Chapter 67: Suspicions and Protective Measures

*Layla*

I felt like I was drowning in a sea of confusion and fear as I lay in my hospital bed, my mind reeling from the shock of my mother's confession and the subsequent attack that had left her fighting for her life. I couldn't shake the feeling that Dante was somehow involved, that he had something to do with the explosion that had nearly killed her.

Then I heard a commotion outside my door. Raised voices, the sound of a scuffle, and then Anton's voice, cold and unyielding.

"You can't go in there, DeLuca," he said. "Layla doesn't want to see you."

"You don't speak for her," Dante growled, his voice low and menacing. "Move, Anton. I need to see her, to explain."

I felt my heart race at the sound of his voice, a mix of fear and longing washing over me. But before I could react, the door to my room burst open, and Dante strode in, his eyes wild and his face etched with desperation.

“Get out!” I shouted at him before he could say a word to me. 

“Layla–"