The sterile scent of disinfectant clung to the air in the neonatal intensive care unit. The lights overhead were too white, too clean—like they were trying to scrub the agony from the place, but pain had a way of seeping in anyway. Antonia sat motionless in her wheelchair, her hands curled tightly around the metal rim as if letting go would break her completely.Beyond the transparent casing of the incubator lay her youngest—a baby too small, too fragile. Tubes and monitors encased his tiny body like a second womb, and with each faint beep of the heart monitor, her own heartbeat stumbled to keep pace.Her Eldest twin son's were asleep in the next room, cradled in soft blue and green blankets, unaware of the storm unraveling around them. But Antonia couldn’t move. Not while her last little son still clung to life with every struggling breath.Her eyes, red-rimmed and sleepless, stayed locked on the rhythmic rise and fall of the baby’s chest. A heart condition, they said. Congenital. “W
The world outside might have kept moving, but in this small corner of the NICU, time had frozen.Three sons. Born too soon.Three tiny souls who carried the weight of her world on their fragile shoulders.Matteo, the first to cry, had come into the world loud and strong—his scream had made her sob in relief. Antonio, his twin by seconds, had gripped the nurse’s glove with impossibly small fingers, as if refusing to be separated from his brother. They now slept peacefully in the recovery room, their matching features softened by newborn sleep, pink lips parted in dreams Antonia would never get to see.But Luca… Luca had arrived in silence.He hadn’t cried. He hadn’t opened his eyes. And he hadn’t breathed on his own.Her heart had splintered in that moment.Now, as she sat inches from the incubator, watching the rise and fall of his narrow chest beneath layers of tubes and wires, Antonia whispered his name like a prayer.“Luca,” she murmured, barely above a breath. “You’re the quiet on
The soft, rhythmic hum of machines had become a lullaby in Antonia’s ears. She hadn’t meant to fall asleep—not even for a second—but exhaustion had finally dragged her under. Curled beside Luca’s incubator, her hand resting just inches from the transparent barrier, her breathing matched his monitor. Shallow. Fragile. Hopeful.The dim light above flickered slightly as the door creaked open.A tall male nurse stepped in—his steps swift but practiced, his eyes scanning the machines. He wore the hospital’s standard navy scrubs, an ID badge clipped to his chest. His face was unfamiliar, but in her half-sleep, Antonia didn’t stir.He moved with precision. Gloved fingers adjusting an IV, checking the monitor readings. Then came the needle—an injection he drew from his pocket without hesitation.He bent over the incubator and pressed the needle into the side port.Luca didn’t stir.The nurse pressed the plunger slowly, watching the clear liquid disappear. A moment passed, then he straightened
The sharp click of polished leather shoes echoed through the parking lot, a lonely rhythm in the hush of twilight. Federico stood beneath a flickering lamp, its dim orange glow casting long shadows across his tailored suit. He gripped his phone tighter, knuckles pale, as his voice sliced through the silence.“Hey,” he spat, low and seething. “I told you to take care of all three of them.”His jaw clenched as he paused, listening to the man on the other end. The veins in his neck pulsed like coiled wire, a volcano of restraint.“Why is it only one that's dead?” he demanded, his voice trembling on the edge of fury. “You always leave your job half-done. I warned you last time—you were almost caught. Almost exposed everything.”His eyes scanned the darkness, paranoia creeping like ivy through his mind. “Just one job,” he hissed, “one job I ask of you. And you turn it into a goddamn nightmare.”He stopped pacing, breath fogging the cool evening air. “You make everything ten times harder. S
“Alessandro…” Federico’s voice was firm, but gentle, his hand pressing against his Senior brother’s back with brotherly urgency. “Everything is going to be okay. I know it doesn’t feel like it now, but you have to believe me.”Alessandro stood still, his eyes red-rimmed, his jaw tight. The sterile hospital hallway was cold and humming with soft machinery sounds, but nothing compared to the storm raging inside him.“You guys have to fight this,” Federico continued, stepping around to face him. “No matter what it takes. For your sons. At least for them.”Alessandro blinked back the welling tears, his throat tight as he thought of Matteo and Antonio—how small their hands were in his. And Lucas… his tiny son that was dead, wires and machines that was breathing for him. He hadn't even had the chance to hold his third son properly. Just a glimpse, and a name—Lucas. Antonia’s trembling lips had whispered it just before the nurses had wheeled her away.“You have to be by Antonia’s side no mat
The living room glowed with warm afternoon sunlight streaming through the sheer curtains. Balloons floated near the ceiling, and a banner that read “Happy 1st Birthday Matteo & Antonio” hung across the mantle in cheerful colors. Laughter filled the air, rich with love, tinged with the unspoken.“Happy birthday to you,” sang Roosevelt in a melodic voice, her hands clapping in rhythm as her smile stretched wide and genuine.“Happy birthday to you,” Aldo joined in, chuckling as he nudged Federico, who reluctantly joined, holding a party hat askew on his head.Antonia’s voice wavered, but she smiled, singing softly as she carried little Antonio in her arms. The child giggled and tugged at her earrings with chubby fingers.Alessandro, standing beside her, held Matteo with gentle ease. His eyes were locked on Antonia more than the cake, as if searching for the faintest shift in her expression. Her smile was beautiful—poised and photogenic—but he could see the cracks. She always wore it like
