Chapter 1

It was 8:14 pm.

When the tender boat crashed into the breakwater, I lost my footing and was thrown off the boat. By the time someone lifted me onto a stretcher, I was in so much pain that I could barely speak.

Lia Bellandi, my husband Marco Romano's childhood friend, stood on the dock with his jacket draped over her shoulders and a piece of gauze taped to her arm.

She had a piece of gauze taped to her arm. When she saw my stretcher, she ducked behind Marco.

"I only wanted to take a detour to see the lighthouse. I didn't know we'd hit the breakwater..." she cried.

Marco pulled his jacket more securely around her shoulders. "How is any of this your fault? If anything, the boat operator should take responsibility for this."

As my stretcher was carried past him, I managed to reach out and grab his sleeve. He finally looked down at me, but his attention remained on Lia as he adjusted her jacket.

"We have a private doctor on board. Ask him to tend to your injuries for now," he told me. "Lia fell into the water earlier, and she's frightened. I can't leave her alone right now."

I was brought to the first-aid room on the island where we'd docked. Then, Pietro Conti, the private physician traveling with us, cut open my dress.

The moment Pietro touched my abdomen, I doubled over in pain. He immediately pulled his hand back and turned to Nurse Clara Fontana.

"Severe pain indicates that she may have internal injuries. We need to get her to a hospital on the mainland immediately. We can't afford to waste any more time," he urged.

Subsequently, he added, "Notify Don Romano and have a stretcher ready. This place doesn't have the equipment we need. The Donna needs to get to a hospital right away."

Frowning, Marco pulled out his phone and ordered the family helicopter to pick me up. After he hung up, he came inside and crouched beside my bed.

"Don't worry. I'll go with you," he said as he took my hand.

I nodded.

Moments later, Lia's sobs came from the room next to us.

"Marco!" she cried out.

She had made her way over to the doorway herself. The moment she saw Marco, her eyes welled up with tears.

"I can't breathe…"

Marco let go of my hand and hurried over to steady her.

Lia clutched his shirt and buried her face against his chest. "Don't leave me, Marco. Every time I close my eyes, I feel like I'm still in the water..."

"Don't be scared. I'll stay with you and take you to the hospital myself."

Pietro approached us with a transfer form. "Don Romano, it seems like Ms. Bellandi is just in shock, but the Donna may have internal injuries. She needs to get to the hospital first so we can run further checks. We can't delay her treatment any longer."

Marco glanced at me.

I lay curled up on the bed, and I was in so much pain I couldn't even lift a hand to reach for him. But to my dismay, the moment Lia tugged on his shirt, he instantly looked away.

"Elena has always been healthy. She can handle a little wait," he declared. "Let's take Lia to the hospital first. She's been frail since she was a child, and she's been struggling to breathe ever since she came ashore."

Pietro stood his ground. "But Don Romano, delaying her treatment could put her life in real danger…"

"It's all right, Don Romano. Let the Donna go first. I can hold on a little longer," Lia said in a trembling voice.

As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly grew too weak to stand. Her knees buckled, and she began to sink toward the floor.

Marco shot to his feet and caught her before she hit the ground. As he supported her, he ordered, "We'll take Lia to the hospital first. I'll have the pilot return as quickly as he can to pick Elena up. Stay with her until I get back. She'll be fine."

With that, he left the room with Lia.

After they left, Clara tucked the blanket around me again.

I wanted to ask her how long it'd take for the helicopter to return, but my teeth were chattering so badly I could barely speak coherently. Despite that, she still bent down to listen to what I had to say before promising me she'd find out.

My lips felt dry. I reached for the paper cup on the bedside table, but my trembling hand couldn't keep it steady. In the end, I ended up spilling all the water on the blanket.

Just then, Marco happened to return for his phone. When he spotted the cup on the floor, he asked disapprovingly, "Clara's right outside. Why do you insist on doing everything yourself?"

"I... I don't have any strength left. It hurts too much." I pressed a hand against my abdomen, struggling to keep my voice steady. "Please help me. I really don't think I can hold on for much longer. I'm under a blanket, but I'm still freezing…"

He touched the edge of the blanket that was hanging over the side of the bed. "This is such a thick blanket. You're practically wrapped up in it. How can you still be cold?"

"Marco…"

He sighed, and a flicker of irritation flashed across his face. "Lia almost fainted earlier—you saw it yourself. Besides, you've always known that she has a weak constitution."

As he put his phone away, he added, "You still have the strength to argue with me, while she's so frightened she can barely stand. What's wrong with sending her to the hospital first?"

Footsteps sounded at the door.

Lia had returned.

