MasukVito's POV I stood by the hospital entrance, one arm wrapped protectively around Zoya’s waist while the other held Emilia’s small hand. The morning sun felt warmer than it had in weeks, or maybe it was just the relief finally settling into my bones. This past week has been exhausting and I am just happy they can finally go home now. The doctor had been clear with us before signing the discharge papers. For Zoya, it was all about vigilance. “Regular check-ups,” he’d said, looking straight at me like he knew I’d be the one enforcing it. “And at the first sign of any headache, no matter how small bring her in immediately.” I’d nodded, committing every word to memory. Zoya had rolled her eyes a little, trying to play it cool, but I caught the way her fingers tightened on my shirt. She hated being fragile. I hated that she’d had to be.Emilia, on the other hand, got off lighter. The doctor ruffled her hair and told us the cast was the only real concern for now. “Keep it dry, keep her
Vito left Zoya at home while she was sleeping in the care of Vittoria since apart from Mr Anderson and Grace she was the only one he could for Zoya dutifully.Vito’s bodyguard opened the door for him even before he could knock for them to open. He passed the ordinary looking sitting room to the torture roomsThe man he has been delaying his punishment was still in the room. He was already stripped to his underwear and chained upright to a vertical steel frame that had once held sides of beef. His wrists were cuffed high above his head, ankles bolted to the base, forcing him into a crucified stance.Sweat and fear had already soaked through the fabric clinging to his skin.His eyes darted wildly as Vito approached, carrying a battered leather tool roll that clinked with every step.“You know why you’re still here?” Vito’s voice was low, almost conversational, as he unrolled the tools onto a nearby table. Scalpels, pliers, a small blowtorch, a set of heavy pruning shears, and a long,
Vito's POV I stood by the hospital entrance, one arm wrapped protectively around Zoya’s waist while the other held Emilia’s small hand. The morning sun felt warmer than it had in weeks, or maybe it was just the relief finally settling into my bones. This past week has been exhausting and I am just happy they can finally go home now. The doctor had been clear with us before signing the discharge papers. For Zoya, it was all about vigilance. “Regular check-ups,” he’d said, looking straight at me like he knew I’d be the one enforcing it. “And at the first sign of any headache, no matter how small bring her in immediately.” I’d nodded, committing every word to memory. Zoya had rolled her eyes a little, trying to play it cool, but I caught the way her fingers tightened on my shirt. She hated being fragile. I hated that she’d had to be.Emilia, on the other hand, got off lighter. The doctor ruffled her hair and told us the cast was the only real concern for now. “Keep it dry, keep her
**Vito's POV**I sat in the plastic chair beside Zoya's bed, close enough to catch every rise and fall of her breath. Fresh out of intensive care and the doctor still hadn't said if we could take her home or not, but she was already trying to sit upright, waving off my hand when I reached to help her."I've been in worse shape than this," she said, though the wince that followed made a liar of her."You've never been in worse shape than this," I said. "You had a car wrapped around you like a blanket, crushing your bones.""Details." She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes the way it used to. There was something behind it now, a flicker of fear she was working hard to hide from Emilia, who sat curled against her hip flipping through a picture book like nothing in the world was wrong.I studied Zoya's face longer than I meant to. The bruising along her jaw had started to yellow at the edges.Staring at her and not being able to touch the person who hurt her just yet was killing me. T
**Takara's POV**I watched them all crowd around the bed as if Zoya were the most important person in the world. She lay there smiling, chatting brightly, acting as though she were the radiant center of their universe. Her voice carried that infuriating confidence as she reassured everyone she wouldn’t die so easily, that she had no plans of leaving Vito and Emilia behind.Bitch, she was really trying my patience. If Daiki’s people hadn’t been so incompetent, she wouldn’t be here right now, breathing and stealing the spotlight.And now I had to wait. Vito refused to let her out of his sight and wouldn’t leave her unguarded for even a moment. So I’d bide my time until they all finally let their guards down.“Do any of you need coffee? Or something to eat?” I muttered, forcing a polite tone. “I’m going to get some coffee.”No one even glanced my way, except Benito, who decided to join me because he needed coffee himself.Great, I’d planned to use this as an excuse to slip away and call
**Takara's POV**I watched them all crowd around the bed as if Zoya were the most important person in the world. She lay there smiling, chatting brightly, acting as though she were the radiant center of their universe. Her voice carried that infuriating confidence as she reassured everyone she wouldn’t die so easily, that she had no plans of leaving Vito and Emilia behind.Bitch, she was really trying my patience. If Daiki’s people hadn’t been so incompetent, she wouldn’t be here right now, breathing and stealing the spotlight.And now I had to wait. Vito refused to let her out of his sight and wouldn’t leave her unguarded for even a moment. So I’d bide my time until they all finally let their guards down.“Do any of you need coffee? Or something to eat?” I muttered, forcing a polite tone. “I’m going to get some coffee.”No one even glanced my way, except Benito, who decided to join me because he needed coffee himself.Great, I’d planned to use this as an excuse to slip away and call
**Vito’s POV**The private room smelled of expensive cigarettes and alcohol, the room was private enough that it blocked sound from coming and going out.I sat at the head of the long mahogany table, one ankle crossed over my knee, watching the door like a wolf who already knew the rabbit was late.
**Benito’s POV**I watched Zoya storm out, the soft sound of her shoes echoing down the hallway like the final beat of a dying drum. But I knew she’d come crawling back, she has no choice.I had already set everything in motion. With nowhere else to turn, she would have no choice but to let me sta
**Zoya's POV**I drove away from Benito’s apartment with Emilia sat in the backseat. The silence between us was suffocating, thick and heavy, pressing down on my chest until every breath felt labored.Emilia soon broke the quiet, her small voice bubbling with excitement as she chattered about her
**Zoya's POV**The lecture droned on endlessly, the professor’s voice blurring into meaningless static. The words melted together like distant radio noise, impossible to follow.Vittoria’s warm arm draped around my shoulders was the only anchor keeping me grounded in the room. Her steady presence,







