Chapter 23 Chapter 23.

Chapter 23 Chapter 23.
After watching Aria wane out, Francesca grinned in satisfaction. "Now here comes the drama."

"Help! Help! Somebody help!" Francesca screamed, raising an alarm in the house.

"Help!" She shouted and a few guards rushed in, their faces serious and anxious. 

"What is going on here?" Lucien's voice blazed through the atmosphere as he hurried down the stairs. 

Getting to the scene, he froze upon seeing Aria's unconscious state. His face turned white as he rushed to Aria's side. "Aria, wake up," he said, his voice shaking slightly as he gently shook her shoulders.

The guards stood frozen, unsure of what to do. Francesca's grin faltered for a moment, and she took a step back, her eyes wide with surprise.

"What happened here?" Lucien demanded, his voice cold and menacing. "Who did this to her?"

Francesca stepped forward, a look of concern on her face. "I just walked in here from my bedroom to find her like this."

"I... I think it's a suicide attempt, sir," she continued.

Lucien's ears rang at the mention of the word 'suicide.' He turned to Aria, his eyes laced with worry and fear.

"I think she must have been so overwhelmed by her current situation and she decided that join her family." Francesca added. 

Lucien's face was etched with worry and fear as he cradled Aria's limp form in his arms. He strode purposefully out of the house, the guards following closely behind. 

As he approached the car, he carefully laid Aria down on the back seat, his hands gently probing her side, searching for the source of the injury. His fingers brushed against something wet and sticky - blood. His heart sank.

"Get me to the nearest hospital, now," he barked at the driver.

The car screeched to life, speeding down the driveway. Lucien held Aria's hand, his thumb tracing circles on her palm, willing her to wake up. Her skin was pale, and her breathing shallow. He checked her pulse, his fingers pressing against her wrist. It was weak and thready.

Lucien's mind was a whirlwind of worst-case scenarios. He couldn't bear the thought of losing her, not again. He leaned forward, his voice low and urgent. "Aria, stay with me. You're going to be okay. Just hang on."

The car hurtled through the streets, weaving in and out of traffic. Lucien's eyes never left Aria's face, his gaze locked on hers, willing her to open her eyes.

Finally, the hospital loomed ahead, its emergency entrance a blur of lights and activity. The car screeched to a halt, and Lucien leapt out, gathering Aria into his arms. "We need medical help, now," he shouted, sprinting towards the entrance.

The medical team rushed out, their faces set with determination and surprise. The Devil trying to save a soul? The scene was impossible. 

They whisked Aria away, leaving Lucien to follow, his heart heavy with worry. Francesca's accusations echoed in his mind - could Aria have tried to harm herself? But something didn't add up. She was so hellbent on taking revenge so how could she just result to suicide all of a sudden? 

This didn't feel right.

As he waited in the hospital's ICU waiting room, Lucien's mind was a maelstrom of emotions. He needed to know what had happened, and he needed to know now. The minutes ticked by, each one an eternity. Finally, a doctor emerged, her face somber.

"Mr. Moretti, she's stable for now. We're working on repairing the damage. But..." The doctor paused halfway.

"But what?" Lucien's face twisted in impatience.

The doctor hesitated, clearly calculating how much to say to a man like Lucien Moretti. “She lost a lot of blood, and the wound was deep. We suspect it punctured her spleen. She’s in surgery now. The next few hours are critical.”

Lucien’s jaw clenched. “Will she survive?”

“She’s strong,” the doctor replied. “But her vitals were dangerously low on arrival. If she makes it through the night, her chances will improve.”

Lucien ran a hand through his hair, pacing like a lion in a cage. “Find the best surgeon in this goddamn country if you have to. Just make sure she survives.”

The doctor gave a sharp nod before disappearing back through the doors.

Lucien sank into a nearby chair, elbows resting on his knees, hands clasped tightly as if in prayer—though God was the last being he would call upon. His mind was filled with Aria’s face, her glare, her stubbornness, her fire… and then the image of her slumped over, blood staining her clothes.

This wasn't a mistake.

This was planned.

He pulled out his phone and dialed one number. “Luca,” he said once the line picked up, “get the footage from every hallway and room in the estate. I want everything from the last three hours. And tell Francesca to meet me here. Now.”

