FAZER LOGINLuciano's POV âI want the truth, Silvia,â I said, my voice firm, leaving no space for evasion. For a moment, she only stared at me, her wide, trembling gaze slowly hardening into something sharp and dangerous. The fear melted away, replaced by anger that burned just beneath the surface. âSo you trust him over me?â she asked, her voice rising with disbelief. âGive me a reason not to,â I replied, unyielding. In the past, I had allowed guilt to cloud my judgment. I had been the one to introduce Silvia to Ricardo, and when everything fell apart between them, I carried that weight as if it were my own sin. Because of that, I never questioned her story as deeply as I should have. I had told myself that no one would fabricate something so cruel, so damaging. Now I could see how wrong I had been. âFine,â she said at last, her voice tight, as if each word cost her something. âMaybe I exaggerated parts of it.â âItâs all lies,â Ricardo cut in, his voice sharp with frustration. I turned b
Luciano's POV Without another word, Silvia Romano shoved past Doctor B and the masked assistant, her composure shattering as she rushed into the hallway like a woman fleeing a fire she could not outrun. âSilvia!â I called after her, irritation sharpening my voice, though confusion sat just beneath it. There was always something volatile about her reactions, but this felt different, more desperate, more afraid than anything I had seen before. I followed quickly, Doctor B and the assistant close behind me. Silvia had nearly reached the stairs when the assistantâs voice rang out, cutting through the corridor with a force that made everyone pause. âYou canât run from this, Silvia!â The sound hit me like a blow. Recognition came instantly, cold and undeniable. My head snapped toward him, shock tightening every muscle in my body. That was no assistant. That was Ricardo. Silviaâs ex-husband. My former friend. The rogue I had cast out. Before he could take another step toward her, I
Luciano De Lucaâs POV While I refused to accept Silvia Romanoâs demand that Chiara be erased completely from my life, I could no longer deny a quieter, harsher truth within myself. What I was doing⊠clinging to what had already slipped through my fingers⊠was not healing me. It was slowly hollowing me out. So I did the only thing that felt remotely like control. After placing a lock on Chiaraâs old bedroom door, I made a decision I was not certain I could keep. I would not go in there again. Each time I had stepped into that room, I had forced myself to relive everything I had done wrong. Every careless word. Every moment I had chosen pride, distraction, or indifference over her. I had convinced myself it was necessary, that it was punishment I deserved. Yet no matter how many times I stood in that space, surrounded by the ghost of her presence, it brought me no closer to forgiveness. Because the truth was simple and merciless. Chiara was gone. No amount of regret, no amount o
Luciano De Lucaâs POV I watched the shift happen in real time, the way Silvia Romanoâs expression changed as her eyes landed on the door behind me. What had been soft curiosity sharpened into something tense, something unsettled. âThatâs Chiaraâs room,â she said slowly, as if saying it aloud made it more real. âYes,â I replied without hesitation. There was no reason to deny it, not when the truth stood right there between us. Her gaze snapped back to me. âWhy were you in Chiaraâs room?â The question wasnât hers to ask, but I knew better than to say that. Silvia had a way of stretching conflict until it consumed everything, and I had no patience for another exhausting scene. So I said nothing. I held her stare without answering, hoping silence would be enough, hoping she would let it go. She didnât. If anything, my silence made it worse. Her eyes narrowed, her lips pressing into a thin line as irritation began to simmer just beneath the surface. It was still better than tears
Chiaraâs POV At work that morning, Caterina, Piera, and I gathered in the small office, the scent of strong espresso curling through the air as we leaned against desks and chairs, trying to pretend it was just another normal day. At my insistence, Caterina had not brought the newspaper with my face splashed across it. I had thought that would spare me the embarrassment. Unfortunately, Piera had already beaten her to it. She held the paper like it was something precious, her fingers smoothing the edges as though she truly intended to frame it and hang it behind her desk like a prized possession. âYou know my identity is supposed to remain a secret,â I reminded her quietly once we were alone. My gaze lingered on the bold headline before I forced myself to look away. âIf you hang that up, people will start asking questions.â Piera lifted her chin, completely unapologetic. âIâm allowed to admire the former Luna of the pack,â she said, as if that alone justified everything. Caterina
Chiaraâs POV âAdoption?!â The word came out sharper than I intended, laced with pure disbelief. My fingers tightened around my bag as I stared at the reporter, my thoughts scrambling to catch up with the absurdity of his question. âUh⊠no. No, thatâs not why Iâm here,â I said, my voice stumbling over itself despite my effort to stay composed. This was never meant to turn into anything public. I had only come to give back to the orphanage that had once taken me in, that had fed me, clothed me, and kept me alive when grief had hollowed me out after my parents died. âWhat other reason could you have for being here?â he asked, his tone lacking even the smallest trace of respect. âI donât know,â I replied just as bluntly, my patience snapping without warning. If he could not offer basic decency, then I had no reason to offer it in return. I raised my hand and flagged down a taxi, eager to escape the conversation before it twisted further. âIf youâll excuse me.â I should have known
Chiara's POV I only needed a little while to pull myself back together, enough to face the rest of the day and everything that came with it. Near the end of my shift as Doctor B, the hospital director himself, Signor Vittorio Bianchi, came to my office. The moment Piera saw him, she jumped to he
Luciano De Luca's POV After a moment, I shook the thoughts away. Little good it did to dwell on the past now, and on the things I couldn't change. Chiara was gone from my life now, just like Doctor B soon would be. While there were holes in my daily life, places that once Chiara had filled with b
Chiaraâs POVâNo,â Luciano De Luca said quickly.I ignored the flash of relief that surged through me. Foolish heart, foolish feelings. Luciano De Luca and I had broken our bond. What did it matter now who he decided to have his future children with?Subtly, I placed my hand over my growing belly.
Chiaraâs POV With a new focusâcuring Silvia Romanoâs infertilityâI became single-minded in my research and experimentation. While I still allotted some time for my other patients, every other moment was spent in the lab working on concoctions or in the back of my office, researching through my va







