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...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Over the last few days, things had started to turn around, and it was all because of Matteo.
He had been with me every step of the way, staying at the hospital, making sure I ate my meals, sitting by my side even when I didn't feel like talking.
The doctors said I was getting better, that soon I'd be back on track. My body was healing, and so was my mind, little by little.
But the truth was, I wasn't sure I would have made it this far without him.
Matteo saved me.
I knew that now. He stayed and fought for me in a way I didn't even know I needed.
Soon, the doctors said I'd be ready to leave the hospital, but there was one condition—I had to start therapy.
They wouldn't release me until they were sure I was getting the help I needed.
Honestly, I didn't mind. After everything, I knew I couldn't keep going the way I had been.
I needed to talk to someone, to make sense of the mess in my head. I wasn't as scared of admitting that anymore.
The idea of therapy felt... necessary. I'd put it off for so long, thinking I could handle things on my own, but now I understood it wasn't a sign of weakness. It was something I had to do for myself.
Logan had visited a couple of times, and it was good to see him. He was still emotionally bruised from everything Lorenzo had done, but he smiled more now, reassuring me that he was okay.
I'd apologized to him again, but Logan waved it off, telling me we were both survivors and that we just had to keep moving forward.
It was good to hear that from him, and seeing him walk into my room smiling made me realize that we were both going to be okay.
My father had come by as well. He was trying to be strong, but I could see the worry in his eyes, the guilt he carried.
He didn't say much, but his hugs were tighter than they'd ever been, and that was enough.
Even my mother, who I'd always thought was distant, had been by my side more than I'd expected. For the first time in a long time, she seemed genuinely scared for me.
It was strange to see her like that, vulnerable in a way I hadn't seen before, but it also made me realize that maybe, in her own way, she cared more than I'd given her credit for.
It wasn't just the physical recovery that mattered now. It was everything else—the therapy, the conversations, the healing that would take much longer than the doctors could measure.
But with Matteo by my side, with my friends and even my parents, I knew I wasn't going through it alone anymore.
Soon, I'd be out of here, back to the world outside these hospital walls.
And maybe, just maybe, I could start figuring out how to really live again.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Over the past few days, I'd watched Valentina slowly come back to life. Every little step she took forward was a victory, and I was so damn proud of her for fighting.
She had been through hell, but she was stronger than I ever realized.
I saw it in the way she pushed herself to eat, to take her meds, to sit through the conversations with the doctors and talk about therapy.
She was doing it—not just for me, but for herself.
Today, as I walked into her hospital room, I couldn't help but feel that same surge of pride. She looked better—more alive, with a little color back in her cheeks.
She was sitting up, flipping through a magazine, and when she saw me, that familiar smile I'd grown to love appeared.
"Hey," I said, sitting down beside her. "Did you eat?"
She smiled softly and nodded. "Yes, I ate."
"And you took your meds?" I asked, just to be sure.
She chuckled, a light sound that warmed me. "Yes, Matteo, I took them."
"Good." I leaned in a little closer, taking her hand in mine. "I'm so proud of you, Val. You've been fighting so hard. You have no idea how proud I am."
She smiled at me, and I could see the gratitude in her eyes. But there was something else there too—something deeper, something that had been growing between us for longer than I'd realized.
I couldn't hold it in any longer. I had to tell her.
Before I could think too hard about it, I leaned in and kissed her, softly at first, but with all the feelings I'd been keeping inside.
When I pulled back, I kept my forehead resting against hers, my heart pounding in my chest.
"I love you," I whispered, the words feeling right even though I was terrified of what she might say.
I'd never said it before, not to her, and it scared the hell out of me. But it was the truth.
I loved her more than I'd ever loved anyone, and I needed her to know.
For a moment, there was silence, and my stomach twisted in knots.
What if she didn't feel the same way?
What if this was too much, too soon?
But then, she smiled—a real, genuine smile—and her eyes softened as she cupped my face. "I love you too, Matteo," she whispered back, her voice steady and sure.
Relief flooded through me, and before I could say anything else, she kissed me. This time, it was deeper, filled with everything we hadn't been able to say before.
It was the kind of kiss that felt like a promise, like a new beginning.
When we finally pulled back, I rested my forehead against hers again, both of us breathing softly, our hearts in sync.
We didn't need any more words.
We had each other.
And no matter what came next, I knew we could face it together.
AUTHORS NOTE Ahhh last chapter guys🥺🥺 IM SO SADDD Thank you guys for reading tangled alliances!! Please follow my TikTok @heartss4bookss for more updates and content!!
