ALESSIA
My eyes widened almost in disbelief when I saw Claude fall to the ground.
“Claude!” I shouted, quickly kneeling beside him. I saw that he had closed his eyes.
When I felt his head, I recoiled in horror upon seeing blood on my hands. All my anger surged to the surface, directed at Francesco.
“You, animal!” I was about to charge at him, but his men quickly approached, aiming their guns at me.
I could do nothing but cry and knelt beside Claude again. Despite the difficulty of my position, I forced myself to cradle my husband’s head.
“Claude, I’m sorry!” I cried, tears streaming down my cheeks.
“Hey! What happened here?”
I ignored the voice; all I could hear was a woman’s voice.
“Francesco, what did you do?” the woman shouted.
I almost went deaf from the woman’s loud voice, so I was forced to turn to her.
Her eyes looked exactly like mine, so did her nose and the shape of her lips. she glanced at me, and I was just looking at her feeling amazed. I could not really spot a difference, except for the tone of her voice that sounded more arresting than mine.
She was wearing a loose shirt and a jogger. Her hair was tied in a messy bun.
“Cali? Mi amore!” (Cali? My love!)
My lips parted in shock when I heard Francesco calling the woman.
Oh! So this is Cali. No wonder I was mistaken for Cali; we look so much alike. I saw Ramiro moving to where I was, and he was also staring at Cali.
“I will deal with you later,” Cali looked at Ramiro.”What are you still standing there? Call the doctor! Or an ambulance! Make it quick!” She ordered everyone around.
Francesco quickly complied with the order. His men rushed off. Only the four of us were left in front of the house.
I noticed the woman who looked like me kneeling beside me. I was surprised when she hugged me.
She put her right hand on my left cheek, and she fixed my hair. She ran her thumb across my cheeks wiping my tears off.
“Please help my husband.” I pleaded her.
“Help is on the way, little one.”
Why did she call me little one?
Francesco approached us. He pulled the woman away.
“Mi amore,” he said softly.
“Get off me!” the woman snapped, pushing Francesco’s hand away.
“Please, mi amore,” Francesco pleaded. He tried to pull the woman again, but she stood up and hit the man’s chest.
“You bastard! Why did you shoot him? Why did you have to kill him?”
Francesco remained silent. He just watched the woman’s actions quietly. I continued to sob uncontrollably. Claude’s face was drenched with my tears, and my own vision became blurred from crying. Was unaware of what was happening around me. So, I was surprised when a medic approached me.
Someone took Claude’s body while others were helping me to get up. I was about to follow the medic, but the woman who resembled me stopped me.
“You don’t need to go with them. They will take your husband to the hospital. Let’s just follow them there,” she said.
I glanced at her before returning my gaze to the medic carrying the stretcher where Claude was. Ramiro was the one who went inside the ambulance where Claude was put inside.
“Let’s go. The car is over there,” she said.
She held my hand and led me to the waiting SUV. I had no strength left to protest, so I just followed.
We sat in the backseat with the woman who looked like me. Francesco sat beside the driver.
“By the way, I’m Calliope. Cali for short,” she introduced herself, extending her hand.
I stared at Cali’s hand for a few seconds. I couldn’t believe I was sitting next to the woman who had caused me so much trouble and danger.
I looked away, turning my gaze to the window.
“I’m sorry, Callista. I didn’t mean to put you and your husband in danger just because we look alike. I’m really sorry,” she apologized.
I furrowed my brow as I glanced back at Cali.
“Callista was your birth name. I’m just half an hour older than you. But an hour after mom gave birth to you, she died. In order to pay off the hospital bill and to bury her properly, grandma had to sell you to a wealthy couple.
“Since I was a child, grandma always told me about you, and it was her deathwish for me to find you. So when I became an adult, I decided to find you. I would have been happy just to know you, even if we couldn’t be together. But I didn’t know that my search for you would lead to your danger. I’m sorry about that.”
She told me that she was very desperate to run away from Francesco and she ended up working at Ramiro’s company. He met Luther there, she reminded me of who Luther was. The guy whom I bumped into at the parking lot of the Grand Artisan Pavilion.
Now I understood what happened exactly when I passed out. Good thing that man didn’t do anything to me while I was unconscious.
“I met Haven at Ramiro’s office, she told me that she met someone who looked exactly like me. I knew that it was you. When I asked her to bring me to you, she told me she met you in Spain.” Cali started to narrate this information with her eyes looking very apologetic.
“I didn’t knew about her plans against you, she bribed Luther. Luther just ran away with the money that she got from Haven. I was left hanging. I decided to return here when I learned that Ramiro’s people were chasing me. Frances was more powerful than Ramiro, I thought that a reconciliation with him would protect me from Ramiro, and his connections could help me find you.” She continued.
After she could finish with everything that she needed to tell me. I pulled her closer to me and hugged her so tight.
I told her about my adopted sister, Lia. She told me that she didn’t get to meet Lia, but Luther got. Luther was the only one who had the chance to drift and out of Ramiro’s residence. She also told me about the stealing incident inside the house of Ramiro, but she was not part of it. Luther planned it by himself so he could bring more with him as he was about to hide away.
“Don’t worry. Francesco will find the best doctor here. He will also cover all the expenses. If your husband doesn’t survive, I will personally make sure Francesco gets imprisoned,” Cali said seriously.
“Mi amore, what-”
“Shut your mouth, Francesco! I’m not talking to you!”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing and seeing. The terrifying Francesco apparently cowered before Cali.
“I think the real Mafia Boss is you.” I teased my twin sister.
“That bastard is madly in love with me, he follows every command from me. Seems like I am his boss.” She laughed after saying that and she held my hand.