With Marco's jacket draped over her shoulders, she made her way toward my bed and said, "I'm sorry, Donna Romano. I just wanted to see the lighthouse. I didn't expect the boat operator to crash into the breakwater."

As she spoke, she reached over to touch my hand.

I tried to move, but even the slightest movement sent a sharp pain through my abdomen. Because of this, I couldn't even lift my hand.

Lia's hand froze in midair. Moments later, tears slipped down her cheeks.

"Are you still refusing to forgive me?" She sobbed.

Marco pulled her to his side.

"She just got pulled out of the water, and she still insisted on coming over here to apologize to you. Why can't you just say something to make her feel better?" he barked.

I turned to him. "Did you hear what Dr. Conti said?"

"I never said I wouldn't take you to the hospital." He frowned. "Can't you just tell her that you don't blame her for what happened? Are you trying to make her cry?"

I didn't respond. I felt incredibly heartbroken.

Lia and Marco grew up together, and she'd always been frail. When they were children, she'd once saved Marco from drowning and ended up falling extremely ill after catching a cold. From that point onward, her health took a turn for the worse, and her house became filled with all kinds of medicine and health supplements.

Marco had always felt indebted to her. So, over the years, he kept her close and looked after her personally. Whenever a promising new medication hit the market, he had it delivered to her room at once.

I'd never minded any of it. In fact, I used to admire Marco for being kind and grateful toward the people who had helped him in the past. But now, I couldn't accept that he had prioritized her yet again.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of the helicopter arriving.

As Marco turned toward the door, I reached over to grab his hand.

"Please take me to the hospital first, Marco…" I begged.

He lowered his head to look at me as I struggled to speak.

"I can't take it anymore. I'm in so much pain that I couldn't even sit up just now. Dr. Conti said I can't afford to wait any longer," I said before pausing to catch my breath. "You don't have to come with me. Stay here and look after Lia. I'll just ask Clara to come with me."

His gaze fell to the hand I had wrapped around his wrist. "I promised Lia I'd take her to the hospital myself. You'll have to wait for the next trip."

"Then take me with you. Please don't leave me behind—"

"You'd take up the entire back cabin by lying down. Where is she supposed to sit?"

"But Dr. Conti said I can't afford to wait… Please—take me first and come back for her later."

Lia instantly tightened her grip on his other hand. "I'm too scared to stay here by myself, Marco. You promised you'd stay with me."

Marco glanced at her. By the time he turned back to me, his expression had already darkened.

"Can you be more sensible, Elena?" he snapped.

"I… I just want to go to the hospital. I can't hold on for much longer." I was losing my strength, but I didn't dare to let go of his hand. "I genuinely don't feel very well."

"You insist on making me change my mind every time you're unhappy with a decision I made," he replied with a frown.

He pried my fingers off one by one and placed them back on the blanket. "Just do as I say. You're aware of Lia's condition. I'm taking her to the hospital first. Just stay here and wait for the helicopter to come back for you."

Lia tugged at his sleeve. "My legs feel so weak. I can't walk."

Marco immediately bent down and scooped her into his arms.

Just moments ago, she'd been able to walk all the way to my bedside on her own. Now, she was curled up against his chest with both arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

"Look after the Donna. Everything else can wait until I get back," he told Clara at the door.

Then, he carried Lia away.

I wanted to call after him again. But the moment I inhaled, the sharp pain in my abdomen forced me to double over.

Clara rushed over to support me. She was just about to tuck the blanket around me when touching the fabric left her hands covered in blood. When she pulled the blanket back, she finally realized how much blood I'd lost.

I felt incredibly cold, and my entire body was trembling uncontrollably.

"Oh no! Her condition is getting worse!" she cried as she tried to stop the bleeding.

"When is the helicopter going to get here?"

"Don Romano didn't mention it, but he said they'd return as soon as possible."

My body was freezing, and my heart felt like it'd been torn apart.

I asked Clara to hand me my phone and forced myself to call Marco again and again. I didn't know how many times I'd called before he finally picked up.

"I already told you I'd come back for you as soon as possible, Elena. Why are you still calling me?" he snapped irritably.

"I've lost a lot of blood, Marco…"

"Enough!" He cut me off sternly.

I could hear Lia sobbing softly in the background as he continued, "You've always had a strong constitution, Elena. Just wait for a little longer. Your injuries can't be that serious if you still have the strength to call me."

He paused to comfort Lia in a hushed voice. A moment later, he sighed.

"Just hang on for a little longer. We've already arrived at the hospital. I'm coming back to get you right away."

The call ended.

I shut my eyes, and the phone slipped from my hand.