LOGINLia’s POVI shook my head quickly. “No, stay with Matteo,” I told him. I reached out and touched his arm gently, feeling the warmth of his skin through his shirt. “He needs you right now. He’s scared, and you’re his dad. I’ll be fine. It’s just the cafe downstairs. I won’t be long.” I gave him a small smile, even though it felt weak on my face. I didn’t want him to see how nervous I was about leaving him alone with Lola, but I also didn’t want to make a scene in front of Matteo. The little boy was already scared enough, and his eyes were still watery as he looked between us.Dante hesitated for a second, his eyes searching mine like he could tell something was off. But then he nodded. “Okay,” he said softly. “Be careful, baby.” He leaned over and kissed my forehead quickly, his lips warm against my skin. The kiss felt like a promise, and it gave me a little strength. Then I turned and walked out of the room, feeling the cool air of the hallway on my face as the door closed behind me.
Lia’s POVWe turned back to the glass window together. Victor was still lying there, so pale and still under all those bandages and wires. The machines kept beeping steadily beside his bed, one after the other, filling the silence. I leaned into Dante’s side and wrapped my arms around his waist, feeling the warmth of his body through his shirt. He pulled me close right away, his arm going around my shoulders again, holding me tight like he didn’t want to let go. We stood like that for a long time, just holding each other and watching the man we both loved fight for his life. The hospital sounds kept going around us—the beeping, the footsteps of nurses, the low voices of the doctors and nurses talking at their station—but in that moment, all I could really feel was Dante’s warmth next to me and the fear sitting heavy in my chest like a stone I couldn’t move.I closed my eyes for a second and sent another silent prayer up. Please let him be okay. Please let him wake up and come back to
Lia’s POV“He’s going to be okay,” I whispered, even though I wasn’t sure I believed it myself right then. The words felt small and fragile coming out of my mouth. “He has to be. We just have to wait a little longer. The doctors are taking care of him, and he’s strong. He’s always been strong for us.” My voice cracked a little on the last part, and I had to swallow hard to keep from crying again.We stood there for a long time, just holding each other and staring through that glass window. The machines kept beeping in that steady rhythm, one after the other, like they were counting the seconds we had to wait. Every now and then a nurse would go into the room to check on him, her shoes making soft sounds on the floor, and I would hold my breath until she came back out looking calm. I kept praying silently, over and over, that Victor would open his eyes soon and look at us. That he would smile that calm smile of his and tell us everything was going to be fine. The thought of losing him
Lia’s POVMarco left for a while to go work with the police to find Rob. They put out a manhunt for him. Before he left, he turned to us in the waiting area and said in that steady voice of his, “I’m going to do everything I can to bring him in. You two stay here and be strong for Victor.” I nodded at him, but my throat felt too tight to say anything back. My hands were already twisting together in my lap, and I could feel the cold sweat on my palms. Dante just gave him a quick nod too, his jaw still tight from all the anger he was holding in. I could see the muscle twitching in his cheek. Marco’s shirt was still stained with Victor’s blood, dark red patches that had dried a little but still looked fresh enough to make my stomach twist every time I looked at it. It smelled a little too, that metallic scent mixing with the strong hospital antiseptic in the air. He walked away down the long hospital hallway, and I watched until he turned the corner and disappeared. The sound of his sho
Lia’s POVThe look in his eyes scared me so much. It was full of pain and fury, and I knew he meant every word. He was hurting so bad right now, and the anger was the only thing holding him up. But I couldn’t let him do something stupid that would ruin his life. I couldn’t lose him too. Not when Victor was already fighting for his life somewhere behind those big ICU doors.I stepped closer to him and put my hand on his arm. His muscles were tight and shaking under my fingers, like he was barely holding himself back. “Dante, please listen to me,” I said softly, my voice cracking a little from all the tears. “Victor is going to be okay. He’s strong. He’s the strongest person I know. He’s going to pull through this surgery. We have to believe that with everything we have. And Rob… we’ll get him arrested. We’ll make sure the police catch him and he pays for what he did. But not like this
Lia’s POVWhen we finally pulled up to the hospital, the building looked so big and cold, with bright lights shining over the front entrance even though the sun was just starting to come up. Dante slammed the car into park and we both jumped out fast. The glass doors slid open with a soft whoosh as we ran inside, and right away the smell hit me hard. It was that strong hospital smell—antiseptic and something sharp and clean, like they had just finished mopping everything with strong cleaner. It made my nose sting and my eyes water even more than they already were. People in blue scrubs were walking fast in every direction, pushing carts with medicine bottles and bandages. Somewhere down one of the long hallways I could hear a machine beeping over and over, steady and scary.Marco was waiting for us right at the entrance, just like he promised. His shirt was stained with blood. Dark red patches spread across the front and down one sleeve, and I knew without anyone telling me that it ha
When I finally got to my room, I stopped in the doorway and just stared.It was beautiful. Really, genuinely beautiful. The room was spacious and airy, with high ceilings and large windows that looked out over the water. The last light of the evening was painting the Mediterranean in shades of oran
Those blue eyes. God, those blue eyes.Up close, they were even more intense than I'd noticed from across the room. They were the kind of blue you saw in pictures of the Mediterranean—deep and clear and impossibly bright. They held a sharpness to them, an intelligence, like he was taking in everyth
Lia’s POVThe words hit me like a physical blow. Like he'd reached across the space between us and punched me in the stomach.Better than I ever did.I thought about all the times I'd tried to please him. All the times I'd gotten on my knees for him, wanting to make him feel good, wanting him to wa
Lia’s POVA real smile, not the annoyed half-smile he usually gave me. His eyes lit up as he looked at her, traveling down her body slowly, taking his time."I don't need anything for now," he said, and his voice was different. Warmer. Friendlier. Flirty, even."Okay, sir," she purred, holding his







