<b>Chapter </b>36


    MIRABELLA


    I exhale a breath through my mouth as Ie awake from an exhausting slumber. My eyes part open but remain in a narrowed slit as i gulp down my saliva to wet my throat


    I


    My head is engulfed in a pang of pain as I attempt recalling the events ofst night. “Matteo?” A whooshed whisper escapes my pained throat and I <b>wince</b><b>.</b>


    “Mrs. Denaro? I’m Beth, your nurse.” She quickly checks my pulse and with a sigh of relief, she asks, “How do you feel?”


    “Where’s Matteo?” I throw a question right back at her, stammering and wincing through each word.


    “Mr. Denaro is not here at the moment ma’am.” She answers politely.


    “Please call


    me Mirabe.” The nurse–Beth–offers me a tight nod in agreement. “Did hee to see n me? My husband I mean.”


    Her eyes light, her lips stretching into an ear to ear grin, “of course!” She excitedly squeal with a tiny jump.


    <ol>


    <li>oh.</li>


    </ol>


    This one’s a sucker for romance.


    “He didn’t leave your side even for a second.” I <b>look </b>at her with narrowed eyes, confused as to why he chooses to be there when I’m unconscious but decides to disappear when I’m fully awake.


    “He thought to go grab your favorite snacks so that you have something to eat once you’re awake! Isn’t that so cute?! I see how everyone in this house shit in their pants whenever he walks by but he’s so soft for you.”


    Bitch shut the fuck up before I shove a grenade down your throat.


    I roll my eyes.


    As if on cue, Matteo walks in with arge food tray in hand but his movement is halted when both our eyes lock.


    I prop myself up by my elbows, my mouth dropping open as search for the right words to say. My eyes brim with tears and my lips be parched. “Matteo…” I unexpectedly whisper and Matteo’s fists tighten around the food <b>tray </b><b>so </b>tight that his knuckles pale..


    He stares at me with all the wrong emotions; pity, confusion, regret, every emotion that I detest. But there’s a glint of softness in his eyes<b>… </b>“Matteo?” I call out again with my voice still in a whisper and a shuddered breath wracks through him as his hands tremble slightly.


    Pablo walks in almost immediately and stands by aer, observing the intense stare down battle going on between my husband and I.


    “I’ll take that.” Pablo abruptly deres, taking the food tray from Matteo’s hands with a nod of understanding.


    “Matteol Please don’t go!” I scream after the retreating back of my husband. He doesn’t want me anymore. He hates me. He’s disgusted by me. I thrash my head and <b>sob</b>.


    Why did I give him a chance?


    Why did I let him in?


    Now I’m hurting and he’s nowhere to be seen but what is more painful is my inability to walk away from him; iny inability to take my heart


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    Chapter 36


    back.


    He took my heart hostage and he’s escaping with that part of me.


    It hurts<b>.</b>


    79%


    So bad.


    I grab the food tray from Pablo and begin stuffing my mouth with food. At least he made to me, he touched it and if this is my only way of


    getting one step closer to him, then I’m ready to eat myself to death.


    “That’s enough Mirabe,” Pablo deres as he takes the food tray off myp, handing it over to the nurse, ordering her to take it back to the


    kitchen.


    My body vibrates as I choke out each heart wrenching sob with my tears flowing like <b>a </b>river. “It hurts. My whole body hurts. My heart hurts.” I admit and Pablo’srge arms circle around me, engulfing me in afortable hug.


    Why me?


    <b>What </b>did I <b>do </b>to deserve <b>this</b><b>?</b>


    Pain after pain


    Struggle after struggle..


    Loss


    as after loss.


    “I know Mirabe. <b>Give </b>it time. I’m so sorry, so sorry that I cannot do anything for you.” Pablo whispers into <b>n</b>


    my hair.


    scream my sob. “Pablo! of what use am I? I cannot walk, I can barely talk properly. I couldn’t even protect my baby.” I sniffle and sniffle some more. “Did you know that I had just discovered my pregnancy that day? Why can’t I have any good thing in my life? They didn’t even let me hear my baby’s heartbeat! Why?!”


    I fist Pablos shirt, my teeth sinking into his shoulder as my tears and drool wet up his shirt.


    “Oh…Mirabe.” That’s all Pablo says and holds me still for long minutes.


    I appreciate him for not asking me to stop crying, I appreciate him for not lying and telling me that everything will be fine, most of all, i appreciate him for being here for me.


    He’s my saving grace during my breaking point.


    After hours of crying and thrashing myself, Pablo wheels me into the art studio so that I can be <b>introduced </b>to my psychotherapist only <b>I’d </b>have never guessed it to be Ares.


    I swallow loudly, my eyes widening when Ares’s masculine figurees into sight with his gray orbs boring into mine and a professional smile ying at his lips.


    “You’re good to be alone with him? We had requested for a female therapist, I’m sure there must have been some mixup somewhere.” Pablo blurts whilst looking at Ares usingly.


    I swallow hard again, “-it its fine.” I choke out.


