LUCAN

The next morning, I woke up with a stuffy nose, and my forehead was burning. 

"You’re awake," Marco said softly.

He was sitting on the edge of my bed, a wet towel draped across his arm. 

His brows were furrowed with concern, he looked like he hadn’t slept.

"You really are so weak, I can't believe you caught a cold from sleeping on the floor." Marco said teasingly. 

I smiled at him, I felt so weak, my throat was sore, and my body ached all over. I blinked at him, touched by the care in his voice. 

Something had definitely changed in Marco, it wasn't like the cold, calculating Marco from before. 

Each time I felt a little bit uncomfortable, in a matter of seconds he'll be beside me, petting me ensuring I was okay. 

He stayed beside me the entire day, making sure I took my medication, adjusting the blankets, holding my hand when the fever made me shiver.

He even refused to let anyone else nearme.z when Jonathan came to see how I was feeling, he dismissed him.

Later in the afternoon, Jonathan brought a tray of soup for me. 

The way Marco reacted was strange, I liked seeing this side of him, possessive, yes, but gentle in his own way. I felt oddly safe.

By evening, my fever had broken, I sat up slowly, leaning against the headboard. Marco was already beside me, holding a cup of warm tea.

"Thanks," I said, taking it from him.

"If you ever feel even a hint of illness again, you tell me immediately. Don’t try to handle it on your own."

I nodded slowly.

Later that night, I fell asleep with Marco’s hand in mine. He sat in the chair beside my bed until I drifted off.

The next morning, I felt better. Not completely strong, but well enough to shower and get dressed. 

I chose a soft sweater and jeans and walked down the corridor. 

Marco, of course, was already up. He was standing in the living room with his phone to his ear, giving instructions to someone in clipped Italian.

When he saw me, he immediately ended the call.

"Should you be out of bed already?" he asked.

"I’m feeling better. Just wanted to stretch."

He walked over to me and cupped my face in his hands. "No fever. That’s good."

His phone buzzed again, and this time he hesitated before answering. "I have to take this. Go sit, okay?"

I nodded and went to the couch, as Marco walked into his office to take the call.

I walked back to my room, I picked up my phone from the drawer beside the dressing table. I hadn’t checked my phone in days. There were dozens of unread messages and calls. 

A message popped up, it was from Lucan:

“I need to talk to you. It’s important.”

I felt guilt, after everything that had happened, I hadn’t thought about Lucan nearly as much as I should have. With Marco around constantly and everything falling apart so quickly, my past life had felt like another world.

I texted him back:

“Hey. I’m okay. What’s going on?”

His replied immediately

“Come outside. I’m parked across the street.”

I stared at the message, I felt uneasy. Marco would lose it if he knew I was going outside alone, but Lucan wouldn’t have sent that if it wasn’t serious.

I slipped into a hoodie and quietly tiptoed past the hallway. The guards Marco stationed weren’t at their posts, maybe switching shifts. 

Ther was no sign of Jonathan either, I stepped out the side door, scanned the street, and saw a black SUV parked under the shade.

Lucan stepped out, he looked different.

He was dressed in all black, his shoulders looked broader than I remembered. 

There was no casual grin this time. Just a hard, unreadable expression as he opened the back door and motioned for me to get in.

Something was wrong.

I slid in silently, he entered the driver's seat and turned slightly to face me.

“Lucan, what’s going on?” I asked.

He looked like he was battling internally before he finally said. “I didn’t want you to find out like this.”

I was honestly so confused, what is Lucan talking about “Find out what?” I asked.

He looked me dead in the eyes.

“I’m not just Lucan Taylor. I’m the head of the Caelus Syndicate.”

I froze, Marco had mentioned something about the Caelis Syndicate. 

The were another powerful mafia faction, although from what I heard, they weren't as powerful as the mafia group Marco ruled. 

Marco had recently started suspecting their involvement in the last attacks.

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “No, that’s not, You’re joking.”

I sat there as I looked at my bestfriend, I felt betrayed, why did it always have to be like this all the time?

Lucan didn’t blink, but I saw how hurt he looked seeing me like this. “I never lied to you about how much I cared. But I kept that part from you because I didn’t want it to change what we had.”

My heart was hammering now. “So this whole time—while I was nearly dying, while I was attacked—”

“I wasn’t behind the attack, Emily!” His voice rose suddenly, filled with something raw. “I would never hurt you. How would you even think that?”

“Why now, Lu? Why tell me now?”

He looked away, then back at me. “Because you're not just anyone anymore. You’re married to him. I know you understand what I mean, you're not safe here Emily. You're not safe with Marco.”

“where would I be safe? And how is any of this my fault?” I whispered.

Lucan’s eyes softened. “You’re the daughter of Mr Harper, that puts you in the middle. Some want you dead, while some others want to use you.”

“And what about you, Lucan?” My voice trembled. “What do you want from me?”

“I want to protect you,” he said. “Even if it means going against everything I’ve built. But if you stay with Marco… I can’t guarantee your safety.”