Chapter 52: A New Dawn
The house was eerily quiet. Ivy stood in the doorway, her hands clenched tightly by her sides as she stared at Vincenzo. He looked like a man who had been hollowed out, a shadow of his former self. His once sharp and commanding presence was now dulled, weighed down by grief.
"Vincenzo," Ivy called softly, stepping further into the room.
He didn't respond, his gaze fixed on the cradles where Isabella and Sophia lay. His fingers gently stroked their tiny hands, his silent promise to protect them as fierce as it was fragile.
Ivy moved closer, her heels clicking softly on the wooden floor. "I heard about Vanessa," she began, her voice heavy with emotion. "I came as soon as I could."
Vincenzo finally looked up, his eyes bloodshot and rimmed with exhaustion. "She's gone," he said simply, the weight of the words pressing on his chest like a vice.
Ivy's heart ached at the sight of him. This was not the Vincenzo she knew—the ruthless mafia leader, the untouchable billionaire. This was a man broken by love and loss. She hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"You don't have to go through this alone," she whispered.
Vincenzo's lips pressed into a thin line, and for a moment, Ivy thought he might brush her off. But instead, he surprised her. "I don't know how to do this," he admitted, his voice barely audible.
"You take it one day at a time," Ivy replied softly. "One moment at a time if that's all you can manage."
She knelt beside him, her eyes falling on the sleeping twins. "They're beautiful," she said, her voice full of genuine warmth. "Vanessa would have been so proud of them."
Vincenzo's jaw tightened, and he nodded. "She didn't even get to hold them," he said bitterly. "She gave everything for them… and I couldn't save her."
Ivy reached out and took his hand, her touch firm yet comforting. "Don't do this to yourself, Vincenzo. Vanessa wouldn't want you to drown in guilt. She'd want you to live, to take care of these girls, and to honor her memory."
For the first time in days, Vincenzo felt a glimmer of something other than despair. Ivy's words were like a lifeline, pulling him back from the edge. He turned to her, his eyes searching hers.
"Thank you," he said quietly.
Ivy gave him a small, reassuring smile. "Always," she replied. "I'll be here whenever you need me."
As she stood to leave, Vincenzo's voice stopped her. "Ivy," he said, his tone tentative.
She turned back to him, her brow raised in question.
"Stay," he said simply. "Just for a while."
Ivy nodded, her heart swelling with a mix of emotions she couldn't quite name. She settled into a chair beside him, the silence between them no longer heavy but comforting.
Together, they watched over Isabella and Sophia, two tiny lights in the midst of their shared darkness. And for the first time since Vanessa's passing, Vincenzo felt a small, fragile thread of hope.