Chapter 24 END OF US
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LUCIANO
I clenched my fists in anger. So mad.
The dim light in the room cast shadows on the walls as I paced like a caged animal, my breaths ragged and heavy.
My nostrils flared, and my jaw clenched tightly, a storm of emotions twisting my features into a mask of fury and despair.
I roared, slamming my fist against the cold, unyielding wall. The dull thud echoed, followed by the sharp sting in my knuckles. Blood began to trickle down, staining my hand, but I didn’t seem to notice—or care.
My mind was just thinking about Adeline who was fighting for her life. The thought of her body going limp in my arms made me shake.
“Why did she do it?”
I shouted, my voice hoarse, shaking with both anger and anguish.
Christian stood a few steps away, his face pale but calm, his eyes clouded with concern. He reached out a hand to steady me but I jerked away, my body trembling with unchecked rage.
“Luciano, stop this!”
Christian urged, his voice low but firm.
“You’re not thinking straight.”
“I don’t care!”
I barked, turning to face Christian with a wild look in my eyes. I was not thinking straight. Of course, because the person who got hurt was not someone mere. She was someone dear to me.
“Why would she do that? What could possibly drive her to—”
My voice broke, the raw emotion spilling through the cracks in my fury.
Christian sighed.
“Because she felt humiliated. Disrespected. And you…”
Christian paused, clenching his fists as he tried to steady his own emotions.
“You made her feel like she didn’t matter, Luciano. Like she was just… disposable.”
My face twisted in disbelief, and before Christian could say more, I lashed out, kicking the small wooden table near us. It screeched against the floor, toppling over with a loud crash that made Christian flinch.
“That’s not true!”
I growled, my voice breaking as his rage morphed into desperation.
“I never— I wasn’t—”
“But you did!”
Christian interrupted, his voice rising now.
“You said it, Luciano! You told her you were just having fun, that you weren’t serious about her. Do you think anyone would take that lightly? Do you think someone like Adeline—”
He broke off, raking a hand through his hair, his frustration palpable.
I stared at him, chest heaving, my face a mixture of defiance and guilt. The silence that followed was deafening, punctuated only by our heavy breathing and the faint sound of my blood dripping onto the floor.
Christian finally spoke again, his tone softer but no less firm.
“I warned you, Luciano. I told you she wasn’t as tough as she looked. She had aurora’s support. You know she could not even look into your eyes And now… now it’s too late to fix this. Everything’s out of our hands.”
I staggered back, the weight of Christian’s words hitting me like a physical blow. My legs gave out, and I sank to the floor, burying my bruised and bloodied hands in my hair.
“I didn’t mean to hurt her,”
I whispered, my voice barely audible.
I did not mean to hurt her. I just wanted to keep her safe. She was young and still not aware of our horrible deeds but nothing was more important than her life. Nothing mattered in front of her.
Christian crouched beside me, his expression somber.
“I know,”
he said quietly.
“But sometimes, meaning well isn’t enough.”
“ I just wanted her to live a happy beautiful life. I did not want our enemies to take her away from me “
“ is that the only reason you pushed her away or……… “
My head shot up as I looked at him. My eyes were red with rage and guilt. His words hit me like a punch at my heart.
“ you feel something for her “
My heart raced at his words. What did he mean by that? What did I feel for her? She was my family. My best friend’s daughter and someone I promised to protect and that’s it ……… or is it something more?
“ No. I don’t feel anything for her “
Christian nodded his head and sighed.
“ Luciano. Think about it very well before taking any other step because now …… one wrong step can be the end of …… us. End of you both “
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Adeline’s mother broke the silence, her voice calm but firm.
“I’ve made a decision,”
she announced, her eyes sweeping over the room.
“Adeline will be getting married.”
The words hung in the air like a thunderclap, reverberating through the room. Angelina gasped softly, her hand flying to her mouth, while Francesco’s brows furrowed in surprise. Isabella opened her mouth to speak but quickly closed it, her eyes darting nervously toward Leonardo.
Leonardo leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
“If Adeline agrees,”
he said cautiously,
“then no one should object. It’s her life, after all.”
Before anyone could respond, the door swung open, and Luciano strode in. His arrival was abrupt, and his presence instantly shifted the dynamic in the room. All eyes turned to him as he stopped in his tracks, taking in the somber faces around him.
“What’s going on?”
Luciano asked, his deep voice cutting through the silence.
Adeline’s mother turned to face him, her gaze unwavering.
“We’re arranging Adeline’s marriage,”
she said simply, her tone devoid of emotion, as if the statement were a mere formality.
For a moment, Luciano felt as though the world had stopped spinning. Her words struck him like a bullet to the chest, and he stood frozen, his heart thudding painfully in his ribcage.
It was a sensation he couldn’t quite describe, a sharp ache that spread through him like wildfire, leaving him breathless.
“What?”
he managed to choke out, his voice barely above a whisper.
Bianca continued, unyielding.
“She needs stability. Someone to look after her. I don’t know what’s happening to her anymore, and this is the best solution.”
Luciano’s fists clenched at his sides as he struggled to process what he was hearing. He felt as though the air had been sucked out of the room, leaving him lightheaded and disoriented.
A hundred thoughts swirled in his mind, but one question rose above all the rest: Why does this hurt so much?
Leonardo cleared his throat, breaking the tension.
“ but she’s still young to be tied in a marriage “
“ no Luciano “
Alessandra stopped him with her authority and as the eldest of the family. She looked at Luciano.
“ we don’t know what she’s thinking that she took this big step. It’s not normal and Bianca took a right decision. Someone needs to help her so she can share her problems with him and she is not that young. She can bear her children and it’s good if she goes to her own house. “
“ but mom. Adeline is still not over her father’s death “
Isabella intervened but was quickly held back by her husband.
“ look at Braxton and Aaron. They have taken full responsibility of Rose and Kiara. Adeline’s husband will do that too. I am sure “
“If Adeline agrees,”
Luciano clenched his fists and repeated, his tone more measured now,
“then it’s settled. But she has to want this.”
Luciano’s gaze snapped to Leonardo, then back to Adeline’s mother.
“And if she doesn’t agree?”
he asked, his voice low, almost a growl.
Adeline’s mother hesitated for a brief moment before replying,
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
The room fell silent once more, the weight of her words pressing down on everyone present. Luciano remained rooted to the spot, his chest tight with emotions he couldn’t quite name or understand.
All he knew was that the thought of Adeline being married to someone else was unbearable, a pain so deep it felt as though it would consume him.