Pustaka
Cari
Beranda / Mafia / Unlovable Beyond Smoke / Chapter 6

Share

Chapter 6

Penulis: Rainy Bell
Alicia woke up to a cold that seemed to reach her bones.

She opened her eyes slowly. The pale hospital ceiling came into view. A doctor stood beside her bed.

“Mrs. Vitale, you’re awake.” The doctor’s voice was heavy with regret. “We’re very sorry about your pregnancy. We couldn’t save the baby.”

When she heard him, she did not react with the hysteria she had expected.

Perhaps she had already known the outcome the moment she fell.

She was quiet for a long time. Then, she said, “Please, preserve the baby separately. I want to take it with me when I leave the hospital.”

Since she never got the chance to tell Matteo herself, at least he would see with his own eyes the child he had made her lose.

This might be the cruelest and most dreadful surprise she could give him.

The doctor looked momentarily shocked, but he nodded and agreed.

After the room fell quiet again, she placed her hand on her empty belly. She felt as if even the last warmth had left her.

Footsteps came from outside. Matteo pushed the door open. He looked ragged and more exhausted than he had the last time he was in the hospital.

He saw her pale, sickly face. He paused for a moment before stepping closer. “The doctor said you woke up. I…”

The words stuck in his throat.

Alicia looked at him. Her gaze was calm and still, like a motionless pool.

That look made Matteo feel panicky for the first time. He lowered his voice and said, “When the walkway collapsed, the weight was uneven on both sides. Sophia was half-suspended. That’s why I had her rescued first. I didn’t leave you behind on purpose.”

“Not on purpose…” Alicia repeated softly.

She did not get angry. She did not cry. She asked quietly, “Matteo, do you remember the gunfight at the Booklyn warehouse?”

His voice caught in her throat. He did not say anything.

Memories came rushing back. He could almost see the fire lighting up the night sky. Bullets flew everywhere. He ran against the fleeing crowd and charged back into the burning warehouse to find her.

He found her trapped in thick smoke, coughing and struggling. He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward safety.

He was only twenty-five then. His face still had the sharp edges of youth. His eyes burned with reckless intensity. He held her hand tightly. Among the crackling flames and roaring gunfire, he said sincerely, “I won’t let you face any danger. Even if the chance is one in a million, I’ll make sure you’re completely safe.”

Those words had burned into her heart like a brand.

They made her believe that this was the man she could entrust her life to.

But now? In a life-and-death situation, he could abandon her for Sophia's sake without hesitation.

The hospital room was quiet except for the steady beeping of the monitors.

Matteo’s face turned pale. He reached out to touch her, but she turned her head away.

He rarely looked this helpless. Not even during the family conflicts years ago had he felt so lost.

“Alicia, I’ll make it up to you.” His voice was hoarse. “Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you.”

Alicia finally smiled, but the smile was cold and empty of warmth. “I want you to choose to save me without hesitation, like you used to. Can you do that?”

Her words hit Matteo like a blunt knife in the chest.

He froze in place and could not speak for a long moment.

Alicia did not look at him. She stared out the window at the gray sky. “Leave. The last person I want to see right now is you.”
Lanjutkan membaca buku ini secara gratis
Pindai kode untuk mengunduh Aplikasi
Bab sebelumnya Bab selanjutnya

Bab terbaru

  • Unlovable Beyond Smoke   Chapter 25

    “It’s a small jar, like something used in a medical lab. There’s also a letter. Your name is on the front,” her secretary said hesitantly.Alicia was silent for a few seconds. “Bring it in.”The secretary returned a moment later with a clear evidence bag in her hands. She placed it carefully on Alicia’s desk.Inside were two things.One was instantly familiar. It was the medical container that had once held her miscarried baby. It was empty. The words “Alicia Leon” and “Embryo” remained clear on its surface.The second item was a crumpled envelope. An envelope that was soaked with snow and then dried out. The writing on it was crooked:[For Alicia.]Alicia waved her hand. The secretary understood and left quietly.Alone in the office, Alicia stared at the two items for a long time. She reached out and touched the envelope. The paper was rough and cold.She opened it. Inside was a thin, crumpled sheet of paper. There was no greeting and no signature. Only two words co

  • Unlovable Beyond Smoke   Chapter 24

    Snow filled the sky. A lone figure curled up on the park bench that had been empty.He wore a thin, worn coat that was already soaked through. His hair had streaks of white and tangled strands. It almost blended into the snow.He held something tightly in his arms and stayed completely still, as if he were asleep or had become part of the frozen world around him.Even from a distance, even though his body looked frail and wasted, Alicia recognized him instantly. It was Matteo.He was still in Rondon. He had come here again.Alicia’s brow furrowed for a brief moment, then relaxed into her usual calm. She took a sip of her drink. The strong liquid slid down her throat and left a faint warmth behind.She looked at him the same way she would look at any homeless stranger outside her window. She felt nothing. His life or death did not matter to her. She did not wonder how he had escaped his caregivers to find this place.The snow fell harder, with no intention of stopping.

