His Collateral

Chapter 24

Alessandro's P.O.V:
(The Next Day....)
The lawyer sat across from me, his brow furrowed and his expression grim. He watched as I typed away at my computer, my fingers moving quickly across the keyboard. The silence hung heavy in the air between us. I knew what he was going to say.

The lawyer spoke, his voice was even and measured, but there was an undercurrent of concern. "You are aware that bringing this case to court will mean the entire truth will come out, including the truth about the loan shark business," he said. I nodded, turning my full attention to him.

"I know that, and I'm prepared for it," I replied.

The lawyer's eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you sure? You could be facing a possible jail sentence." he asked.

"I understand the consequences and I am prepared to accept them." I said, meeting his gaze squarely.

"And you are going to tell your wife?"

I shook my head. "No, not yet. If Bella finds out, she might not want me to go through with it," I said.

The lawyer considered my words, his expression thoughtful. "So this is a risk you're willing to take?" he asked.

I took a deep breath and nodded. "It's a risk I have to take,"

"All right," he said.

If going to jail was the price I had to pay for helping Bella and getting justice for my brother Vincenzo, then so be it.

Bella's P.O.V:
It was the next day, and Christy had taken the photographs of my back and given them to Alessandro. A man from the precinct had also come over that morning to take my statement that would be submitted together with the evidence.
Alessandro was already in a meeting with his Lawyer when the guy arrived. They had gone to his study to discuss more details on the case against Aldo as well as Aunt Theresa, Luca and Marion. I tried to keep myself busy, but my thoughts kept returning to the case and everything that had happened.

I was lying on the bed, my hair sprawled across the pillow. I was lost in my thoughts, when I heard a soft knock on the door.
I called out "Come in," and the door slowly opened. It was Christy. She came in and closed the door before walking slowly towards the bed. "I thought you were asleep. How are you feeling?" She asked.

I didn't know how to answer to that. I just shrugged. "I'm feeling nervous," I said. "The people who were like a family to me are facing possible life imprisonment. It's still hard to take in."

Christy sat down next to me on the bed, putting her hand on my shoulder. "They're not your family. You have us now," she said softly. "Alessandro and I. We're here for you, no matter what happens. You're not alone." I smiled and took a deep breath, feeling a little better knowing that I had their support.

"Let's change the subject," Christy said, sensing my need to move on from the heavy topic. "What are you going to do now that you'll be getting back everything your parents left you, including the company?" She asked.

I hadn't really thought about it before, but now that the possibility was there, I began to wonder what I would do with it all. "To be honest, I don't know," I said, my voice full of uncertainty. "I'm not really qualified to run a company like that. I only have a high school education, and no experience in business."

Christy nodded, her face thoughtful. "Have you ever thought about furthering your education?" "Maybe going to college and getting a degree?"

I looked at her and smiled weakly. "It would be nice," I said, "but isn't it too late for me to do that?"