THE MAFIA'S PENANCE

THE WOMAN AT THE BAKERY

"Miss, give me that gun." Pinta Pablo and instantly my tears just came out. "Miss doesn't need to use a weapon for anything."

"I won't be able to finish anything by crying." I'm lirih.

"What's this?" Alec came and looked at me with a surprised face. "Pablo, take Vivian away."

"Let's go, miss." Pablo called out to take the long-barreled weapon I was still carrying and immediately grabbed my shoulder walking out.

"What are you guys doing? Why are you two—"

"Alec, he's been shot." From his voice I could tell that the one who cut Alec's words off was Vegard. "You okay?"

"Miss, rest. Everything's gonna be fine. You're not wrong." Pablo told me that he kept his head down as he walked away from the room. "You don't have to worry."

It was all a continuation of my dream at that time. When I shot the room with the long gun I was carrying. The continuation of the dream was present in my dream when I was in Venice, and several times I also dreamed of my forgotten memory.

Right now I'm still with Renata in my room at Arthur's. I just asked Renata something about something I don't remember.

"Junior who introduced me to Vernon was that woman. She's Wynetta." Answer Renata.

Hearing Renata's reply made me think for a moment. If that means Renata knows Wynetta. Everything is complicated now.

"How close are you to Wynetta, Ren?" My toot. "He was Art's fiancee, wasn't he?"

"Yes, but they never loved each other." Renata.

"Whatchu mean? I think Arthur and Vernon's relationship is strained because the woman Vernon loves becomes Arthur's fiance."

"No, what happened wasn't like that." Renata who was not looking at me turned to me. "You don't have to think about it anymore. It's all over."

"Because it's over I want to know everything." I answered with a sharp look and held my softness.

Suddenly the door opened and Arthur appeared.

"Ren, I've been looking everywhere for you, what are you doing here? We have to hurry to Milan, tonight the new casino will open." Arthur exclaimed with a look of his face that always adorns him. "Viv, are you still here? I thought you were home?"

"Viv, return... We're going to Milan at the moment." Renata.

"You want us to drop off? Where is the boy?" Arthur asked Esteban where he was. "Tell him he can come back here because you don't need him anymore."

"Esteban will stay with me." I answered while walking out of the room. "You two should get married soon." I continued without looking or stopping my steps.

On my way back to my house now, I thought about all the words Renata said to me that made me even more have a big question mark.

Arthur is engaged to Wynetta. He is best friends with Vernon who loves Wynetta. But that's not why their relationship is broken because Arthur loved Renata. Then is it because I killed Wynetta that ended their friendship? It seems like it is.

"Madam, up ahead there is a bakery that tastes very delicious bread, the lady should taste it. I'm sure the lady will like it." Esteban shouted to see me from the rearview in front of him.

"Alright, buy some for the others as well." My answer.

Esteban stopped the car in front of the bakery in question and asked me to just wait in the car.

While waiting for nothing I did, I only noticed around that only a few people passed by. Sicily is a less crowded city compared to Milan, Rome, or Venice. But the cold air seemed to make the streets more deserted.

I waited a long time for Esteban to return. My gaze was instantly sidetracked looking towards the entrance of the bakery when Esteban came out and accidentally nudged a brunette woman with a rather short cut.

"I'm sorry." Esteban said to the woman.

"Mrs should try it while it's warm." Esteban said as he put the bread into the chair beside him and gave me a piece of Pane Casareccio bread that was still pumping hot steam at me.

"The smell is delicious." I took it and took a sip of the bread before biting it.

"That's the most delicious bread in the store." Esteban chanted while running the car.

As I passed by the bakery, I turned to the glass door and saw the woman Esteban had hit and stood in front of the storefront looking at the door.

I don't know why I know who that woman is. Although it is not clearly visible that makes me unsure, but seeing it makes a sense of guilt in my heart.

"How's madam?" Esteban's question made my mind distracted when thinking about the woman I saw. "You're okay, aren't you, madam?" Esteban who looked at me through the rearview seemed to know myself who was thinking about something with a bad feeling at the moment.

I looked at Esteban's rearview mirror immediately and flashed a smile at him. I didn't want to think of anything that was impossible for me, so I didn't want to continue what had just crossed my mind when I saw the woman.

"Right, this is delicious." My answer is still smiling. "Maybe after this I'll ask you to keep buying it."

"Just relax, I will definitely buy it when the mistress asks for it in the morning or at night though. Yeah, at midnight when the lady asks for it, I'll have them open the bakery or have them make it for you." Esteban said with a smile.

I laughed when I heard his chatter.

"Or I'll start learning how to make bread specifically for the mistress." Esteban is still driving.

Not how long we arrived. Olivia greeted me in the living room. Vernon is currently at home because the car he used to use is parked in place.

"You're back, Viv?" Olivia pushed her wheelchair closer to me who had just entered the house.

"Yes. You alone? Alec didn't come?" I asked to be friendly with my sister-in-law.

After my love for Alec faded now I felt I had to be nice to him, however Olivia was a poor girl because of me too.

"Don't he go to Milan with your brother Arthur—?" Olivia asked back.

"Yes you're right." My speech. "Oliv, I bought some bread. You can enjoy it because the bread is so delicious."

Without asking Esteban to give Olivia a bag of bread. The girl smiled with gratitude.

"Vern's in his room if you're looking for him." Olivia.

"Yes, I also want to give this bread to her."

After that I set my feet toward the room my husband used to be at home, of course, besides our room. Two of his men stood guard at the door of the room.

When I was about to step near the door and want to open it suddenly they both faced me. It makes me feel surprised.

"Sorry madam, you can't come in." Excite one of them.

His words surprised me. I almost never went into Vernon's office. As I recall, I just went inside, and that was when I came to stop Vernon from shooting Arthur before we got married and once when I heard him shooting someone, I heard him, that's why I didn't go into that room.

But why am I forbidden to enter?

Suddenly the door opened and Vernon came out to meet me. He smiled at me and immediately gave his kiss to my lips.

"You're back?" Vernon said as he embraced me. "Let's go to the room, baby." Vernon kissed the side of my forehead and asked me to walk out the front door of his study.

...–NATZSIMO–...