Chapter 172 – The Fall of Matteo
Chapter 172 – The Fall of Matteo
The city burned through the night.
Columns of smoke rose above the skyline as emergency sirens echoed across Milan. Every television station reported explosions, infrastructure failures, and violent clashes between unidentified armed groups.
To the world, it looked like organized crime had erupted into open warfare.
Only a handful of people knew the truth.
This was no longer a battle over territory.
It was a war for the future.
Inside the Rossi estate, Damian stood before the operations table.
Fresh intelligence covered every screen.
Enemy checkpoints had appeared across northern Italy.
Supply routes were collapsing.
Communications had become increasingly unreliable.
Then Marco entered with another encrypted report.
“They’ve found Matteo.”
The room immediately fell silent.
Damian looked up.
“Alive?”
Marco nodded.
“Barely.”
“He escaped Alessandro’s compound during a transfer.”
“But he’s still being hunted.”
Amara zoomed in on the satellite map.
“He’s heading here.”
“No.”
Nikolai corrected.
“He’s heading toward Elena.”
Everyone looked at him.
“He sent only one message.”
Nikolai displayed the decoded transmission.
KEEP ELENA AWAY FROM THE CATHEDRAL. IT’S A TRAP.
Elena’s heart tightened.
“My father knows something.”
Damian nodded.
“And he’s trying to warn us.”
Before they could plan further, Captain Rinaldi rushed inside.
“Boss!”
“One of our refugee convoys is under attack.”
“The convoy carrying women and children.”
Malik immediately stood.
“I’ll lead the rescue.”
Damian nodded.
“Go.”
Malik left without another word.
The room barely had time to breathe before another alarm sounded.
Bianca appeared at the doorway.
“Elena.”
She looked terrified.
“Someone has infiltrated the medical wing.”
Damian’s instincts immediately sharpened.
“Lock down the estate.”
Steel security doors slammed shut throughout the compound.
Guards rushed into defensive positions.
The estate transformed into a fortress within seconds.
Meanwhile…
Hidden among the medical staff, three assassins silently advanced toward the family wing.
Their objective wasn’t Damian.
It wasn’t Lucian.
It was Elena.
One nurse noticed something unusual.
A syringe.
No hospital markings.
She opened her mouth to scream—
A silenced shot echoed softly.
She collapsed before anyone heard her.
Upstairs, Elena had just finished checking on Lucian.
He was asleep, clutching his stuffed wolf.
She smiled gently before closing the bedroom door.
As she entered the hallway—
The lights suddenly went out.
Emergency generators failed.
Darkness swallowed the corridor.
Footsteps.
Fast.
Purposeful.
Behind her.
Elena turned instinctively.
The first assassin lunged.
She barely avoided the knife, stumbling backward as the blade scraped across the wall.
Another attacker emerged from the shadows.
She ran.
Downstairs, Damian heard the first gunshot.
“Elena!”
He sprinted toward the staircase.
Marco and Nikolai followed close behind.
The corridor had become a battlefield.
Guards exchanged fire with masked attackers.
Glass shattered.
Bullets tore through marble columns.
Smoke filled the hallway.
Elena reached the central staircase.
An assassin blocked her path.
He raised his pistol.
She froze.
The distance was too short.
There was nowhere left to run.
The shot rang out.
But it wasn’t Elena who fell.
Someone threw himself between them.
Matteo Moretti.
The bullet slammed into his shoulder, spinning him sideways.
Before he hit the floor, another burst of automatic fire erupted.
Two more rounds struck his chest.
A third tore through his side.
“Father!”
Elena screamed.
Matteo collapsed at her feet.
Still conscious.
Barely.
He grabbed her arm with blood-covered fingers.
“Run…”
he whispered.
“They’re…”
Another cough interrupted him.
Blood stained his lips.
“…not finished.”
Damian arrived seconds later.
His pistol fired three rapid shots.
One assassin fell instantly.
Nikolai disarmed another.
Marco tackled the third through a stained-glass window.
The fighting ended almost as quickly as it had begun.
Damian rushed to Matteo.
His hands immediately pressed against the wounds.
“Medic!”
he shouted.
“NOW!”
Blood seeped through Damian’s fingers.
Too much.
Far too much.
Matteo looked at Damian.
A faint smile appeared despite the pain.
“You finally…”
he whispered.
“…look like family.”
Damian shook his head.
“Save your strength.”
Matteo laughed weakly.
“I’ve heard doctors say that before.”
Elena dropped beside them.
Her hands trembled uncontrollably.
“No…”
she whispered.
“No… please…”
She had only just begun rebuilding her relationship with her father.
She couldn’t lose him now.
Not like this.
Lucian suddenly appeared at the end of the hallway.
His frightened eyes searched the scene.
“Grandpa?”
he called softly.
Bianca immediately carried him away before he could see more.
Medical teams arrived within moments.
Dr. Ricci examined Matteo quickly.
His expression darkened.
“We’re losing him.”
“We need surgery immediately.”
As they lifted Matteo onto a stretcher, he reached weakly for Elena’s hand.
She leaned close.
“I was wrong.”
he whispered.
“For so many years…”
“I taught you hatred.”
Tears streamed down Elena’s face.
“Don’t talk.”
“You’ll be okay.”
Matteo slowly shook his head.
“No.”
“I need you to hear this.”
He looked toward Damian.
“I judged you…”
“…before I knew you.”
His breathing became shallow.
“You protected my daughter…”
“When I should have.”
Damian lowered his head.
“You still can.”
Matteo smiled faintly.
“Take care of them.”
He looked back at Elena.
“You chose love.”
“I’m proud…”
His voice weakened.
“…of you.”
The stretcher disappeared through the emergency doors.
Elena stood frozen.
She could still feel her father’s blood on her hands.
Hours passed.
No one left the hospital wing.
The surgery lights remained on.
Doctors worked without pause.
Outside the operating room, silence ruled.
Even Marco had nothing to say.
Finally…
The doors opened.
Dr. Ricci removed his surgical mask.
Everyone stood.
“He’s alive.”
Relief swept through the corridor.
“But…”
The doctor hesitated.
“The damage was extensive.”
“The bullets narrowly missed his heart.”
“He lost a tremendous amount of blood.”
He looked at Elena.
“The next twenty-four hours will determine whether he survives.”
Elena closed her eyes in silent gratitude.
Alive.
There was still hope.
Later that night, Damian entered Matteo’s hospital room alone.
Machines filled the silence with steady beeping.
Matteo remained unconscious.
Bandages covered nearly half his torso.
Damian stood beside the bed for several minutes.
Then he quietly removed the Rossi signet ring from his finger.
He placed it on the bedside table.
Not as a symbol of power.
But of respect.
“You saved my wife.”
he said softly.
“You saved my family.”
His voice grew heavier.
“I’ll spend the rest of my life repaying a debt you never should have owed.”
Far away, inside Alessandro’s underground headquarters, an adviser entered nervously.
“The assassination failed.”
Alessandro remained calm.
“And Matteo?”
“Critical.”
“But alive.”
Alessandro sighed almost disappointed.
“He still chooses Elena…”
he murmured.
“Even after everything.”
The adviser nodded.
“It seems blood is no longer enough.”
Alessandro slowly smiled.
“No.”
he replied.
“Love is becoming my greatest enemy.”
He looked at the massive chessboard before him.
One piece—the old king—had fallen.
But not been removed.
Alessandro touched it thoughtfully.
“Then I’ll make sure…”
he whispered,
“…his sacrifice means nothing.”
His hand moved toward another piece.
The queen.