Chapter 90 A FAKE.
\~~~RAINA.
At that moment, I didn't even care if the bomb dropped from my hands and blew me to pieces.
The world could end right there, and it wouldn't matter. My mind was spinning too fast, and the revelation was already hitting me harder than any explosion could.
Luciano knew.
He knew I wasn't Talia.
All this time that I've been pretending to be my sister, and lying to everyone, especially to him, he'd seen through it.
How? The question burned in my throat, but my hands shook so badly I could barely hold the doll steady.
Luciano must have noticed, because his hands wrapped around mine, gripping them tight, leaving no room for me to let go. His touch was firm, and unyielding, like he was holding more than just the bomb and was holding me together.
“H… how?” I stuttered, my voice breaking as I stared into his eyes, searching for answers.
“Now is not the time for questions, is it, Raina?” he said calmly, his voice low and steady, cutting through the chaos in my head.
“Since when?!” The cry burst out of me, wild and free, echoing in the room.
Everyone shifted uncomfortably that Viktor looked away, Gabriel cleared his throat, and Alessia froze beside us.
The air felt thicker, and heavier with the weight of my secrets spilling out.
“You wanna do this here? With everyone here?” Luciano raised a brow, his tone challenging but not angry.
He glanced around at the others, a silent warning to back off.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, hard and painful, and dropped my free hand to my thigh. I hit it gently, trying to shake off the numbness creeping in.
My legs were falling asleep, and it felt like pins and needles were stabbing through them from sitting so still for so long.
To be honest, I had no will to live right then. The fight had drained out of me, leaving only exhaustion and shame.
How long had he known I was Raina and not Talia? How long had he watched me play this role, pretending to be someone I wasn't?
I felt like a complete fool, and a liar exposed in the worst possible way.
God, all along.
What had he been thinking, seeing me act like her every day?
Did he hate me or mock me in secret?
“I… I can't…” I hit my chest lightly, the pressure building there like a vice.
“Raina…” Luciano called my name softly, his voice pulling me back.
“I… can't… b… breathe,” I choked out, the words catching in my throat.
Panic surged again, but this time it wasn't just the bomb but from everything crashing down.
Luciano's eyes widened, alarm flashing across his face. “Get water, someone!” he ordered sharply, his command slicing through the tension.
Alessia rushed over, kneeling beside us in an instant. “She is choking!” she exclaimed, her hand starting to pat my back in firm, and rhythmic strokes.
But none of it mattered to me right then. The room spun, and the AC was blasting cold air at full power, yet I was struggling to pull in even a shallow breath.
My chest heaved, tight and burning. I didn't even want to glance at the timer on the bomb. Whatever time I had left, it felt meaningless now.
“Open your mouth!” I heard Luciano's voice, urgent and close.
I snapped back to awareness, my vision clearing just enough to see Alessia now holding the hand with the doll, her grip steady and supportive. Luciano had a bottle of water in his other hand, tilting it carefully to my lips. “Drink it… gently,” he coaxed, his voice edged with worry.
I gulped it down in one desperate swallow, the cool liquid soothing the rawness in my throat.
The tension in the room eased a fraction after that, everyone exhaling like they'd been holding their breath too.
My eyes fell back to the bomb, the red digits mocking me.
There were only ten minutes left now. “W… what are we going to do?” I whispered weakly, my voice hoarse.
“It will be taken care of. Just stay here with me, okay?” He patted my back softly, his touch lingering, and reassuring.
I didn't answer him. God, I couldn't. My gaze traveled around the room, taking in the faces around us. The man who'd been checking the bomb earlier was gone, probably consulting with his team.
My eyes landed on Gabriel and Viktor, standing vigilant before us.
Did they know too? That I was a fake, and a pretender wearing her sister's life like a mask?
Was that why Viktor had always hated me so much, his cold stares and sharp words hiding disgust for the lie?
He had never liked me from the start and had always treated me like an outsider, and a burden. Now it made sense, or at least, I thought it did.
I looked back at Luciano, his face so close, and etched with concern.
“I’ve got you, okay?” he whispered, his fingers caressing my cheeks, and his warmth against my clammy skin. His other hand kept patting my back in a steady rhythm that calmed the storm inside me.
“L… Luciano…” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
“Save your energy. Just remain conscious, okay? I'm here with you.” His words wrapped around me like a blanket, chasing away the chill of fear.
Did I hate this situation? Absofuckinglutely.
The bomb, the lies, and the ticking clock were a nightmare I couldn't wake from.
But deep down, I wished this moment would never end. Luciano was holding me tightly, his body close, and his voice promising safety.
Telling me he'd got me, and that he wasn't going to leave. Of course, I knew it was because of the bomb, and not the web of lies I had spun around us.
That was a problem for later, and that is if there was a later.
But right now, I'd let my delusional self believe he meant it all. That he truly had me, secrets and all.
Alessia was still holding my hand with the bomb, her fingers intertwined with mine, refusing to let go. I wondered what she was going to think of me after this. She'd heard Luciano call me Raina and of course, anyone would be curious, piecing together the puzzle.
Would she see me as a deceiver? Would she pull away once the danger passed?
God, it took a while before she started liking me.
Time dragged on slowly, and each second stretched into eternity. The room was quiet except for the faint hum of the AC and the distant sirens outside. When I finally dared to look at the bomb again, my heart sank.
There were only four minutes left. Panic clawed at me anew, but before I could spiral, Viktor's phone buzzed.
He stepped back to answer it, his face tense, and then returned quickly.
“Go on?” Luciano said, his voice expectant.
“They found the technician who constructed the bomb. He has given the instructions on how to defuse it,” Viktor said, his tone clipped but relieved.
Just then, the door burst open again, and the bomb expert ran back in, tools in hand, sweat beading on his forehead.
He moved with purpose, and definitely no time to waste.
“I will need you to adjust, madam,” he addressed Alessia first, guiding her hand slightly for better access. Then he turned to me. “And I need you to hold on to it tightly.”
A sudden surge of energy surprised even me as I tightened my grip on the doll, my fingers digging in as though my life depended on it.
Which, of course, it did.
“You are doing well, sunshine,” Luciano whispered in my ear, his breath warm against my skin. I nodded, leaning into him for support.
The expert bent down, his face inches from the exposed wires and circuits. “I will start with the defusing of the bomb. We have less than three minutes now,” he announced, his voice steady but urgent.
I held on to Luciano tightly, my free arm wrapping around his shoulders, pulling him close. The room fell into absolute silence and it was so thick and heavy that if a pin dropped, everyone would hear it loud and fucking clear.
Oh, fucking hell.