Leo refused to leave.
When I first woke up, it was clear I'd had some memory loss because the longer I sat in that hospital bed, the more traumatic images began to flood back in and the more grateful I was to have him right next to me.
"Andrea forced me to watch Alessio be murdered," I whispered after at least an hour of silence. "And he ordered it because I refused to apologize for being disrespectful to Luciano and he wanted to teach me a lesson. His throat was slit and I don't think I'll ever get that image out of my mind. I close my eyes and it's there. And the worst part is it was my fault. I couldn't bring myself to submit and as a result, there are two kids out there without a dad. Can you imagine the guilt I face for that?"
"You can not hold yourself accountable," Leo said firmly. "The only person responsible for Alessio's death is Andrea Martinez. He wants you to feel guilty to torture you psychologically. Don't let him get t you."
I shook my head as I began to cry.