Chapter 7 - The Awakening
Two weeks later, winter had begun to give way to the faint warmth of early spring.
The fallout from the Red Velvet Lounge raid had decimated the Blackwood syndicate. Roland Blackwood and Vincent Hale were both serving non-parole life sentences in federal prison, their assets seized, their organizations dismantled.
The Moretti syndicate had undergone a complete purge. Dominic had restructured his entire leadership, placing trusted men in key positions and transitioning the family's assets into legal, high-yielding commercial ventures.
At the Lake Forest estate, the atmosphere was lighter, brighter, filled with hope.
In Mateo’s room, the medical equipment had been updated with state-of-the-art neuro-rehabilitation technology brought in from Switzerland.
Evelyn sat beside the bed, guiding Mateo through his daily physical therapy exercises. She held his right hand, gently flexing his fingers.
"Okay, Mateo," she said encouragingly. "Focus on your index finger. Just a tiny twitch. You can do it."
Dominic stood by the window, watching quietly.
Mateo’s face strained with intense concentration. Sweat beaded on his forehead.
Slowly, impossibly, his index finger curled inward, tapping against Evelyn's palm.
Evelyn gasped, tears springing to her eyes. "Mateo! You did it!"
Dominic rushed to the bedside, his heart in his throat. "Mateo?"
Mateo looked at his brother. He drew a deep, raspy breath through his throat, his vocal cords struggling to produce sound after two years of silence.
"D... Do..." Mateo choked out, his voice a frail whisper. "Dom..."
Dominic grabbed his brother's hand, weeping open tears of joy. "I'm here, brother. I'm right here."
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"Thank... you..." Mateo whispered, his eyes shifting toward Evelyn. "Thank... her..."
Evelyn wiped her tears, smiling radiantly as she kissed Mateo's forehead. "You're going to walk again, Mateo. I promise you."
