Chapter 31: Chapter 31 Cloaked figure.
Walking towards the clinic was Matteo, still struggling with his arms, which were heavily bandaged till now. He was mad at everyone—at his stepbrother Adrian, at Daniel, that son of a bitch who had thrown his mother down the stairs.
All these people were the reason for his severe sleepless nights, and to crown it all, his mother couldn’t get the treatment she desperately needed. Adrian had frozen the family account and laid down a serious warning about anyone interfering in Rosalie’s health.
Her fate had already been condemned before it even began, and Matteo wasn’t foolish—he realized Adrian wanted Rosalie dead.
Reaching the ward where Rosalie was kept, he saw Ricardo on phone calls, pacing up and down continuously, his face pale and drenched in sweat—so much sweat it could fill up a bucket.
Matteo’s attention was on his mother, but that ended when he heard his father’s words at the entrance of the door.
"No, cut off the plans. If anything happens to Gianna, Adrian will go berserk," Ricardo tried to warn, facepalming himself while shivering, his thoughts spiraling out of hand.
Rosalie, lying on the bed like a vegetable, just stared at him. She couldn’t speak, but something inside her told her Ricardo had gotten himself into a bigger mess—one Adrian would surely end him for.
Matteo barged in without knocking, looking at both his parents—one still on the bed and the other running wild.
"Tell me you didn’t do anything stupid," Matteo said, tired of cleaning up his parents’ messes. Now wasn’t the time, especially when he was dealing with his mother’s failing health.
He couldn’t keep babysitting adults.
"Matt, trust me, I was only looking out for our family. But we are in big trouble. This family will be attacked, and if they trace it back to me, I won’t survive Adrian’s wrath." Ricardo’s eyes dropped to the floor as he revealed his fears.
Matt stared at his father, speechless. The once formidable man had become broken under Adrian’s rule. Just what had Adrian done to reduce him to this?
"Father... is it that bad?" Matt probed further.
A silence descended over the ward like a heavy cloak. That silence explained everything—his father had committed a dangerous, treasonous act that could end them all.
He was losing his mother slowly, and now his father was unraveling. Then, after thinking for a moment, an idea flashed through Matteo’s mind.
"Oh, Father, I know how to get you out of this. And a nice soul is going to be our helper." Matt grinned.
Ricardo wasn’t following. Who was this helper?
"Who is the benefactor?" Ricardo trembled as he asked, still trying to control his fear.
"Daniel Morreti. That faggot who ruined my mother’s health. He’ll be blamed for everything—for scheming behind Adrian’s back. It’s the perfect way to end him, in the most brutal way, by Adrian Valez himself."
Matt smiled at his own cleverness. Now it was left for Daniel to fall into the trap. Either Adrian killed him, or Matteo would find a more disposable method.
Even if it meant getting his hands dirty. No one messed with Matteo Valez and went scot-free.
He turned back to Rosalie, whispering softly, "Mom, I’m here for you. Don’t worry, your boy will save you." He patted her cold hand gently.
Then his face hardened. "Dad!! Father, what’s going on? Mom’s hand is cold."
It was ice cold—too cold for someone still alive. Matteo’s eyes flew to the heart monitor, and to his dismay, it had stopped working.
No! No—since when?
"Doctor!!! Doctor!!!" Matt screamed, but no one came. The clinic was suddenly deserted.
Confused, his eyes stung with tears threatening to fall. To hell with being a man—this was critical. His mother couldn’t just go like this. It wasn’t normal.
Matt rushed to the bed like a deranged man, clutching Rosalie’s body tightly, shaking her desperately, trying to bring her back to life. But nothing happened.
Ricardo was a mess too, collapsing to the floor, his eyes fixed blankly on the ceiling. He looked at his wife and son—one lifeless, the other breaking down in grief.
"Don’t go... please. I need you now more than ever, Mom," Matt cried harder, breaking down. Then his eyes caught something—the missing plug of the monitor.
It was detached—removed from its socket. Someone had done this deliberately.
At that moment, a shadow slipped out from the far side of the clinic.
Fueled with determination, Matt gave chase. A confused and broken Ricardo had no idea what was happening. His beloved wife was gone, just like his first wife years ago. He had remarried, only for the same fate to repeat itself.
Was he being punished for his sins?
Meanwhile, Matt chased the cloaked figure through numerous passages. They were almost at the door. He knew if he lost this person, his one chance at finding who tampered with the monitor would be gone.
So he bent down, grabbed a huge stone, and hurled it with precision.
Just as intended, it landed squarely on the runner’s back, sending the figure collapsing to the floor.
Matt caught up quickly, knife already in hand, pressing it against the stranger’s neck.
"Reveal yourself slowly before I cut your throat," he spat, pressing the blade deeper until it drew a red line across the skin.
The figure hesitated, then slowly removed her cape and mask—revealing a young woman.
Matt didn’t recognize her, but the distinct tiger tattoo on her hand marked her as one of their Mafia clan trainees.
"Who sent you? Talk now, and maybe I’ll set you free," Matt demanded, tightening his grip on the knife.
The girl trembled, terrified, and began pleading desperately for her life.
"Please... let me go. I was forced. They threatened to butcher my sick sister, I had no choice..." she begged, her voice breaking.
Her little sister was waiting for her to return, and she couldn’t let her down. But Matteo’s eyes were cold and merciless, his face anything but forgiving.
"You’re wasting my time, girl. If your sister means that much, I’ll track her down myself and cut her body apart—piece by piece. Even her private parts. Imagine that."
At those words, the girl shuddered violently.
Then, senselessly, she shouted, "It was Daniel Morreti! He instructed me not to reveal his identity. He promised to cover my sister’s hospital bills—I had no choice, boss—"
Before she could finish, her head was already rolling on the ground, her tongue slashed into two.
Matt wiped his bloody knife clean and walked out. His mother was dead—now it was time to end Daniel.
No need waiting for Adrian to do the work. His own hands were more than capable.
Like a messenger of the devil himself, he cloaked himself in the same black cape the girl had worn and set out for the penthouse.
********
On the other hand, left to herself was Gianna. She woke to discover that truly no one—except Jake—had come for her. Even her brother hadn’t bothered visiting once.
She broke down crying. Maybe marriage was the only way out. Right now, her life felt worthless.
But her tears ended abruptly when she saw seven huge men standing in the corner of the ward. She screamed.
"Who are you all?" she shouted, hurling herself to the edge of the bed and clutching her pillow for protection.
"Taking you ourselves to meet our boss," a heavily tattooed man growled. "We were asked to bring your body to him—full or half."
Gianna felt the air around her dissolve into dread. Without hesitation, she bolted for the door, running with all the strength she had left.