“I can see that, son.” I looked up at Dad when he spoke. “Even if you don’t notice it, I can see you’re trying to be good… for her. No one’s perfect, Gio, and even if you want to be perfect for your wife, you can’t. You are bound to make mistakes, and that’s normal for us. You don’t have to force yourself to understand everything because every day you’ll find yourself discovering a new part of you. None of us truly knows ourselves yet, but you know what matters most?” Dad looked at me and smiled warmly. “We may lose battles, but we can still win the war. It’s not over until it’s over. Millie’s still alive; she’s fighting hard to live. So, you should believe in her. Even prodigies sometimes stumble, but they get up again.”
Dad tapped my shoulder, and I felt lighter, just like before. We left the rooftop, and I had a small smile on my face. I couldn’t wait to see Millie again and share the news that she’s pregnant.
My mind was filled with positivity after talking with my father, but that changed as soon as we returned to the waiting area.
My cousins and the atmosphere had changed drastically since earlier. Doctors were going in and out of the operating room, making the heaviness of the situation even more palpable. The happiness I felt earlier had dissipated into thin air.
“What’s happening?” I asked, following a nurse entering the operating room, but they stopped me.
“Mr. Locatelli, you can’t go inside.”
Taddeo and the others held me back, but I couldn’t find any calmness now. My mom’s eyes were swollen, as if she had just stopped crying when we arrived. Gianna stood beside her.
I looked at Taddeo and saw the anxiety etched on his face.
“What happened?” I asked again.
“Millie’s heart stopped,” Taddeo said. “They are trying to revive her. The doctor said if anything goes wrong, they’ll prioritize Millie’s life over the baby’s.”
“No…” I shook my head, trying to reject what he had just said. “No! Both of them will survive this. What are you talking about, Taddeo?” They all fell silent when I screamed. I rarely lose my composure, and now, I can’t contain my emotions even in front of them.
I tried to force my way into the operating room, but they stopped me quickly.
“Gio!” they held me back. I struggled to break free from them, but my body weakened. The pain from my wounds became secondary, and it wasn’t what my body was dealing with now.
I fixed my gaze on the door of the operating room. I clenched my fists so hard that my nails almost dug into my palms.
Millie is fighting, and our baby is too. They will survive this. I repeated those words like a mantra in my head. I know she will, but… damn.
“Millie, I promised you that I’d come back, and I’ve already accomplished it, so please… come back to me, too. This isn’t how it’s supposed to be. You won’t leave me like this, right? Don’t-” My voice choked on my words, especially when a sob escaped. “Don’t leave me.”
I didn’t know if anyone would hear my plea, but this time, please, just grant me this one wish. Let them live. Let me be with my wife and child. Even if you just give me this wish. Just… don’t take them away from me.
Even the toughest person cries and shows their weakness.
I silently wept as it felt like someone was slowly tearing my heart apart. The pain was so intense, it felt like I was being killed bit by bit.
Millie wanted to save me. If she hadn’t shielded me from the bullet, I would have been the one hit. She protected me and prioritized my life over hers. But that’s not what I want. I never want Millie to think of my safety over her own.
I’m sitting in a chair outside the operating room. I feel disconnected and silent, my head bowed. We still have no news about what’s happening inside with Millie.
My fingers are tightly interlocked with each other. I’m clutching my hand, barely holding myself together. I broke down in front of my family earlier, but I didn’t mind. The weight of my emotions was so heavy earlier that I let my emotions and tears flow. Now, I’ve returned to my silent self, praying that when the doctor comes out, they’ll tell us Millie is in stable condition.
Millie is a strong girl, and I know she can get through this. I know she won’t leave me because she knows how much I need her. We haven’t completely reconciled yet. I kept my promise to come back, so now, Millie, it’s your turn to come back to me. Please don’t leave me like this.
