Luca’s eyes darkened as the table crashed to the ground, spilling its contents in a noisy heap. His jaw clenched, and a vein throbbed at his temple. The air in the room seemed to thicken with tension as Sam stood frozen, her small hands trembling at her sides."You clumsy little brat!" Luca bellowed, his voice echoing off the walls. "Can't you do anything right?"Sam’s eyes filled with tears as she stumbled backward, her small frame trembling. "I-I’m sorry, Dad," she stammered, her voice barely audible. "I didn’t mean to... I promise I’ll fix it."But Luca wasn’t hearing her. His rage blinded him, fueled by his own frustrations and fears. He took a step forward, his injured hand throbbing but forgotten in the storm of his anger.“Sorry isn’t good enough!” he roared, raising his uninjured hand. Before Sam could react, the first blow landed—a harsh slap across her cheek that sent her sprawling to the floor. She whimpered, clutching her face, her tears streaming freely now.“Get up!” he
Katie pulled out her phone with trembling hands, her fingers fumbling over the screen as she dialed their mother’s number. The pounding on the door was relentless, the sound reverberating through their tiny room. Sam clung to Katie’s side, her stuffed animal crushed against her chest."Mom, pick up," Katie whispered, her voice shaking as she stared at the phone. The ringing felt endless, each second dragging out painfully. Finally, Annie's voice came through the line."Katie darling. How…” Katie’s shaky voice interrupted her usual questions about their well-being. What's wrong?" Annie's voice was filled with concern."Mom, it's Dad," Katie said quickly, her voice cracking. "He's out of control. He’s drunk—I think, and... and he's trying to break into our room!""What?!" Annie’s tone turned sharp with alarm. "Are you and Sam okay? Did he hurt you?""We’re okay for now," Katie replied, her voice breaking. "But the door... it's not going to hold much longer. You have to come home. Ple
Maria sat down beside Kiara on the bed. She’s trying to persuade her to give the therapist another chance. It's been days since the last time it resulted in chaos. They hadn’t even gone through any form of therapy before it happened. She recounted the incident from that day in her mind. “Tell me, baby, who’s the driver guy?” Kiara’s panic attack escalated quickly. Her breathing grew rapid and shallow, her body trembling uncontrollably as she clutched her chest. Damian carried her into the house, his movements frantic but careful. Maria followed closely, her hands shaking as she dialed the family doctor.Within minutes, Dr. Rourke, their trusted physician, arrived at the mansion. He examined Kiara, who was still hyperventilating and crying softly. After administering a mild sedative to calm her, he turned to Damian and Maria.“She’s having a severe panic attack,” Dr. Rourke explained gently. “This isn’t just fear—it’s deep psychological trauma. It’s crucial that we get her to open up
Luca slumped in the leather armchair in his living room, his hands gripping the armrests so tightly that his knuckles turned white. The echoes of Annie’s words reverberated in his mind: “I’m going to fight for full custody, Luca. And this time, you won’t win.”His jaw clenched as he stared at the half-empty bottle of whiskey on the desk. The house, once his pride, now felt like a hollow monument to his failures. The silence was deafening—a stark reminder of what he’d lost.Luca wasn’t angry because he loved the children that much or even because he wanted them around. No, his rage stemmed from something deeper, something darker. He’d lost control. Katie and Sam had always been pawns in his game—a way to keep Annie tethered, a means to assert dominance. Winning custody had been a symbolic victory, proof that he still held power over her. But now, that power was slipping through his fingers.“Damn it!” he roared, sweeping the whiskey bottle off the desk. It shattered against the wall, a
Luca froze, stool in hand, as the loud bang on the door reverberated through the room. Open up. It’s the police.” The voice cut through everything that made sound in his house. His pulse quickened, anger and paranoia blending into a volatile mix. He knew that voice—Detective Harrison.The last person he wanted to see.Luca tossed the stool aside, its legs clattering against the broken glass on the floor. He stalked to the door and yanked it open, his face a mask of barely controlled rage.“What the hell do you want, Harrison?”Detective Harrison stood there, his imposing frame casting a shadow over Luca’s disheveled entrance. “Detective, sir! I love to be referred to as Detective Harrison.” Harrison corrected him subtly. His sharp eyes took in the state of the house—broken bottles, shards of glass, the remains of a demolished TV. His lips curled in disdain.“I address you however I deem fit, detective—I mean, Harrison.“Well, well,” he drawled, stepping inside without waiting for an
“What?” Luca exclaimed, terrified Harrison had more things to interrogate him about. Harrison closed in the distance again. It’s obvious it makes Luca very uncomfortable every time he does that. “At Eric’s house, we found a mask—a perfect match to the one used in the kidnapping of Kiara Lux, and a file that had the name Thompson Greco. Then there’s the CCTV footage.”Luca’s heart pounded in his chest. “CCTV footage?” he repeated, his voice laced with disbelief.Harrison nodded, pulling his phone from his pocket. He tapped the screen a few times and turned it toward Luca. “Take a look. Recognize that car? It was out there when Kiara entered that restaurant. Can you see it’s the same car Kiara and this mysterious man who was obviously hiding from the CCTV returned to? The same vehicle that took her? Funny thing, it’s registered under an alias we’ve traced back to one Thompson—Thompson Greco. Rings a bell?”“And guess what?” Harrison scoffed. “The car that chased Kiara’s the other day
