The first rays of morning sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains, gently illuminating the hospital room. Lyla slowly opened her eyes, her vision still a bit blurry. However, a familiar figure was unmistakably visible—Carlo, slumped at her bedside, fast asleep. His furrowed brow and slightly parted lips showed exhaustion, while bruises and cuts marked his face, as if he'd just been in a fight.She blinked, unsure if she was dreaming. Ever since losing consciousness from the beatings in prison, she hadn't fully woken up until now. She couldn’t understand how she was lying safely in a hospital bed, and even less so why Carlo was there. Her last memory before blacking out felt distant, and she struggled to recall anything that followed.She tried to sit up, wanting to reach out and touch Carlo to confirm if this was real—after all, she had been dreaming about him constantly. But the moment she moved, a sharp, searing pain surged through her body. It felt as if someone had struc
Carlo sat in the small garden behind the hospital’s inpatient building. A cigarette, already burned down to the filter, clutched between his fingers. He had borrowed it a few minutes ago from someone passing by.He hadn't taken more than a few puffs, just holding it between his fingers, twisting the butt as if it were the head of an enemy lurking in the shadows—one he wanted to crush. The cold wind grazed his trembling hands, dulling the burning sensation from his fingertips, yet doing nothing to calm the fire raging inside him.It was colder here than by the coast, and he had rushed out without enough clothing. He wore only a thin shirt and jacket, letting the freezing air pierce his skin like blades, but he didn’t seem to notice.He had chosen to sit here on purpose, intentionally allowing the cold to envelop him, hoping it would dampen the murderous rage boiling within him. He wanted to kill—the people responsible for what had happened to Lyla."Sir." Hudson's voice sounded from be
The ward. Lucas sat quietly by Lyla’s bedside, a bouquet of violets in hand—Lyla’s favorite flower. He gently placed the delicate purple blooms on the nightstand, their soft hues glowing in the sunlight, casting a serene atmosphere that matched Lucas’s calm and composed demeanor.Lyla had just finished a series of medical tests and was reclining in bed, exhausted both physically and emotionally. Carlo’s abrupt departure weighed heavily on her, like a boulder crushing her heart. She didn’t have the energy to deal with anyone right now, but when she saw Lucas, she forced a weak smile, her voice soft with concern, “I heard you posted the million-dollar bail for me, Lucas. How did you manage to gather that much money so quickly?”Lucas, who had been pulling the curtains back to let in more light, turned to her with a calm, reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about it. I have my ways.”Lyla’s expression darkened. She lowered her gaze, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she sh
Carlo didn't pay much attention to Lucas’s question, his expression calm and unreadable as he watched the people wheeling Lyla away, not moving until the last of them disappeared down the corridor.Only when everyone had gone did he finally turn, pushing Lucas aside with a swift motion. He adjusted his collar with deliberate precision, then spoke in a cold, serious tone: "Don’t worry. I’m just moving her to the VIP suite on the top floor. She’ll receive the best treatment and care there."Lucas’s brow furrowed as he stood his ground, growling, "Lyla doesn’t need your fake generosity. I can take care of her myself."Carlo’s lips curled into a mocking smile, his usual expression of disdain. "Oh, really? And how exactly do you plan to take care of her? What about when she needs to use the toilet? To bathe? Can you do that? Who are you to her, exactly? What makes you think you have the right to claim you can look after her?"Lucas froze, caught off guard by Carlo’s barrage of questions. A
Lyla felt a deep sense of helplessness at being placed in the VIP ward. She knew exactly who had orchestrated it, but this time, she didn’t fight back or lose her temper. After countless confrontations with Carlo, she had learned that resistance was futile. No matter what she said or did, the result was always the same: Carlo’s domineering control would win out, effortlessly maintaining his hold over everything.Instead, she remained quiet, silently accepting the treatments and care from the attendants. Her days passed in a monotonous routine, enveloped in an almost eerie calm. The only thing that occasionally broke the silence was the music therapist who played rock music during sessions—a choice that left Lyla questioning the therapist’s qualifications.Lucas wasn’t allowed to visit her in the VIP ward, and Carlo had not shown up either. Even Hudson had been absent. It was as if, apart from the nurses and caregivers around her, Lyla had been completely forgotten by the world.Time p
Lyla grew desperate, unable to comprehend why Carlo would reject her request. His coldness and unpredictability left her emotionally raw, and her voice cracked with the weight of her despair, “Please… I know a million dollars is no small sum, but Lucas is innocent. I have to help him. I’ll find a way to pay you back, I…”She had been on the verge of saying, “I’m willing to do anything,” but at the last second, she swallowed the words. She knew that if she voiced such a promise, it would only drag her into another endless entanglement with Carlo—a pain she could no longer endure. Tears began to spill down her face, uncontrollable.Seeing her tears, Carlo was torn between anger and anguish. He took a few steps forward, coming so close to her wheelchair that their faces were almost inches apart. His eyes narrowed, his gaze cold as he lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes.Lyla’s tear-streaked face was heartbreaking, but Carlo’s fury only grew as he realized that those tears weren
