"Maldo! Look at him, he's boiling with rage!" commented Luca, pointing to Enzo, who looked like he was about to collapse at any moment.
That internal collapse was because Maldo had received Don Dante's praise and favor, which Enzo had always wanted but never achieved.
Maldo was completely satisfied with the sight of Enzo's anger and broken pride. After everything Enzo had done to him... this was the least he deserved.
Seconds later, Don Dante motioned for them to leave, and they exited his office.
Maldo turned his back on Enzo indifferently and started walking to the left, back to his room, but stopped immediately when he heard the sound of a blow.
Thud!
Enzo had hit the wall with his hand to get Maldo to turn around. Drops of blood seeped from his fist, falling slowly, one after another.
Maldo turned around to watch a ridiculous show whose ending he already knew, one that Enzo never tired of repeating.
"How does it feel to be praised?" Enzo asked, licking the blood from his hand.
" Not as great as seeing you bark at me" Maldo replied.
These words made Enzo's nerves tense, standing out under his skin as if they were about to burst out. But before he could yell, Maldo turned and left, as if he hadn't said anything.
"What a beautiful evening! Woo-hoo!" Luca laughed and moved his shoulders cheerfully like a little dancer.
"Shut up, you little bug," Maldo mocked him too.
Then, in the same hallway, he ran into Daniel coming toward him. Daniel stopped, stunned by how quickly Maldo had appeared in front of him, but a satisfied smile quickly spread across his face.
"Well done, Maldo," he said, his tone carrying obvious admiration.
Maldo showed no signs of boredom or dissatisfaction with Daniel's praise. He was distracted, staring at his face as if searching for something unrelated to the words.
Then he noticed something.
A book in Daniel's hand, looked like a philosophy book. Its cover was brown leather, surrounded by a frame decorated with small and large letters, its title written in a language that was not his own.
"Don Daniel, can you give me a blank notebook? I don't know why, but I feel like I need one," said Maldo.
"A notebook!" Daniel exclaimed, then added, "Sure, I'll give you one." He looked satisfied, as if he had been waiting for Maldo to ask for something.
He ruffled Maldo's hair and both went on their way.
He approached his bedroom door, and the moment it opened, his eyes met hers, and he froze in place for a moment.
Sally was sitting on the edge of the bed, her feet swinging up and down boredly, waiting silently for his return.
Her eyes lit up with a warm glow as soon as she saw his face. She ran towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" she whispered, her eyes scanning every inch of him, looking for any sign of injury.
"Mm... I'm fine, Sally," he replied calmly.
Luca quickly jumped onto Sally's shoulder, grumbling as he pointed at Maldo.
"That stubborn guy... He keeps calling me a bug!"
Sally smiled lightly and nodded slightly. "That's really funny..."
Then she suddenly gasped. "I remembered something! I want to show you something!"
She pulled Maldo inside with her and sat him down on the bed. She took a picture book from the table, which had a drawing of a princess with golden hair smiling happily.
"I learned a new dance... and discovered it's a traditional dance!" said Sally, handing the book to Maldo before taking a step back in preparation for the performance.
She began to move lightly, holding the edges of her dress.
"Hold the dress, jump right... move your foot, jump left... move your foot."
She spun around lightly, then clapped twice: "Clap! Clap!"
Happiness was written all over her face, and Maldo stood watching her flowing red hair and playful movements. He said nothing, just immersed himself in the wonder of the scene, as if the moment had stopped in his hands.
Sally suddenly interrupted his reverie, grabbing his hand.
"Come on... dance with me too!" She pulled him lightly toward the center of the room.
Maldo chuckled softly, a laugh no one had ever heard before. It was the first time his voice had come out so easily. Sally's sense of joy increased, while Luca watched the scene with eyes full of satisfaction.
Sally placed her palm on Maldo's, and they began to move together. They stepped back and then forward, turning and clapping, each step in sync, each movement harmonious, their laughter intertwining and filling the room with warmth and vitality.
As soon as the fun was over, they all sat down to catch their breath, and Maldo never took his eyes off Sally.
I don't want these moments to end... I never expected to meet someone like Sally in my life. My life becomes pure with her...
Thoughts flowed through his head one after another, and then he finally said:
"Sally! Will you leave this place with me?"
She smiled in surprise: "Leave? Can we really?"
"I'll make the impossible happen... Let's go dance outside like two free birds. What do you say?" he said to her, his eyes sparkling with determination.
"Yes... I agree... That's a promise, right?" Sally raised her little finger.
Maldo intertwined his finger with hers: "Yes... It's a promise."
"Hey... Hey! I'm coming with you too!" Luca commented from above Sally's shoulder, his small voice breaking the silence of the moment.
Maldo and Sally exchanged glances, then burst into light laughter together, accompanied by a warm intimacy that filled the room.
From that day on, the days passed, followed by months, until Maldo began to go out on numerous missions and return victorious, always with the help of his friend Luca's cunning.
Every night, he would end his day sitting in his room with Sally, telling her what had happened, and reading together the books that Daniel had given them. Those moments were a small refuge, where they could hide together, far from the noise and cruelty of the outside world.
But after two years... everything changed.
On a quiet evening, Sally was mopping the floor of the courtyard, humming softly to herself, a smile never leaving her face. Suddenly, the door flew open and Enzo rushed in.
He was in a pitiful state; his steps were unsteady, he reeked of alcohol, and his eyes darted around, searching for something unknown.
"Maldo... you bastard! Come and face me! I'll kill you right here, right now!" Enzo shouted.
Sally's body trembled at the sound of the shout, and she slowly tried to hide from his gaze, but Enzo's eyes had already noticed her.
A terrifying expression appeared on his face, and he threw the bottle of liquor violently to the ground. It shattered into scattered shards, and he began to stumble toward her.
Enzo took out his gun and pointed it at Sally with eyes burning with rage.
"Where is Maldo? Where is that bastard?"
A terrifying thought raced through her mind: "This villain is going to hurt Maldo again!"
The thought echoed in her mind until the words burst from her mouth in a loud voice.
"I won't let you hurt him!"
She raised her hands to block him. Although her limbs were trembling, she held her ground, trying to be a barrier between him and Maldo.
"Ha! You foolish girl! Look at your size. Do you think you can stop me?" Enzo shouted contemptuously.
"It doesn't matter... I won't let you steal Maldo's life again." Sally held her breath and didn't back down.
Enzo smiled sarcastically, then fired. The bullet hit her shoulder, and she fell to the ground from the shock, blood beginning to bleed onto the wood. Enzo laughed maliciously and began to stagger past her body.
But Sally didn't care about her wounds. She crawled quickly and grabbed his foot before he could get away, her eyes wet with tears.
"Don't go to him... Leave him alone, please!
Madness took hold of Enzo, and he raised his gun again, ready to fire another bullet into her back.
But suddenly:
Bang!
A shot came from the right, hitting his hand hard, and the gun fell from his fingers. Enzo screamed in pain.