Page 49 of Veil of Vengeance

I can hearfaint voices float around me, and for a second, I think it’s my family, but then the memories of what had happened over the past couple of days come rushing back to me.

I keep my eyes closed and try to listen to what they’re saying, but the pounding in my head doesn’t help.

The room goes silent for a minute, and multiple footsteps sound around the room, coming closer, then stopping before someone says, “I know you’re awake.”

I sigh and open my eyes to see Emiliano, Mariana, Alessia, Mara, and Romiro all standing around the bed. My head throbs as the light irritates my retinas, and I wince but keep them open.

“Wh-” My voice comes out hoarse, so I try clearing my throat. Emiliano pours me a cup of water and hands it to me. I accept it, grateful for the gesture. The cold water soothes the dryness in my throat. “What happened?” I finally manage to ask. No one answers for a couple of beats, and my eyes filter around to look at their faces.

“Mara came to your room the next morning after the picnic, but you weren’t answering, so she thought you were still asleep, but when you didn’t come out at all, and then you also weren’t answering the door, Mom and Mara decided to ask Romiro to break the door to see what happened.” Emiliano pauses for a second as he clenches his jaw.

“They found you passed out on the bathroom floor with the shower on and the room was practically full of steam,” he finishes saying. Oh. I don’t remember any of that.

I notice that I’m not in the same room I was in. The walls are a muted sage with light brown accents, the bed covers a light green with white leaf patterns.

“Where am I?”

“My room.” Emiliano’s the one to tell me, and confusion spears through me. I give him a quizzical look, which he chooses to ignore. My eyes fall to the bed sheets as I try to comprehend what the hell is going on.

“How many hours have I been out?” I ask, looking back up at them. Mariana, Mara, and Alessia all wince as if they don’t know how to answer that, and both Romiro’s and Emiliano’s faces are set in unreadable masks.

“You’ve been out for close to a week now.” No… A week, as in,seven days. I try to get up, but the room spins, and a palm presses into my shoulder, pushing me back down. A hysterical sob rises in my throat, but I swallow it and look at Alessia.

“Why was I out for that long?” The panic, clear as day in my voice, seems to incite sympathy from her as she gives me a weak smile.

“You were technically out completely for three days, but then you became hysterical and wouldn’t lie down, so we had to give you some medicine to calm you. You were also in a lot of pain.”

My throat suddenly feels dry and the pounding in my head seems to be getting worse. I close my eyes, pushing my head farther into the pillow. She’s not wrong about the pain; I can still feel the aches and tiredness lingering in my limbs.

I’m drained, my eyes heavy. Everyone seems to see that, and Emiliano nods and says, “Get some rest, we’ll be nearby.” I wish I had the energy to say something back, but the room fades as my eyes fall shut.

CHAPTER 14

EMILIANO

Ipace my room while Valentina sleeps off whatever she has.

“I don’t understand why you didn’t tell me earlier,” I tell Romiro.

He shrugs. “I didn’t think it was that important to you. You barely know her. I mean, yes, you’ve had a few moments together and all, but we truly didn’t think it was that serious.”

I run my hand through my hair, pulling at the root, trying to figure out why it bothers me that she was sick for three days before I knew about it. And why the fuck I felt the need to fly back the New Hampshire the same day to come see for myself.

“I have to go, but make sure she has plenty of fluids. She’s been vomiting a lot and needs to stay hydrated,” Alessia says as she walks by to head to the door of my personal living room. I nod grimly.

“I’ll take you home,” Romiro offers. Alessia gives him a shy smile. My eyes narrow as I watch them leave the room, but I brush off the suspicious feeling that something might be going on between my cousin and best friend. Ma closes the bedroom door behind her, leaving Mara in the room with Valentina.

“She feels guilty for not saying something earlier. She blames herself that Valentina is this sick.” Ma sighs as she plops down on one of the armchairs. I shake my head.

“She shouldn’t be feeling guilty at all. It’s not her fault.” I don’t say what everyone is thinking, but the insinuation hangs in the air.

“No, Emiliano, it isn't your fault either. At least not her becoming this sick. You didn’t want her to get sick, but you do want to use her as leverage against her family, which isn’t something I like or agree with.”

“Ma, I don’t know what you want me to do. The only way for us to get our revenge is by dangling Moretti’s daughter in front of him,” I tell her. Ma’s shoulders drop, and exhaustion bleeds into her face. She leans back into the armchair and carefully watches me.

“You know, when I married your Dad, I was scared. I thought he was going to be cruel and try to break me.” She shrugs one shoulder before continuing. “At least that’s what everyone tried to tell me, and the rumors certainly didn’t help. Our families had been enemies up to the peace agreement and the wedding. He didn’t speak much during our engagement, but after the wedding, when I slowly got to know him, I liked what I learned. He was kind in his own way, and he never thought of me as any less when the…incident happened.”

I grind my teeth as I try to calm the wave of rage that has taken over at the mention of the past.

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