登入~MARCELLA~My Lucas is awake!He's actually awake!He's lying on the hospital bed, his upper body slightly elevated, with an IV attached to his left hand and a bandage covering his injured right shoulder.His face looks a little pale, and he appears exhausted, but his eyes are open.And the moment I see him looking back at us, something inside me gives way."Oh, my God!"Camilla breaks down first. "Lucas!"She rushes towards the bed, carefully throwing her arms around him without touching his injured shoulder."You're awake!" Her voice cracks. "You're actually awake!"Lucas gives her a faint smile."Hello to you, Camilla.”That's all it takes.Camilla starts crying even harder."Oh, my God, Lucas! Are you okay? Does it still hurt? Are you feeling any pain? What did the doctor say? Are you sure you're okay?"She pulls back slightly, examining his face."Baby, please tell me you're okay."Lucas lets out a weak chuckle."One question at a time, Camilla."I stand th
~MARCELLA~I never thought I'd find myself in this position again.Sitting in a hospital waiting room, staring at a closed door, and praying that the man behind it would open his eyes.Lucas.My Lucas.God, seeing him again tonight was something I never prepared myself for.Not in a million years did I imagine that I'd walk into my father's birthday party, climb onto that stage with my sisters, and find the one man I've spent months trying so desperately to forget sitting among the guests.Lucas Santis.The moment my eyes landed on him, I swear my heart stopped.I actually froze.For several seconds, I couldn't move, couldn't speak, and could barely breathe.I thought I was imagining things.I thought perhaps I had missed him so much that my mind was playing tricks on me.But no.It was really him.The same Lucas I had kissed, held, desired, and fallen hopelessly in love with.The same man I had cried over when things between us fell apart.The same man I had spent
~CAMILLA~My Lucas is gone!!!I stand there staring at the doorway, unable to move.The sound of gunfire continues behind us as my fathers and their men finish dealing with Torenzo's remaining men.But I barely hear anything.I don't care about the attack anymore.I don't care about Torenzo.I don't care about the destruction of the hall or the guests who have been evacuated.All I care about is the man who just left this place with a bullet in his shoulder.What if he dies?The thought comes so suddenly that my knees almost give way.What if Lucas dies?What if I never get to see him again?What if the last time I ever get to look into his beautiful eyes was when he was lying on top of me, bleeding?"No..." I shake my head. "No, no, no."My hands fly to my mouth as another sob escapes me.He can't die.He can't!Not after everything we've shared.Not when I haven't even had the chance to tell him how much he means to me.I look down at my hands.They're covered
~CAMILLA~"How on earth do we get Lucas out of here as soon as possible?"The question keeps repeating in my head as I look around the hall.There are still armed men everywhere. Some are lying motionless on the marble, others are struggling with the Romano guards, and a few are still pointing their weapons at one another.I don't care about any of that.I just want Lucas out of here.I want him in a hospital. I want doctors surrounding him. I want somebody to stop the bleeding and tell me that he's going to survive."Please, Daddy!" I cry, turning towards my daddy. "We need to get him out of here!"His eyes move from my face to Lucas, and I watch his expression harden."Don't worry about that, princess."He reaches down, gently brushing a strand of hair away from my tear-stained face."Lucas is leaving here immediately. Do you understand me? He's going to get the best medical attention available, and nobody is going to stop that from happening.""But Daddy..."
~CAMILLA~"LUCAS!"My scream tears through the entire hall.For a moment, I don't even recognize my own voice.I stare at the man lying on top of me, my hands trembling against his face as I try to understand what just happened.No.No, no, no!This isn't happening.Lucas can't possibly have been shot.He can't!"Lucas!" I scream again, desperately shaking him. "Lucas, open your eyes!"But he doesn't.His head hangs heavily, his eyes are closed, and his right arm lies awkwardly beside him.Then I see it…..the blood.Oh, God.There's so much blood!It's spreading across his shirt, soaking through the fabric around his right shoulder and dripping onto the floor beneath us.My eyes widen and a strangled sound escapes my throat as I look at the blood on my hands.He's bleeding.My Lucas is bleeding!"Noooo!" I scream so loudly that my throat immediately begins to hurt. "Help! Somebody help me!"I try pushing myself up, but Lucas's weight is still partially on me. I
~LUCAS~“Kill them all!!” My father's voice commands.The first gunshot rings out before he even finishes speaking.And suddenly, the entire hall erupts into madness.Gunshots explode from every direction.The Romano guards immediately return fire, sending several of Torenzo's men crashing backwards.People scream. Tables overturn. Glasses shatter.The beautiful birthday decorations are torn apart as bullets rip through the hall, leaving holes in the walls and sending pieces of plaster raining down.Someone falls beside me, sending a chair crashing against the floor.Another gunshot rings out, followed by a horrible cry.I barely register any of it.The guests are scrambling for cover, some crawling beneath tables while others run desperately towards the exits.But there is nowhere safe because the enormous hall has become a battlefield.Armed men move between the tables, firing at anything that moves. A chandelier swings violently overhead.One of the security guards takes a bullet to
~ELENA~Nico's lips graze my cheeks…almost a kiss.Almost.And then the gym door swings open.“Damn!” We both exclaim.Riccardo walks in, towel over his shoulders. He pauses, eyes flicking between our too-close bodies.“Everything okay here??” He asks, voice neutral, but b
~NICO~“Dad, I'm not quitting school. I love it there” I say angrily to my father.Vincenzo, Riccardo and I are in my father's private office and he called us for a meeting because he heard I was at Elena's school yesterday.Yes, I get that father has eyes everywhere but wh
~ELENA~The whispers multiply until it feels like the entire hallway has turned into a low hum of excitement.“Who is he? Does anyone know?”“They say he is doing his masters.”“I heard he's transferred.”“Transferred? He looks like he walked straight out of a magazine.”“D
~NICO~The moment my fist connects with Alessandro’s jaw, the sound is louder than I expect. A sharp crack that silences even the shrieks around us.He stumbles, spits blood, and collapses onto the floor.The crowd roars….half in shock, half in awe. Phones are out, cap







