Chapter 6

Lily slowly opened her eyes, feeling weak and disoriented. The beeping of machines and faint antiseptic smell told her she was in a hospital. But how did she get here? She tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness washed over her, forcing her back onto the pillow.

Gio's face came into focus, her eyes red-rimmed from crying. "Oh, my God, you're awake," Gio exclaimed, holding Lily's hands tightly.

"Where...where am I?" Lily whispered, her voice barely audible.

"You're at the hospital," Gio replied, tears streaming down her face. "You fainted, and you've been unconscious for 24 hours. I was scared you wouldn't wake up."

Lily's memories came flooding back – the warehouse, her father's lifeless body. She cried freely, unable to hold back her emotions. Gio hugged her, trying to console her.

As Lily's tears subsided, Gio spoke up, her voice laced with concern. "Dimitri's outside, speaking with the FBI agents. They came to ask you some questions."

Lily's thoughts swirled in chaos. Why was her life spiraling out of control? Just days ago, she was living a normal life as a photographer. Now, she was entangled with a mafia and a witness to a crime. Her father was dead, and she felt lost and alone.

And her mum?

The door to her hospital room creaked open, and Dimitri's imposing figure filled the frame. His eyes locked onto Lily, and for a moment, they just stared at each other. The air was thick with tension.

Dimitri's expression was unreadable, but his eyes seemed to bore into Lily's soul. He walked towards her, his movements deliberate and calculated.

"Lily," he said, his deep voice low as if trying to restrain himself. "I see you're awake. That's good. He paused. But Dimitri has a lot in his mind. He was more than happy that she was well and okay.

“We have a lot to discuss."

Lily felt goosebumps attack all over her skin as Dimitri's gaze lingered on her. She tried to sit up, but her body felt heavy, as if weighed down by the gravity of her situation.

Dimitri's eyes narrowed slightly as he took in Lily's frail appearance. For a moment, his expression softened, and Lily glimpsed a flicker of concern. But it was quickly replaced by his usual stoic demeanor.

Gio stood up, her eyes darting between Dimitri and Lily. "I'll give you two some space," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

As Gio exited the room, Dimitri's gaze never left Lily's face. He walked closer, his presence dominating the white hospital room.

Lily felt trapped, unable to escape the intensity of Dimitri's stare. She tried to look away, but her eyes seemed drawn to his, like a magnet.

Dimitri's voice broke the silence, his words low and measured. "Lily, I know you're scared, but I assure you, you're safe now. My men are outside, watching over you. You really have nothing to worry about."

Lily's eyes snapped back to his, a spark of defiance igniting within her. "I don't want your protection," she spat, her voice trembling with anger.

Dimitri's expression remained impassive, but a hint of amusement danced in his eyes. "You don't have a choice, Lily," he said, his voice dripping with authority. "You're mine now."

“I..I—what of my mum?” She whispered almost inaudibly.

Lily's heart skipped a beat as Dimitri's words still hung in the air. She felt a chill run down her spine, a sense of foreboding settling over her.

“I’m on it.” As Dimitri turned to leave, he paused beside Lily's bed. His hand reached out, and he gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. The touch sent unexpected shivers down Lily's spine.

"I'll be back soon," Dimitri whispered, his breath caressing Lily's skin. He leaned in closer, his lips grazing her forehead in a soft kiss. "Rest for now, wifey."

With that, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving Lily feeling frustrated, scared, and more than a little intrigued.

~~~~~~~~

The next morning, Gio helped arrange Lily's things as she was being discharged from the hospital. As they were packing, Lily received an email about her mother's hospital bills.

Lily's eyes widened in panic as she her reality dawned on her. She tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness washed over her, forcing her back onto the pillow.

"What, how did it get so high?" Lily exclaimed, her eyes scanning the email in horror. Her voice trembled as she thought about the overwhelming debt.

Gio's expression turned concerned. "Lily, don't worry. We'll figure something out. We'll find a way to pay for it."

Lily nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. She needed Gio's encouragement right now more than ever.

As they finished packing, Dimitri arrived to drive them to Lily's mom's hospital. Lily's heart skipped a beat as she saw Dimitri, his eyes fixed intently on her.

Lily took a sharp breath, feeling a pang of guilt. She wasn't feeling better herself, but she needed to be with her mom in the hospital. She couldn't shake off the feeling that her mom needed her.

"Ready to go?" Dimitri asked, his deep voice low and commanding.

She nodded, feeling a flutter in her chest. She didn't know why, but Dimitri's presence made her feel both safe and trapped.

As they drove to the hospital, Lily's anxiety grew. She was worried about her mom's reaction to her marriage, and the danger that lurked in the shadows.

When they arrived at the hospital, Lily's heart swelled with emotion. She rushed to her mom's side, tears streaming down her face.

"Mom," Lily whispered, hugging her mom tightly.

Her mom's eyes filled with tears as she hugged Lily back. "My baby, I've missed you so much."

As they hugged, Lily felt another sense of relief wash over her. She had missed her mom so much, and it felt good to be reunited with her.

But as they pulled back, Lily's mom's expression turned serious. "Lily, what's going on? You look like you've been through hell."

Lily took a deep breath, knowing she had to tell her mom everything. But she was scared, scared of how her mom would react. And as if on cue, Gio decided to break the tensed air and rushed to greet Lily’s mum.

“Hiii Aunty! It’s so good to see you’re well.”

Gio squealed, causing Lily’s mum to divert her attention and mood to her niece.

As they reconnected, Lily’s mood lightened up. They all spent the next few minutes catching up, talking about everything and nothing.

Lily's mom asked about her dad more than once for any updates, but Lily dodged the question, not wanting to reveal the painful truth. She quickly changed the subject, trying to steer the conversation towards safer topics.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Lily took a deep breath and revealed the truth—as we all know, truth is subjective in this case.

"Mom, I need to tell you something," Lily said, her voice trembling.

Her mom's eyes narrowed, concern etched on her face. "What is it, baby?"

Lily hesitated, unsure of how her mom would react. "I got married, Mom."

Her mom's eyes widened in shock. "What? Lily, what are you talking about?"

Lily took another deep breath, steeling herself for her mom's reaction. "I married a uhh Dimitri Kalashnikov, Mom. He's...he's a mafia boss."

The room fell silent, the only sound heard was the beeping of the machines. Lily's mom looked like she had been punched in the gut, her face pale and shocked.

“Please get the doctor..” she managed to voice out.

Lily whose heart was pounding twice as fast was also having a meltdown, she turned her attention to Gio who in turn was stark confused.

“Mum?..”

“GET THE DOCTOR!” Lily’s mum clutched her chest hard with her shaking hands.