Chapter 5 - The Phone Call
I stared at the cracked screen of my phone, the name 'RYAN' flashing angrily in harsh white letters.
My heart pounded furiously against my ribs, the familiar, suffocating panic instantly returning.
If I answered, he would scream. He would demand to know where I was, accuse me of cheating, and promise violent retribution when I finally walked through the door.
If I didn't answer, he would likely show up at the hospital during my next shift and cause a massive scene that would get me fired.
I reached out with a trembling hand, fully intending to take the phone and appease the monster.
Aleandro did not hand it to me.
Instead, he pulled the phone back slightly, his dark eyes fixed intensely on my terrified face.
“If you take this phone, Amanda, you are choosing to go back to the cage,” Aleandro warned softly.
“I have to,” I whispered, tears finally spilling over my eyelashes. “You don't understand. He'll find me. He knows where I work.”
“He will never step foot near your hospital again,” Aleandro promised, his voice devoid of any doubt.
“Let me answer it.”
I hesitated for a fraction of a second, the weight of the last six months crushing my spirit.
I nodded slowly, giving him permission.
Aleandro pressed the green button and raised the cheap phone to his ear.
He did not put it on speaker, but the penthouse was so quiet I could hear Ryan's furious, slurred voice screaming through the tiny receiver.
“Where the hell have you been, you stupid bitch?! You better be walking up the stairs right now with my money, or I swear to God—”
Aleandro cut him off completely, his voice dangerously low and smooth as silk.
“Ryan.”
The screaming on the other end stopped instantly, replaced by a confused, aggressive silence.
“Who the hell is this?” Ryan demanded loudly. “Where is Amanda? If you touched her—”
“Listen to me very carefully, Ryan, because I am only going to say this exactly once,” Aleandro said, his tone chillingly calm.
“Amanda is no longer your problem. She no longer lives in your apartment, and she no longer pays for your alcohol.”
“Put her on the phone right now, you arrogant prick!” Ryan roared. “She’s my girlfriend!”
“She was your victim,” Aleandro corrected coldly. “But her victimhood ended last night.”
“I'm calling the cops!” Ryan threatened frantically. “I'm telling them you kidnapped her!”
Aleandro actually let out a dry, humorless laugh.
“You are more than welcome to call the police, Ryan. But before you do, you should know who you are speaking to.”
Aleandro paused, allowing the silence to stretch ominously.
“My name is Aleandro Raldi. Does that name mean anything to you?”
I watched in pure shock as the angry yelling on the other end of the line completely ceased.
It wasn't just silence; it was a terrified, breath-holding kind of quiet.
“Raldi?” Ryan’s voice squeaked, all the drunken bravado instantly vanishing. “Like... the Raldi family?”
“Exactly like the Raldi family,” Aleandro confirmed smoothly.
My mind raced. I didn't follow the local news closely, but even I had heard whispers of the Raldi family. They owned half the real estate in Manhattan and allegedly controlled the most powerful mafia syndicate on the East Coast.
I was sitting in the penthouse of a mafia boss.
“Look, Mr. Raldi,” Ryan stammered, pure terror bleeding into his voice. “I didn't know she was with you. I swear, I don't want any trouble.”
“You already have trouble, Ryan,” Aleandro said, his voice dropping into a deadly whisper.
“If you ever try to contact Amanda again. If you ever show up at her hospital. If you ever even say her name out loud in public... Marco will pay you a personal visit. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, sir. Absolutely. I understand,” Ryan begged patheticly.
“Good. Now pack your things and vacate the apartment in Queens by tomorrow morning. I bought the building an hour ago, and you are officially evicted.”
Aleandro ended the call and casually tossed the cheap plastic phone into the metal trash can near the desk.
He looked back at me, his dark eyes completely unreadable.
“He won't bother you ever again, Amanda.”
I sat frozen in the massive bed, staring at the man who had just dismantled my entire nightmare with a single phone call.
“You’re the head of the Raldi mafia family,” I whispered, pulling the heavy duvet tightly around myself.
Aleandro didn't deny it. He didn't even flinch at the accusation.
“I am a businessman who protects what belongs to him,” he stated simply.
“I don't belong to you,” I said, finding a sudden spark of defiance.
“Not yet,” Aleandro replied softly, a dangerous, magnetic smile finally touching his lips.
Before I could respond, the heavy bedroom door burst open without a knock.
A beautiful, older woman with sharp Italian features and expensive jewelry marched into the room, looking furious.
“Aleandro!” she yelled in rapid Italian, pointing an accusing finger at me. “What is the meaning of this? Why is there a strange, bruised girl sleeping in your private quarters?”
May you like
Aleandro stood up quickly, his expression darkening into pure annoyance.
“Mother,” he said sternly. “This is Amanda. And she is exactly who we have been looking for.”
