Chapter 75 Seventy five
Chapter 75 Seventy five
Mira closed her eyes.
For a moment, she couldn’t find her voice.
Her fingers tightened around the phone as her thoughts drifted back to the treatment room. Salvatore lying unconscious on the bed. Doctor Romano barking orders. Antonio trying to keep his composure while fear slowly crept into his face. The terrifying silence that had settled over the room when nobody knew if he was going to wake up again.
“…He’s alive,” she said at last, her voice barely above a whisper.
The relief on the other end of the line was immediate. Matthew let out a slow breath. “Thank God.”
“You sound relieved.” she said shocked
“I am,” Matthew admitted.
She hadn’t expected that answer.
“I don’t want anyone to die, Mira,” Matthew said quietly. “Not even a monster like him.”
She lowered her eyes to the dried blood covering her hands.“The doctor said he’ll recover.”
“Are you sure?”
“He lost a lot of blood,” she admitted. “But… he’s stable now.”
Matthew was silent for several seconds. “So you’re still at his mansion.”
It wasn’t a question. She leaned her head against the door. “…Yeah.”
“Mira…” His voice carried a kind of exhaustion she’d never heard from him before. “Get out of there.”
She closed her eyes tighter. “I can’t.”
“Why not?” He asked
“I still have a job to do.”
“What job?” Matthew asked, frustration slipping into his voice. “Getting yourself killed?”
“I’m close to something.”
“You’ve been close for what now weeks? Month?”
Mira let out a sigh.
“And look where it got you.”
She rubbed her forehead tiredly.“This changes everything. Now we know he has a lot of people who are willing to testify against him.”
“Come off it,” Matthew replied immediately. “It changes nothing.”
She remained quiet.
”He still has people trying to kill him.”Matthew said trying not to raise his voice
“I know.” Mira whispered
“You almost got caught in the middle.”
“I know.”
“A man literally walked into a charity gala with a gun and aimed it at you.”
“I know, Matthew.”
“Then why the hell are you still there?”
She didn’t answer immediately. Because she didn’t know how to answer.
Finally, she whispered, “I can’t leave yet.”
Matthew let out a humorless laugh. “Can’t…” He repeated the word slowly as if trying to understand it. “Or won’t?”
She rubbed her forehead “What does that mean?”
“It means every reason you’re giving me sounds like an excuse.”
“It’s not,” she says trying to silence the lie she just told.
“You keep saying you need evidence. You keep saying you’re staying because of your investigation.”
“I do need evidence and this about my investigation.”
“But that’s not the real reason anymore, is it?”
Her heartbeat faltered. “Matthew…”
“Mira.”His voice became quieter.n“Answer me honestly.”
She gripped the phone tighter.
“You’ve always been honest with me,” he said softly
“I am being honest.”
“Then tell me this.”
Another long silence stretched between them.
“So much has happened tonight,” Matthew continued softly. “You watched him get shot. You watched him almost die.” His words settled heavily inside her chest. “You cried for him.”
She shut her eyes.
“ You held his hand.” She swallowed. “You refused to leave his side.”
She tried to interrupt. “Matthew—”
“And even now…” His voice cracked slightly. “…you’re still there.”
She couldn’t breathe. “I’m a reporter.”The excuse came almost immediately. “I need to finish what I started.”
Matthew sighed. “You don’t even believe that yourself.”
“I do.” Mira whispered
“Mira.”his voice sounded heartbreaking. You’ve been repeating that sentence ever since you answered my call.”
She said nothing.
“Be honest with me, Mira.”
A bitter smile touched her lips. “I am.”
“You know what I mean.” he said “You have enough information to walk away. And I know you can work with all you know.”
“I don’t.”
“You do,” he said firmly
“I need proof.”
“You’ve always made them... proof.”He paused. “But that’s not what’s keeping you there anymore.”
Her fingers trembled. She hated that he was asking questions she couldn’t answer.
Questions she didn’t want to answer.
Matthew’s voice softened. “…Do you like him… do you love him?”
The question stole every thought from her mind.
The room became impossibly quiet.
She opened her mouth. Nothing came out.
“Mira…” She stared at the floor.
“…Answer me.”
Her lips parted again. Still… Nothing.
The silence stretched between them until it became an answer all by itself.
Matthew let out a slow, broken breath. “…God.”
He et out a low laugh.It sounded like something inside him had just shattered.
“Fuck, Mira…” His voice was barely audible now. “You can’t.”
She squeezed her eyes shut.
“I don’t know what’s happening.” he said “ but you can’t fall for him.”
“Am not in love with him.” Mira said feeling her chest tug tightly
“His a murderer a fucking psychopath. This is crazy.”
“I know.”
“The man you believe has blood on his hands.”
“I know.”
“So tell me why you’re still hell are you still with him?” he asked
“I'm not with him.”
“You are.”
“I’m trying to find the truth.”
Matthew laughed again.“Knock it off.” His voice carried quiet heartbreak. “You’re trying to find a reason not to hate him.”
Mira felt her chest tighten.She wanted to argue.
Wanted to deny every word. But she couldn’t.
Because somewhere deep inside… She was terrified he might be right. Matthew remained silent for a long moment before speaking again.
“If you stay there much longer…” he said quietly, “…I’m scared you won’t come back the same person. Or worse dead.”
Mira closed her eyes.
Neither of them spoke. The silence between them felt heavier than anything either of them could say.