“Errmm, sir…” “Don’t make me ask again.” Harrison spat. “The library.” The butler mumbled, scared the consequences of whatever was about to happen would land him in trouble. “Do I also need to tell you to lead the way?” Harrison asked, waiting for the man to show him where the library was. After hesitating a while, the butler showed him where the library was situated. Harrison stormed into the library, his frustration evident in the sharpness of his movements. Kiara sat curled up in an armchair near the window, her knees pulled to her chest. She flinched at the sound of the doors swinging open, her wide eyes darting at him like a cornered animal.“Kiara,” Harrison said, his voice firm but not unkind. “We need to talk.”She shrank back further into the chair, her fingers gripping the fabric as if it might protect her. Her lips trembled, but no words came out.Harrison sighed, dragging a chair closer and sitting down across from her. He kept his voice low and measured, trying not to
Harrison studied Kiara for another long moment, waiting for any sign she might answer him. But she remained silent, her expression distant and unreadable. He sighed heavily, realizing he wasn’t going to get anymore out of her today.“Alright,” he said quietly, standing up. “I’ll leave you to rest. But Kiara, please think about what I said. You’re not alone in this, and we’ll figure it out together. You just have to trust me.”She didn’t respond, her gaze fixed on a random spot on the floor. Harrison took a final glance at her, his frustration simmering under the surface, before turning and heading toward the library doors.As he approached the entrance, he noticed a shadow moving just out of sight. His sharp eyes quickly identified the culprit: Maria, hovering near the doorway, her expression a mix of curiosity and feigned nonchalance.“Mrs Lux,” Harrison greeted flatly, his voice laced with suspicion. “I see you’ve found an interest in library doors.”The woman straightened abruptly,
Kiara was standing in front of her open box, staring at the mess of clothes she had put inside earlier. Her fingers gripped a particular dress. She hesitated, but she shook her head and threw it aside. 'Does it matter what I pack? I am leaving.' she thought. 'Leaving the only home I have ever known.' Leaving everything behind.Her phone vibrated beside her and the notification read: Flight confirmed: 10 AM tomorrow.She exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of it settle over her."This is it." She said to herself.*********Across from Kiara's city, Donald’s phone buzzed.He picked it up and looked at the screen, expecting nothing important. But when he saw the notification, his heart pounded.GPS Movement Detected – Kiara Lux: Airport Route SetHe tightened his grip on the phone."No," he said in a low tone.He stood up from the chair, running a hand through his hair.'She is leaving. Leaving for good.' And if I let her go now, I might never see her again.' he thought to himself."No
Detective Harrison had been on Luca's case for months now with no positive results, no evidence to link him to the crimes.He sat in his office, flipping through a stack of photos that had been put across his desk earlier that day.Every single one of the photos showed Luca with his men. One photo showed when he took off his mask in the warehouse during Kiara's kidnap, the other showed when he tried to take the documents from Damian. His clothes matched. The photos showed him at different instances of Kiara's murder attempts. All the evidence pointed to one to Luca.The evidence had come from an unexpected source. Harrison glanced up, his gaze narrowing at the man sitting across from him. It was Donald.The same man who saved Kiara multiple times.Harrison tapped the stack of photos together. “You’ve been keeping an eye on him for a while, haven’t you?”Donald leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. “Since the day he warned me to stay away from Kiara.”Harrison arched a brow. “You too
After a few days, Kiara was finally discharged. The hospital doors slid open, and Kiara stepped outside, with Maria and Damian closely behind her. Catching her breath in the cool evening air. It felt different. Not the air itself, but how it touched her skin, how it felt against her face. Everything around her felt distant, like she was walking through a world that had moved on while she had been stuck somewhere else. She wrapped her arms around herself, her movements slow and hesitant. Maria stood beside her, watching her closely. She had barely left her side since she woke up. As they approached the car, her concern was evident in the way she kept glancing at her, waiting for her to say something. “ Are you okay baby?” Maria asked. Kiara nodded. Damian, who was putting their belongings in the trunk, stood at the driver's side of the car. "Are you sure amore?But Kiara didn't respond.Damian didn’t push. He opened the car door for her, waiting until she was seated before ge
