Chapter One Hundred And Forty Eight

An hour later, a faint movement stirred beneath my fingertips.

At first, I thought I imagined it. But then, Sofia's fingers twitched in my grasp. My breath caught.

"Sofia?" I sat up straighter, my heart pounding.

Her eyelids fluttered, her lashes barely moving against her pale skin. The beeping of the monitor remained steady, but my entire world tilted when she let out a small, pained sound.

Then, finally, her eyes cracked open.

Confusion clouded her gaze as she blinked at the ceiling, disoriented. Her lips parted, but no sound came out.

I squeezed her hand gently. "Sofia, I'm here."

Her head turned slightly toward my voice, her hazel eyes hazy but searching. Then-realization hit.

Her free hand moved, weakly pressing against her stomach.

I swallowed hard. "Sofia-"

Her eyes widened. Her breath hitched. "The-" Her voice was barely a whisper, raw and strained.

I cupped her cheek, my thumb brushing over her clammy skin. "Shh. Don't push yourself."

Tears welled in her eyes. "The babies..."

My chest tightened as I stared into her glassy, tear-filled eyes. I couldn't tell her. Not now. Not when she was this weak, this fragile.

I forced a small nod, brushing my thumb gently over her cheek. "They're in the NICU," I murmured. "They're fighting, Sofia."

A breath of relief shuddered through her, her body sinking deeper into the bed. "Both?" she whispered.

The word sliced through me like a blade.

I swallowed against the lump in my throat, my grip on her hand tightening. "Yeah, carino," I said softly, forcing the words past my lips. "Both of them."

A single tear slipped from the corner of her eye, trailing down her temple. She let out a shaky breath, her fingers weakly curling around mine. "I want to see them…"

I pressed a kiss to her knuckles, holding her hand against my lips. "You need to rest first," I whispered. "Gain your strength, then we'll go together."

She blinked slowly, exhaustion pulling at her. But the small, broken smile that flickered across her lips nearly wrecked me.

She believed me.

She believed the babies were alive.

And I had just fed her a lie.

I watched as she drifted back to sleep, my stomach twisting with guilt. My eyes burned, my fingers still clutching hers like a lifeline.

I had to find the right way to tell her. The right time.

But right now?

She needed hope more than she needed the truth.

I exhaled slowly, my grip still firm around Sofia's fragile fingers. The weight of my lie pressed against my chest, suffocating, but I shoved it down. Right now, I needed to focus on her.

With one last glance at her peaceful face, I forced myself to stand. My legs felt stiff, my body aching from sitting in the same position for too long. I pushed open the door and spotted a nurse passing by.

"I need the doctor," I said, my voice rough from hours of silence. "She woke up."

The nurse's eyes widened slightly before nodding. "I'll page him right away."

Seconds stretched into minutes, but I didn't move from my spot beside Sofia. I watched her, memorizing the slow rise and fall of her chest, the way her lips parted slightly with each breath. As much as I wanted to drown in the relief of her waking up, the reality of what still lay ahead kept my body tight with tension.

The door creaked open, and the doctor stepped in, his expression neutral yet alert. His eyes flickered to Sofia before landing on me.

"She woke up?" he confirmed, already moving to her side.

I nodded. "Just a few minutes ago. She was disoriented at first, but she spoke."

The doctor hummed, checking the monitors before lifting his penlight. I watched as he gently tilted Sofia's eyelids, shining the light into her eyes. She stirred slightly but didn't wake.

"Her vitals have stabilized," he said after a moment. "That's a good sign."

I exhaled a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. "When will she be strong enough to move?"

The doctor glanced at me, clearly reading between the lines of my question. "She's still weak," he admitted. "She lost a lot of blood, and her body has been through severe stress. But if she continues to improve, we can discuss taking her to see the baby in a day or two."

I swallowed hard, nodding. A day or two. I didn't know if I had that long before the truth crashed down on both of us.

"She asked about them," I murmured.

The doctor's gaze softened, understanding flickering across his face. "And what did you tell her?"

I met his eyes, my jaw tightening. "That they're in the NICU. Fighting."

A pause. Then, he sighed. "I see."

I didn't ask what he saw. I already knew.

He didn't push me further, instead adjusting the IV and making a few notes on her chart. When he finished, he turned back to me.

"Let her rest. Her body needs it."

As soon as the doctor left, I raked a hand down my face, exhaling sharply. The weight of everything pressed down on me-Sofia, the baby, and the lie I had just told her. But there was something else gnawing at me. Something unfinished.

Thomas.

I needed to be sure.

Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my phone and dialed Luca. It rang twice before he picked up.

"Boss?" His voice was sharp, alert.

"Get to the warehouse," I ordered, keeping my voice low so I wouldn't wake Sofia. "I need confirmation."

A beat of silence. Then, "You think he made it?"

I clenched my jaw. I had put a bullet in his chest, watched him hit the ground. But men like Thomas didn't go down easy.

"I want details," I said. "Make sure the bastard is dead. No mistakes."

"On it."

The line went dead.

I shoved my phone back into my pocket, my fingers tightening into a fist.

I had been so damn sure when I pulled the trigger, watching blood soak through his shirt, his eyes going wide with shock before he dropped. But doubt had been clawing at me ever since.

If he was still breathing…

I glanced at Sofia, my gut twisting.

He wouldn't get another shot at us.

Luca would make sure of it.

Thomas even if he was alive would not be able to do much which will give Luca the perfect opportunity to kill him.

Luca would handle it.

If Thomas had somehow clung to life, he wouldn't be in any condition to fight back. A gunshot to the chest wasn't something a man just walked away from-not without help. And he had no one.

Which meant Luca had the perfect opportunity to finish the job.

Still, unease twisted inside me as I sat back down beside Sofia. My fingers curled around hers once more, grounding myself in the warmth of her skin. She was safe-for now. But if Thomas had survived, even by some miracle, it wouldn't stay that way for long.

Minutes crawled by. Then, my phone vibrated against my thigh. I pulled it out, answering immediately.

"It's done," Luca said, his voice low and sure. "Bastard was barely holding on when I got here. He was slumped against the wall, trying to stop the bleeding. Looked up at me, tried to say something-" A dark chuckle. "Didn't get the chance."

Relief spread through me, but I kept my tone even. "You're sure?"

"I put two in his head to be certain." There was no hesitation, no remorse. Just Luca, ever efficient. "And we're cleaning up now. No loose ends."

Good.

I exhaled slowly, glancing at Sofia. She was still asleep, her breathing steady. Unaware of the war that had raged outside these walls. Unaware of the man who had nearly taken everything from us.

"Burn it down," I murmured. "Make sure there's nothing left."

Luca didn't question it. "Consider it done."

I ended the call and sat back, my muscles unwinding slightly. Thomas was dead. This time, for good.

Now, I just had to figure out how to survive the next storm.

The one that would come when Sofia learned the truth.