Chapter 55: An immense void

Ana
The morning light began to filter through the hospital windows, but the cold and despair did not dissipate. Paolo was still in critical condition, and I had not left his side for a moment. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the moment he fell, the blood staining his clothes, his pale face.
"He has to wake up," I whispered, squeezing his hand.
My mother, Luisa, approached slowly. Her presence was suffocating, a constant reminder of the shadows that surrounded us.
"Ana, we need to talk," her voice was firm, but there was no room for her now.
"Not now, mother. I can't."
"Ana, listen to me. You must prepare for the worst. If Paolo doesn't survive..."
Anger exploded inside me. I couldn't let her finish that sentence, to sow more doubt and despair in my heart.
"No! Paolo is going to live. I will not accept another possibility."
Luisa looked at me with a mixture of pity and frustration. Her coldness was unbearable to me.
"You have to be strong, Ana. Think about what you will do if he..."
"Shut up!" I stood up abruptly, facing her. "I will not accept Paolo dying. I will not allow it."
The intensity of my voice caught the attention of the nearby doctors and nurses. I walked towards them, my determination clear with every step.
"I need you to save him. Do whatever it takes, but Paolo has to live."
One of the doctors tried to calm me down, but his voice was a distant echo in the midst of my fury.
"We are doing everything we can, but his condition is very critical. We need time."
"You don't have time," my voice turned dangerous, icy. "I am Ana Salvatore, leader of the most powerful mafia in Italy. If you don't get Paolo to wake up, I will finish you all off. Every single one of you!"
The words fell like a blow. I saw the fear in their eyes, but I didn't care. I would do whatever it took to save Paolo.
"Ana, this isn't helping," Luisa tried to intercede, but I ignored her.
"Have you understood me? I want the best doctors here, now. I don't care what it costs, I don't care who they have to bring in."
The doctors nodded nervously, rushing to follow my orders. I returned to Paolo's side, my trembling hands stroking his face.
"You have to fight, love. You have to come back to me."
I noticed Dante in the corner, his gaze lost, avoiding me. Something about him was different, but I couldn't focus on that now. Paolo was my priority.
Luisa approached again, more cautious this time.
"Ana, you have to be realistic. If Paolo doesn't survive, the family will need clear direction."
"I'm not going to discuss this with you. Paolo will live, and we will move forward together."
"Ana, please. Think about the future, about the baby. We need a plan."
"The only plan is for Paolo to recover. That's all that matters now."
Luisa looked at me with a mixture of frustration and compassion.
"You know I'll do everything I can to help you, but you need to be prepared for anything."
Fury and fear mixed within me. I couldn't bear the thought of losing Paolo, not after everything we had been through together.
"If you really want to help me, then stop talking about this and do something useful. Make sure these doctors do their job."
Luisa nodded, finally understanding that there was no room for further discussion.
Hours passed, each one longer than the last. The doctors came in and out of the emergency room, but they never brought good news. Paolo was still fighting for his life, and I clung to every little sign of hope.
Dante approached, his face serious, his eyes avoiding mine.
"How are you?"
"I don't know. I'm... trying to stay strong."
"Paolo is strong. He'll get through this."
"I know. He has to."
Dante looked at me with an intensity I didn't fully understand. There was something in his eyes, a concern beyond Paolo's condition.
"Are you okay, Dante? You seem... different."
"I'm just worried about you, about Paolo. This is... difficult for everyone."
"I know. Thanks for being here."
"I'll always be here for you, Ana. Always."
He hugged me, and while I appreciated his support, something about his tone made me uneasy. There was a tension in the air, something I couldn't identify, but I didn't have time to delve into it.
The minutes turned into hours, and finally, one of the doctors emerged with a less grave expression.
"We've stabilized Paolo. He's still in critical condition, but there's hope."
I felt like I could breathe for the first time in hours. I turned to Paolo, watching his chest rise and fall slowly.
"Thank you," I whispered, unsure if the doctor heard me.
Luisa approached, placing a hand on my shoulder.
"You see, Ana. There's hope."
"Yes, and I'm not going to let anyone or anything take it away from him."
I moved closer to Paolo, leaning down to whisper in his ear.
"Keep fighting, love. I'm here with you. Always."
I glanced around, noticing Dante's presence, always vigilant. I knew we had a lot to face, that the battle wasn't over. But for now, I could only focus on Paolo, on keeping him safe.
Luisa retreated, leaving me a moment of peace. I knew I'd have to deal with her, with her ambitions and her coldness. But for now, my world was Paolo, and I would do whatever it took to bring him back.
As the night wore on, I clung to hope and the promise that together, we would face whatever came our way. Paolo was my strength, and I would be his. Nothing and no one could change that.
The night continued, each second an eternity. I stayed by Paolo's side, whispering words of love and encouragement, praying that his strength wouldn't leave him. But as the hours passed, I noticed something different. His breathing became more irregular, his skin paler.
"Dante, something's wrong," my voice barely a whisper.
Dante rushed over, his face mirroring my concern.
"I'm going to call the doctors."
Minutes later, the room was filled with doctors and nurses. I watched in growing terror as they worked frantically around Paolo, urgent whispers and quick movements.
"What's happening?" I tried to stay calm, but panic was taking over.
One of the doctors glanced at me briefly, his expression grave.
"We're losing his pulse."
I felt the world crumbling around me. It couldn't be true. Paolo couldn't leave us like this. I clung to his hand, tears falling freely.
"Paolo, please, don't leave me. Fight, please."
Dante was at my side, his arm around my shoulders, trying to give me strength. But I barely felt his presence, my focus entirely on Paolo and the doctors trying to save him.
"More adrenaline!" one of the doctors shouted.
The heart monitor emitted a constant beep, a sound I would never forget. It was the sound of my world falling apart. The doctors continued with chest compressions, their desperate attempt to bring him back.
"No, please, no!" I screamed, my voice torn by despair.
Dante held me tighter, but his presence couldn't calm the terror I felt. The seconds stretched on, each one a torture.
Finally, the doctors stopped. The silence that followed was deafening. One of the doctors approached me, his expression compassionate and resigned.
"I'm so sorry, Ana. We did everything we could, but we couldn't save him. Paolo is gone."
The words hit like a sledgehammer, leaving me breathless. It couldn't be real. It couldn't be true. I collapsed to my knees, a heartbreaking cry escaping my lips.
"No! Paolo!" I sobbed, my heart shattered into a million pieces.
Dante knelt beside me, his arms wrapped around me, but nothing could console me. My love, my strength, was gone. Everything we had dreamed of, everything we had planned, had vanished in an instant.
"I'm so sorry, Ana," Dante murmured, his voice breaking.
"I can't... I can't live without him," I whispered, my voice choked with pain.
The room felt empty, lifeless. Paolo, the man who had promised to love me, who had vowed to stand by my side, was gone. I felt a part of me die with him.
"Paolo!" I screamed again, my desperation filling the space.
I leaned over his body, kissing his forehead, whispering promises I could no longer keep.
"I love you."
The tears kept falling, each one an expression of my unbearable pain. Dante stayed by my side, his face reflecting a mix of sadness and despair.
"Ana, you have to be strong. For yourself, for the baby."
"I don't know how, Dante. I don't know how to go on without him."
"I'll be with you, always. You're not alone."
But in that moment, I felt completely alone. The loss of Paolo was a void that nothing and no one could fill. The love of my life, the father of my child, was gone forever.
I stayed there, clinging to his body, the pain searing through every fiber of my being. Time stood still, and in that moment, there was only the darkness of my grief and the certainty that nothing would ever be the same.