Flashing red and blue lights filled the night.The party had turned into chaos as the guests murmured in hushed voices as paramedics rushed Kiara towards the exit, her body limp on the stretcher.Damian pushed past security, his expression unreadable as he followed closely. “I’m coming with her.”“Sir, we need space,” a paramedic started, but the warning died when Damian shot him a sharp glare.“She’s my daughter,” he said flatly. “I’m not leaving her side.”The paramedic hesitated but nodded. “Get in.”As the ambulance doors shut, Damian sat beside Kiara, watching as the medics checked her vitals. His hands clenched into fists. Even in her unconscious state, Kiara could still feel his touch lingering. It felt familiar, like she had felt it before.And just like that, her mind slipped into a dream.And then, the past pulled her in.***Laughter surrounded her as she spun in circles, her arms wrapped around Donald’s neck.“Put me down!” she giggled, swatting his shoulder.Donald smirk
Luca, on the other hand, has been going crazy since his kids were taken from him. They were all he had left. His neighbors heard him breaking things so they called the police. Luca was taken to a facility after his tests came positive for PTSD and disruptive behavior. Days passed, and he stayed quiet. Cooperative, pretending to be fine. The doctors bought it. They thought he was getting better. Not until one evening, during a shift change, Luca made his move. A nurse had forgotten to properly secure the door after checking his vitals. Perfect. This was his chance to escape from this hellhole.Luca slipped out, moving down the hall, his heart pounding.He stayed close to the walls, avoiding eye contact with staffs. One wrong move and they’d drag him back. His bare feet barely made a sound against the cold floors; the exit was close. Just a few more steps. Then— “Hey! "What are you doing?” A security guard spotted him. Luca bolted, running with all his might.Alarms sou
It's been three months and Kiara has not had the guts to go out due to the trauma she faced in Luca's hands. Although Luca has been away from the Lux family for months now, Kiara still feels like he's watching her. She still hasn't told her family the truth about her relationship with Luca and his involvement in the kidnap.The Lux home had never been this quiet before. There was no music playing from Kiara’s room, no late-night TV chatter, no laughter echoing through the halls.Maria sighed as she walked past the closed door of her daughter’s bedroom, hesitating for a moment before knocking softly.“Kiara, sweetheart?”She heard nothing.She knocked again. “It’s morning. You should eat something.”There was a long pause before a tired voice. “Not hungry.”Maria pushed the door open, stepping inside. Kiara was curled up on the couch by the window, staring blankly at her phone. The curtains were still drawn, blocking out the sunlight.Maria sat beside her, placing a gentle hand on her
A Few Months Later********************The courtroom was filled with quiet murmurs as lawyers shuffled papers and the judge prepared to begin. It was the final custody hearing for Sam and Katie, and Annie’s heart pounded as she sat at the plaintiff’s table, waiting for the moment that would decide everything. Across from her in the room, was Luca, who sat stiffly, his expression unreadable. He looked calm, but Annie knew better. This wasn’t the Luca she had once known. The man sitting before her had changed. For years, Luca had raised Sam and Katie without her, and for a time, they had been safe. But then, things changed. He became reckless. Cold. Dangerous although he had been that way, which was why Annie left him, she didn't think he would one day show his true colors to the kids.The judge, a woman in her late fifties with gray hair and sharp eyes, cleared her throat. “We are here today to finalize the custody arrangement for Samuel and Katherine Ettore." Ms. Annie, you may p
“Power’s out, completely out,” one of the nurses shouted in the dark hallway of the hospital. The emergency lights flickered off and on for a moment and then came back on, but the sense of unease had not.“Listen, we can’t stay here,” said Damian, his voice low as he looked around the nearly empty corridor. “This hospital isn’t safe anymore.”Maria nodded quickly, clutching Kiara’s hand tighter. “I’m scared for Kiara,” she said softly.Kiara, still shaken, couldn't say a word. She just sat there mopping. Harrison stood near the door, keeping his hand on his radio. “We need to move to a safer hospital. I’m calling for transport. We can't use my car. This place has been compromised, obviously.” Damian frowned. “Compromised? What do you mean?” “Not sure yet,” Harrison replied. “But when power is cut like that, and there are strange sounds in the hall, you can’t trust the security here.” Maria interjected, “So, where do we go?” Harrison sighed shortly. “There’s a private facility on
Kiara barely had time to react before Detective Harrison shoved her behind him, drawing his own weapon in one swift motion.“Drop the gun!” Harrison barked, his voice sharp and commanding.The intruder didn’t hesitate. He fired at Kiara but missed.A loud bang echoed through the room.Kiara screamed, instinctively ducking as the bullet slammed into a nearby vase, shattering it into pieces. Maria shrieked, stumbling backward, while Damian threw himself in front of her, shielding her from the masked man.Harrison didn’t waste a second. He fired back, forcing the masked man to dive for cover behind the couch.“Stay down!” Harrison shouted at Kiara, keeping his gun targeted at the intruder.The masked man didn’t stay hidden for long. In a blur of movement, he lunged out, knocking over a chair as he went towards Kiara.Her heart seized. He was coming straight for her.Harrison moved fast, stepping between them. Both Harrison and the masked man clashed violently, fists colliding in a flurry