The moment he hung up, something cold settled in his chest. He had trusted Francesca for years. She was efficient, loyal… but her disagreements with Aria, they bothered him. But then he trusted her never to harm Aria, and again no one should be underestimated. 

And now, Aria lay bleeding in an operating room after a mysterious happening that didn’t line up with her explanation.

Lucien’s eyes darkened. If Francesca had touched her, she wouldn’t live to see another sunrise.



It was nearly an hour before Francesca arrived at the hospital, her expression carefully composed, heels clicking sharply against the pristine white floor. “Sir,” she said, bowing slightly.

Lucien didn’t speak right away. He just looked at her—looked through her. “What happened between you and Aria today?” he asked, voice calm, quiet.

Francesca tilted her head slightly, as if confused. “What do you mean, sir?”

“I’m not in the mood to play games.” Lucien answered, his voice cold.

She folded her hands in front of her. “There was tension, of course. As expected. She was arrogant. Disrespectful. But I did nothing to her, instead she kept coming at me.”

Lucien stood, his posture slow and lethal. “Tell me the truth, Francesca.”

Francesca’s face froze for the briefest moment. “I—I don’t know what you’re expecting, sir. But I'm telling the truth.”

Lucien’s hand shot out, grabbing her by the throat and slamming her back against the wall. The air left her lungs in a gasp.

Her eyes widened in horror. "Sir, you're hurting me," her voice came out in gasps. "I... I'm innocent, sir."

Studying her carefully and sensing truth from her, Lucien released her, and she collapsed to the floor, coughing violently. 

“I'm sorry,” he said calmly. “I acted without thinking.”

Francesca forced down a grin threatening to make its way in her face. She was happy. She had gotten her way both with Aria and with Lucien. She had earned his trust after so many years of loyalty to him, and even when it was almost being thrown to the ground, she made sure to catch it in midair.

Francesca scrambled up, fake tears now streaming from her eyes, makeup smudged. "It's okay, sir."

Lucien's ringing phone pierced through the silence. Swiftly, he retrieved it from his pocket. "Shoot."

“Sir...” came the voice from the other end of the line. "Some of the cameras in the estate died during the night. A localized blackout. We’re investigating whether it was sabotage.”

Lucien’s heart skipped. “Which cameras?”

“All along Aria’s hallway, surveillance near her room, the kitchen and the dinning room.”  

Lucien's hand balled into a fist as he closed his eyes, taking in a sharp breath. “Get them fixed,” he said, voice composed. “And keep me updated.”

“Yes, boss," the voice answered and the line went dead.

Francesca's lips curled into a quiet grin at her victory over the situation. She had made sure to take care of the cameras before coming to the hospital.

“Go back home and make sure everything is fixed," Lucien passed an order to Francesca.

Francesca nodded, backing away. He watched her leave, lips pressed together. Something had just shifted—danger closer than ever, shadow reaching into his own home.



Lucien never left the waiting room. Nurses came and went. The clock on the wall ticked with agonizing slowness.

Finally, just past noon, the surgeon emerged. “She made it,” he said, pulling down his mask. “She’s stable. The glass punctured her spleen, and we had to remove it, but she should recover.”

Lucien didn’t allow relief to show. He simply nodded. “Can I see her?”

“She’s still unconscious, but yes. One visitor only.”

Aria was wheeled into the ICU and after a few protocols, Lucien was finally ushered into the ward.

The room was dim, machines beeping steadily as Lucien stepped inside.

Aria lay on the hospital bed, pale, a line of stitches disappearing beneath the gown at her side. Her hair was a dark halo around her head. She looked fragile, too fragile—and seeing her like that twisted something inside Lucien.

He approached slowly and sat beside her. For a while, he said nothing.

Then he reached out and took her hand.

“You scared me,” he murmured, brushing his thumb over her knuckles. “I thought I’d lose you before we even started.”

Her chest rose and fell, shallow but steady.

“I’ve seen people die in front of me. Hundreds. But with you… it felt different.” His voice was quiet, raw. “You’re a pain in my ass, Aria. But you’re mine. And I won’t let anyone touch you again. So don't you dare die on me.”

The monitor beeped in rhythm, her vitals strong.

Lucien leaned back, his fingers still locked with hers. “Rest now. But when you wake up… we burn everything down. Together.”