In the heart of a modern city, two rival families hold the power. Valentina, a fiercely loyal daughter, and Matteo, a cunning and determined son, find themselves on opposite sides of a dangerous feud. But when their paths unexpectedly intertwine, th...
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I woke up to the sound of hushed voices and the faint beeping of machines. My whole body felt heavy, like I was stuck between sleep and consciousness, and my throat was dry.
As my eyes slowly opened, the first thing I saw was Sabrina, her face wet with tears. She was sitting beside me, gripping my hand so tightly it almost hurt.
Julian was on the other side, standing stiff, his face pale and drawn. He looked like he hadn't slept, hadn't eaten—like the life had been sucked out of him.
I tried to move, but my arms felt weak, like I was pinned down by invisible weights.
"Sabrina?" My voice came out a rasp, barely there.
She looked up, her face crumpling as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. "Val..." Her voice cracked, and she didn't even try to wipe away the tears. "Why?"
Before I could respond, the doctor came in, and everything suddenly felt real. Too real.
"Miss Valentina, it's good to see you awake." His tone was calm, professional, but I could sense the weight of his words. "You lost a significant amount of blood. Your friends found you just in time. If they hadn't... well, it could've been much worse."
I blinked, trying to process what he was saying. Found me? In a pool of blood? My brain tried to latch onto the words, but they slipped away, too heavy to grasp.
I glanced at Sabrina and Julian. They didn't say anything, just stared at me with those haunted looks.
My parents arrived shortly after the doctor left, their faces drawn tight with worry. But no one said anything.
They just stood there, hovering at the edge of my bed like they didn't know what to do. Maybe they didn't.
I couldn't look at them. Couldn't face them.
Not after what I'd done.
And then, just when I thought I couldn't feel any lower, Matteo walked in. My chest clenched, and I wanted to disappear, to shrink into the bed and hide from him.
Why was he here?
After everything he said—after he told me he didn't need me—I didn't want him to see me like this.
I didn't want anyone to see me like this, but especially not him.
I turned my face away, pretending I hadn't seen him, but I could feel his eyes on me. I could feel his presence, heavy and suffocating.
My parents stepped out with Matteo's parents, probably to talk, leaving us all alone in this unbearable silence.
Matteo didn't say anything at first. He just stood there, staring at me like he was trying to piece together what had happened.
Like he couldn't believe it. His gaze burned into me, and I fought the urge to look at him, to see if he was angry, or sad, or disgusted.
