Matteo, Leonardo, and Alessandro, the powerful owners of De Angeli Enterprises, are in their early thirties and have built a fearsome reputation worldwide. Known for their ruthlessness and ambition, these men have amassed wealth and influence by tak...
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As Alessandro continued tending to her burns with careful hands, the kitchen door swung open, and Matteo's usual boisterous energy filled the room.
"Good morni—What the fuck happened?!" he exclaimed, eyes widening as he rushed toward her. His gaze darted between Yulia and Alessandro, who was quietly applying burn cream and wrapping her hand in bandages.
"She... burned both hands. Bad," Alessandro said, his accent thick with worry.
Matteo frowned deeply, assessing the situation. "That's not enough for this. She needs more than burn cream. Hospital. Now," Matteo barked, his authoritative tone leaving no room for argument.
Yulia instinctively shook her head, the thought of a hospital visit sending a ripple of anxiety through her. "I-I'm fine," she protested weakly, but Matteo's sharp glare silenced her.
"Don't argue, principessa," Matteo said sternly, his expression softening only slightly as he looked at her hands. "You're sitting quietly until we get you help, understood?"
Yulia swallowed her objections, nodding meekly. Matteo's presence always commanded attention, and his concern was genuine, even if his approach felt overwhelming. As Alessandro finished wrapping one hand, Matteo turned to him.
"I'll let Leo know. Start the car, subito," he ordered, his voice still carrying a tone of urgency. Alessandro gave a quick nod before darting out of the kitchen to get the car ready.
With the room now empty except for her, Yulia sat alone on the counter, one hand carefully bandaged and the other still raw and uncovered. The stinging pain remained sharp and pulsing. Despite Matteo's stern command, she didn't want to just sit idly, so she gingerly reached for the remaining roll of bandages and began wrapping her other hand. The movements were slow and awkward, the pain intensifying with each attempt, but she couldn't stand the thought of doing nothing.
Her mind raced as she clumsily fumbled with the bandage, the memory of Matteo's intense worry mingling with Alessandro's soft care. Even through the pain, she felt a strange warmth settling in her chest—a combination of gratitude and something deeper she couldn't quite place. She paused for a moment, staring at her half-wrapped hand, feeling the ache of both the burns and the complicated emotions swirling within her.
The sounds of distant footsteps echoed in the hallway, signaling that Matteo was likely back with Leonardo. Yulia quickly finished wrapping her hand, still unsure of how she would face the men now that her independence had failed her.
Leonardo's eyes softened as he took Yulia's hands gently, careful not to aggravate her burns. "Who wrapped these so badly?" he asked, his voice laced with both amusement and concern.
Yulia's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I-I tried to do it myself," she mumbled, feeling foolish under his careful gaze.
Noticing her discomfort, Leonardo chuckled softly, the sound surprisingly light despite the situation. "Come on," he said, his smile sad but reassuring. He effortlessly helped her down from the counter, as if she weighed nothing at all, his hand steady on her lower back as he guided her toward the door.