Half a month later, in the North Atlantic, a luxurious cruise ship sailed smoothly across the sea.Despite being winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the ship was near the equator, where the air remained hot and humid. The setting sun cast a warm glow on the shimmering ocean, while occasional salty breezes brought a fleeting sense of coolness. Around the pool on the deck, over a hundred young, beautiful women, dressed in all kinds of bikinis, held colorful cocktails and laughed and played, their lively chatter almost drowning out the rock music blasting from the speakers.When they were invited, they were told this was a beauty pageant party hosted by a young, mysterious billionaire. If any of them managed to catch his eye, they might become his wife, and their life would change overnight. Though the cruise had been at sea for three days and the women had spent those days indulging in endless luxury, none of them had seen the elusive billionaire. But that didn’t stop them from competin
“Exactly! Mr. Carlo!” Emma continued, her excitement bubbling over as she spoke, completely unaware of the confusion on Lyla’s face. “He contacted me out of the blue, thanking me for the little prank we pulled on you at the café. Then he asked if I’d like to work here part-time.”“The pay is amazing! And since I had nothing planned for winter break, I figured I’d use this job to save up my expenses for next semester.” Emma’s face lit up as she spoke, her words pouring out in an endless stream of admiration and gratitude for Carlo.Lyla’s mind became increasingly chaotic as she listened, her thoughts swirling with questions—about the “confession” from the supposed murderer, and why she had suddenly ended up on this cruise. Every time she tried to concentrate and piece things together, a sharp pain throbbed in her head. She shook it off and finally interrupted Emma, turning toward her room.Sensing Lyla’s shift in mood, Emma followed her inside. Her voice softened with a hint of concern
"Who the hell do you think you are to order me around?" Lucas stormed forward, grabbing Carlo by the collar, his voice shaking with fury. "I warned you—if you hurt her again, I’ll never forgive you.""What the hell does this have to do with you?!" Carlo snapped, shoving Lucas's hand away. He didn’t even know who he was truly angry with, but the storm of emotions raging inside him demanded release. "She’s carrying my baby! Of course, I’ll protect her and the baby. This is none of your fucking business!""Enough!" Lyla’s voice cut through the tension, low but sharp. She clutched her still-flat stomach, her eyes brimming with pain and despair. "This isn’t your baby, Carlo. And I will never let you see it. You don’t deserve to be a husband, a father, or to be loved!"Though she spoke quietly, afraid of being overheard, her words were like daggers. The raspy, restrained anguish in her tone sliced through the night, hitting Carlo like a blow to the chest. His voice trembled as he tried to p
"Who is this woman?!" Isabella quickly approached Carlo, her eyes sharp with suspicion as she examined the disheveled, tear-streaked woman before her. The stranger's casual attire was out of place for the elegant engagement party, and she clearly wasn’t one of the household staff either.Carlo clenched his fists tightly, avoiding Lyla's gaze and refusing to meet Isabella's eyes either. His voice was cold and detached as he replied, "I don’t know. Just some crazy woman. I found her acting suspicious, so I followed her out to check. No big deal. I'll call Hudson to handle this. Come on, babe, let’s head back. We shouldn’t keep the guests waiting."He grabbed Isabella’s arm, attempting to lead her away, but she jerked free. "A crazy woman?" she snapped, clearly irritated. "I won’t allow anyone to ruin our engagement party. There’s no need to bother Hudson over this."With a sharp snap of her fingers, two burly men stepped out from the shadows at her beckon. Speaking in Italian, one asked
The mansion was enormous, filled with laughter and brightly lit from corner to corner. Lyla fought back tears and nausea as she tried to navigate her way out, relying on her memory of how she had arrived. She was aware that Carlo was silently following her, but he dared not call out to her in front of the crowd, and she dared not stop. They weaved through the bustling throng of guests, Lyla quickening her pace with each step, until she finally reached the dark, desolate vineyard.“Stop following me!” Lyla couldn’t hold it in any longer. The emotions she had been suppressing erupted as she turned to Carlo and screamed, her voice raw and miserable. “Don’t you have more important things to do? Go back! Be a happy fiancé! Why should you care if I live or die? I don’t need you anymore! I never will!”Her screams were filled with such pain and despair that she seemed like a porcelain doll, covered in cracks and on the verge of shattering at any moment. Carlo’s instinct was to rush forward a
