Chapter 4

Roxanne's POV

There was still one last regret, and it should be happening soon.

I remembered that in my past life, Lucia was caught in a car explosion. She had lost too much blood, and by the time she was sent to the hospital, it was too late. She had died.

But this had all happened a month after Stefano and I got married.

…

That evening, as I was packing my things, a call came in. Stefano's voice was low, tinged with displeasure toward me.

"What's the meaning of this, Roxanne? You got out of the car by yourself. And then you ran to my parents, saying it's Lucia's fault?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked, confused.

"If you hadn't gone back and complained to them, they wouldn't have called and yelled at Lucia! Then she wouldn't have been so distracted that she didn't notice someone had planted a bomb in her car!"

My mind went blank for a moment. How could this incident have been moved up to today?

I didn't say anything further. I just hung up the phone and went straight to the hospital.

When I arrived, Lucia was still in emergency surgery, while Stefano was still on his way.

Lucia was an orphan. Even after something like this happened, there was no one else besides Stefano who could take care of her.

Soon, the doctor issued a critical condition notice.

Lucia had lost too much blood, and there wasn't enough in the blood bank. If no one gave her a transfusion, she would die on the operating table.

"I'll give her blood," I said, voluntarily following the doctor to donate my blood.

The doctor stopped after drawing 500cc of blood from me, and when Stefano arrived, I was pressing down on the wound on my arm.

He looked toward the operating room with a worried expression. Then he saw my arm, and he frowned.

"There isn't enough donated blood. I don't know if the patient can hold on until more blood arrives," a nurse said as she prepared to leave.

I grabbed the nurse and held down her arm. "Please draw more."

"Are you insane?" the nurse exclaimed.

"Saving her is what matters. Save her first!" I pleaded, holding the nurse's hand tightly. "She's in critical danger. I'm fine."

Stefano's eyes flickered with surprise as he looked at me. "Roxanne, there's no need for you to play the hero."

"I'm fine. I would do this for anyone."

After all, Stefano was the same, for he had saved my life three times before. When I asked him about it, he also said he would've done it for anyone.

Right now, I just wanted to protect the person he loved. I'd just consider it repayment for his saving my life.

Under my urging, the nurse had no choice but to comply.

Halfway through the blood draw, I already felt dizzy, but I propped myself up and waited for it to end. When the nurse removed the needle, I couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed.

…

I wasn't sure how long I slept, but when I woke up, I was lying in a hospital bed.

Stefano was sitting by the bed. Upon seeing me wake up, he seemed to let out a breath of relief.

After a moment of hesitation, he said, "All of this is something you should have done anyway. If you hadn't gone to my parents, none of this would have happened."

My heart ached at those words. Stefano had never believed me. At this point, I no longer wanted to explain myself either.

It was fine to let him misunderstand me. That way, we'd have less involvement with each other.

Stefano looked like he had been sitting there for a long time. But I figured that it was probably just my imagination. He should have been over by Lucia's side.

Seeing that I wasn't speaking, he explained, "Lucy just fell asleep."

Just as I had thought—he simply didn't want to disturb Lucia's rest, so he stopped by on the way to check up on me.

I turned my head to the other side. With tears in my eyes, I choked out, "You can go now."

My voice was too soft, so it seemed he hadn't heard me. He had gone deaf in his left ear while saving me, after all, and it would never recover.

"Once you've recovered, I'll take you around the casino. There are a few arms dealers we work with that you should meet. I'll prepare the meeting gifts for you. You don't need to worry about it."

"There's no need." I refused once more.

But the fact that Stefano had brought it up on his own twice did surprise me.

"I know you're upset. I will do what I promised you," he said.

"This is what I owe you," I responded softly.

Then, I added, "Stefano, if it weren't for me, would you have married Lucia?"

I was terrified to ask, but I still mustered the courage to voice the question. My heart clenched uncontrollably, the pain so overwhelming that it was hard to breathe.

Stefano said nothing. After a long silence, he told me, "Get some rest."

"I understand. I won't cling to you. I only hope you stay safe and are with the person you love."

Stefano shouldn't have died saving me. He should have married Lucia. They should have raised a child of their own together. A man like him shouldn't have died for my sake.

I already owed him more than enough.

"What are you saying? We—"

He had just stood up when Mattia hurriedly pushed the door open. "Don Giullani, Ms. Lucia is awake. She's fussing to see you."

Stefano regained his composure, and a trace of joy appeared in his eyes. It was only when he reached the door that he remembered to say to me, "Rest first."

He paused for a moment, then added, "When I come back, I have something to tell you."

I nodded. Tears streamed down my face as I said, "I wish you happiness."

It no longer mattered what he wanted to say. I had already done everything I had set out to do.

My body had now become so unbearably heavy that even breathing wrenched my chest with pain. It felt the same as when I had fallen into the sea.

It was probably because I had resolved Stefano's regrets and was about to go back now, to the timeline I belonged to.

When I closed my eyes, scenes of Stefano and Lucia's wedding flashed through my mind. They smiled so happily, so blissfully.

I pulled out the IV needle, got up, and left the hospital room.

…

Third-Person POV

Stefano, sitting in Lucia's room, felt restless. He hadn't caught what Roxanne said at the end, but he felt that something wasn't right.

He stood by the window, agitated. Then he called Mattia and told him to arrange the best nutritionist for Roxanne.

Even after doing that, he still felt an inexplicable discomfort and heaviness in his chest.

He kept going over what she said at the end, but he couldn't recall the words. He blamed his deaf ear for it.

Without saying a word to Lucia, Stefano headed back toward Roxanne's room. Just as he stepped into the hallway, Mattia rushed over.

"Something bad has happened, Don Giullani! Ms. Roxanne… She…"

Stefano was immediately wracked with anxiety and grabbed Mattia's shoulders.

"Ms. Roxanne had just stepped out of her room when our enemies kidnapped her and pushed her into the sea! She's likely in grave danger!" Mattia reported.