Quit the Mafia Crown, Took the Healer Scalpel Chapter 15

Quit the Mafia Crown, Took the Healer Scalpel Chapter 15

Dante squatted outside Lina’s apartment building, the cigarette in his hand burning down to the filter and

scorching his fingertip.

He had just hung up with Mrs. Conti.

“Iris has lost her mind,” Mrs. Conti sighed. “The heir cast her out; she’s in the hospital crying she’s the Donna.

A tragedy.”

Dante said nothing.

“She hurt Lina, that’s true. But what you did to her…” Mrs. Conti paused. “Forget it. Take care of yourself.”

The call ended.

Dante stubbed out the cigarette and lit another.

Mad?

He remembered Iris in the white dress, her pout so like Lina’s, and the hurricane-night call he’d missed.

Lina, in the ruins, feverish and bleeding, had called him for help.

Iris had answered behind his back, then seduced him more eagerly, coaxing him into saying those careless,

cruel words.

“She’s fake. Stiff. Won’t let herself go.”

“You’re better than her.”

Lina heard all of it.

How desperate she must have felt in that moment.

Dante crushed the cigarette into the trash can and pressed both hands over his face.

The smoke cleared, and dawn was near.

The next day, he went to a private hospital in Zurich.

The director received him personally, handed him documents; Dante glanced through and closed the folder.

“I’m buying this hospital.”

The director froze. “Don Conti, this hospital-”

“I said I’m buying it,” Dante said. “Fund Doctors Without Borders in Lina’s name. Ten million a year, add more

if needed.

The director didn’t dare ask questions and nodded to make it happen.

Dante stood at the hospital entrance, eyeing the blank sign that would soon bear Lina’s name.

He would give her anything.

As long as she would take it.

In the afternoon, Lina came out of the lab and Matteo came up with coffee.

“I hear someone opened a hospital in your name and set up some kind of fund.”

Lina paused mid-step.

Liam handed her a document. “Dante bought it, in your name, to fund Doctors Without Borders.”

Lina took the document and flipped through two pages.

Matteo leaned in to look. “Wow, ten million dollars a year. The ex-husband is generous. Are you taking it?”

Lina handed the document back to Liam.

“No need,” she said. “I can manage on my own.”

Liam looked at her and said nothing.

Matteo scratched his head. “You’re too cool. Turning down ten million like that.”

Lina kept walking.

That evening, when she returned to the apartment, Dante was waiting downstairs.

He took two steps toward her, then stopped. From ten steps away, he spoke.

“You know about the hospital?”

Lina nodded.

“Do you… want to go see it? The sign isn’t up yet. You can pick the font you like.”

Lina looked at him, her eyes flat.

“No need.”

She walked around him and went in.

Dante stood where he was, watching her silhouette disappear into the stairwell.

He stood outside for a long time.

Lina glanced out the window, then drew the curtain.

She knew his game: hospital, fund, ten million a year, buying his way back into her heart.

But her heart had closed long ago.

It wasn’t something money could open.

The next morning, breakfast was waiting at the door as usual. Bacon sandwich, hot coffee, and a note.

She didn’t read it, just threw it in the trash.

Dante came out from the corner, silently took out the trash bag, and put in a new one.

Matteo crouched nearby. “Old man, why bother? She doesn’t want your money or you.”

Dante ignored him and walked off with the trash bag.

His back looked a little hunched.

Matteo suddenly felt the ex-husband wasn’t so bad after all.

Just pitiful.

Really pitiful.