Between Life and Death
The hospital doors slammed open as Luca stormed through, Elena limp in his arms. Blood soaked his shirt, her warmth slipping away with every second.
"I need a doctor!" His voice was raw, desperate.
A team of nurses rushed toward him, wheeling a stretcher between them. "Sir, put her down—"
"No," he snarled. "She's not leaving my arms until—"
"Luca." Dante gripped his shoulder, voice firm. "Let them help her."
Luca hesitated, his whole body shaking. Then, slowly, he lowered her onto the stretcher.
Elena's head lolled to the side, her lips parted as if she were whispering his name.
And then—
The monitors blared.
"Her pulse is dropping!" a nurse shouted.
Luca's breath caught.
"No. No, no, no, fight—"
The doctors pushed him back.
"Sir, you need to stay outside."
The doors slammed in his face.
Luca stood frozen, his fists clenched so tight his nails cut into his palms.
Dante exhaled beside him. "She's in good hands."
Luca turned, his eyes dark. "If she dies," he said quietly, "Valerio won't live to see the sunrise."
Dante didn't argue.
Because he knew—
Luca meant every word.
---
The Waiting Game
The minutes stretched into hours. Luca paced the waiting room, unable to sit, unable to breathe. Every time a nurse walked past, his heart lurched, expecting the worst.
Then, finally—
A doctor emerged.
Luca was on him in seconds. "How is she?"
The doctor sighed. "She lost a lot of blood. We managed to stabilize her, but…" He hesitated.
Luca's stomach twisted. "But what?"
"She hasn't woken up."
Silence.
"She's in a coma."
Luca staggered back, the words hitting him like a bullet.
A coma.
Elena—his fire, his light—trapped somewhere between life and death.
The doctor placed a hand on his shoulder. "Now, we wait."
Wait.
Luca had never been good at waiting.
But for her?
He'd wait forever.
---
Next Chapter: The Price of Vengeance—As Luca waits for Elena to wake, his rage builds. And when the opportunity for revenge presents itself, he faces a brutal choice—stay by her side, or burn everything to the ground.