CHAPTER 2 — The Mafia Boss Who Owed a Life
Three days later...
Leo Salvatore opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw...
...was white.
Hospital lights.
White ceiling.
White sheets.
He hated hospitals.
The second thing he noticed...
...was pain.
Bullets left reminders.
The third thing...
Silence.
His advisers stood around his bed.
Nobody dared speak first.
Finally...
His right-hand man, Marco Bellini, stepped forward.
"You were dead for four minutes."
Leo didn't react.
"What brought me back?"
"The surgeons."
Marco hesitated.
"Not entirely."
Leo slowly turned his head.
Marco continued.
"There wasn't enough blood."
"The hospital had none."
"You would've died before the helicopters arrived."
Leo's expression remained unreadable.
"So?"
"A civilian donated."
Silence.
"A stranger."
Leo stared at the ceiling.
"What does she want?"
Marco looked confused.
"...Nothing."
"Money?"
"No."
"Protection?"
"No."
"A favor?"
"No."
Leo slowly frowned.
"She left."
Marco nodded.
"Before anyone knew who you were."
That...
...was new.
Everyone wanted something from Leo Salvatore.
Power.
Money.
Influence.
Fear.
But this woman...
Had accepted nothing.
Leo spoke only one sentence.
"Find her."
Marco nodded.
"We've already started."
"No."
Leo's voice became ice.
"You misunderstand."
"I didn't ask for a search."
"I ordered a citywide investigation."
Every camera.
Every hospital record.
Every witness.
Every receipt.
Every taxi.
Find.
Her.
Meanwhile...
Clara's life had already become worse.
The diner owner stood waiting.
"You're late."
"I told you I donated blood—"
"I don't care."
"You missed breakfast rush."
"You cost me money."
"I was saving someone's life."
"So?"
The word echoed through the empty restaurant.
"So?"
He tossed her final paycheck across the counter.
"You're fired."
The room became silent.
Clara looked down.
Thirty-eight dollars.
That was all.
Four years.
Finished.
Without another word...
She picked up the envelope.
Walked outside.
And cried for exactly twenty-two seconds.
Then she wiped her tears away.
Because Owen still needed dinner.
Heroes...
Didn't have time to fall apart.
Across the city...
More than one hundred Salvatore soldiers searched.
No one understood why.
Rumors exploded.
Some believed the mysterious woman stole something.
Others believed she was an assassin.
Only Leo knew the truth.
She had stolen nothing.
She had given him everything.
And somewhere...
Hidden inside thousands of hospital security files...
One blurry camera frame captured a tired waitress holding an old purse...
Walking away before anyone could thank her.
Leo looked at the frozen image.
For reasons he couldn't explain...
He couldn't stop staring.
"Zoom in."
The technician obeyed.
Her face remained unclear.
But one detail became visible.
Around her neck...
Hung a tiny silver locket.
Leo suddenly sat upright.
"No..."
Marco looked confused.
"What?"
Leo whispered...
"I've seen that necklace before."
Nobody in the room spoke.
Because Leo Salvatore...
Looked frightened.
May you like
For the first time in twenty years.
END OF CHAPTER 2
