Baronè Family | I

𝟙𝟙𝟠

Ｌａｓｔ Ｔｉｍｅ

Definition ~

○ ... (n.)○

I can't say it 

Life is like a chess game. You lose friends, you lose pawns, but when you lose your king, the whole game feels worthless. A queen can never lose her king.

A rule I've learned through love is that you may like someone until you die, and then your feelings die with you. But you only truly love someone when they are dying or even dead, knowing you never told them how you felt.

Harrison has been in a coma for the past week since the ball. I knew going was a bad idea, but I thought it might be different. It was worse.

I sat in my office, staring blankly at the paperwork piled on my desk. There was so much work to do, and I had to ensure the shipments were running smoothly. I felt mentally and physically exhausted. The three bullets I had removed from my back were healing nicely, but the wound in my heart would never close—it would scar me for the rest of my life. The man I love, the father our boys call "Dad," might never come home.

"Hey? You alright?" Jack asked as he walked into my office, Christiana trailing behind him.

I had been crying myself to sleep for the past week, surviving on just three hours of sleep. I was looking after the boys while trying not to lose my mind. I was exhausted.

"No, I'm fucking not alright, Jack," I snapped, irritation spilling over.

"Aideen, you're not the only one falling apart. We need to move on with life. We need to pull the—"

"DON'T. YOU. FUCKING. DARE. FINISH THAT SENTENCE!" I stood up quickly, pointing my gun at Jack, anger flooding my veins, trying not to cry or pull the trigger.

"Please, relax, Aideen," Christiana said softly, stepping toward me. I pointed my gun at her, stopping her in her tracks.

"I did nothing to you! I lost my husband, the father of my children, and you're saying you're falling apart?" I took a deep breath, my heart aching as the gun in my hand began to tremble. "I don't get to do that. I can't move on because I have my children to look after and an empire to run!" I yelled at Jack.

"Get him out of here before I kill him!" I barked.

Jack clicked his tongue in frustration before walking out of my office, Christiana following closely behind. "I'm sorry, Aideen," she whispered before closing the door.

I punched a hole in the wall and collapsed to my knees. I was angry, sad, frustrated, confused, exhausted, and utterly broken. Harrison was in a coma because he had lost so much blood that when the doctors pumped blood back into his body, his system couldn't cope.

The doctors said he would be on life support, but he only had a 15% chance of coming back. Both the doctor and Jack suggested it would be easier to pull the plug and let his suffering end. But I couldn't do that. It would shatter me beyond repair.

I never thought that as a dominant woman, I would fall for a man. The idea of needing someone in my life used to disgust me. Yet with him, I felt different; I needed him. I wanted him; I couldn't let him go.

Yet, I knew I needed to...

A soft knock on my office door pulled me from my thoughts. I stood up, wiping away my tears and trying to appear more presentable. "Yes?"

"Hello, Mrs. Barone. I'm Anna, the private au pair you asked for. I'm here for the interview."

"Oh yes, please take a seat."

I needed to hire an au pair to help me. I was overwhelmed with caring for Harrison and managing the business. I was trying my hardest to spend as much time as possible with the boys, but there was so much work to do. I felt terrible not giving them enough love and attention, so I was hiring someone to assist me until I could come up with a plan.

After our meeting, I hired Anna. She didn't know what I really did; the public thought I ran a fashion line and a business, and that was all that mattered. She was well-mannered and trained in childcare.

"Thank you for coming, Anna. I'm sure the boys will like you," I said, shaking her hand as she smiled.

"I hope so! When would you like me to start?"

"Today, please. Winston will escort you to the boys." Anna smiled and left my office as Winston guided her to the nursery.

After a long day filled with meetings, reading contracts, and dealing with police and enemies who thought they could take advantage of Harrison's absence, I finally had some time to visit him in the hospital.

"Any news?" I asked the nurse at the desk. She shook her head, and I looked down at the floor as I walked down the hallway.

When I reached Harrison's room, I found him lying in bed, surrounded by tubes and machines keeping him alive. The sight broke my heart. I walked to the chair beside his bed and sat down.

"If you have to go, let me go with you," I stuttered, squeezing his hand. The only sound was the beeping of the heart monitor, steady but weak. He was alive... but barely.

"Everyone thinks I should just give up on you and end your suffering, but I can't give up. I won't give up." My voice hitched as tears streamed down my cheeks. "I won't give up on you," I mumbled, willing him to hear me.

No response.

I stood up and kissed him on the forehead. "I better get going. The boys need to sleep. That lullaby you and I sang together helps them fall straight to sleep." I smiled through my tears, wiping them away. "I'll see you as soon as I can. Never forget that I love you."

As I walked toward the door, I turned back to look at him one last time. The heart monitor beeped steadily, matching the rhythm of his heart. He was alive inside, I knew it.

When I got home, I found Christiana playing with the boys on the couch. They were giggling as Adrastus and Drystan played with their teddy bears. I walked into the kitchen, placing my bag and coat on the counter.

"I'm sorry about Jack today, Aideen," Christiana said, glancing back at me.

"No, it's alright. I overreacted," I replied, sitting next to her.

Adrastus reached out his arms, wanting me to pick him up. His big eyes mirrored his father's as I lifted him into my embrace. He nestled his head against my chest, and I laid back on the couch, patting his back gently.

I never knew I would fall in love and have a family. Yet I am so happy I had one with Harrison.