Luca's POV
Over the next couple of days, visitors started arriving. My sister, Gina and her husband were the first, their faces tight with worry. Gina hugged me fiercely, her trembling hands lingering on my shoulders as she assured me, "She's strong, Luca. She'll pull through. She has to."
I nodded, unable to form words.
Diana came next, followed by a few of Cara's colleagues from work. They all said the same thing, offering hopeful encouragement that sounded hollow to my ears. "She'll be alright," they'd say, their eyes darting nervously to the machines keeping her alive. I wondered if they truly believed their own words or if they could see how close I was to slipping off the edge.
But nothing, none of their reassurances, prepared me for the next visitor.
Alexei Mikhailov.
The moment I heard he was outside, something in me snapped.
"You have five seconds to get out of here," I growled immediately I set eyes on him.
Alexei didn't flinch. He stood in the hallway, his expression grim as he met my gaze.
"I'm not going anywhere. I gave you enough time before showing up," he said evenly.
I stalked toward him, fists clenched, my rage bubbling to the surface. "You don't get to be here," I snarled. "You don't get to be here at all, you bastard. This-everything that's happened-is your fault! Instead of facing me like a man, you took her."
Alexei's jaw tightened, but he didn't back down. "I'm not leaving," he said again, his voice firm.
"Why the hell not?" I demanded, shoving him against the wall.
His eyes burned with fury, matching my own. "Because she's my sister," he said, his voice low but deadly. "She's my blood. You Italians stole her from us, and I'm not going to let anyone take her from me again-not you, not your family, not even death."
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I mean, I had suspected this right before chaos had erupted but hearing that it was true from none other than Alexei himself?
"What?" I whispered, my grip loosening as I stepped back.
"It's the truth." Alexei said, his tone softening slightly. "She's my sister, Luca. She's the reason this war started. We have been looking for her for years, and now that I've found her, I'm not leaving her side."
I stared at Alexei, my hands clenched into fists. A part of me wanted to throw him out regardless of what he'd said, to keep Cara safe from anyone who could hurt her-even him. But another part of me-the part that caught the raw, unfiltered anguish in his eyes-couldn't shake the possibility that he was telling the truth.
It also explained something I hadn't wanted to think about.
Cara's reaction on the battlefield. The way she'd jumped in front of him without hesitation. It hadn't made sense then, but if what Alexei was saying was true…
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to look in the direction of her room. I needed her to wake up, not just to confirm Alexei's claims but so I could scold her for ever putting herself in harm's way. For thinking she needed to play hero when she should have been looking out for herself.
Alexei's voice pulled me from my thoughts. "I'm not going anywhere," he said quietly, his tone steady but tinged with emotion.
My jaw tightened as I fought the surge of rage rising in my chest. "You're lucky I'm even letting you in here," I snapped. "But don't think for a second that I'll leave her alone with you."
Alexei's lips pressed into a grim line, but he didn't argue. Instead, he nodded and followed me into the room, finding a seat at a corner. I didn't take my eyes off him, every muscle in my body coiled tight, ready to react at the slightest hint of a threat.
It wasn't until Ronan arrived hours later that I began to believe Alexei's claims.
The man in the wheelchair was a shadow of the fearsome mob boss I'd heard about, his face lined with grief and age. But when he saw Cara, tears streamed down his cheeks, his hands trembling as he reached for hers.
"Katya," he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. "You're alive… Come back to us soon."
His hand brushed hers lightly, reverently, as though he were afraid she might disappear if he held on too tightly. I watched, my throat tight, as his tears fell freely, and looked away, giving him a moment.
Then he turned to me, his grief-filled eyes locking onto mine. "Thank you," he said, his voice quiet. "Thank you for saving her."
I didn't know what to say.
For the first time in days, I felt something other than grief or rage.
It wasn't forgiveness or even acceptance, but it was…something.
I stepped out of the hospital room, giving Ronan space to grieve as Alexei stood silently by, his expression guarded. The weight of the moment hung heavy in the room, and for the first time, I let myself truly consider the possibility that their claims might be real.
That Cara-my Cara- had an entire history she didn't know about. That she was a Mafia Princess.
The thought sat uncomfortably in my chest, twisting and tightening with every passing second.
But there was no time to dwell on it. There was only waiting. Endless hours spent by her bedside, watching for the faintest flicker of movement, the smallest sign that she was still fighting to stay with me.
And then, on one of those long nights of watching, when pretending to be strong usually failed, it finally happened.
I was reading to her, my gaze flicking to her every few seconds for signs of movement. The book-a romance she'd loved-felt like a cruel irony now, its happy ending mocking the reality we faced. I'd stopped mid read and started to sob, unable to stop crying.
And then I heard it.
A faint whisper.
"Luca…"
My head snapped up, my heart leaping into my throat.
Her eyes fluttered open, her gaze unfocused but unmistakably hers.
"Cara," I breathed, tears of relief streaming down my face as I leaned closer, clutching her hand. "You're awake."
She blinked slowly, her lips curving into the faintest smile. "Hey stranger," she murmured, her voice weak but teasing. "Are you crying?"
A choked laugh escaped me, half-sob, half-relief. "I'll cry all I want if it means I get to see you again."
Her fingers tightened around mine, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, I genuinely believed that everything would be alright.