  • Unlovable Beyond Smoke   Chapter 23

    Matteo had woken up and escaped from the heavily guarded care facility. He looked like a homeless man and was crouched across from the cold skyscraper. Alicia did not know how long he had been there. He seemed to only want to see, from a distance, a light in her window.Alicia walked ahead without hesitation. She did not even glance at him. She moved straight to the car that was waiting for her.Before she got in, she spoke quietly to the bodyguard. He nodded and crossed the street quickly to the huddled figure. He handed him a check and said in a formal tone, “Sir, this is from Ms. Leon. Please leave and don’t come back.”Matteo lifted his head in confusion. His vacant eyes rested on the bodyguard’s face and then slowly moved to the check. He stayed silent for a few seconds. Finally, he seemed to understand that this check was not charity but a clear boundary.He stretched out his frostbitten hand and took the check without looking at the numbers. The cold wind made th

  • Unlovable Beyond Smoke   Chapter 22

    Time moved like the waters of the Tames, silent and unstoppable.A year passed in the blink of an eye.During that year, Alicia’s name appeared more and more in the headlines of the world’s top financial and legal media. She led several high-profile multinational mergers and antitrust lawsuits that shook the business world. She rose to become a senior equity partner at Clayton & McKenzie International Law Firm. She became one of the most prominent and sought-after figures in Rondon’s legal community.She remained beautiful, composed, and radiated authority. Talented men continued to pursue her, including Alex, who had always stood quietly by her side. Yet she seemed to enjoy the sense of accomplishment and freedom her career gave her more than anything else.Occasionally, she heard fragments of news about Matteo from financial reports or industry contacts. He still lay in a top private care facility in Rondon, alive only because of expensive medical equipment.After ne

  • Unlovable Beyond Smoke   Chapter 21

    Matteo wore a wrinkled, old coat that clashed with everything around him. His face was as pale as a sheet of paper. Blood constantly flowed from the corners of his mouth. A shocking bullet wound near his heart gushed dark red liquid. The blood quickly soaked the ground beneath him.His eyes, once full of pride and later filled with regret, stared at her without blinking. His pupils expanded violently, yet stubbornly held a faint glimmer of light.Time seemed to stop in that instant.Alicia’s bodyguards acted immediately. One raised his gun and stood on alert. The other knelt beside Matteo. He checked Matteo’s injuries and called for an ambulance.The entrance to the restaurant erupted into chaos. Screams and alarms filled the air.Alicia rose with the support of her bodyguards. She looked at Matteo lying in the pool of blood. His breathing was shallow. Her face was blank.Shock and disbelief crashed over her calm mask like waves.Finally, her expression returned to a deep calm.

  • Unlovable Beyond Smoke   Chapter 20

    The conference room was completely silent.Alex frowned and then looked at Alicia.Alicia’s gaze finally fell on the agreement.She reached for it. Her slender fingers lifted the heavy document with careful precision.Matteo’s heart shot into his throat. A faint glimmer of hope shone in his eyes.Alicia did not open the agreement.She held the edge of the document with two fingers.Matteo could not believe what happened next. She tore the agreement slowly. First, into two pieces. Then, into four. Finally, it became a pile of shredded fragments. This agreement represented half of his life’s work. Its value was impossible to calculate.She tore the paper deliberately, as if she were destroying a scrap of waste.The fragments drifted down onto the polished conference table like snow. They also seemed to fall onto Matteo’s heart, which turned to ash in that instant.Finally, she gathered the shredded pieces and threw them into the nearby trash bin.She lifted her eyes and looked

Bab Lainnya

Anda juga akan menyukai

Jelajahi dan baca novel bagus secara gratis
Akses gratis ke berbagai novel bagus di aplikasi GoodNovel. Unduh buku yang kamu suka dan baca di mana saja & kapan saja.
Baca buku gratis di Aplikasi
Pindai kode untuk membaca di Aplikasi
DMCA.com Protection Status