here?!" My eyes were about to pop out. She sighed loudly.
"I was here for Leonardo," she looked dead into my eyes.
"Stop lying."
"Believe whatever you want,"
"What is his apartment number?"
"I can't—"
"Cut the crap," I tightened my grip on her arm making her hiss a little.
"I'm not telling you anything!" I could see her veins popping out.
"You know what?" I took a handcuff out of my pocket and took her hands around the pole of the street light. There was a visible shock on her face but before she could react, I already cuffed both of her hands.
"What the fuck?!" she frowned.
"Doing things in my way," I said as I took her phone out of her pocket. Luckily it wasn't locked. "Were you seriously watching Tik-Tok?"
"Give me my phone back!" she pushed her hands to take it but I was quick enough to dodge back.
"I will, when I'm sure that you are not lying," saying that I left watching her struggle with the pole.
Once I got inside the building, I quickly went to Regina's house. After I ring the doorbell a couple of times, she opened it. She seemed a little tired, but besides that, she was completely fine.
"Is everything okay?" worry filled her beautiful face.
"Yeah, you just forgot this," I gave her the phone.
"Oh, you didn't have to come this late for this," she smiled as she takes it.
"It's fine," I pinched her cheek.
"Come in,"
"I need to go," I pecked her lips.
"Okay, take care," she said as I left. After I was out of her sight, I took Eliana's phone out and texted her toy that she wanted to talk to him outside. It took him five seconds to reply.
"Are you that desperate?" I scoffed at the phone and entered the elevator. A few seconds later I was on the ground floor. I then stand beside the door to see if he really lives here. Not long after, a dark-haired young man came out of the building. He was looking around to spot someone. Taking out his phone, he checked something before looking at the streets.
'She was not lying,' I thought and went behind the building. She was shivering due to the cold air, the wind is pushing her short hair onto her face annoying her more than she already was. She cursed under her breath when she saw me. I slowly approached her and her phone started ringing. I picked it up and put it on speaker.
***O.T.P***
"Hey, pretty boy," she said putting on a fake smile.
"Where are you, Mami?"
"What's wrong?"
"You said you wanted to talk to me outside,"
"I didn't. . ." she raised her head to look at me. More precisely, to glare at me. "Looks like I texted the wrong person," her eyes never left mine.
"Oh, I thought there was something wrong,"
"Everything is fine, pretty boy." she gave me a bitter smile.
"Cool. Thank you for today, I really needed it,"
"Anything for my baby," I rolled my eyes at her.
"Still, I couldn't have done it without you."
"I know you would," she smiled, looking at the phone.
"Thank you,"
"Now stop thanking me like I did something big,"
"It is a big thing for me,"
"Okay, then." I sighed loudly as I was tired of this conversation. "I'll call you back, baby." She said as she stared at me.
"Cool," he hung up.
"Do you believe me now?" she raised a brow.
"Do you think that you are a believable person?"
"Do I look like I care?"
"You never care,"
"Can you uncuff me now?" she raised her hands.
"I have another question," I said, which made her laugh out loud. When she saw that I was serious, she let out a loud breath.
"Fine, at least remove my glasses," I got closer to her and took the glass off. I also saw that she was struggling with her hair, so I took it behind and tied it using the rubber I had on my wrist. This whole time, her eyes followed my every single move. I'm sure that she is confused by my sudden action. After I successfully tied it, some of her it was still on her face. I tucked the remaining hair behind her ear.
"This is better," I looked at her unexplainable face. "What?"
"What do you want to know?" she moved her gaze to the darker side of the alley.
"This morning when we were talking, you said I can't call you selfish? Why?"
"Because I'm starfish,"
"Not funny," she was still looking away. "I can't call you selfish when you what?" I was staring at her face. She raised her head looking at the sky. I grabbed her chin softly and made her face me.
"Is Bella your daughter?" as those words came out of my mouth, a drop of tear escaped from her eye. "Is she?" my voice cracked.
"I wish she was," she almost whispered as she looked up at me. The orange ray of the street light was reflecting on her grey orbs giving making them more magical than they already were.
"Why do you care though?" she snapped. "Are you going to break the curse for her? Are you a priest?!" her voice rose.
"I'm just trying to—"
"Help the poor kid? Why?" her eyes were piercing through my soul. "Let me guess. Maybe she doesn't deserve a mother like me? Is that the reason?!" a tear escaped from her eye.
"Look—"
"Is it because I'm a Mafia?!" I went silent. Seeing that, she laughed. Not because she found anything funny, but because she was hurt. But who am I to care?
"So you already know the answer," I said and her laugh became quiet. "A mafia like you only knows how to destroy lives, not build one. I knew that there is no way that she would be your daughter, I just wanted you to remember the things you don't deserve. You don't want children, Eliana. You just want to build your stupid empire. But don't worry, I will destroy that too. So at the end of the day, you will be nobody," I took every single anger I had on her. Her eyes held too many emotions that her lips did not want to tell. She took a sharp breath before speaking.
"Can you untie me until then?" she smiled weakly. My eyes soften at her statement, then I unlocked the handcuff. She rubbed her wrist and removed the rubber band from her hair. She finally took my hands, putting it on my palm.
"That was so sweet of you," she took her phone from my other hand and walked past me. I just stared at her back rethinking every word I said.
"Thank God, she is not your daughter," I sighed before going to my car.