Chapter 178: Max causing trouble at the hospital
"It’s my fault," Mila admitted helplessly. "I was arguing on the phone and woke him up. He got scared."
"Give him to me."
Mila hesitated. She couldn’t calm the baby herself.
And Dominic... The man who knew only how to fight and kill... How could he possibly soothe a crying newborn?
Still, she carefully placed Cassian in his arms.
Dominic cradled him with surprising gentleness.
"My boy," he murmured. "You shouldn’t cry like this."
He gently stroked the baby’s tiny head.
Almost immediately, Cassian stopped crying.
Mila stared in disbelief. "He... he stopped."
She covered her mouth. "How did you do that?"
Dominic smirked. "He is my son. He knows I’m here. As long as I’m with him, he has nothing to fear. Why would he cry?"
His certainty made her heart ache.
She knew Dominic was fearless. She knew he was powerful enough to eliminate countless enemies. But there were simply too many of them.
How long could he continue fighting?
The thought alone tightened her chest. Her eyes gradually filled with tears.
"Dominic..." She looked at him pleadingly. "Let’s leave. Let’s go somewhere no one can find us. I don’t want to stay here anymore. I don’t want any more war."
Dominic frowned. "Are you asking me to run away?"
He could hardly believe what he was hearing. The Mila he knew had always been brave, fearless, and determined. The woman standing before him now was different.
"What happened?" he asked quietly. "Did someone threaten you?"
Tears finally spilled down her cheeks. "Do I have to wait until something happens? We have a baby now. He deserves to grow up somewhere peaceful."
She looked into his eyes. "I don’t want you risking your life anymore." Her lips trembled. "I just..."
She swallowed hard. "I want us to be safe. If something ever happens to you..."
The words refused to come. Silence settled between them.
Finally, Dominic spoke. "So, you want me to hide?"
His cold words stole her breath. "Do you really think my enemies would stop looking for me if I disappeared?"
He shook his head. "Hiding solves nothing."
He shifted Cassian carefully in his arms. "I want a future where neither you nor our son has to live in fear. And the only way to achieve that is to eliminate every threat standing in our way. I also need powerful allies."
Mila didn’t care about strategies anymore. She simply wrapped her arms around him. "I don’t want to lose you."
Dominic’s expression softened. "Nothing will happen to me."
He kissed the top of her head. "Just give me a little more time. I’m close to ending all of this."
Mila slowly closed her eyes. Deep down, she knew running away wouldn’t save them. Their enemies would find them eventually.
She nodded. "Alright. I’ll wait."
She looked up at him, tears still glistening in her eyes. "But promise me one thing. Don’t die."
Dominic wrapped one arm around her while still holding Cassian securely in the other. "I won’t."
~~~~~~~~~
At the hospital...
Max arrived to visit his father. The moment he approached Luke’s hospital room, his path was blocked.
Matteo and Felix stood before the door like immovable walls.
"What are you doing here?" Matteo asked coldly. "You are not welcome here. Leave."
Max met his gaze without flinching. "I’m here to see my father." His voice was equally cold. "Move."
Matteo and Felix exchanged amused glances before bursting into laughter.
"Father disowned you," Matteo said mockingly. "He threw you out himself. You are no longer part of this family."
He waved his hand dismissively. "Leave before you embarrass yourself any further."
Max’s face darkened with anger. "I’m not leaving until I see him."
"Then I’ll beat you to death." Felix stepped forward, his fist already clenched. Before he could swing, Matteo grabbed his arm.
"Calm down."
Felix shot him an irritated glare. "He is here looking for trouble, and you want me to calm down?"
With a violent tug, he pulled his arm free. "Don’t stop me. I’ll teach him a lesson he’ll never forget."
He lunged forward again.
Matteo immediately caught him once more. "Enough." His voice hardened. "This is a hospital. Don’t start a fight here."
Felix reluctantly stopped, though his face remained twisted with fury.
Max let out a sarcastic laugh. "How amusing."
He looked between the two brothers. "Dad is lying inside that room, weak and sick. And his legitimate sons are making a scene in the hallway like common thugs. Absurd."
His smile turned mocking.
Felix’s temper finally snapped. "You bastard."
He charged forward. His fist slammed into Max’s face.
The impact sent Max stumbling backward.
Before Matteo could react, Felix grabbed Max by the collar. "You came here uninvited..." He punched him again. "And you still dare to insult us?"
Max’s head snapped backward. Blood instantly streamed from his nose. The sharp pain left him momentarily dazed. Instinctively, he covered his bleeding nose.
Matteo watched everything unfold. Instead of intervening, he quietly stepped back. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips as Felix vented his rage.
"You should never have come back." Felix yanked Max closer, his eyes blazing with murderous intent. "You are nothing but a bastard. Dad never truly accepted you. You’ve brought nothing but disgrace to this family."
His grip tightened. "If I kill you right now, he might even reward me."
With a violent shove, he threw Max onto the floor.
Max crashed heavily against the tiles.
Felix lifted his foot, ready to kick him.
"That’s enough." Matteo’s voice rang out sharply.
Felix froze. His raised foot remained suspended in midair.
Matteo walked over and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down, brother."
He glanced at Max with obvious disdain. "Don’t waste your energy on someone who is beneath you. He is not worth it."
Felix snorted but lowered his foot. Though still furious, he chose not to argue.
Matteo stepped in front of Max and looked down at him. "I warned you to leave. But you refused to listen."
Max breathed heavily, every part of his body aching.
"Now you’ve learned your lesson." Matteo’s voice remained calm. "Dad sent you away so you could live peacefully. You shouldn’t have come back."
Max slowly lifted his head. His eyes turned cold. "I came to see my father."
"You don’t need to worry about him anymore." Matteo’s tone was emotionless. "No one here needs you. Leave. And if you value your life, don’t come back."
Max glared at the two brothers one last time before struggling to his feet. He wiped the blood from his face with the back of his hand.
A murderous glint flashed in his eyes. ’I won’t forget today’s humiliation. I’ll make both of you pay.’
He turned and walked away.
Behind him, Felix was still fuming. "Why did you stop me?" he demanded. "That bastard mocked us, and you just let him leave?"
Matteo sighed helplessly. "He is already a broken man."
Without Luke’s support, Max had nothing left. He had destroyed his own reputation.
"There is no way he can regain his place in this family," Matteo shrugged. "What’s the point of crushing someone who has already fallen?"
Felix wasn’t convinced. He still wanted to tear Max apart.
"I don’t care whether he has broken or not." His eyes burned with rage. "I let him go today. But if he ever comes back to challenge us, I won’t spare him."
He shot Matteo a warning glance. "And next time, don’t expect me to listen to you."
With that, Felix stormed away.
Watching his younger brother disappear down the corridor, Matteo rubbed his forehead and let out a weary sigh.
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