FAZER LOGINLucia shut her mouth, though her eyes still held protest.The principal tried to mediate."Mr. De Luca, I appreciate that you want to protect your family. But this school has rules. Leo must face consequences. He will be suspended for three days.""Fine," Alexandro said without hesitation. "Is there anything else?"The principal looked at him, then at Lucia who was still standing with a tense face."No, Sir. We will contact you for the hospital bill details."Alexandro nodded, then turned to Leo. "Come on, let's go home."Leo stood up, looked at his mother with eyes asking for understanding, then followed his father out of the room.In the car, Alexandro drove with his gaze straight ahead, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. Lucia sat in the passenger seat, her body rigid, and Leo sat in the back, his eyes staring out the window."Mommy still mad?" Leo asked.Lucia turned. "I'm not mad, Leo. I'm just confused.""Confused about what?""Because what you did was wrong, but you
Alexandro and Lucia arrived at the new building project site on the outskirts of town. Construction dust still hung in the air, mixed with the sound of drills and hammers.A foreman greeted them with a hard hat in hand."Mr. De Luca, Ma'am, please come in. We've prepared everything for the presentation," the foreman said.Alexandro gave a brief nod, his hand holding Lucia's as they stepped into the still open building frame. Bare concrete, towering steel, and sunlight piercing through gaps in the walls created strange shadow patterns on the floor."So this is going to be the hospital?" Lucia asked."Yes, Ma'am. As per Mr. De Luca's request, we'll build a hospital with a capacity of two hundred beds, modern operating rooms, and a special wing for children," the foreman explained while pointing to the blueprint spread out on a folding table.Alexandro let go of Lucia's hand and walked closer to the blueprint. His eyes traced every line, every room, every detail he had designed with the
The envelope still felt heavy in Marco's hand, even after he had read it several times on quiet nights. Cassian's letter wasn't long, but every word felt like a stone thrown into a calm pond—disturbing, unsettling, and leaving ripples he couldn't erase.Marco kept the letter in his wallet, folded neatly among photos of Nora, Luca, and Davina.Three weeks after Alicia's funeral, Marco decided to meet Cassian. The address was written on the back of the letter a small town on Italy's western coast, far from Rome.Marco didn't tell Alexandro. He didn't tell anyone. He just packed a small bag, kissed the foreheads of Leo, Aurora, and Loris while they slept, and left before dawn.The journey took almost six hours. Marco drove calmly, passing through winding roads that cut through the Tuscan hills, through small villages still asleep, and finally arriving at a quiet coastal town—white-painted houses with terracotta roofs, cobblestone streets sloping toward the sea, and the scent of salt mixe
The helicopter arrived faster than Alexandro had promised, only twenty minutes after Marco's call. Its rotor blades shattered the silence of the mountains, its searchlight sweeping across the pine trees and the steep cliff gaping at the end of the land. Marco stood at the edge of the ravine, his jacket flapping in the wind from the rotor, his eyes never leaving the darkness below.Alexandro got off the helicopter with four rescue team members and two paramedics. His face was tense, but he didn't ask anything. He only looked at Marco, nodded once, then gave instructions to his team. Ropes were lowered, additional searchlights were turned on, and two rescuers began descending into the ravine.Marco wanted to go down too. He had already stepped to the edge, ready to grab the rope, but Alexandro held him back."Let them work. You're in no condition to go down there," Alexandro said."I have to...""You have to hold on here. You've done what you could. Now let them."Marco stared at Alexan
Marco woke from his light sleep around two in the morning, his ears catching a sound that shouldn't be there a soft creak from the front porch, the sound of shoes touching old wooden boards.He didn't move, but his hand slowly reached for the pistol beside his rocking chair. His eyes pierced the darkness, looking at Alicia sleeping on the sofa, her body rising and falling with steady breaths.Marco counted. Two people. Maybe three. They weren't trying to fully hide their presence, they were just trying to be quiet, as if thinking the house's occupant was fast asleep.Their mistake.Marco stood without a sound, grabbed his jacket, and tucked the pistol into his waistband. He stepped to the side of the sofa, gently touching Alicia's shoulder. The woman woke instantly, her eyes widening, but Marco covered her mouth with his palm before she could make a sound."Don't talk. There are people outside. Three, maybe four. I need you to go to the back door now. Don't stop, don't look back. Run
The sun had sunk behind the mountains, leaving the sky a dark purple slowly turning to black. Inside Marco's small house, the fire in the hearth blazed warmly, and the aroma of boiling soup filled the room. Marco stood in the kitchen, cutting vegetables with practiced hands, occasionally glancing toward Alicia, who sat on the sofa, her wounded arm still wrapped in bandages."You don't have to cook for me," Alicia said, adjusting her position to be more comfortable. "I can eat anything.""You lost a lot of blood," Marco answered without turning. "You need proper food."Alicia smiled slightly. "Are you always like this? Taking care of people without being asked?"Marco didn't answer. He poured soup into two bowls, placed pieces of toast beside them, then carried everything to the wooden table near the hearth. Alicia tried to stand, but Marco raised his hand."Don't. I'll bring it to the sofa.""I'm not a child.""You're a woman with a gunshot wound in her arm. Just sit."Alicia sighed,







