Chapter 95

Fabian heard Mattheo's words and felt a wave of irritation.

With a firm look, she confronted him: "How can you be so selfish? Laura is expecting a child from Morgan, and look at all the sacrifices she's making. Doesn't your conscience hurt? And besides, Dom Morgan has always been respected by everyone. I can't believe they would kill him just because he didn't want to stay with his wife."

Mattheo responded with a firm and defensive tone: "You call me selfish, but you don't see how many lives are at stake. Being the leader of a mafia involves sacrifices. He knows very well that Loren is the daughter of a high-ranking figure, and you think her father wouldn’t pull some strings to protect his only daughter? Besides, there’s the anger he feels over Morgan killing his son. Don’t interfere in this, Fabian, please."

Fabian fell silent and just listened as Mattheo continued: "Look at how many attempts you’ve already faced and how many times life has been at risk. Think carefully, especially about Laura, because as soon as Loren finds out that her family is threatened, she won’t just stand by. She’s obsessed with Morgan."

"Today, I won’t tell the truth, but rest assured, he will find out, and I won’t care if Loren suffers or not. I know Morgan is capable of protecting Laura."

Fabian slammed the door and left Mattheo’s office, where he sighed in relief upon realizing she hadn't revealed everything to Morgan. Fabian then headed to her car and drove back to Laura’s apartment, determined to decide how to handle the situation.

Fabian, still shaken by the conversation with Mattheo, drove with a serious expression. The streets passed quickly outside the window as she focused on driving, her mind swirling with the discussion. The traffic seemed slow, and each red light intensified the weight of the situation. She arrived at Laura’s apartment, parked carefully, and, after a moment of hesitation, got out of the vehicle. Her mind was filled with concern and urgency as she headed towards the building, ready to face the next step in this complicated situation.

Fabian climbed the stairs with firm and determined steps to the fourth floor, Laura’s floor. Upon reaching the apartment door, she rang the bell and waited. Nona, Laura’s wife, opened the door and looked at her with curiosity and a touch of concern.

"Fabian, what happened?" Nona asked, her expression anxious.

Fabian, taking a deep breath, replied, "I almost told everything, but for now, I won’t." She looked at Nona seriously, aware that the situation was still delicate and that she needed to think carefully about the next step.

Owen was on the balcony with Daniel and noticed Nona and Fabian’s murmuring. Curious, he approached and asked, "What are you whispering about?"

Nona and Fabian immediately stopped their conversation and turned to the balcony. Nona, trying to disguise her concern, replied, "We weren’t whispering; I just asked if Fabian was okay."

Owen, still suspicious, commented: "You left, and I said I would go with you, but you were in such a hurry that you didn’t even hear."

Daniel looked at Fabian with concern and asked, "Are you okay, Fabian?"

Fabian, forcing a smile, replied, "Yes, I’m fine. I was just feeling stifled being stuck here, so I went for a walk."

Daniel, always shy around Fabian, said with a slight blush, "If you want, I can go with you."

Fabian, noticing Daniel’s shyness and appreciating the gesture, responded with a smile: "Thank you, Daniel. Next time, you can keep me company."

Owen, with a teasing tone, remarked, "Now I’m getting jealous."

Nona, ignoring the teasing and with a warm smile, started heading towards the kitchen: "I’m going to start preparing lunch for when Laura wakes up. Our little Miran needs to be born strong."

Daniel, smiling, said, "I’ll go with you. I love it when you cook; I always get to nibble on some things." He followed Nona to the kitchen, eager to spend time with her.

As Daniel and Fabian remained alone on the balcony, he noticed her unease and asked with concern, "Are you sure you’re okay?"

Fabian tried to hide her feelings and responded, "I’m fine."

Daniel, sensing there might be more to her answer, continued: "If you want to talk about anything, just let me know. Sometimes, an 'I’m fine' hides a lot of sadness."

He gently placed his hands over hers, offering a gesture of support. Fabian, touched by his consideration, sincerely thanked him: "Thank you, Daniel."

In the bedroom, Nick was working on his notebook, monitoring the unloading of goods at the port through the cameras. Laura woke up, rubbed her eyes, and grabbed her phone from the nightstand. Still sleepy, she checked the time and murmured, "I slept too much." Seeing Nick sitting, he noticed she was awake and said with a smile, "Did I wake you? I’m just working a bit."

Laura, still drowsy, replied, "No, you didn’t wake me. I slept too much. I need to check on lunch."

Nick responded, "The last time I saw you, your grandmother was preparing your favorite dishes."

"She could have called me for help. I’ll get up and see if she needs any assistance," Laura said.

"Okay, I’ll finish up here and then come over too," Nick said.

"All right," Laura responded. She got up and left the room.

Looking towards the balcony, Laura saw Fabian and Daniel talking alone and decided not to interrupt them. She walked to the kitchen, where the wonderful smell of Nona’s cooking filled the air. She saw that Nona was making her favorite dishes, filling the house with a delicious and comforting aroma.

Owen saw Laura and, with a smile, said, "I felt a bit jealous; grandma made everything you like."

Laura kissed her grandmother’s cheek and responded playfully: "I’ve always been the favorite, the only granddaughter."

Nona laughed and said, "I don’t have a favorite grandchild. I love all of you."

Owen, smiling, said, "So, Grandma Nona, I hope you’ll make my favorite dishes someday too. I’ll tell Daniel to pick a day."

"Of course, tell him I want to spoil all of you," Nona replied.

"I’ll go to the balcony to talk with Daniel. I’ve helped enough here; now it’s up to you, Laura."

"Helped a lot? You just ate," Nona teased.

"Eating is quite a tough job, Grandma," Owen said with a smile.

"I can imagine," Laura said in the joke.

Owen went to the balcony, leaving Laura alone with Nona.

"Are you okay, dear?" Nona asked with concern.

"I’m fine," Laura replied, trying to hide her sadness.

"You look a bit down," Nona insisted.

"I’ll be okay, don’t worry. I’m just a bit tired; it must be the final stretch of the pregnancy."

"After lunch, rest a bit. I’ll take care of everything here, don’t overexert yourself."

"I’ve slept enough, Grandma. I want to help a bit to keep myself occupied," Laura said, determined to contribute.

Laura began helping Nona in the kitchen, where the aroma of the delicious food filled the space. Nona was focused on preparing the main dishes while Laura took on the auxiliary tasks.

Laura approached the counter where Nona was chopping vegetables and started preparing the salads. She washed and cut the veggies carefully, chatting animatedly with Nona about the dishes being prepared.

"Could you pass me the spices, dear?" Nona asked as she mixed ingredients in a pan.

Laura quickly fetched the spices and placed them within reach of her grandmother, watching with interest as Nona’s skilled hands worked. She made sure everything was ready for cooking and helped stir the pots, feeling involved in the process.

As the meal took shape, Laura helped set the table, arranging the serving dishes and utensils with special care. She checked that all the plates were well presented and organized the drinks next to the food.

Nona observed Laura’s dedication and smiled. "You’re doing a great job, dear. This helps me a lot."

"I like helping, and it keeps me occupied," Laura replied, feeling grateful for being involved.

Together, they finished preparing the food and set it on the table, where the dishes were proudly displayed. The kitchen, now filled with delicious aromas, reflected the effort and love they both put into preparing the lunch.