MAFIA LOVE SCANDAL

It’s hard to keep track of how many times Noah paced back and forth while waiting for news from the doctor who was busy attending to Anna Maria. Upon learning that his younger sibling had been shot, he paid no attention to his surroundings and immediately rushed her to the hospital in Palermo. He handed her over to the medical team for intensive treatment as soon as possible.

Giorgino was no different, anxiety evident on his middle-aged face. Just as he had reunited with his daughter, he was confronted with the reality that his youngest child had fallen victim to the cruelty of the Sicilian mafia.

If you counted, it had been over two hours that the father and son had been waiting outside the operating room. Before long, a female doctor emerged and provided an update on Anna Maria’s current condition.

“How is my sister, Doctor? Is her wound very serious? Can she be saved?” Noah bombarded with numerous questions. Meanwhile, Giorgino stood silently, awaiting the doctor’s response regarding his daughter.

What else could they do? Both of them were genuinely worried about Anne’s condition. Especially Noah, who felt an instant surge of guilt in his heart. If only he hadn’t involved Anna Maria in this mission, his beloved sister wouldn’t be injured like she was now.

“Relax, your sister is in stable condition. Moreover, the bullet that lodged in her right chest has been successfully removed by the medical team. Shortly, we’ll transfer the patient to the intensive care unit for the recovery process.”

Noah breathed a sigh of relief. Hearing the doctor’s explanation, he felt a glimmer of hope. At least Anne’s condition wasn’t as critical as he had feared all along.

“Can we see her condition?”

The doctor shook her head. Shortly after, she smiled, understanding the feelings of the two men standing before her.

“Not for now. The medical team still needs to conduct further observations after the surgical operation. Once her condition is deemed stable, we will notify the family so they can visit the patient in person.”

This time, Noah nodded in understanding, letting the doctor return to the room. There was nothing he could do except follow along and entrust everything to God and the medical team caring for his sister.

Julie, who had been at the hospital all this time, could see how Noah was lost in his thoughts. Feeling sorry for him, she got up from her seat, walked slowly to where Noah stood, and gently patted his shoulder while speaking softly.

“Your sister will be alright. I heard the bullet didn’t hit any vital organs. That means the healing process will be faster.”

Noah turned to look at her and weakly nodded. He hoped what his partner said would come true. He wouldn’t forgive himself if anything bad happened to his beloved sister.

“I hope so. I’m the one who caused this. Not just once, her life has been in danger multiple times because of this mission.”

Noah shifted his gaze to Giorgino. The man approached his father, head hanging low.

“Father, I’m truly sorry. Anne shouldn’t have been involved in this matter. I should have let her stay in a neutral area for protection yesterday. Instead, I took her to meet the Luca people.” Regret was clearly written on Noah’s handsome face, evoking pity from Giorgino.

“Enough, it’s already done. You also heard the doctors say that Anne’s condition is stable. That means your sister will be fine. We just need to pray and wait for her condition to improve,” Giorgino replied.

Before long, several people dressed formally entered the hospital. They approached Giorgino and asked him to join them in going to the AISE headquarters in Rome.

“Now that Luca has been captured, we need further reports. Especially since this case involves two countries. It will take a considerable amount of time to resolve. Hence, we need continued coordination with MI6 to address this issue promptly.”

Giorgino nodded.

“Alright, I will join you now. Besides, I need to send a report to the headquarters in England. We also have to follow up on other individuals involved in this case.”

The man in all black attire nodded. His gaze then shifted to Noah and Julie, who stood right in front of them.

“Both of you should also be prepared; we can call on you at any time to provide testimony. Especially to Miss Anna Maria. Once her condition improves, we will need to bring her in to provide essential testimony for the Italian intelligence.”

Noah let out a slow exhale. He understood the consequences of the task he had undertaken. However, he felt sorry for his sister. When she recovered, she would likely be summoned to the secret agent headquarters. As a woman who had held evidence of crimes and confronted mafia members directly, her testimony was crucial.

“I’m ready to face that whenever needed,” Noah affirmed confidently. “And if Anna Maria’s condition improves, I’ll be the one accompanying her to the AISE or MI6 headquarters.”

Giorgino and the Italian agents prepared to leave. But before they stepped away, the middle-aged man approached Noah once more, leaving a message for his eldest son to remember.

“Keep me informed about everything related to your sibling’s condition. If anything happens, contact me as soon as possible,” Hans nodded, exchanging a brief hug before letting his father go with the agents who had come to pick him up.

****

In a different room, Hans, Dominique, and Xavier looked equally worried. The three of them anxiously awaited news about Kaivan’s condition after the shooting tragedy. It had been over three hours, but no medical team had come out of the operating room.

Feeling overwhelmed by the situation, Hans pulled out his phone from his pants pocket. Swiping the screen, he searched for Kenzi’s contact. He attempted to reach the youngest member of the Maximilian family as soon as possible.

Luckily, after just two rings, the call on the other end finally picked up. Without much delay, the large man conveyed the purpose and urgency of his early morning call to Kenzi.

“Mr. Kenzi, I apologize if I’m disturbing your time, but there’s important news that I need to share urgently.”

