Chapter 32%
My jaw tightened. “What the hell do you mean ‘not yet?”
“I mean,” he said, his tone measured, “you can’t take him down alone.”
I scoffed, pushing my chair back. “I don’t need your help:
“You might
I stood, already done with this conversation. “Stay out of this, Lorenzo
I can’t
His words made me pause. I turned back, namowing my eyes.?
He let out a quiet, humorless chuckle. “Rafael took my empire, Valenia. I’m no longer a mafia boss. No allies, no power. I have nothing left.”
His voice dropped lower, shadowed with something I couldn’t quite place. “Tll be dead soon anyway.”
I stilled, his words sinking in.
“But before that happens,” he added, his tone unwavering, “at least let me die helping you ”
I clenched my jaw. “I don’t need you.”
Without another word, I tumed and walked away, my heartbeat still hammering violently in my chest But then-
A sharp wave of nausea slammed into me, sudden and overwhelming.S
The hallway blurred. My balance wavered
Valenia!”
I barely registered Lorenzo’s voice before he caught me just as my knees buckled.
“You look pale,” he muttered, his grip firm around my arms.
I gritted my teeth. “I’m fine.“%
I pushed away from him and tried to take a step forward. But the moment I did, a sharp, searing pain tore through my lower abdomen. The world tilted.
A strangled gasp escaped my lips as I stumbled, my body betraying me. Then, I felt it–worm liquid trickling down my thighs.3
Lorenzo’s expression shifted from concern to alarm in an instant.
“Valeria‘
I looked down, my breath catching in my throat.
Blood.
Panic seized me.
Lorenzo didn’t hesitate. He scooped me up in his arms, his voice sharp and urgent. “Someone get a doctor! Now!”
The last thing I saw before darkness swallowed me whole was the raw fear in Lorenzo’s eyes.
my eyes
The moment pushed through iLE
fluttered open, the sterile scent of antiseptic filled my nose. The room was dimly lit. My mind was hazy, but I
I turned my head slightly and noticed the IV attached to my arm. No. I wasn’t going to stay here. Gritting my teeth, I reached for the needle and pulled it out. A sharp sting followed, and a drop of blood welled at the site, but I ignored it!
I needed to see Darius.
I threw off the blanket and sat up, but as I moved to stand, my eyes landed on Lorenzo. He was slumped in a chair beside my bed, fast asleep. His head was tilted back, arms crossed over his chest, his breathing even.
What was he doing here?:
I didn’t waste time figuring it out. Silently, I slipped out of the room, my bare feet padding against the cold floor as I made my way down the hallway. The pain in my abdomen throbbed, and dizziness threatened to pull me under, but I forced myself forward. I didn’t care how weak I felt &
There was only one thing on
on my mind.
Danus!
The rhythmic beeping of the monitors was the first thing I noticed when I stepped into his hospital room. The second was him. Still, unmoving, trapped in a coma that felt like it was stretching into eternity.
I walked to his bedside and brushed my fingers against his hand. His skin was warm, but them was no response.
“You’re still in there, aren’t you?” My voice was barely above a whisper.
Silence I
“You better be,” I muttered I
The door creaked open behind me, and I turned to see Ronan standing there, his brows furrowed, arms crossed over h swept over me, and his frown deepened
his chest. His gaze
3
“You should be resting!” he said. “You’re pregnant”
I exhaled sharply. “I don’t have time for that.”
“Valeria=”
“Ronan,” I cut him off, turning to face him fully “I appreciate your concem, but I have more important things to worry about right now.” Before he could argue, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I glanced at the screen, and my stomach twisted as I saw the flood of notifications. My fingers tightened around the device as I tapped on the latest news article:
The headlines made my blood run cold
Darius’s empire was collapsing.
Investors were pulling out. Business allies were turning their backs. Stock values were plummeting. Everything he built was falling apart, and it hadn’t even been that long since he fell into a coma.!!
No. This wasn’t just bad luck. This was orchestrated!
“Those bastards, Ronan muttered, pacing the room. “Darius hasn’t even been down for long, and they’re already jumping ship?”
My phone buzzed again, Incoming calls. One after another.
I answered the first one. “This is Victoria Moretti ”
“Miss Victoria… We regret to inform you that we’re withdrawing our investments from-”
“You mean you’re selling Darius out to Rafael?” I interrupted.
A pause.
Then, “We simply see a more secure future with Mr. Rafael and Ms. Miranda, who are now affiliated with Hexagon East-”
I felt my breath hitch Hexagon East. One of the most powerful mafia syndicates in the East
My fingers curled into my palm. “So you’re siding with traitors now?”
“We’re siding with survival, Miss Victoria. ”
I clenched my jaw. “Go to hell!”
I ended the call, Another call came in. Then another. Each one
he was the same. More betrayals. More excuses.