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    Pablo hums and steps outside the door, shutting it behind him. “What in God’s name are you doing in here Ares! Are you trying to <b>get </b>killed?”


    Ares let out a low chuckle, “hello to you too Mirabe. I missed you so much.”


    Why does this boy never listen!


    “I heard about the attack on the Denaro’s and also about the death of Ernesto Denaro.” He starts taking calcted steps toward me as though trying not to rile me up. “Then I heard a rumor that his daughter inw was with him when he was attacked and that she was in the


    hospital.”


    He falls to his knees in front of me and his hands begin massaging my left ankle as he continues speaking, “I didn’t have a choice, I had to hack into the hospital’s system to be sure you were okay. I needed to be certain that nothing happened to my best friend but when I saw…


    Ares’s eyes slowly glides across my body until we hold each other’s stare with tears streaming down both our faces. “Christ, Mirabe,” More


    tears spew from his eyes.


    “Don’t.” I murmur, “Ares please don’t.”


    He nods, still struggling to remain calm and collected for me.


    “You don’t need therapy right now Mirabe. You don’t need someone who’s been paid a few thousands sitting across from you and drilling


    answers out of you.” His hands move to my right ankle as he continues his gentle massage.


    “What you need is a friend, someone to hold your hand and walk through this dark tunnel with you and I’m here to be that person.”


    His handes up to cradle my face but I finch on instinct and his brows furrow, “I’m sorry Ares.. It’s just—”


    “I know.” He chuckles and sits his ass down on the bare floor. “Do you remember the first time we met? You were so shy and no joke in this


    world could crack a smile out of you.”


    My head bobs stiffly as I nod at him and he smiles at me softly.


    “I made it my life’s mission to get you tough or at least smile.” He throws his head back inughter, muttering incoherent words under his breath. “After months of not making a single progress, I finally made the decision to give up my <b>endeavors </b>but one day changed everything. I remember making a silly joke in theb and you got up and dashed out in such haste that got me worried that something might be wrong with you. I was so worried that I followed you only to find that you ran into the bathroom tough all by yourself. That warmed my heart a lot. The beginning of our unending friendship<b>.</b>”


    Thest partes out as a small whisper, causing a tea


    drop from my eyes.


    Ares takes hold of both my hands. “I’m challenging myself again, Mirabe. I’m challenging myself to make you smile again even if you do it in secret but I want to see how long it takes before I have you tipping over inughter.”


    I take a deep breath, throwing my head back <b>as </b>my chest vibrates from my silent sob.


    “Mirabe?” Ares whispers my name but I don’t have it in me to look at him. “I need you to know that <b>you’re </b>loved. That you have a lot of people who love you to the moon and back. That you have me. Please let me be there for you…please Mirabe.”


    I’m unlovable.


    I carry a whole lot of baggage


    I’m a burden.


    “<b>You </b>cannot be here <b>Ares</b>,” I choke <b>out </b>through my sob. “If Matteo finds out who you really are, you’ll be dead and I don’t think I can


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    withstand the death of another loved one.”


    Ares chuckles. “Don’t worry about me Mirabe, hmm? I have it all under control.” His hand shoots up to wipe my tears and this time, I don’t flinch. “Now might not be the right time M, but I have to let you know that our organization is growing rapidly. We’re sinking our ws deep


    into the underworld.”N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    My heart’s palpitations be uneven, my interest peaking high. “Really? Tell me more.”


    I appreciate the change in topic because the <bst </b>thing I need right now is to wallow in my misery.


    Ares takes his time, giving me details after details of our newly put together crime organization. He named it S.E.E.D, in other words Seed Because we have the one thing every single person in the underworld <b>is </b>dying to have.


    The Seed.


    And thatbined with our knowledge of drugs has made us a shit ton of money in the past years..


    I used to be hesitant about diving too deep into this blood ridden world but aher what it has stolen from me, I’m ready to go all in and make


    myself known.


    I’m ready to be that which they’ve seeded in making <b>me </b><b>into</b>.


    A bloodthirsty monster.


    “I heard that the people who did this to me belong with the Colombians.” I begin speaking, this time speaking from a ce of rage. “We need to leave our mark, make people <b>ask </b>for and about us, so I’m ordering you to send a message to the Colombians. Make it loud and clear.”


    Ares hums, “Matteo is already giving them hell but he doesn’t know about the Russians involvement in this. I’m taking Russia”


    What?


    What?!


    “Are you insane? The Russians are dangerous!” I yell out.


    “Of course they are but their men put hands on you and I’ll not stand aside and watch them get away with it.” He hisses. “And Mirabe?” <b>We </b>both lock eyes, “if you really want to leave your mark, you start ying with the big sharks.”


    We both fall silent for minutes.


    And more minutes<b>.</b>


    More minutes of silence pass between us.


    “Be careful Ares.” I say desperately and he hums with a nod. “I will be. You get better before I return, hmm?” His soft lips lingers on my temple before he stands to his full height and storms out of the studio.


    Get better?


    How possible is it to recover from this?


    I can only hope.