CHAPTER 244: PROXIMITY

CHAPTER 244: PROXIMITY
By the time they reached Alexandro's penthouse, night had fallen over the city skyline.

The moment the private elevator doors slid open into the main foyer, Maria marched straight inside, pushing her dread aside. She didn't look at the luxury furnishings or the city views.

The private elevator doors slid open into the quiet, dimly lit foyer of Alexandro's penthouse.

Maria didn't wait for Giovanni. She stepped out into the hallway, her pulse hammering in her ears. Rosa was sitting in the open living room, her right hand wrapped in clean white bandages, holding a mug of tea. She looked up at the sound of footsteps, her soft eyes widening with gentle concern as Maria hurried past her without a word.

Maria pushed open the heavy double doors leading into the master suite.

The room was ice-cold and nearly pitch black, illuminated only by the faint, rhythmic glow of heart monitors and the low hum of a dialysis unit. The sterile smell of antiseptic hit Maria's nose like a physical blow.

Maria froze on the threshold, the breath dying in her throat.

On the massive king-sized bed lay Bella.

She looked terrifyingly small. Her usual fierce, dangerous presence was entirely gone, replaced by a pale, translucent quiet. Thick plastic tubes ran into her throat, clear IV lines snaked into her bruised arms, and a heavy sensor clipped to her finger beeped softly in the dark. Her dark hair was spread across the white pillows, completely unmoving beneath the rise and fall of the respirator.

Maria took a trembling step forward, her knees giving out slightly. She dropped to her knees beside the mattress, her eyes wide as tears welled up and spilled over her cheeks.

"Bella..." Maria whispered, her voice cracking into a small, broken sob.

She reached out with a shaking hand, gently brushing a stray lock of hair away from Bella's pale forehead. She leaned down, pressing her lips softly against her best friend's cold skin, closing her eyes as the sheer horror of the sight crushed her chest. Bella felt icy. She felt frail.

Tears fell onto the blanket as Maria squeezed Bella's limp, unresponsive hand. The sight of the girl who had always been an untouchable force of nature now lying hooked to machines tore Maria's heart to shreds.

A cold, blinding fury suddenly ignited beneath the grief in Maria's chest.

She stood up slowly, wiping her eyes with the back of her sleeve, her jaw setting into a hard, rigid line. She turned on her heel and marched straight out of the bedroom, slamming the door open.

Alexandro had just stepped out of his home office into the hallway, holding a stack of papers.

Maria closed the distance between them in three long strides, stopping inches from his chest, her face flushed with pure, unadulterated rage.

"How dare you?!" Maria screamed, her voice echoing violently off the high ceilings. "How dare you put my friend in this situation?! Look at her! She threw herself into your goddamn war, and now she's lying in that room like a ghost hooked to machines because of you!"

Alexandro stood stone-still. He didn't raise his voice. He didn't defend himself. He just stared down at her, taking the full brunt of her fury, his jaw clenched tight against a wave of raw, silent guilt.

"Maria, please..."

Rosa walked slowly up the corridor, her silk robe wrapped around her, her left hand reaching out toward the sound of Maria's voice.

Maria turned, her breathing heavy and ragged, her chest heaving as she glared between Alexandro and his mother.

Rosa reached out until her fingers gently touched Maria's trembling arm. "I understand your rage, child," Rosa whispered softly, her eyes swimming with tears. "It is good to know that someone with a soul as beautiful as Bella's has a friend who loves her so fiercely."

Rosa gripped Maria's hand, her voice dropping into a raspy, sorrowful tremble. "She gave her life for me. She stepped directly into the path of a bullet meant for my head. If you must blame anyone in this house, blame me."

Maria looked at Rosa's pale, lined face and the thick bandages covering her burned hand. All the screaming fire inside Maria suddenly drained away, leaving behind only a hollow, aching exhaustion. She couldn't yell at an injured, grieving mother.

Maria swallowed hard, looking back toward the closed bedroom door, her shoulders slumping as she wiped her wet cheeks. "She didn't deserve this," Maria whispered brokenly.

"No," Alexandro said, his voice deep and raspy behind her. "She didn't."

An hour later, the mood in the penthouse had settled into a quiet, warm exhaustion.

Rosa had insisted on going to the kitchen, preparing a light meal of soup and fresh bread for everyone. Giovanni had stayed behind, throwing light jokes around the kitchen, helping Rosa chop vegetables, and deliberately lifting the dark cloud hanging over the apartment.

They all sat around the dining table, finishing the meal as the clock on the wall struck nine p.m.

"So," Rosa said, setting her teacup down. "It is getting late, Maria. Where are you staying tonight? Do you have a place?"

Maria rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "Well, I sold my old flat before I left, and the lease on my secondary office expired. I was thinking I'd just book a quiet hotel room downtown."

"No," Giovanni and Alexandro said simultaneously.

Giovanni leaned forward, his expression serious. "Absolutely not. You were out with me on the docks today, Maria. Half the street saw you riding in my Jeep. With the territory still shifting, a girl staying alone in a commercial hotel is a prime target for anyone looking to pull leverage on Ombra."

"He's right," Alexandro agreed. "It's too dangerous. I could set you up in one of my private executive suites on the outer ring, under heavy guard."

"Why doesn't she just stay here with me?" Rosa suggested warmly. "In my room?"

Alexandro shook his head gently. "Ma, your room barely fits the medical staff when they come to check your grafts in the morning. And my guest room is completely filled with Bella's extra ICU equipment and spare supplies. There's no space."

Silence fell over the table.

Alexandro looked across at Giovanni, his eyes narrowing slightly as an idea clicked into place. "Giovanni... didn't you just rent that new place close by?"

Giovanni froze mid-sip, his eyes widening slightly. "Yeah. Why?"

"It's a three-bedroom apartment, right?" Alexandro pressed, a faint, suspicious tilt to his head. "Just four blocks down the street."

Giovanni's dark brows pulled low. "Yes... why?"

"Why doesn't Maria just stay with you?" Alexandro asked flatly.

"No!" Maria and Giovanni blurted out at the exact same second.

Alexandro stared at them both, his sharp, analytical eyes bouncing between Giovanni's sudden tension and Maria's flushed cheeks. He tilted his head. "Why 'no'? Is there something going on between you two that I don't know about?"

"No!" both of them snapped instantly, completely unified in their panic.

Alexandro raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced, but before he could press the issue, Rosa clapped her hands together with a delighted smile.

"Oh, that is a wonderful idea!" Rosa declared softly, effectively ending any room for debate. "Giovanni's apartment is close by. He can drop you off here every morning before he goes to work, and you can spend the whole day with Bella. It is perfectly settled."

Giovanni looked across the table at Maria. Seeing that Rosa had spoken, neither of them had any room left to argue without sounding ridiculous.

A low, slow smirk gradually returned to Giovanni's face. He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms as his dark eyes locked onto Maria's flustered expression.

"Well," Giovanni drawled smoothly, his voice rich with quiet amusement. "I guess you're coming home with me, Maria."