Chapter 42. Focus on Duty

“Alessia!” It was Riccardo’s voice, filled with desperation and rage.

He ran towards us with all his might, heedless of anything that may stand in his way. And then, with a speed that I never knew he possessed, he tackled the attacker to his knees.

There was a brief moment of chaos as the attacker tried to regain the upper hand by firing off another round of bullets. But Riccardo, with a calmness that belied the danger, managed to disarm him and bring the situation under control.

As we made our way back home, shaken but alive, Riccardo held me tightly in his arms. I could feel his heart beating wildly against my chest, a testament to the fear and uncertainty that we had just experienced.

But amidst all of this chaos, there was a strange sense of clarity that came over me. The kind of clarity that only arises in moments of extreme danger and fear.

And at that moment of clarity, I knew one thing for certain, I loved Riccardo more than ever before. Not onl