I stood there in the sterile hospital room, the air thick with an unsettling mix of antiseptic and anxiety. My thoughts raced, a whirlwind of emotions and memories colliding in my mind.

  I glanced around the room, taking in the worried expressions on the faces of Luca, Henry, Tom, and Galeachi. Their eyes were filled with a mix of concern and uncertainty, all waiting for me to break the silence, but the weight of my thoughts left me speechless.

  Without uttering a single word, I turned on my heel and walked out of the room, each step echoing my turmoil.

  Exiting the hospital, I slid into the driver’s seat of my car, my hands gripping the wheel tightly as I tried to focus on the road ahead. I drove aimlessly through the city’s winding streets, the urban landscape blurring past me, until I found myself at the Coronado Dam.

  As I parked my car and stepped out, the cool breeze immediately greeted me, wrapping around my face like a refreshing embrace, while the sound of rushing water blocked out the noises coming from the city.

  I leaned over the weathered stone railing, peering down at the water below, its surface glittering in the sunlight like shards of glass. The chaotic swirl of the current mirrored the turmoil swirling within me, a reflection of the weighty burden pressing heavily on my chest. I knew it was time to unload these feelings, to seek clarity from someone I trusted.

  I pulled out my phone, the screen illuminating my anxious expression as I dialed Eva's number. I could feel the minutes stretching out, the cacophony of the city gradually fading into a distant hum.

  Just when I began to doubt if she would come, the familiar roar of her motorcycle sliced through the serene stillness, echoing like a beacon of hope. She arrived in a blur, the sunlight catching the metallic studs on her leather jacket, making her look both fierce and captivating.

  “What is it, Max? We don't normally do this chit-chat stuff,” she said, her voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and concern, her dark eyes narrowing as she studied me.

  I hesitated, feeling the weight of my thoughts coalesce into a knot in my stomach. “If you were given the chance to go back to your old life,” I finally asked, my voice edged with uncertainty, “would you take it?” I posed the question cryptically, searching for a flicker of understanding on her face.

  “Why the odd question? What’s going on?” Eva’s brow furrowed, the concern deepening the lines on her forehead as my words seemed to stir something in her.

  Taking a deep breath, I summoned the courage to share my internal conflict. “I've been given the choice to return to my old life… But if I do, I won’t be a mech anymore. I don’t know if going back would be the right decision.” My voice trembled slightly, the weight of my dilemma hanging in the air between us, thick with the tension of unspoken fears and possibilities.

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  “Max, you’ll still be living that same lifestyle; the only difference is that now you’ll be working for someone, insted of working for yourself.” Eva replied, her voice tinged with irritation. I could see where she was coming from; after all, one of the advantages of being a mercenary is that you get to pick and choose your gigs, but with the mafia, it meant trading that freedom for a life of servitude under someone else's orders.

  A sleek black car pulled up behind us, the engine purring softly before it came to a halt. The driver’s door swung open, and out stepped Luca, his tailored suit hugging his frame perfectly, shiny polished shoes glinting in the fading sunlight. He surveyed the scene, clearly intrigued and annoyed at my sudden disappearance.

  “What the hell was that? You get offered to come back, and your choice is to run away?” Luca asked, exasperation evident in his tone.

  “Who’s this jackoff?” Eva muttered under her breath, her eyes narrowing as she sized up Luca. His high-class appearance contrasted sharply with her more rugged look, a reflection of our life.

  Luca glanced over at Eva, his expression a mix of disdain and curiosity. “A close friend of his? What are you supposed to be, some fuck toy?” His words dripped with condescension, and I could feel tension crackling in the air around us.

  Eva’s hand instinctively moved towards her gun, her posture shifting as if preparing for a fight. I knew I had to de-escalate the situation quickly before it escalated into violence.

  “Give it a rest,” I said firmly, stepping between them.

  Luca bristled, his defensiveness spilling over. “Oh, she’s someone special to you, isn’t she?”

  Eva seized the opportunity to assert herself. “I’ve been here helping him these past two years. Tell me, if you're a close friend of his, where the hell were you during that time?” Her voice was steady, yet packed with a mix of concern and defiance.

  A self-satisfied smile crept across Luca’s face completely ignoring Eva. “Max, I'm heading back to the hospital; I suggest you do the same.”

  “So, he can go back to working for you?” Eva shot back, still annoyed at Luca’s arrogance.

  “He won’t be working for me. If anything, he’ll still be working for himself. The only difference is that he’ll be making some real money and will be protected,” Luca explained, his voice turning slightly more persuasive as he took a step away from the car.

  He glanced back at me, waiting for me to make a decision, the weight of the moment pressing heavily on my chest.

  “Think about how much easier your life will be, Max!” Luca yelled, his voice rising above the tension.

  Time seemed to hang suspended, as if the entire world was watching me grappling with my thoughts. I could envision all the people I would be leaving behind—the faces of my friends, the gigs I still had to finish, and the very real consequences of my choice.