Chapter 196 One Hundred & Ninety six

Chapter 196 One Hundred & Ninety six
Giovanni buckled Ganni into the car, his hands still trembling slightly from the chaos earlier. Gabriele slid into the passenger seat, and without a word, Giovanni hit the accelerator, tires squealing slightly as they sped toward the hospital. The city blurred past them, lights flashing against the windshield.

Ganni sat quietly, his small hands clutching the edge of his seat, still shaken from everything he had just witnessed. “Daddy… is everyone okay?” he asked softly, voice trembling.

Giovanni glanced at him in the rearview mirror. “We’re going to find out, Buddy. We’re going to make sure everyone’s okay.”

The drive felt endless, but finally, the familiar hospital lights came into view. Giovanni didn’t even wait for Gabriele to park properly… he flung the car door open, scooped Ganni out, and they ran through the sliding doors.

Doctors and nurses glanced up, startled, as they rushed down the hall toward the ICU.

“Doctor! Doctor!” Giovanni called, panic edging his voice.

A familiar face appeared…. Dr. Simmons, calm but alert. “Mr. Monti! Thank goodness you’re finally here.”

Giovanni’s heart pounded as he followed, Ganni clinging to his hand.

“How is my wife?” he asked, his voice urgent.

The doctor smiled gently. “She’s fine. She’s just asleep…. resting after the injuries. She’s stable. No permanent damage. She’s going to be alright.”

Giovanni let out a long breath, his shoulders relaxing slightly for the first time in hours. “Thank God.”

“And Adrian?” Gabriele asked, glancing toward the bed.

“He's awake,” Dr. Simmons confirmed. “He’s still tensed, a little sore, but he’ll be fine. He was lucky; the poisoning didn’t do more damage, and we were able to reverse it quickly.”

Giovanni’s gaze softened as he looked at Adrian lying in the bed, relief flooding through him. “You hear that, buddy?” he said, crouching down to his son’s level. “Everyone’s okay. They’re going to be fine.”

Ganni nodded slowly, still wide-eyed, the tension in his small body beginning to ease. “Really, Daddy?”

Giovanni gave a small, reassuring smile, brushing a hand over his son’s hair. “Really. They’re going to be okay.”

He glanced toward Raven’s room again, feeling the weight of the night slowly lifting… but knowing that the chaos with Elara wasn’t entirely over.

For now, though, everyone they loved was alive.

And that was enough.

Giovanni and Gabriele moved quietly toward Adrian’s room, Ganni clinging to Giovanni’s side. The door was slightly ajar, and they pushed it open carefully.

Adrian was sitting up in bed, looking pale but alert. His eyes widened as he saw them. “Giovanni… Ganni… what… what happened?”

Giovanni took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. “It’s been a long night.”

“How are you feeling?” Gabriele asked.

“Alive, thankfully,” Adrian replied quietly.

“I’m sure you know who did this,” Giovanni said, his voice steady but tense.

Adrian’s jaw tightened, and he nodded.

“I’m sorry,” he said, bowing his head. “I’m sorry for… for everything I’ve done to you and your family.”

“Well, thankfully, that bitch is behind bars now,” Gabriele said, shaking his head as he recalled the night’s chaos.

“She stabbed Raven, Matteo, and kidnapped Ganni,” Giovanni said softly, his voice tight with anger. “She nearly killed my wife… I nearly lost everything.”

Adrian lowered his head, shame written across his face.

“I’m truly sorry, Mr. Monti… I’ll accept any consequences,” he said quietly.

Silence fell over the room for a moment.

“I heard you were her bodyguard… and that you loved her,” Gabriele said carefully.

“Yes,” Adrian admitted. “I was assigned to protect her by Montez. She’s their only daughter… and I fell in love with her.”

The room went cold with silence.

“I knew she wasn’t stable… but you don’t choose who you fall for, right?” Adrian finally said.

“Well, you chose a psycho… and you almost died. Great choice,” Gabriele shot back.

“Gabby—” Giovanni started.

“What? He needs to understand how foolish he was,” Gabriele interrupted.

Gabriele shook his head, looking at Adrian seriously. “Adrian… the police will be coming for your statement soon. You know what that means.”

Adrian’s stomach sank. “I… I know.”

“You’ll have to answer for what happened,” Gabriele said firmly. “And yes… You might have to go to jail, even if it wasn’t your fault entirely. You were involved, and they’ll want the full story.”

Adrian ran a hand over his face, guilt weighing heavily on him. “I… I never meant for any of this to happen. I was just doing my job.”

Gabriele’s voice softened slightly but remained firm. “I know. But the law doesn’t care about intentions, only facts. You’ll need to be honest, Adrian. No more lies, no more hiding. Otherwise… it could get worse.”

Adrian nodded slowly, swallowing hard. “I’ll tell everything… I swear. I just… I don’t want anyone else hurt because of me.”

Giovanni, still holding Ganni close, placed a hand on Adrian’s shoulder. “Then you’ll do what’s right. That’s all anyone can ask for now. The rest… We’ll handle it together.”

Adrian exhaled, tension slowly leaving his shoulders, though fear and guilt still lingered. He knew the next few days would be hell.. but was ready for it

Adrian lowered his gaze, guilt and sorrow mixing on his face. “I… I’m truly sorry again, Mr. Monti. For everything… for being part of all this chaos. I never wanted anyone to get hurt.”

Giovanni’s grip on Ganni tightened slightly, but he didn’t speak.

Gabriele leaned forward, curiosity and caution in his voice. “Adrian… where are the Montez… Elara’s parents?”

Adrian swallowed hard. “They… they died in a fire… two years ago.”

Gabriele’s brow furrowed. “A fire?”

Adrian nodded slowly, his hands trembling slightly. “Yes… It wasn’t a small accident. It started late at night at their home. Flames spread fast… the fire alarms didn’t go off, and by the time the neighbors noticed, it was too late. The fire department said it was electrical… but…” His voice faltered, and he looked away, swallowing hard.

“But?” Giovanni prompted.

Adrian’s eyes were heavy. “But the pattern of the fire… it didn’t make sense. The way it started near the living room, then spread so quickly to the upper floor… There were traces of accelerant. The investigators didn’t report it publicly, but I… I saw the aftermath. It wasn’t an accident. Someone wanted them gone. Someone made sure there was no escape.”