The hospital room was quiet. Daisy was just starting to feel a little bit more relaxed. The nurse, the one who had come to check her vitals, was calm and professional. The nurse checked her pulse, her blood pressure, and then she picked up a small syringe. She said it was a painkiller, something to help with the pain from her wound.Daisy smiled softly. She was ready to be out of pain for a little while. The nurse put the needle in her arm, and Daisy felt a small sting. The liquid went into her body. But as it did, a wave of drowsiness washed over her. It was not the same feeling as the other painkillers she had been given. This was different. This was wrong.“What did you just inject me with?” Daisy asked, her voice a little slurred, her eyelids feeling heavy. “It doesn't feel the same. The other painkiller… it didn't feel like this.”The nurse's face, which had been so calm and professional, now held a look of sadness. Her eyes were filled with tears, and her lips were trembling. Sh
The morning sun filled the room with light. Daisy was propped up in her bed, her face pale but her eyes were cheerful. Vincenzo was there with her. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, a small bowl of soup in his hand, and he was feeding her. He was gentle and patient.She was watching him as he fed her, his eyes focused on her. She had so many questions, so many things she wanted to know, but she didn’t want his mood to change. She didn’t want to bring the darkness of his world into their quiet bubble. But the curiosity, the need to know, was too strong to ignore.She reached out and took his hand, stopping the spoon halfway to her mouth. “Enzo,” she said, her voice a little soft, “can I ask you something?”He put the spoon down on the tray, his face full of concern. “Anything, my love. Anything you want. Just ask me.”“It's about Arianna,” she said, her voice low. “Is she... is she really gone? Is she dead?”Vincenzo’s jaw tightened just a little. “Yes,” he said. “She's dead. She'
The morning sun filtered through the hospital room's window. Daisy woke slowly with a throbbing pain in her stomach. She opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was Vincenzo. He was asleep in a chair beside her bed, his head bowed, his fingers still wrapped around hers. His dark hair was a little messy. He looked completely exhausted.She reached out her free hand and gently ran her fingers through his hair. Vincenzo stirred, then his head came up with a jolt. His eyes were clear and instantly focused on her. A wave of immense relief washed over his face, it almost brought tears to her eyes. He lifted his hand from hers and gently stroked her cheek.“My love,” he said. “You're awake. How do you feel? Does it hurt?”Daisy tried to smile, but a sharp pain cut it short. “I feel okay. I’m just a bit sore. But okay.” She tried to sit up and get closer to him, but a jolt of pain in her stomach made her gasp. She closed her eyes.Vincenzo was up in a second, his exhaustion gone. “No, no
Vincenzo was a man of action, and being forced to wait was a special kind of torture. He wanted to be with Daisy, to hold her, to feel her heart beating, but he wasn’t allowed into the room. He wanted to deal with Vittorio and make him pay for what he had done, but he had to wait.His phone finally rang. It was Marco. “Marco,” Vincenzo said, “what's the report?”Marco's voice sounded a bit strained. “Don Marino, we have him. He's being held at one of the private safehouses. We've got him tied up, but he's fighting. He keeps denying everything. Saying he doesn't know what we're talking about.”Vincenzo's jaw clenched. “Keep him restrained, Marco. Keep him under heavy watch. I'll come to deal with Vittorio personally after Daisy stabilizes. Keep him busy until I arrive.”“Yes, Don,” Marco's voice was firm now, understanding what Vincenzo meant by that. “I understand. I'll call you as soon as anything changes.”Vincenzo hung up the phone. He looked at the closed door of Daisy’s hospital
Daisy's body laid limp in Vincenzo's arms as he carried her out of the car. Her face was getting really pale. The blood staining his shirt was a clear reminder that he had failed to protect her. The hospital doors slid open with a whoosh. The doctors and nurses rushed toward him before he could call for help. They took Daisy from his arms, placing her on a gurney. He followed them as they wheeled her away, his legs moving on their own as his mind raced with different thoughts. He watched helplessly as they pushed her through a pair of swinging doors marked “Operating Room,” and then they were gone. The doors swung shut, leaving him standing in the silent hallway.He was alone, feeling utterly helpless and powerless. His hands trembled uncontrollably. The blood on his shirt felt like a stain that would never wash out. He paced the hallway, back and forth, the only sound that echoed in his ears were the rhythm of his heart hammering against his ribs. He couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe.
Daisy felt a jolt of terror. Then she charged at her, desperate for answers. She grabbed Arianna’s shoulders, holding her, forcing her to look at her. “What are you talking about? Who put you up to this? Who is ‘she’?” Daisy demanded.Arianna’s lips twisted into a smirk. With her last strength, she pulled out another knife. Daisy hadn't even noticed it, hidden expertly in a strap around her thigh. Before Daisy could react, Arianna plunged the second knife into Daisy’s stomach. Daisy gasped, a sharp cry of pain tearing from her throat. Her eyes widened in shock. She stumbled back, clutching her bleeding stomach, groaning. The pain was immense, and her legs gave out, and she fell down, crashing to the floor, struggling for breath, the life slowly draining from her.Arianna stumbled towards the door. She fumbled with the handle, her movements jerky as the knife still protruded from her neck. She pulled the door open and staggered outside, leaving a trail of blood, her mission to kill Da