FALLING FOR THE FORBIDDEN STAR のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 121 - チャプター 130

Chapter 122The flashing red and blue lights of the police cruisers faded slowly as the dust settled over the broken remains of Tania’s last stand.She had been dragged out, cuffed, weeping, her sobs muted by the pounding of footsteps, the calls of medics, and the lingering echo of Brian’s collapse.But in the center of that ruined room, surrounded by bullet casings, bloodstains, and broken dreams, Andreas held Mia and Sofia close. Their bodies trembled in his arms, but they were alive. Alive. And for now, that was all that mattered.The paramedics hovered around them now—one team already crouched beside Brian’s still frame, working with soft urgency as they checked vitals, oxygen, and administered CPR. Another attended to Sofia, gently bandaging her scraped knees and bruised arms. One more stood beside Mia, trying to coax her onto a stretcher, but she refused to let go of Andreas’ hand.“I’m not leaving him,” she whispered, hoarse and shaking, her eyes still wide with fear and disbel

Chapter 124The gates of the Leonardo estate creaked open with a subtle groan, as the black SUV bearing Mia, Sofia, and Andreas rolled in beneath the cloudy dusk sky. The journey from the hospital had been quiet. Mia had spent most of it with her eyes closed, Sofia resting on her lap, while Andreas sat with his hands clasped, a man visibly carrying more weight than before. The doctors had confirmed they were stable. No internal damage, just surface bruises and exhaustion, but the wounds of the soul were deeper, slower to heal. Only Brian had been kept behind for close monitoring, Andreas’ mother choosing to remain with him.But just as the car turned into the driveway, they were met with the unexpected frenzy of flashing lights. Reporters flooded the front porch and the front yard, yelling questions, their lenses poking over the perimeter fences like weapons. Microphones thrust forward as they mobbed the vehicle.“Andreas! Is it true your ex kidnapped your family?”“Mia, can you confi

Chapter 126The next morning arrived cloaked in a strange quiet. It wasn't the peaceful kind, but rather the kind that lingered after a storm had passed, uncertain if it had truly ended. Somehow they thought the worst was over. How wrong they were. April's confession last night had put them all on their feet. The living room now buzzed with an uncomfortable tension as the family assembled. Andreas stood tall behind the couch, his hands resting gently on the shoulders of Mia and her mother, Mrs. Angela. Both women sat with straight backs, their hands clasped tightly on their laps. Across from them, April sat alone, her shoulders slightly hunched, as though the weight of what she was about to say had settled on her spine. Her fingers fidgeted with the edge of her blouse, knuckles white, as she summoned the courage to speak about everything. She wasn't leaving anything out anymore. No more lies. "First, Mia," April began, her voice soft, almost trembling. "I'd like to apologize to you

Chapter 128April sat silently beside the hospital bed, the hum of machines and the distant echo of hurried footsteps providing the only soundtrack to her thoughts. The light in the hospital room was too bright. Almost painfully sterile. And yet, it felt like a spotlight shining on the impossible decision April had made.Her eyes were locked on the doctor standing in front of her, a composed, middle-aged woman with kind eyes and a heavy truth."You're a perfect match," the doctor announced softly.There was a brief, loaded pause.April's heart matched for the transplant for Brian. They found a donor. lGloom settled over the room like a descending curtain. No one moved. No one breathed.Then Mia crumbled. A guttural sob tore from her chest as she staggered toward April, arms outstretched. Her body trembled, overcome with a storm of relief and guilt."You don’t have to do this," Mia cried as she collapsed into April's arms. "Please. There has to be another way."April, already tearful

Chapter 130The front door closed with a muted click, swallowed by the stillness of the evening. Andreas didn’t follow her in. Not yet. Maybe he shouldn't. This was obviously a misunderstanding and they needed to talk. But when they were both calm and level-headed. Mia watched the security light cast his silhouette on the pavement through the blinds, motionless except for the occasional rise and fall of his shoulders. His hands were shoved deep in his pockets, his gaze tilted upward toward the moon as if waiting for it to give him answers.Mia sat down heavily on the edge of their bed, her legs trembling beneath the weight of too many emotions. Her chest burned. Her throat ached. She was still fuming, at Tania, at Andreas, at everything. The sheer audacity of Tania showing up at Lucas’s funeral. The terror on Sofia’s face. The officers’ justification. The way Andreas defended her, again.She took a deep breath, in and out, in and out, trying to still the thunder pounding behind her r