FIFTY THREE

Lucas sensed her trepidation. “No,no. I’m just a friend. Lucas…. Reynolds. I’ve been helping Olivia with some work.” He said, trying to ease her mind.

There was another pause , this one even longer. “Please …..just take care of her.” she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“I will,” Lucas reassured her before ending the call. He sat back feeling the weight of the conversation. He had to make sure Olivia was safe.

Lucas switched off her phone and placed the phone back on the table and looked at her, her face pale against the hospital sheets. He gently squeezed her hands, “Your mom is worried about you, Olivia. She loves you, and so do I. You have to get through this.”

…….🌵

Monica paced the penthouse , her nerves on edge. Vincent wat hed her from across the room, concern etched on her face. They had been spending a lot of time together lately , and he could tell something was bothering her.

“Monica, what's wrong,” Vincent asked softly , stepping closer to her.

She stopped pacing and looked at him, her eyes filled with a mix of frustration and worry. “It's Olivia. I can't just shake the feeling that something is wrong.” She said said , dialing Olivia’s number, but it wasn't connecting.

Vincent reached out, gently taking her hand in his. “Olivia is strong. She can handle herself. And Lucas will protect her.”

Monica sighed leaning into Vincent's comforting presence, “I know, but I can't help worrying . She's my best friend.”

Vincent pulled her into a hug, holding her close, “We’ll make sure, she’s okay, I promise.”

Their embrace remained, the tension between them palpable. Vincent tilted back slightly, looking into her eyes, “Monica, there’s something I've been wanting to tell you.”

“What is it?” She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Vincent cupped her face in his hands , his thumb brushing her cheeks. “I think i like you, I can't stop thinking about you.”

Monica's breath caught her throat. “Vincent I….”

Before Monica could respond , Vincent leaned in and kissed her. The kiss was tender but filled with unspoken emotion. Monica melted into it, her worries momentarily forgotten.

Just as their kiss deepened, Vincent's phone buzzed in his pocket. He reluctantly pulled away, fishing out the phone. Seeing Lucas's name on the screen, he quickly answered.

“Boss.” Vincent greeted, his tone shifting to one of concern.

“Vincent, It's Olivia. She's been shot. She's in the hospital , but she’s stable for now,” Lucas's voice was heavy with emotion.

Monica catching the word ‘hospital’, looked at Vincent with wife eyes,”What? What happened?” She mouthed.

“Shot? How bad is it?” Vincent pressed, his grip tightening on the phone.

“It was an ambush. Marco and Massimo's men. We managed fend them off, but Olivia got caught in crossfire. She’s resting now, but it's complicated,” Lucas explained.

Monica's face paled as she heard the details, “Vincent, what's going on? Is Olivia okay?” She demanded, stepping closer.

Vincent covered the phone and looked at Monica, “Olivia was shot. She's in the hospital, but Lucas says she’s stable.”

Monica’s eyes filled with tears, “Oh my God.”

Vincent turning back to the phone, “Boss, Do you need some if our men there?”

“Stay put for now. I need you to handle things in New York . Keep an eye on Marco's movements. He’s injured , but he’s not out of the game yet,” Lucas instructed.

“Got it, we’ll take care of things here,” Vincent assured him.


As Vincent added the call, Monica grabbed his arm, “What can we do to help them, we have to do something, we can't just sit here.”

“Relax Monica, Olivia will be fine, We have to trust Lucas to take care of her,” Vincent said his voice steady but filled with concern.

Monica shook her head, her anger rising, “This is all Lucas's fault. If he hadn't dragged Olivia into his Mafia world , she wouldn't be lying in a hospital bed right now!”

“Monica, chill out” Vincent said softly, “Lucas is doing everything he can to make sure, she’s protected.”

“I just….I can't believe this is happening,” Monica said, tears streaming down her face. “I should have stored her from trying to investigative him, and getting involved with him.”

Vincent pulled her into another hug, trying to soothe her. “It’s going to be okay. We’ll get through this. Olivia is strong, and she has Lucas. She has you too.”

Monica nodded against his chest , her tears soaking into his shirt. “I just want her to be safe.”

“She'll be, Monica,” Vincent said softly, rubbing her back in soothing circles. “Lucas is with her, he won't let anything happen to her.”

Monica pulled back slightly, looking up at Vincent with red rimmed eyes, “What if something worst happens to her?”

“Lucas is the best at what he does,” Vincent assured her, “He’s always a step ahead trust me.”

SOMEWHERE IN RUSSIA

Marco lay on the makeshift bed, his face contorted in pain. “Get us a private jet, we leave as soon as possible.” Marco said to Giovanni .

Giovanni nodded, Immediately, he started making calls and arranging for a private jet to fly them out of Russia. Marco's leg throbbed with each passing moment, the pain almost unbearable.

A few hours later, they arrived at a secluded airfield . The private jet awaited them, it's engines already humming . Marco was carried onto the jet, his leg propped up to minimize the pain.

As the jet took off, Marco closed his eyes, trying to ensure the pain from his leg.

After many hours later, the jet landed on New York, Marco’s men rushed him to a nearby hospital . He was quickly wheeled into the emergency room, where he was laid on the bed, and doctors and nurses immadietly attended to him.

Marco winced as the doctor examined his leg, “How bad is it?” He asked through gritted teeth.

The doctor looked grave, “Your leg is in a critical condition. The bullet caused significant damage to your femur and surrounding tissues. We need to operate immadietly, but I must warn you, there's a chance you might not walk properly again, Mr Moretti.”