FIFTY SIX

Marco opened his eyes weakly , blinking against the bright hospital lights. The pain in his leg was dull, a twinging reminder of his recent surgery. As his eyes scanned the room, he saw Giovanni sitting beside him, looking anxious.

“Giovanni,” Marco croaked, his voice weak, “What happened?”

Giovanni leaned forward, concern etched on his face, “You had a surgery, You can't walk right now, You need to rest.” Giovanni explained.

Marco's face contorted with rage, “What do you mean I can't walk?” He tried to push himself up, but a steering pain shot through his leg , forcing him back down. He pounded his fist on the bed in frustration . “No, I can't be bedridden.”


Giovanni calmed his shoulders, trying to calm him, “Marco , you need to listen, The doctor said, you need to take it easy. You can't push yourself.”

Marco's anger flared. “I don't care what the doctor said! I need to get out of here. I need to get back at Lucas.”

The commotion drew the attention of the hospital staff. A doctor and several nurses hurried into the room, concern on their faces.

“Mr Moretti, Please calm down,” the doctor said firmly. “You need to rest, if you try to move too much, you could worsen your condition.”

Marco glared at the door, his eyes burning with defiance. “I don't care about your medical advice. I can't be stuck here!”

The doctor remained calm but firm, “You will work again, Mr Moretti, but you’ll need a walking stick for support . For now, you must rest to ensure proper healing.”

The room fell into a tense silence, the air thick with Marco's fury. The doctor nodded to the nurses to step back. Slowly the medical team retreated, Giovanni stayed by Marco's side. Marco's face twisted in a mixture of anger and despair. “This is all Lucas’s fault,” he growled. “I swear, I’ll make him pay for this.”

Giovanni, sensing the dangerous edge in Marco's voice , tried to interject, “Marco , we need to think this through. Lucas is powerful. We can't just…..”

“Shut up, Giovanni.” Marco shouted, “I don't care how powerful Lucas is. He took everything from me . I won't rest until I see him destroyed.”

Giovanni shifted uneasy in his chair. “I know you’re upset, but we need to be careful, Lucas is powerful , we can't just attack him without a proper plan.”

Marco’s face contorted with anger, “I don't give a damn on how powerful he is! He shot me, degraded me, and now I can barely walk. This isn't about being smart , it's about vengeance.”

“Marco, please,” Giovanni pleaded, “You need to think about your health, the doctor said…”

“The doctor didn't know a damn thing,” Marco snapped, “I’ll heal, and when I do, I’ll come for Lucas and that little brat called Olivia, I'll make them suffer, for what he’s done.”

…..🌵

In the small private hospital room in Russia, Olivia had just woken up, she lay in bed with her pale skin. The doctor had patched the deep wound caused by the bullet. Lucas muddled up her pillows, rearranged her blanket, and made sure she was comfortable . Olivia couldn't help but smile at his care and attention, feeling like a queen in his care.

Olivia's phone rang, Lucas reached over to the bedside table and handed it to her, seeing Monica's name on the screen.

“Mon,” Olivia said, her voice brightening as she answered the call. “Hey, how are you?”

“Olivia! Thank God you’re alive, I’ve been trying to reach you. Are you okay?” Monica's voice came through filled with worry.

“I got shot,” Olivia admitted, trying to sound nonchalant. “But I'm in the hospital, and I'm getting better.”

There was a moment of stunned silence on the other end before Monica's voice rose in alarm. “I know you got shot , Liv. Vincent told me about it. How did it happen? You're super to be on a vacation and not a warfront.”

“Monica, it's okay. Lucas saved me. He’s protecting me.”

“Protecting you?” Monica snapped, her voice sharp with anger. “You got shot Olivia, what kind of protection is that?”

Olivia sighed, understanding her friend’s frustration. “I know it sounds bad, but Lucas has been taking care of me. He’s done everything he can to keep me safe.”

“Safe?” Monica's tone was incredulous. “You call this safe?” What if you had lost your life, would you be saying this?”

“Monica, please,” Olivia pleaded, “I know you’re worried, but trust me. Lucas is doing everything he can.”

Monica's silence on the other end spoke volume, finally she spoke again, her voice softer, but still tinged with worry, “I just want you to be okay, Liv.”

“I promise, I am fine,” Olivia said, her eyes meeting Lucas’s as she spoke.

After ending the call, Olivia looked at Lucas, who had been listening intently. “Monica’s just worried,” she said softly.

“I understand,” Lucas replied, his expression serious. “But I won't let anything happen to you Olivia, not again.”

…….🌵

In the penthouse , Monica had just ended the call with Olivia. She reached for a glass of wine, her eyes puffy from crying . Vincent’s phone buzzed, breaking the silence, he glanced at the screen and saw it was Dominique , one of Lucas' associates.

“Hold on, a second,” Vincent said, getting up and walking over to the window for privacy . He answered the call, his voice professional, “Dominique Santos , what can I do for you?”

“Vincent , I have a business proposal for Lucas,” Dominique said. “It's urgent, and highly profitable. I need to discuss it with him as soon as possible.”

“Boss is out of town right now,” Vincent replied , his eyes scanning the skyline. “I’ll inform him of your offer as soon as he gets back . Can you give me some details?”

Dominique hesitated for a moment before replying. “It's a shipment coming in from Asia. High value, low risk. I need Lucas's expertise to make sure it goes smoothly.”

“I’ll let him know,” Vincent said, “But it might take a few weeks before he can get back to you. He’s dealing with some personal matters.”

“I understand,” Dominique said. “Just make sure he knows it's time sensitive.”

“I will, thanks. Dominique.”

Vincent ended the call and stood at that spot for sometime. He knows Dominique Santos is a ruthless man in Sicily. He deals with drug trafficking , arms trafficking and human trafficking. His mind consumed with the dangers associated with partnering with Dominique.

Monica turned her attention to Vincent who still stood by the window, his two hands pocketed in his pants. She sighed, as she walked closer to him, her hands patted his back, “Is everything okay?”