Chapter 5 The Attack

Selena sat restlessly at her desk, staring mindlessly at the computer screen. Thoughts of her engagement, and what it meant for her future, swirled around her mind like a hurricane. She knew that she loved Romano, but she also knew that being with him meant sacrificing some of her own dreams and aspirations.

Liliana, Selena's closest friend and colleague, walked over to Selena's desk and noticed the engagement ring on her finger. "Oh my god, Selena!" she said excitedly, "you're engaged! Congratulations!"

Selena's face lit up as she extended her hand out to show off the stunning ring. "Thank you, Liliana! I can't believe it myself, it feels like a dream."

Liliana leaned closer to Selena, "So, when's the big day? Have you started planning?"

Selena shook her head, "Not yet. We're still trying to figure out the logistics of everything."

Liliana noticed the sadness in her friend's voice, "What's wrong, Selena? Aren't you happy?"

Selena took a deep breath, "I am happy, Liliana. It's just that...I'm starting to realize that being with Romano means giving up on my dreams."

Liliana placed a comforting hand on Selena's shoulder, "What dreams are you talking about?"

Selena sighed, "Remember how I always talked about wanting to go to the U.S. one day, to start a new life and explore new opportunities? Well, with Romano...that seems unlikely."

Liliana listened intently, "But Selena, you love him, right?"

Selena nodded with certainty, "Yes, I do. He's a good man, and I know that he loves me too. But, I just wish I could have it all. A life with him, and my dreams too."

Liliana smiled warmly, "Love comes with sacrifices, mostly unpleasant ones. But, if Romano makes you happy, then that's all that matters. Everything else will fall into place."

Selena felt a sense of calm wash over her. It was true, Romano made her incredibly happy, and she knew that their love was worth fighting for. "You're right, Liliana. I shouldn't be so selfish."

Liliana grinned, "Well, I can't wait for the big day! We're going to celebrate big time."

Selena laughed, "I'm looking forward to it already. Thank you for being here, Liliana. You always know how to make me feel better."

Liliana squeezed her friend's hand, "That's what friends are for. Now, let's get back to work before our boss catches us slacking off."

As Selena turned back to her computer screen, a sense of gratitude flooded her heart. She knew that with Liliana by her side, and with Romano's love, she could conquer anything that life threw at her.

Selena was going about her day at work, her mind preoccupied with thoughts of her upcoming wedding to Romano when her phone rang. She picked it up without checking the caller ID, assuming it was a work-related call.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Selena?" a familiar voice spoke on the other end. It was Tiana, Romano's sister.

"Tiana? Hey, is everything okay?" Selena asked, concern creeping into her voice.

Tiana hesitated for a moment before speaking again, "No, Selena, it's not. Romano has been rushed to the hospital. He's been beaten."

Selena's heart dropped to her stomach. "What?! Is he okay? What happened?" she asked, trying to keep her voice calm despite the panic rising within her.

"I don't know, Selena. I don't have any more details. I just wanted to let you know so that you could come to the hospital," Tiana replied.

"I'm on my way," Selena said, already grabbing her things and rushing out of the office.

As she drove to the hospital, Selena's mind raced with questions. What had happened to Romano? Who would have hurt him? And most worryingly, was he going to be alright?

When Selena arrived at the hospital, Tiana was waiting for her outside the ward. She was pacing back and forth, her hands clasped together in a tight grip.

"Tiana, what happened? How is he?" Selena asked as she approached her.

Tiana turned to her, her eyes red and puffy from crying. "I don't know, Selena. The doctors won't let me in yet. They're still assessing his injuries."

Selena's heart sank even further. She didn't know what to do. All she could do was wait.

The wait felt like an eternity, and Selena spent that time pacing and worrying. Finally, a doctor came out and called Tiana's name.

"How is he?" Tiana asked the doctor, her voice shaking.

"He's stable, but he did sustain some injuries," the doctor replied. "We had to stitch up a cut above his eyebrow, and he has some bruising and swelling around his face and body. But thankfully, there doesn't appear to be any internal injuries."

