Episode 19

After Bianca exited the restroom, Otavio accompanied her downstairs for breakfast, where Ellen was already seated and enjoying her meal. She offered them a warm smile upon their arrival.

"Good morning, my dears."

"Good morning."

"Good morning, Ellen."

"Bianca, I forgot to mention, today we have an appointment with the council's physician for the test to verify that we've been intimate," Otavio said.

"What? But... Otavio, are you insane? We haven't..."

"Stay calm, Bianca, everything is sorted out. You'll just go into the room for a few seconds, and the doctor won't touch you. I'll wait outside with some of the council's men as witnesses. When you come out, don't say a word unless I ask you, alright?"

Bianca - Yes...

Ellen - It's so humiliating what we women have to endure in this world.

"I'm not in favor of it either, Mother, but I must respect the rules and follow them. Afterward, Bianca, I could take you to see your mother if you'd like."

Upon hearing this, Bianca's face brightened with a tender, radiant smile.

"Oh, I'd love that! I'm already excited to go."

"I'll try to have your mother released, then it's up to her whether to stay at her own home or come live with us here."

"Are you serious, Otavio? I... I don't know what to say, thank you, thank you so much."

Bianca was overjoyed by Otavio's gesture, and Ellen's heart filled with happiness at her son's transformation.

They finished their breakfast and set out towards the council clinic, with Bianca feeling extremely uneasy about the whole affair. Yet, there was little either Bianca or Otavio could do about it; such were the deeply entrenched and absolute traditions of the mafia.

Upon arriving at the clinic, Otavio greeted the council members waiting for her, and Bianca was ushered by a nurse into a room. The doctor in attendance merely glanced at Bianca, instructed her to sit and wait for a while before leaving; to Bianca, each minute felt like an eternity. Twenty minutes later, she was escorted back to Otavio, who checked on her wellbeing.

The doctor emerged, report in hand, affirming to all present that Bianca had recently lost her virginity. Bianca flushed deep red, embarrassed by the situation.

As they left, Otavio embraced her and apologized for what she had been put through, leaving Bianca touched by his tender concern.

On their way to the headquarters, where Bianca's mother was located, Otavio's chauffeur noticed they were being followed and informed Otavio, who immediately called John for backup as they were only accompanied by two security vehicles, and their pursuers comprised five.

After hanging up, he instructed the driver to speed up and, in an attempt to elude their followers, took a highway. Otavio and his men retrieved hidden weapons from beneath the floor of the car.

Bianca was terrified by the escalating situation, having never experienced anything quite like this despite her upbringing in such an environment. Otavio reassured her, insisting she stay in the car no matter what, fastening a protective vest on her, and securing her seatbelt tightly.

Then began a fierce chase, a bloody scramble punctuated by gunfire and a veritable bath of blood. Otavio's cars were taken down, while three of the enemy's five cars were eliminated, leaving only Otavio's vehicle and two pursuers.

The enemy cars tried to overtake Otavio's, with bullets flying in all directions. Fortunately, the car was armored.

However, one enemy car managed to pull alongside Otavio's, its rear tire fitted with a sharp iron spike, forcing Otavio's vehicle to lose control completely, flipping over repeatedly before tumbling down a steep, thickly forested slope.