"Adrián died so he'd become Matteo."

"What...What do you mean...?"
I turned around and saw Matteo arriving in the cellar, shooting Joseph a deadly glare as if he'd be the next one to hang.

I broke down, sobbing, feeling myself nearly passing out, stumbling against the desk.
"Cariña, you don't understand any of this. Come back upstairs.", he reached out to me.

I aimed the gun in between his eyes.
"FUCK OFF MATTEO, YOU'RE DEAD TO ME. EXPLAIN EVERYTHING WITHOUT LYING. NOW!"
Matteo took a step back, while I one forward.
"What have you done with Adrián?"

He stared the ground down, hands in his pockets.
"I am Adrián."
"STOP FUCKING PLAYING WITH ME!"

I didn't have the best image of Adrián in my head anymore, that's why I grabbed the photo from the pinboard, comparing them.

Realization hit me. Matteo's face just turned more manly over time, with sharper features, his hair a bit darker and way longer. His cheekbones were visible, defined jawline.

I would've never got the idea of Adrián being Matteo when I met Matteo 7 years after I encountered Adrián.

"My full name is Matteo Adrián Riviera Díaz. My father's first name was Adrián, but he always went with Martín, his second. My mother's name before marrying my father was Riviera."
"Why have you never told me? Why did you keep it a secret? What kept you from staying with me?"

Joseph seemed even more ashamed than Matteo for what was happening right now.
"My old best friend drew a line in the sand. He found out."

DAI's CEO
Was that the reason why DAI wanted to separate Matteo and me? But they also wanted to kill me?

"Lara, trust me, I wanted to burn this room, leave everything behind, because I finally had you again. I will marry you and move out of this shit hole."
"Before I keep this ring on my finger, I'll shoot myself."

I pulled the weapon over his head. The blunt sound of hitting his bone sounded in the room. "FUCK!", he shouted, blundering against the wall.

I rushed upstairs, hoping Joseph wouldn't follow me. Without looking back I grabbed my car keys and sprinted outside. The cold winter air hit me like a fist and without waiting for the windows to defrost I hit the gas, driving to Carlos' apartment.

Not to stay, but pack my things. Getting Carlos into trouble will be the last thing I'd want to do.

"So you're telling me, that she pulled a gun over his head?", was the first sentence I heard before coming to my senses.
Beeping in my ears, my eyes blurry and I used my little eyesight to see if I could use my hands properly.
The lamp on the ceiling shone a light on a familiar brown-haired man in my life and where I lay. On the couch in my living room.

After five seconds I was able to perceive my environment. Leon and Joseph towering over me.

"Brother, you're alive?", Leon asked, snipping against my forehead. The pain caused my face to grimace.

"Stop it, Leonardo.", I sat upright, feeling so dizzy, I would rather fall back into the pillows.

Slowly I remembered what happened. Lara found the room and knocked me out. She left.

"We need to search for Lara. I won't let her run away from me."
Joseph pushed me back onto the couch as I tried to stand up.
"We have another problem now, for some reason DAI found out that Lara isn't with you anymore."
I squinted my eyes at him.

"And how is that a problem? My wife is not with me. I need my wife, the rest can burn. Without Lara my life is senseless."
Leon rolled his eyes.
"Well, DAI called, your old best friend wants to have a little talk with you, with no weapons. In his office."

He was the last person I wanted to talk to right now. We'll just go for each other's throat just like the last time we saw us.

"We will prepare the helicopter, while you collect yourself. Their office is in Arizona."

‎𐦍༘⋆.𖥔 ݁ ˖₊ ⊹⟡ 𐦍༘⋆.𖥔 ݁ ˖₊ ⊹⟡ 𐦍༘⋆.𖥔 ݁ ˖₊ ⊹⟡

Leon put some lines of coke onto the table and Joseph wrinkled his nose. "Valentina will leave you, the second she finds out you're taking drugs again."

Leon rolled his eyes, "Calm down, this is my relationship, not yours."
While Leon snored a line I observed the mountains of Arizona. Where was Lara? At Carlos' apartment? Somewhere else? Will DAI get her before I do?

The sting in my heart grew the more I realized that she was gone, even if just for a short time to collect herself.

I painted different scenarios in my head of how she'll be in a white dress after I put an end to all of this happening. I'll be DAI's end, no matter what it will take. NATAS is next.

My wife. I'll live happily with her after she receives an explanation. Fuck I don't even know where to start by myself.

"Gentlemen, we'll land in the next five minutes."
The pilot spoke through the speakers.
"Are you ready?", Joseph asked concerned.
"Yes.", I lied, putting my coat on.
I'll shoot him dead for what he has done. All these years.

The plane landed and we got barricaded by DAI guards. In their gun west and black outfits.
"Only Matteo Díaz, the rest can stay back.", one of the men ordered.
"Hell no, motherfucker.", Leon argued and got threatened with a machine gun right after.
"Chill man!"

I felt a rifle in my back, pushing me forward into the guardian of two guards.
"Fine."

Nothing is fine. I forgot my fucking in the gun in the jet. I shoved back my anxious thoughts and tried not to cause a scene yet.

They led me through the underground tunnel of the mountain towards the giant headquarters of DAI. The building was a skyscraper with tinted windows, slightly tilting to the right.

At the entrance, they used scanners to search for weapons I'd carry with me.
Maybe it was an advantage that I forgot mine

Passing the reception I caught my first glance at Mahit after seven years. He smiled apologetically. Without being able to say hello I got dragged into the elevator, where two familiar faces waited for me. Grigori and Ryan.

"Whom do we have here?", Grigori sneered, leaning against the mirror, "Are you ready to talk with the boss?"

I didn't answer, keeping my eyes on Ryan.
"Pretty woman left ya?"
I clenched my hand into a fist, ready to beat him up again like back then in the opera but to unalive him this time.

"How did you find out?", I kept my tone low, prepared myself for the case, they'd attack me.
"We have our ways.", Grigori answered.

"Man, I've always said that stalking women is a bad and gross option. You should've listened instead of spying on her for seven years."

The elevator door opened and the long white hallway led to one single office. My body was sweaty from the secret fear I had of entering this room. I saw my life on a strick. It was just a matter of seconds until he'd murdered me in the most gruesome way. Just like I murdered every man who'd want to touch Lara the way I did.

Grigori pushed me out of the elevator through the hallway and Ryan opened the door.

There he was. His back turned to us, drinking something, probably gin, observing the mountains in Arizona through the large panorama window. Muscles flexing under his black shirt.

"Long time no see, Matteo.", he cooyed way too serene to be sane.
He decided to face us. He didn't change much.

The tall frame, the same messy layered black hair, his eyes as black as the night sky, with a scar slashing through his right, cross-chain instead of a tie for his shirt and a silverish belt snatched around his trousers.

"I agree, Gabriel."