Tiana breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you, doctor, can we see him?"

The doctor nodded, "Yes, he's in room 207. But please try not to agitate him too much, he needs plenty of rest."

Tiana and Selena both nodded in understanding. They hurried to Romano's room, their hearts heavy with worry.

When they entered the room, they found Romano lying in the hospital bed, his eyes closed. He looked like he was sleeping, but they knew he was awake.

"Romano?" Tiana spoke softly, approaching his bed.

Romano opened his eyes slowly, his gaze fixating on Tiana. "Tiana? Selena?" he spoke weakly.

"We're here, Romano. How are you feeling?" Tiana asked, taking his hand gently.

Romano winced in pain, "My head hurts. And my body too."

Her eyes welled up with tears as she saw Romano lying on the bed, his face and body covered in cuts and bruises. The sight made her blood boil with anger and concern. She slowly approached him, trying not to startle him.

"Romano," she whispered softly. "What happened?

Romano's eyes fluttered open, focusing on Selena's face. His voice was weak as he replied, "Selena, I was attacked by a gang of six."

Selena tried to hold back her tears as she answered, "Romano, you were attacked by a gang, do you remember anything about it?"

Romano's brow furrowed as he struggled to recall the details. "I... I don't know why they attacked me. I was just walking home when they came out of nowhere. There were six of them, surrounding me. I didn't even have a chance to defend myself."

As Selena listened, her heart clenched with anger. She couldn't understand why anyone would target Romano, a kind and gentle soul who never harmed anyone. Then, her focus shifted back to his injuries.

"Romano, what happened after they attacked you?" Selena asked, her voice trembling.

Romano looked down at his beaten body. "I don't remember much after that. The last thing I recall is collapsing on the ground. When I woke up, I was here in the hospital, feeling disoriented and in pain."

Selena felt a knot forming in her stomach. It was evident that Romano had been through an ordeal, and her thoughts turned to the future. "Are you going to be okay, Romano? Will you be able to recover from this?"

Romano managed a weak smile. "I think so, Selena. The doctors said I would be fine, I only have a lot of bruises and I had a concussion but they assured me that with time, I'll heal. It's just going to take some time."

Selena sighed in relief but couldn't shake off her growing anger. "Those monsters must pay for what they've done to you, Romano. We need to find out who they are and make sure they face justice."

Romano nodded, pain etched across his face. "I don't want anyone else to suffer because of them, Selena. But right now, I just need your support. I need you to be there for me like you always have been."

Selena reached out and gently held his hand. She gave him a reassuring smile. "I'll be here for you, Romano. Always. We'll get through this together."

Days turned into weeks, and Romano's condition slowly improved. Selena stayed by his side, providing comfort and help whenever he needed it. She made sure he took his medications, helped him with physical therapy exercises, and kept his spirits high.

As Romano recovered under Selena's constant watch, the idea of involving the police became a nagging thought in Selena's mind. She knew that they needed to do something to bring the perpetrators to justice, but Romano remained hesitant.

"Sweetheart, I really don't want to involve the police," Romano said, looking up at her with a weary expression. "I know it's the most logical thing to do, but I'm afraid they'll come after me or worse, our family."

Selena understood his fear, but she couldn't stand still knowing that someone had harmed Romano. "Romano, we need to do something. We can't let them get away with this. Have you thought about whether you might have had any issues with anyone that could've incited them to attack you?"

Romano shook his head. "No, dear. I've never been involved with any shady businesses or individuals that could incite someone to do this. I just don't know what provoked them to do this to me."

Selena heaved a sigh. "Okay, I get it, but there must be something we can do. We can't just sit here and do nothing. Maybe it's time to put out some feelers into the community and see if there are any leads that the police don't currently have?"

Romano nodded slowly, "Alright, I really want us to move forward and forget about this incident. We need to be cautious and not put ourselves in harm's way. We still don't know if these guys are out there and what they're capable of."

Selena couldn't bring herself to forget about the incident, she wanted justice and she knew she couldn't bring Romano to see reasons with her so she thought about investigating on her own.