Leaving Him in the Dust

I patiently took another photo and sent it, and a reply only came ten minutes later.

[Insufficient evidence. Please attach a video of the surgical procedure.]

I died inside—there was no way I'd have a video of the surgery when I didn't even have the money for it!

Lina was just screwing with me!

But I had no choice and yelled at her over the device, "Lina, please! Just approve the request—my mother's dying! If you just help her, I'll do anything you say—"

Lina cut me off shortly and coolly. "This isn't about me, Donna. It's family rules, and I can only obey it. I know slumdogs like you are born with plenty of issues, but the family rules don't bend just because of you!"

I froze and fell on my knees, my heart sinking as I heard the rush of footsteps in the operating room.

Through it all, I kept messaging Luca however I could.

"Please, Luca! Just save my mother!"

"Just save her, and I'll do anything you say!"

"I promise I won't cause trouble anymore or argue with Lina! I'll behave!"

Thirty minutes later, my device suddenly vibrated.

My hands were shaking so much I almost dropped it—it was Luca.

"Your mother's dying?" he asked quietly, probing but with a hint of sympathy.

"Yes!" I cried.

"No, Don!" Suddenly, Lina cried out from the other end, anxious and aggrieved. "We have footage from security—she's lying! Her mother is eating fruits in her room and is the picture of good health! Honestly, how could she do this? Using her mother as an excuse just to steal the family's money…"

Luca was heaving right then. "You're even lying to me now?! Erin Solozzo, I gave you a chance, but you really disappoint me!"

Even before I could argue, the device went dead again, and the operating room lights turned off.

The doctor stepped out, shrugging. "We did our best. Who knows, she could've been saved five minutes earlier if you'd just paid…"

I froze, watching as the nurses pulled a white cloth over my mother's withered form.

She led a frugal life just to fund my tuition fees and would always sneak what spare change the Gambinos gave her to me.

But now, because a fee wasn't paid, she died at this expensive private hospital that was allegedly the 'Salvation of the Gambinos'.

Oh, the irony!

I could still feel the warmth of the communication device in my palm, but what warmth I felt toward Luca was gone along with my mother's heartbeat!

-

Over the next three days, I personally oversaw my mother's cremation and other funeral matters without bothering Luca.

He was always worried about me touching his money?

Fine.

From now on, I would be Erin Solozzo again, and I would have zero associations to the Gambinos.

Suddenly, I felt my communication device vibrating.

[Request approved.]

I stared at it, pursing my lips—it was Luca sending alms.

He had no idea I didn't need such laughable charity anymore.

In the evening, Lina even went out of her way to send me the bill of the private dinner she just had with Luca, and the cost of the bottle of Romanee-Conti they had was exactly the cost of my mother's surgery.

And behind it, she wrote with her lipstick, "The Don said only people who share this wine with him have the right to spend the family's wealth."

She even added a smiley just for good measure!

Furious, I crumpled the bill in my hand and charged into Luca's office, only to find him putting a new necklace around Lina's neck.

He paused when he saw my haggard appearance and came over to touch my face, but I slapped him away, bellowing with a cracked voice, "Just one bottle of your wine would be enough to save my mother!"

Lina promptly hid behind him. "I think there's a misunderstanding here, Donna…"

Luca frowned at me in turn. "It's not what you think. Lina just sealed a deal with the Vatican Bank, and it's her reward—"

I suddenly left and smacked her with the bill. "Reward?! A reward of blood, indeed!"

And with that, I turned to leave without looking back.