Page 91 of Mafia King's Forbidden Obsession

I don’t know how long I lie there, but eventually, the door creaks open again.

Elio is standing in the hallway, his forehead creasing in a frown as he takes in my appearance.

“I thought you’d want to know… He’s stable now.”

The second those words exit his mouth, I find the strength to sit up again, my eyes wide. “He’s conscious? Can I see him?”

I jump out of the bed, ready to rush out, but he shakes his head slowly.

“He’s stable…” he hesitates, his eyes locked onto me. My steps falter, and I pause, waiting for his next words. “But he’s in a coma. The doctor doesn’t know when… or if he’ll wake up.”

The words hit me like a hammer, shattering the hope that had barely begun to take root. The room spins as I focus on the blood spread out on Elio’s shirt. And even though I see Elio’s mouth moving, I can’t hear anything. One thought replays through my mind like a broken record:Ezra is in a coma.

“Raven,” Elio says again, his voice finally cutting through the noise in my head. “You need to clean yourself up.”

He’s already by the door, opening it, his expression grim. He says something in Italian to someone outside, his voice low as the door clicks shut behind him.

Numbly, I drag myself to the bathroom, my steps forced and slow. When I reach the mirror, I stop to take in my reflection. I look like I’ve been to hell and back.

My eyes are bloodshot, rimmed with dark circles from exhaustion and tears. The white shirt I’m wearing is now stained with streaks of Ezra’s blood from when Elio carried me. I take off the shirt slowly, like a robot.

Then my eyes fall on the reflection of my stomach in the mirror and everything inside me freezes.

My hands instinctively rests on my stomach. Reality hits me like a punch to the gut, knocking the air from my lungs.

How can I bring my baby into this life? How can I raise them in a world where everything can be ripped away in an instant, likethis? I want to stay, to be with Ezra. But this life growing inside me gives me cause to rethink my decision.

Do I risk losing it if I stay? Or do I walk away from the man I love now to protect our baby? Both choices tear me apart. I close my eyes, steadying my breath.

Fuck.I know what I have to do.

My hands tremble as I hurry through a quick shower, trying to scrub off the blood, the fear, the guilt. Yet nothing feels clean.

When I return to the bedroom, I change into fresh clothes from the closet, I pull on a dark green shirt and black joggers.

I reach for my second bag of clothes and rummage through the pocket of my jeans, my hands still shaking as I search for it. Finally, my fingers close around the white contact card. The small, worn piece of paper I had stashed away and even considered tossing out. I never thought it would come to this, never thought I’d actually use it.

I make my way to the bedside table and pull the burner phone out of the drawer, my fingers trembling as I dial the number.

The voice on the other end picks up after the second ring. “I’m ready to leave,” I whisper, my voice barely audible.

The stranger’s voice is calm, almost too calm. “Fifteen minutes. Same place.”

I hang up, my heart hammering faster as I stuff the phone into my pocket. I need to move fast, time’s running out. The guards are distracted right now, everyone’s attention is on Ezra. If I’m careful, I can slip out unnoticed.

As I step out of the room, I tuck my hands into my pockets to hide their shaking, a sigh of relief escaping me when I don’t see guards in front of the room as usual.

I hurry down the many hallways that stretch longer than they should. I turn to the hallway that leads to the side entrance and come to an abrupt halt. I exhale slowly before walking out of the corner and towards the entrance.

The guards stationed at the door glance at me as I approach, one of them raising a hand to stop me. Their eyes narrow with suspicion.

“I just... I need some air,” I stammer, blinking back the tears threatening to fall. “I can’t... I just need a moment.”

They hesitate, exchanging glances. I break down, letting the tears flow freely.

“Please. Ezra... he’s—” I can’t even finish the sentence, my voice breaking. “I just need a minute.”

Reluctantly, they let me through. Once outside, the cold air hits me like a slap to the face. I glance around, searching for a car. My eyes land on an Audi parked near the gate.