Mafia Lord's Mute Sweetheart

Chapter 174: Chapter 174

Her tired eyes immediately lit up. She turned toward Alessio and gave him a grateful smile.

He smiled back. "Go sleep."

Daisy nodded.

Then she pointed toward his injured hand again.

Alessio sighed. "Yes, I know. I’ll get it checked again if it starts hurting."

She shook her head. She pointed at him, then at the hospital.

Promise.

He stared at her. "You really don’t trust me, do you?"

Daisy shook her head, but there was a playful glint in her eyes.

Alessio laughed under his breath. "Fine. I promise."

She smiled.

He watched her walk inside, then called after her. "Goodnight, little hamster."

Daisy immediately turned around and glared at him.

Alessio grinned. "What?"

She pointed at him accusingly.

He put on his most innocent expression. "Goodnight, Daisy."

She narrowed her eyes one last time before finally smiling and closing the door.

Alessio stood outside for a moment, staring at the closed door. A wide smile appeared on his lips. It felt so good with her that he wanted to kill Cedric right now in happiness.

❀┈┈┈┈❀

Later that night, the Ricci mansion was unusually quiet. The grand chandeliers had been dimmed, casting long shadows across the floors. Even the staff had retired to their quarters, leaving the vast space empty and still.

When Alessio finally walked through the front doors, he immediately noticed Rafael pacing back and forth across the living room. His footsteps were quick and restless, his hands clasped behind his back like a man waiting for an important verdict.

The moment he spotted Alessio, he stopped.

His eyes immediately went to his older brother’s face, then to his clothes, and finally to his hand. The fresh white bandage wrapped around his arm Alessio’s caught his attention immediately.

Rafael’s eyebrows shot up.

"You got injured?"

Alessio barely glanced at him as he walked past. "It’s nothing."

Rafael stared at him.

Of course. Nothing. That was always Alessio’s favorite answer. He could be bleeding out and he would still say it was nothing.

But Rafael had another problem tonight and it was much bigger than the bandage. He knew Alessio had discovered what he had done to Cedric. He had been prepared for his brother to become angry, maybe even furious, after finding out that Rafael had arranged for Cedric to be taken away and beaten. He had braced himself for the cold silence, the sharp words, the disappointment.

Instead, Alessio had gone straight to the hospital. To see Daisy. And now he was back.

Rafael had spent the entire time wondering what exactly had happened there. He had no idea what was on his big brother’s mind. Was he angry? Was he plotting something? Was he going to punch Rafael in the face?

Rafael swallowed. "Bro..."

Alessio continued walking toward the stairs.

Rafael followed him. "Bro, wait."

Alessio stopped. He slowly turned around.

"What?"

Rafael opened his mouth. Then closed it. He suddenly wasn’t sure how to begin.

Alessio raised an eyebrow.

Rafael took a breath. "How was the hospital?"

"Fine."

"You met Daisy?"

"Yes."

Rafael’s heart skipped. "And?"

Alessio stared at him. "And what?"

Rafael blinked. "You know... Daisy."

Alessio’s expression remained completely calm. "She’s fine."

Rafael stared at him.

That was it? He had been pacing around the mansion for hours for this?

"That’s all?"

"What else do you want me to say?"

Rafael rubbed his forehead. He was beginning to feel like he was trying to interrogate a wall.

Meanwhile, on the sofa across the room, Mateo was having the time of his life. He had ordered an enormous cheesy pizza for himself and was comfortably sprawled across the sofa with a can of Coke in one hand. He watched his brothers’ conversation with the relaxed interest of someone watching a television show.

He took another huge bite of pizza. Cheese stretched from the slice to his mouth. He pulled it in with his teeth, chewed happily and took a sip of Coke.

Then he let out a loud burp. "Excuse me."

Rafael slowly turned his head.

Mateo continued eating as though nothing had happened.

Rafael stared at him. "Seriously?"

Mateo shrugged. "What? It’s good pizza."

Alessio looked at his younger brother.

Mateo immediately straightened, alarmed. "What?"

Alessio said nothing.

Mateo quietly took another bite.

Rafael sighed. "Can you at least help me here?"

Mateo pointed at himself. "Me?"

"Yes, you."

Mateo looked between Rafael and Alessio. Then he looked at his pizza. "No."

Rafael’s eye twitched. "Why?"

"I’m eating."

"You’re always eating!"

Mateo nodded proudly. "Exactly. I’m consistent."

Alessio’s lips twitched slightly.

Rafael noticed. "You think this is funny?"

Alessio calmly replied, "A little."

Mateo grinned. "See? Big bro agrees with me."

Rafael looked between them. He was surrounded by idiots. He took a deep breath.

Then his eyes returned to Alessio. "Bro, I need to ask you something."

Alessio raised an eyebrow. "Go ahead."

Rafael hesitated. "...Are you angry with me?"

Alessio stared at him for a moment.

Mateo stopped chewing. Even he was suddenly interested.

The room became quiet.

Alessio finally looked away. "No."

Rafael’s shoulders relaxed. "Really?"

"Really."

Rafael breathed out in relief.

Then Alessio added calmly, "But don’t do something like that again without calling me. I should have joined you."

Rafael froze. His mouth slowly fell open.

"...Bro?"

Alessio looked at him as if he had said something completely ordinary. "What?"

Rafael stared at his older brother in disbelief. "You mean... you aren’t angry that I did it?"

Alessio’s eyebrow lifted. "I didn’t say that."

Rafael’s face immediately fell. "Then what exactly are you saying?"

"I said I should have been there."

Rafael blinked several times.

Mateo, who had been quietly eating his pizza, slowly turned his head toward them. He looked at Rafael. Then at Alessio. Then back at Rafael.

"...Did our brother just say he wanted to participate?"

Rafael gave him a warning look. "Mateo."

Mateo immediately returned his attention to his pizza. "I’m eating."

Alessio ignored both of them and walked toward the stairs.

Rafael hurried after him. "Wait, bro!"

Alessio stopped without turning around.

Rafael lowered his voice. "You went to the hospital, didn’t you?"

"Yes."

"You saw Daisy?"

Alessio finally looked back at him. "Yes."

"And..." Rafael hesitated. "Is she... she is worried about him? Have I gone too far?"

Alessio’s expression became unreadable for a moment. "Don’t worry. She wasn’t worried about him. She was worried about my hand."

Rafael blinked. "Your hand?"

Alessio lifted his bandaged hand slightly. "She made me get it treated."

Rafael stared at the bandage. Then he slowly smiled. "Oh."