On the other end, Kenzi seemed puzzled. Hastily, he responded, “What’s the matter, Hans?”

“Mr. Kaivan left for Italy a few days ago to catch up with his wife, who was captured by the Sicilian mafia. And now, your brother is in the hospital due to being shot in the chest and his right arm.”

“Oh my God!” Kenzi exclaimed. Hans could sense that the man was likely panicking and anxious. “How is he now? Which hospital did you take Kaivan to?”

Hans took a slow breath, attempting to remain as calm as possible.

“Your brother has been taken to a hospital in Palermo. Currently, we’re waiting for updates from the doctors who are treating him.”

“Let me know if there are any new developments. If anything happens, I’ll head to Italy immediately.”

“Understood, Mr.,” Hans replied. “I’ll provide further updates. Hopefully, there won’t be any worrying news about his condition.”

Right after the call ended, Hans could see a male doctor and a nurse coming out of the operating room. He quickly approached and inquired.

“How is the patient named Kaivan, doctor?”

The doctor lowered his mask to reveal his face and then answered Hans’ question.

“We can say that the patient’s condition is not good. There was a serious bleeding incident. However, we managed to address it. The bullet lodged in the victim’s body hit a vital organ. With deep regret, we recommend transferring the patient to a hospital with more advanced medical equipment.”

Hans froze for a moment. His mind seemed to struggle to process the doctor’s words.

“But, doctor, isn’t it dangerous to move the patient in a condition that can be considered not good, like now?”

The doctor nodded.

“The family can involve the medical team when transferring the patient. Now, your task is to choose the best-recommended hospital. After that, we’ll proceed with the patient transfer procedure promptly. Your colleague has only 12 hours or his life won’t be salvageable.”

Hans sighed in frustration. He was obviously confused when faced with such a difficult situation. Not wanting to deal with it alone, he contacted Kenzi once again. He asked the youngest Maximilian sibling to select a suitable hospital to handle Kaivan, whose condition was currently critical.

“If possible, bring Kaivan back to London. Ask the doctors to coordinate with the hospital I’ve chosen.”

Hans unconsciously nodded, agreeing with Kenzi’s suggestion.

“Alright then, I’ll inform the medical team. I’ll update you when we’re on the plane and ready to depart for London.”

“I’ll be waiting for your news, Hans.”

After ending the call, Hans quickly returned to the medical team. He started coordinating the steps that needed to be taken to move Kaivan from Palermo to London.

After signing all the necessary consent forms, Hans was asked to wait for a while as the medical team prepared everything Kaivan needed before being taken to the airport. After lengthy deliberation, it was decided that Kaivan would depart for London using a military plane.

While waiting for instructions from the medical team, Hans noticed Noah walking slowly towards him from a distance. Hans immediately approached, curious to know how Anna Maria’s condition was after being shot earlier.

“How is your sister? Is she being taken care of properly?”

Noah nodded weakly and then answered Hans’ question.

“Thank God, Anne underwent surgery a few hours ago. Her condition is gradually stabilizing.”

Hans let out a sigh of relief. At least, some of his worries lessened. If Kaivan woke up tomorrow, he could share this good news. Yes, hopefully Kaivan’s condition would improve as well.

“Thank goodness. I hope Anne wakes up soon and recovers as before.”Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

“I hope so,” Noah replied. He then glanced towards the operating room where Kaivan was being treated. After a short while, his eyes narrowed.

“And how about Kaivan? Has he received medical treatment?”

This time, Hans let out a heavy sigh. He was unsure where to start the story. But he thought Noah needed to know about the status of his brother-in-law.

“Kaivan is not in good condition. The doctor even advised us to transfer him to another hospital immediately. The bullet Luca fired hit one of his vital organs. This hospital isn’t willing to take the risk of performing the procedure.”

“Oh my… ” Noah’s face suddenly turned anxious. He didn’t expect Kaivan’s condition to be the opposite of his sister’s, who had already passed the crisis. “So where are you taking Kaivan?”

“His family decided to take Kaivan to one of the renowned hospitals in London. I hope what we’re doing can save his life. Honestly, I can’t bear to see him fighting for his life like this.”

Noah paused for a moment, feeling concerned about Kaivan’s situation. The man had ended up in this situation inadvertently because he got involved in Luca’s case. Thinking about it again, Noah felt uneasy and began blaming himself once more. But what else could he do? Everything had already happened, and regret wouldn’t change anything.

“I hope everything goes well,” Noah said. The next moment, he took out his phone. “Hans, please note down my phone number. When we’re apart, I beg you to keep me updated about the latest developments regarding Kaivan’s condition during his treatment. I’m sure that when Anne regains consciousness, she’ll look for her husband.”

Hans nodded, agreeing to Noah’s request. He then wrote down Noah’s phone number as requested.

“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely keep you informed. And please do the same for us. Let us know about Anne’s condition when she wakes up.”

After bidding farewell, Hans quickly followed the medical team that had called for him. He left Noah and Anne behind to escort Kaivan back to London. It remained uncertain whether this husband and wife would be able to reunite after all this.