lelanidebbiee

After a fleeting one-night affair with a stranger, the wealthy and beautiful Lani  Carlisle finds herself the target of public scorn. The situation worsens when her father drove her out of the house. Driven by the pressure, Lani becomes a workaholic and hires a personal assistant to care for her kids. But everything changes when her daughter becomes deeply attached to him, even wishing he were her father.

As Lani unexpectedly falls for him, she faces judgment from both her family and society. Will she accept her fate, or fight for the love she desires?

Find out in "Unbreakable Ties"

Unbreakable Ties

The days leading up to the surgery were filled with a strange mix of anticipation and anxiety. Elias tried to stay calm for the kids, but inside, he was struggling. The idea of going under the knife was terrifying—not because of the procedure itself, but because of the unknown.

Would he wake up? Would he be the same?

But every time doubt crept in, he thought of Lily's teary eyes, Luca's quiet concern, Lani's unwavering presence. He had to wake up.

Lani sat beside Elias in his hospital room, watching him as he stared out the window. The soft hum of medical equipment filled the air.

"You should rest," she said gently.

Elias chuckled, shaking his head. "Hard to sleep when you know they're about to cut open your chest."

He sighed, turning to look at her. "I'm scared, Lani."

She reached for his hand, intertwining her fingers with his. "I know. But you're not alone. We're all waiting for you on the other side of this."

Elias swallowed hard. "If anything happens—"

"Don't." Lani's voice was firm. "Nothing is going to happen. You're going to be fine. And when you wake up, we're going to celebrate. You, me, Lily, Luca… and even Leo if he decides to crash our moment."

Elias smiled, squeezing her hand. "You really believe that?"

"With everything in me," she whispered.

Lani leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. "Sleep, Elias. I'll be right here."

For the first time in a long time, Elias closed his eyes with hope instead of fear.

Lily sat on Elias's bed, her small hands gripping his tightly. "Daddy, you have to wake up, okay?"

Elias kissed her forehead. "I promise, princess."

Luca stood beside them, his expression serious. "You better not break that promise."

Elias chuckled. "I wouldn't dare."

Leo, who had insisted on coming, crossed his arms. "If you die, I'm gonna be mad."

Lani shot Leo a glare, but Elias only laughed. "Noted."

Olivia stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You've got this, Elias."

Elias took a deep breath. "Yeah… I do."

As the nurses came in to prep him for surgery, Lani took his face in her hands, her eyes searching his.

"I love you, Elias," she whispered, her voice breaking slightly.

He exhaled, his heart swelling. "I love you too."

Then, with one last lingering look at his family, he was wheeled away.

Chapter 47: Counting Down