Lyla sat quietly at a secluded table, her gaze fixed on the center of the grand ballroom. There, Carlo, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, was recounting the story of how he and Isabella met and fell in love.Just minutes ago, Blake had escorted her to this dimly lit corner. He had placed her at an inconspicuous table, posted two men to keep an eye on her, and then disappeared.When she arrived, she caught the tail end of Leonardo’s announcement—Carlo being granted the family name and partial control of its power. Carlo stood proudly beside his father, with his mother on the other side, her arm looped around Leonardo’s, her smile radiant. They looked like the perfect family, united and unshakable. Carlo’s expression was brimming with triumph, his striking green eyes gleaming with ambition and a hunger for power—something Lyla had never seen in him before. In that moment, he felt like a stranger to her.Now, the spotlight had shifted to Carlo and Isabella. The stunning, confident
The mansion on the seaside cliff was unusually lively today. The engagement party of Carlo Ferretti and Isabella Cavalieri wasn’t just a union of two powerful Mafia families; it symbolized their collective expansion into international territories. The Cavalieri family had flown in hundreds of members from Europe, while the Ferretti family made an equally impressive show of force, gathering nearly all their key figures. Adding to the grandeur were representatives from other factions hoping to curry favor with the two Mafia dynasties.The whole thing felt like a royal wedding—lavish and over the top.For Carlo, this wasn’t just another party—it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He had spent over two decades fighting for recognition within his family. While his initial agreement to marry Isabella had been a strategy to save Lyla, recent developments had shifted his perspective. Just before the engagement, his father, Leonardo, had visited him in the hospital despite his failing hea
Lyla felt like she’d been hit over the head, her mind foggy and spinning. Stumbling, she grabbed onto the table for support, picking up the invitation and staring at it as if she didn’t recognize the words. She flipped it over, studying it again and again.“No… I don’t believe it,” she murmured, her voice trembling as if she were trying to convince herself. “He told me Isabella was only six. They… they can’t be getting engaged.”“Oh, so that’s what he told you?” Blake sneered. “No wonder. When you heard it yourself that day, I thought your temper would have you walking out on him for good. But looks like even a stupid lie like that was enough to fool you. Ah, poor girl. I almost feel sorry for you.”Lyla shook her head, unsure if she was rejecting Blake’s words or denying that Carlo had lied. Her eyes filled with tears, but she bit them back. “No, you’re lying. You’re just using me to hurt him!”Blake clicked his tongue, his expression laced with fake sympathy and disdain. “Why don’t
At Lucas’s suggestion, Lyla went to the hospital’s OB department, and the results confirmed it—she was almost two months pregnant.Overjoyed, she planned to call Carlo right away, but Lucas stopped her.“Better hold off on telling him,” he advised, looking uneasy. “You know him well, right? He’s still in the hospital, if he finds out you’re pregnant, he’ll check himself out just to be by your side.” Seeing Lyla’s hesitation, he added, “Besides, pregnancy isn’t very stable in the first three months. Why not wait until then? It would crush him if anything happened.”Reluctantly, Lyla agreed. She knew now wasn’t the best time. She decided to keep this a surprise, waiting until both Carlo and her mother were fully healed before sharing the news.For the next month, Lyla stayed by her mother’s side. Every weekend, Lucas would fly over from Westheaven, nearly convincing Camilla that he was Lyla’s mysterious boyfriend. To keep the truth from her mother, Lyla would only call Carlo late at ni
"Here you go Mom, have some orange." Lyla handed her mother a peeled slice of orange. Camilla Sinclair took it, her eyes drifting to the black-suited men standing outside the ward, her expression uneasy. She had lived a quiet and peaceful life, never imagining she’d one day see her once sweet, obedient daughter surrounded by bodyguards.It had been days now, and Lyla still hadn’t offered an explanation. Every time Camilla asked, Lyla would dodge with some excuse. But today, when one of the guards eyed a nurse suspiciously as she entered, Camilla couldn’t hold back any longer."Lyla, enough! Who are these people, and why are they here?"Lyla sighed. "Mom, I’ve told you—you need to focus on recovering. That’s what’s most important. They’re here to keep us safe. I promise, they’re good people."Camilla’s tone sharpened, “What kind of normal person needs this kind of protection?” Her voice raised, straining her already weakened body. Lyla quickly reached out to calm her mother, but Camil
The ward, a woman's soft, half-amused, half-irritated voice broke the silence."So, you're telling me there was never an Isabella Cavalieri?!" Lyla stood by Carlo’s bed, arms crossed, still a bit red-eyed from the earlier panic. Her face showed a mix of frustration and slight embarrassment after listening to Carlo’s full explanation.According to Carlo, Isabella was merely a fabrication, a lie he’d told to mislead Blake and rescue her. At first, Lyla wasn’t fully convinced. But when Carlo reminded her of the promises he’d made to her on the island, her last doubts melted away.A playful glint sparkled in Carlo's eyes as he grinned. "Oh, but Isabella does exist. And yes, she really is a Cavalieri."Lyla's gaze immediately turned suspicious until Carlo quickly clarified, "Though, she’s only six years old."Realizing how close she came to falling for another of his jokes, Lyla clenched her fist and gave him a light punch on the shoulder. Before she could pull her hand back, Carlo caught