The house had quieted.The twins were finally asleep, curled in opposite corners of the big bed they refused to leave tonight. Alessandro had tucked them in with exaggerated kisses and soft lullabies, while Antonia watched from the doorway—silently, always silently.Now the only sound came from the occasional rustle of the wind brushing against the window panes, and the slow ticking of the clock on the wall.Alessandro stepped into the bedroom they once shared with arms full of folded blankets. He paused in the doorway, seeing Antonia already seated on the bed, her back to him, her shoulders hunched slightly as though the weight of the day was only just catching up with her.He moved quietly, setting the blankets aside, and walked over to her. “Need anything?” he asked softly, unsure if the question was too much or not enough.She shook her head. “Just… a moment,” she murmured, her voice barely a whisper.He didn’t press. Instead, he sat beside her, close but not touching. The silence
The clock read past midnight, but neither Antonia nor Alessandro could sleep.They lay side by side, their breaths slow, the silence between them no longer sharp-edged with pain, but padded by the kind of exhaustion that only comes from speaking the truth aloud.Antonia turned slightly, her gaze drifting over to Alessandro’s profile—his brow relaxed now, his lips parted softly in the stillness of the room. Yet she knew his mind wasn’t resting. It never did. Not since Lucas.She reached out and lightly touched his forearm. “Are you awake?”He opened his eyes immediately. “Always, when it’s you.”There was no teasing in his voice—just an earnestness that made her heart ache.“I didn’t mean to spring that on you earlier,” she whispered. “About work. I know it must have felt sudden.”Alessandro turned onto his side to face her. His hand found hers beneath the covers, his fingers brushing against hers like he was scared he might lose her again.“No,” he said. “You were right to say it. I j
The rain fell in a steady rhythm over the Cortez estate that night. Soft, mournful, like the sky itself was grieving something lost long ago.Beatrice sat alone in her old bedroom, the one untouched by time. The satin walls were still lavender, her mother’s favorite color. Her childhood desk stood beneath the window, the corner chipped from the day she flung a silver picture frame across it. She could still remember the sound it made when it shattered—the day her world cracked apart with it.A knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts, but she didn’t answer. The servant left a tray outside anyway.She stayed seated, her fingers gripping the edges of a photo album she hadn’t opened in years. Dust clung to its spine like it was afraid to let go.With trembling hands, she flipped it open.Her mother’s face stared back at her.Lucia Marín.Warm brown eyes, full of mischief and light. A smile that reached into the bones. Beatrice’s breath caught.She remembered the sound of her mother
The laughter of the twins still echoed through the banyan trees, harmonizing with the chirps of cicadas and the rhythmic crashing of waves nearby. Alessandro and Antonia lay side by side on the blanket, their sons nestled between them, the sun dipping lower into the horizon.For a moment, the world felt whole.But not far from the path, just behind a curtain of wild hibiscus and thick foliage, a figure stood watching. Unmoving. Eyes narrowed through the lenses of small binoculars, focused on the family with calculated interest.The man tapped a discreet earpiece and whispered, “They’re here. All of them. Together under the banyan tree.”There was a static pause, then a smooth voice replied on the other end. Calm, cool, almost indifferent.“Good. Just keep watching.”The man shifted slightly behind the bushes, the leaves rustling faintly under his boot. “They’re vulnerable now, Federico. There’s no security around. It’s the perfect time.”A sharp intake of breath came from the other en
The park stretched across the island like a secret meadow untouched by the outside world. Wildflowers danced in the gentle breeze, and sunlight poured through the swaying palms like melted gold. For the first time in a long time, Antonia felt something close to peace.Matteo and Antonio ran a few steps ahead, their laughter ringing like chimes through the warm air. Matteo, ever the more cautious one, stayed near the cobblestone path while Antonio chased a butterfly into the grass, his curly dark hair bouncing as he moved.“Antonio, not too far!” Antonia called gently, adjusting the brim of her straw hat.“I wanna catch it, Mama!” Antonio shouted, a grin stretched across his small face. “It’s blue like your dress!”Antonia glanced down at her dress, laughing softly. “Is it?”“I’m faster than the butterfly!” Antonio declared, arms outstretched as he stumbled, then righted himself.Alessandro chuckled beside her, hands in his pockets, watching their sons with something close to reverence
The sky was awash with a tender orange glow as the morning sun crept across the island, casting golden beams over the villa's whitewashed walls. Birds chirped like a lullaby in the distance, and the air smelled faintly of salt and hibiscus. It was the kind of morning that made everything feel gentle.In the heart of the villa, Antonia crouched beside a small suitcase, carefully folding Matteo’s favorite stuffed lion and Antonio’s striped beach towel into a small tote bag. She glanced at the boys, who were busy putting on their tiny sneakers—Antonio struggling with his left foot and Matteo pretending his sock was a puppet.“Do you think Nonno is going to be awake today?” Antonio asked as he leaned on the wall for balance.Antonia smiled softly. “Yes, baby. He’s feeling much better. We’re just going to visit and bring him some breakfast, okay?”Matteo popped up. “Can I give him my drawing? The one with the sun and the big house?”“You can give him anything you want,” Alessandro chimed i
The sun draped itself across the island like a golden shawl, lazily spilling into the villa's open windows. The sound of the ocean, distant and rhythmic, blended with the quiet laughter of two small boys chasing each other barefoot through the sand-covered patio.Antonia was in the kitchen, slicing mangoes and humming softly, while Alessandro stood at the open French doors, sipping from a glass of water and watching his sons with quiet affection. For a man who once lived for boardrooms and deadlines, these slow island mornings had become his sanctuary.Then came the sound of tires crunching over gravel.Alessandro squinted toward the front gate, his brow lifting. “We weren’t expecting anyone, were we?”Antonia shook her head, wiping her hands. “No… unless—”Before she could finish, a familiar voice rang through the stillness.“Don’t tell me my nephews have already forgotten their favorite uncle!”The twins’ heads snapped up. Matteo gasped. Antonio shrieked with joy.“UNCLE FEDERICO!!!