“Gio,” I heard my mother’s gentle voice. She’s sitting beside me and offers me something to eat. I shake my head because I have no appetite. “Even just some water, please? You need strength; you need to be strong for Millie.”
Just hearing her name sends a jolt of pain through my body. I accept the water from Mom because I know she’s right. I need to stay strong for Millie; she wouldn’t be happy to see me like this.
“She’ll be fine. I know Millie will be okay, Gio. We just have to wait,” Mom says, stroking my cheek. Her touch momentarily takes me back to my childhood.
“What does it feel like, Mom?” I’m not sure if it’s the right question to ask, but I ask it anyway. “To be in a life and death situation?”
Mom pauses as I look into her eyes. I know mine are bloodshot. She sighs softly before giving me a faint smile.
“I barely remember it,” Mom says to me. “But I knew I had to come back and live because there were unfinished business waiting for me. I hadn’t seen you or Gianna, and I hadn’t spent enough time with your dad. I survived because I knew you were all waiting for me.” Mom takes a deep breath. “That’s why I know Millie will make it, Gio. She knows you’re waiting for her.”
If I thought I was done with overwhelming emotions earlier, I was wrong. I hug Mom, and she does the same for me. I bury my face in her neck and, once again, let my feelings out.
“I don’t think I can do it without her, Mom. I don’t think I can live the same way if she’s gone. She needs to live because I haven’t shown her how to be a good husband. We still have a family to build. I need her. I need them, our future children. I can’t-”
“Shh, it’s okay, Gio. Millie will come back.” Mom rubs my back and comforts me, and she succeeds. Her touch is soothing enough to calm the storm of emotions inside me.
After I had calmed down, I stood up from my seat. I knew I had the attention of my family, but I chose to ignore them.
“Gio, where are you going? Are you finally heading home? You should rest,” my mother inquired.
“I just need to handle some business. I’ll be back. Take care of Millie while I’m away,” I replied, not looking back at them to prevent further questions.
I took out my cellphone and made a call to Elliott.
“I am coming,” I told him.
Dario was waiting outside the hospital. He looked at me, seemingly assessing my expression. I paid him no mind and immediately prepared the car. The car pulled up in front of me, and I got in.
“Where are we going, Boss?” the driver asked. Dario also looked at me, waiting for my response.
“Headquarters,” I replied tersely. “I need to let off some steam. I need to vent all of this to him-the frustrations, the guilt, the hatred, and the fury. I’m going to lay it all on the person who did this to Millie.”
The drive from the hospital to our headquarters was a long one. Some of my men greeted me, but I couldn’t bring myself to respond. My rage drowned out everything else.
I took the elevator down to the basement, where I knew he was being held. I don’t typically enjoy torturing my enemies. When it’s necessary to do so, I let my cousins, Taddeo and Arcel, handle it. They are the offspring of my uncle Morgan, who was known as a torturer in his time. My usual approach is to eliminate them swiftly, clean and hassle-free.
But today was different. I wanted to torment him until he begged me for death.
The door opened, and I was immediately greeted by David and Elliott. My eyes quickly locked onto the man in the center of the room. His wrists and ankles were cuffed and chained, and he bore several wounds, presumably from Elliott’s work. I had instructed them to do as they pleased with him, within the bounds of keeping him alive while waiting for me.
He lifted his gaze to me. I saw defiance in his eyes, but he quickly corrected himself. His right cheek bled from a wound.
“You shot my wife,” I stated in a deceptively calm tone.
For those who knew me well, it was scarier when I was calm than when they saw the anger in my eyes. My calmness meant I was preparing something substantial before I launched an attack.
“It wasn’t Millie who was my target. It was you!” He attempted to lunge at me, but the chains held him back. “You were the one who should die, you demon! After beating me to a pulp, you didn’t finish me off. I had to have my leg amputated and fitted with a prosthetic just to walk again! You wanted me to suffer, to live in this heartless world!”
“Release him,” I ordered.