~The lost one~

Chapter 35

**Third-Person POV**

The atmosphere in the Gabrini family's home was somber and heavy as they gathered around Simi's bedside. Despite the tension, there was something undeniably strong about her. Her silence wasn't one of defeat but resilience, her eyes alert even in her pain. The once-grand room felt diminished by the weight of their emotions, the air thick with a complex mixture of pride, guilt, and anger.

**Luca** stood by the window, his gaze drifting from the darkening sky to his sister. Simi's bruised and battered form played in his mind, but it wasn't just the sight of her injuries that unsettled him—it was how brave she had been, how composed. She hadn't cried, hadn't asked for help. Luca's heart ached with guilt, not because he saw her as broken, but because she seemed to carry the weight of everything so quietly, as if she had always been strong on her own. The thought unsettled him. Had they brought her more pain, more danger than she would have faced without them? His fists clenched. "She shouldn't have to be this brave," he thought. The rage simmered just beneath his skin, fueled by the knowledge that he hadn't been able to protect her.

**Fabio**, usually the tough one, was visibly shaken. His face, usually so full of fierce determination, was lined with concern and anger. He paced the room, his frustration mounting with each step. Simi didn't seem like the kind of person who had been through this before, but she had handled it with a courage that made him proud and furious all at once. It was clear that she wasn't someone who had lived in constant fear of violence. So why was it happening now, under their protection? Fabio's mind raced with thoughts of revenge. He knew what needed to be done. "We need to make them pay for this," he muttered through clenched teeth, his eyes flashing with the fury of a brother who wouldn't rest until those responsible were found. But beneath that fury was an aching sadness—Simi didn't deserve to face these nightmares. Not with them. She was their sister, and they had sworn to keep her safe.

**Antonio** sat by her bedside, his hands still from dressing her wounds, his heart heavy. As the family's healer, he had treated wounds before, but this time it felt different. Simi hadn't broken down, hadn't let the weight of what had happened crush her. But Antonio was shaken because, in her silence, he saw strength—strength that shouldn't have been necessary. His normally calm demeanor was overshadowed by guilt. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, his voice barely audible as he looked down at her. "We should have protected you better." He feared she might see the Gabrini name as a curse rather than a shield, wondering if bringing her into their world had exposed her to far more danger than she ever faced before.

At the center of it all was **Vittorio**, his eyes filled with quiet torment. As the patriarch, he had seen violence, betrayal, and war, but nothing prepared him for the pain of seeing his daughter like this. She hadn't been in their world for long, and yet here she was, suffering because of his enemies, because of his choices. He admired her courage—she hadn't flinched, hadn't shed a tear in front of them—but that was what hurt the most. She shouldn't have had to be strong. She should've been free from this kind of suffering. His heart swelled with guilt. He had hoped to bring her into their world to protect her, to give her the family she deserved, not thrust her into danger. "We'll find them," he vowed quietly, his voice a mixture of sorrow and determination. "And I swear, this will never happen again."

Together, the Gabrini family was united not in seeing Simi as broken, but in recognizing her bravery. She was stronger than they had imagined, but that only made them more protective, more determined. They had brought her into their lives, into their world, and now they had to make sure she never suffered again because of it. They owed her that much.