She Loved in Silence, Left in Silence Chapter 02

She Loved in Silence, Left in Silence Chapter 02

Rosalba shot my mom a look—the smug, satisfied glance of a woman about to evaluate a daughter-in-law candidate. “It’s good to keep in touch with classmates! When you have time, invite her over for coffee, have a chat!”

Enzo turned his eyes on me, a challenge sharpening his gaze. “What do you think?”

I crossed my arms and forced a smile so tight it hurt. “Sounds great. She’s gorgeous. You two suit each other.”

Enzo froze for half a second. Something dark and unreadable flickered through his eyes.

I was about to retreat to my room when my mother called me back.

“Vera, grab that gift box of wine and put it in Rosalba’s car. Let your uncle taste it too.”

By the time I’d dug out the gift box, my mom and Rosalba were already at the car. Enzo was waiting at the door—for the wine, I assumed.

I tried to hand it to him. Instead, he sighed and walked closer to me. Then he crouched down, carefully wrapped his hand around my ankle, and lifted my foot onto his knee. His palm was burning hot. The drag of his fingers across my skin sent a shiver crawling up my spine.

“When’d you get the cast off?” His voice was low, careful. “Healing okay?”

He inspected my ankle with painstaking attention—without realizing it was the wrong foot. The one he was holding had never been hurt.

I knew what this was. He was reaching out, trying to patch us back together. But what was there left to patch? He was about to be a father.

The front door was wide open.

My mom and Rosalba were just outside, chatting at the curb.

One glance back, and they’d see us.

I jerked my foot away in a panic and turned to grab my shoes. “Don’t worry about me.”

He gripped my shoulders, forcing me to face him. “Things were chaotic with the family that week. The next day I had to fly to Palermo —”

I shoved his hands off. “Stop. Someone’s going to see and get the wrong idea about us.”

His voice dropped to a near whisper. “Vera Rossi. What’s that supposed to mean?”

I jammed my feet into my shoes. “We broke up. There’s no need for anyone to misread the situation. Especially not now, when you’ve got a brand-new role to play.”

His tone went sharp with impatience. “What role?”

I looked at him—at how perfectly he played dumb when he understood every single word—and bit back what I’d been about to say.

It was almost funny.

Enzo didn’t have a single picture of us together on his phone. There wasn’t a trace of me anywhere on his social media. We’d taken trips together, and he’d never once let me post a single photo.

For years, he’d told me both our families were too tightly woven together. We’d go public when the time was right. Right up until the breakup, when he finally said what he really thought, and I finally understood.

He’d always been embarrassed of me.

My parents were ordinary members of the family. But he conveniently forgot—my father had taken a bullet saving his father, and the lingering injury was the reason he could never fully serve the family again.

And me? Average degree, average résumé. I still hadn’t been formally inducted as a member.

So, he’d said, he had plenty of better options.

So I shouldn’t be in his way.

Enzo frowned, visibly forcing himself to stay patient. “Vera, stop this. I just flew back from Palermo yesterday. I went out first thing this morning to buy you calcium pills. You’re at a stage where you can get deficient really easily —”

His phone rang, cutting him off.

He pulled it out. Michela’s name flashed across the screen.

My voice came out completely flat. “Better answer it. Wouldn’t want to keep her waiting.”

He stared at me. Then, very deliberately, he picked up—and tapped the speakerphone button.

A woman’s bright laugh spilled out first. “Enzo~ Why’d you leave so fast yesterday? My dad wanted you to stay for dinner.”

“Your second-in-command added me on WhatsApp. We talked all night. He’s asking me to grab drinks tonight—wanna come with me instead?”

Enzo didn’t answer. He just watched me, an amused glint in his eyes.

“What are you looking at me for? What does any of that have to do with me?”

He laughed quietly. “You’re the one who said it has nothing to do with you. Don’t regret it.”