Vito's POV
Maria's tears soaked through the thin hospital gown, her body trembling against mine as she sobbed.
"I was so scared," she whispered. "When I heard someone tried to kill you, I thought—I thought I was going to lose you. After everything we've been through, after all these years..."
I should have felt something. Tenderness, perhaps. Gratitude for her concern. This was Maria—the girl who had saved my life when we were children, the woman I had sworn to protect no matter what.
Instead, for the first time in twenty years, I felt... annoyed.
What is wrong with you? I demanded of myself. This woman risked everything for you. She spent two decades suffering because of what she did to save your life. You owe her everything.
But the irritation remained, lodged beneath my ribs like