The clock read past midnight, but neither Antonia nor Alessandro could sleep.They lay side by side, their breaths slow, the silence between them no longer sharp-edged with pain, but padded by the kind of exhaustion that only comes from speaking the truth aloud.Antonia turned slightly, her gaze drifting over to Alessandro’s profile—his brow relaxed now, his lips parted softly in the stillness of the room. Yet she knew his mind wasn’t resting. It never did. Not since Lucas.She reached out and lightly touched his forearm. “Are you awake?”He opened his eyes immediately. “Always, when it’s you.”There was no teasing in his voice—just an earnestness that made her heart ache.“I didn’t mean to spring that on you earlier,” she whispered. “About work. I know it must have felt sudden.”Alessandro turned onto his side to face her. His hand found hers beneath the covers, his fingers brushing against hers like he was scared he might lose her again.“No,” he said. “You were right to say it. I j
The house had quieted.The twins were finally asleep, curled in opposite corners of the big bed they refused to leave tonight. Alessandro had tucked them in with exaggerated kisses and soft lullabies, while Antonia watched from the doorway—silently, always silently.Now the only sound came from the occasional rustle of the wind brushing against the window panes, and the slow ticking of the clock on the wall.Alessandro stepped into the bedroom they once shared with arms full of folded blankets. He paused in the doorway, seeing Antonia already seated on the bed, her back to him, her shoulders hunched slightly as though the weight of the day was only just catching up with her.He moved quietly, setting the blankets aside, and walked over to her. “Need anything?” he asked softly, unsure if the question was too much or not enough.She shook her head. “Just… a moment,” she murmured, her voice barely a whisper.He didn’t press. Instead, he sat beside her, close but not touching. The silence
The living room glowed with warm afternoon sunlight streaming through the sheer curtains. Balloons floated near the ceiling, and a banner that read “Happy 1st Birthday Matteo & Antonio” hung across the mantle in cheerful colors. Laughter filled the air, rich with love, tinged with the unspoken.“Happy birthday to you,” sang Roosevelt in a melodic voice, her hands clapping in rhythm as her smile stretched wide and genuine.“Happy birthday to you,” Aldo joined in, chuckling as he nudged Federico, who reluctantly joined, holding a party hat askew on his head.Antonia’s voice wavered, but she smiled, singing softly as she carried little Antonio in her arms. The child giggled and tugged at her earrings with chubby fingers.Alessandro, standing beside her, held Matteo with gentle ease. His eyes were locked on Antonia more than the cake, as if searching for the faintest shift in her expression. Her smile was beautiful—poised and photogenic—but he could see the cracks. She always wore it like
“Alessandro…” Federico’s voice was firm, but gentle, his hand pressing against his Senior brother’s back with brotherly urgency. “Everything is going to be okay. I know it doesn’t feel like it now, but you have to believe me.”Alessandro stood still, his eyes red-rimmed, his jaw tight. The sterile hospital hallway was cold and humming with soft machinery sounds, but nothing compared to the storm raging inside him.“You guys have to fight this,” Federico continued, stepping around to face him. “No matter what it takes. For your sons. At least for them.”Alessandro blinked back the welling tears, his throat tight as he thought of Matteo and Antonio—how small their hands were in his. And Lucas… his tiny son that was dead, wires and machines that was breathing for him. He hadn't even had the chance to hold his third son properly. Just a glimpse, and a name—Lucas. Antonia’s trembling lips had whispered it just before the nurses had wheeled her away.“You have to be by Antonia’s side no mat