A Sad Farewell
The police requested that the group provide statements, but given their conditions, it was impossible. The girls couldn’t speak; they were completely traumatized. The authorities allowed them to leave, with the understanding that they could give their statements once they had calmed down.
They were accommodated in a hotel after tending to Ava’s superficial wound. It was a very long night for the girls, and Ava experienced uncontrollable bouts of anguish.
In her state, they didn’t allow her to be at the hospital. Lola was in another room with the child, and Max asked her to stay away from Ava since she was completely out of her mind. In her terrified state, she believed they were hiding from her the fact that Mateo was dead.
Max took care of calling trusted bodyguards to keep watch. With that lunatic on the loose, they couldn’t take any chances. He also arranged for the bodies of the slain bodyguards to be sent back to Italy and planned to provide compensation to their families.
By morning, Ava was calmer. Max agreed to take her to the hospital after she saw her son.
Upon arriving at the hospital, Ava felt as if she would die when she saw Mateo’s condition. The sound of the machines connected to his body tormented her terribly.
“My love, you can’t die. We need you. I can’t live without you, and our son needs a father who will be there for him when he needs it.”
She held Mateo’s hand, which was completely cold, and hugged him as she cried with deep emotion.
The nurse entered shortly after and asked her to leave. Given the patient’s condition, only brief visits were allowed. Max tried to take her back to the hotel, but Ava refused. She wouldn’t move from there until Mateo came out with her.
Max left, feeling a great sadness. He cherished Mateo more than just as his boss; he was like a brother. They had been through a lot together over the years.
He headed to the police station to see how the investigation was progressing and whether they had located Miller.
“We’re very sorry. It’s as if Teodoro Miller has turned into a ghost. There are no traces of him. But we have investigated what happened at the villa. The employees fled, threatened by him. He’d hunt them down and harm their families if they reported what was happening at the villa. Miller had infiltrated one of his men as an employee, and it was that person who had drugged the food.”
Max finally understood how things had unfolded. Days passed without any sign of Teodoro, and Mateo showed no signs of improvement. Guido and Victoria arrived on the island.
“Oh, God! I can’t believe I’m seeing my son like this,” Aurora felt like she would die if her son did.
Guido was pale. Just a day earlier, he had received a call asking for his help. When he learned who it was from, he was furious. The man who had called his phone had no idea that he was Mateo’s grandfather, and Guido had only just learned who had been indirectly under his command.
“Nana, I can’t handle this. Seeing Mateo like this is driving me insane. He’s there, connected to all those machines. It’s like he’s dead. I see my son; he’s so small. He can’t be without his father,” Lola didn’t know what else to do to ease her suffering.
Ava couldn’t control herself; she cried inconsolably and felt guilty for everything that had happened.
“If I hadn’t come into his life, he’d be with you. You can say what you want, but my heart tells me Mateo will be okay.”
“God hears you, my dear. God hears you,” Aurora had told her countless times that she wasn’t to blame, but the girl tormented herself and seemed unwilling to accept it.
Mateo was all Aurora had left, and she tried to stay strong to comfort the girl.
Guido remained silent. All of this reminded him of when his son died, and he never thought he’d go through it again. Mateo was supposed to bury him, not the other way around. He suppressed a long, deep scream of pain.
He knew he bore great guilt for what was happening. He regretted everything he had done. His grandson held him in such high regard, and he had failed him.
Days later, Ava wept inconsolably as a grave in front of her was filled with soil. She felt a deep pain within her chest as she watched the coffin disappear beneath the earth, flooded with memories.
Heart-wrenching cries of grief echoed in the vicinity, and the sounds of sorrow pierced the hearts of those present.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.
While she wept, Lola held little Matt tightly, who observed everything happening with curiosity. He was very young and didn’t yet comprehend what was transpiring.
A few days earlier:
Ava was getting ready to go to the hospital. It wasn’t Max accompanying her that day; Tadeo had offered to go. He wished to see the condition of the man he already considered his friend. Camila stayed in the hotel with Lola, waiting there.
After spending some time in Mateo’s room, the doctor requested to see them.
“I have to be very clear with you. I don’t want to give you false hope. Mr. Licciardi could wake up in a few hours, days, or months, maybe even years. But it’s also possible that he may never wake up. He’s in a coma.”
Tadeo held Ava tightly as she almost fainted upon hearing the doctor’s words. Later, the girl regained her composure, but the doctors no longer allowed her to see him. Visits were limited to short periods, and soon he would be transferred to a room where they could be with him all the time, although he would still be connected to machines.
They left the hospital to call for the car to take them back to the hotel. While they waited for it, a dark van suddenly pulled up, and a man with a covered face, holding a gun, approached Ava.
Seeing that harm would come to Ava, Tadeo didn’t hesitate for a moment. He stood in front of her, taking the bullet himself. The assailant was prepared for this, as he fired a single shot that struck the detective squarely in the head.
“No, no, noooo, Tadeo, please, don’t close your eyes, don’t close them. Your son needs you,” Ava cried out.
Tadeo attempted to speak, but a mouthful of blood prevented him from doing so. As he exhaled, the image of the woman he had loved since childhood reflected in his eyes, and although he loved Camila, Ava had been someone very important in his life.
Ava went mad with grief as she embraced him, and she couldn’t find the heart to tell Camila.
When they managed to separate Ava from the body, she immediately called Max to tell him what had happened. Upon hearing the news, Morgana secretly felt relieved that he hadn’t gone, but then she felt guilty for being so selfish.
They didn’t know how to break the news to Camila, who had a sense that something was wrong. She had called Tadeo’s phone several times without getting a response.
“Is something wrong? Everyone is acting strangely, and Tadeo isn’t answering my calls,” she asked. Morgana didn’t respond; she just stared at her.
Ava arrived at that moment, and Max had stayed behind to handle the necessary procedures for the preparation and delivery of the body.
Camila felt a chill run down her spine upon seeing Ava’s condition, as if it were a premonition.
“Ava, how is Mateo? Did Tadeo stay with him?” Camila asked, wanting to believe that was the case.
Ava felt herself falter again, and this time Morgana held her up so she wouldn’t collapse. She didn’t feel strong enough to deliver the news.
“I’m sorry, Camila. I truly am. I swear I would have preferred to be the one who died.”
Camila felt as if the air had been sucked out of her. Those words were very clear.
“Where is Tadeo? Tell meeee. Don’t stay silent, damn it.”
Ava couldn’t answer; she just cried.
“It can’t be true. He can’t be dead. It’s your fault. Everything that’s happened is because of your damn fault.”
Camila lunged at Ava, slapping her repeatedly with force. Morgana had to intervene, thankfully having enough strength to do so.
“Enough! Ava isn’t to blame that some obsessed lunatic is after her. She hasn’t done anything to deserve this.”
Camila dropped to the floor and curled up in a fetal position, embracing her legs. In that moment, she wished she were dead. She began to speak to her baby.
“My love, my life, your daddy won’t be with us anymore, he’s died, he’s died.”
The girl started to cry uncontrollably. Ava and Morgana didn’t know what to do, so they called a doctor.
In a moment of desperation, the poor girl attempted to jump off the balcony. They were on the tenth floor, and if she had succeeded, it would have been terrible. The doctor and Morgana managed to stop her, and then they administered a mild tranquilizer. Due to her pregnancy, it couldn’t be strong.