Mistakenly Yours: Contract Marriage With The Billionaire
Chapter 162: Lifted off his chest
"Lucius!" Luca exclaimed, his eyes widening in shock.
The distant wail of sirens suddenly reverberated in the estate as police cruisers tore through the gates and rushed into the garden.
His wrist shattered, Jameson scrambled to his feet, attempting to flee into the shadows of the mansion grounds. But Luca moved instantly, lunging forward to tackle the old man to the ground before the officers converged to nab him.
With Jameson finally secured, Luca pulled Sara tightly against his chest, holding her close as the cops moved efficiently through the courtyard, disarming the remaining mercenaries.
"Lucius, I didn’t expect you to be here," Luca said, his voice laced with confusion as he looked at his old friend. "You swore you were done. You refused to ever pick up a gun again."
"I did," Lucius replied, stepping over the broken glasses and cutlery on the stone path. "But the moment you started asking questions about Martin, I knew I had to be on high alert. Besides, you helped me when I was at my lowest point, Luca. I owe you my life. Sorry for keeping you in the dark about any of this."
Finishing his explanation, Lucius shifted his gaze, his eyes settling onto Sara. "You fine, Sara?"
"Yes," Sara replied, offering a faint nod. Her chest felt tight as she watched the flashing police lights reflect off the mansion walls. A deep, unsettling realization was taking root in her mind, leaving her troubled. Seeing the raw violence of Luca’s world firsthand made her wonder how he had managed to survive through all of this for so many years.
"We need to go to the hospital," Sara then said, breaking the heavy silence.
"I’ll go there," Luca insisted gently, turning her to face him. "You shall stay at home with everyone around. It’s safer here now." He turned back to his friend, his voice catching in his throat. "And Lucius... I can’t thank you enough. I—I have so much to—"
He couldn’t finish his sentence as Lucius interrupted him with a dismissive wave.
"It’s fine, Luca. You shall head to the hospital first," Lucius replied. "I’ll stay with Sara and see to things here."
"Yeah, Lucius is right," Sara agreed. She reached out and gently caressed Luca’s arm, sensing his trouble. She knew him well enough to see the buried fear he was fighting so hard to hide.
Pulling him into a firm hug, she patted his back before stepping away. "Go. Don’t worry about this place. Everything is under control now."
Luca offered a nod, then turned and broke into a fast run, disappearing past the stone arches of the courtyard toward the gates.
With Luca gone, Sara turned to face Lucius fully.
"I need to call a friend," Lucius said, tapping his breast pocket where his phone rested. "Excuse me for a moment." He gave her a polite nod and stepped into a quieter corner of the garden.
Left alone, Sara looked around at the wreckage of the evening. Shattered crystal glass, overturned chairs, and trampled flowers littered the stone path, a visual reminder of how quickly chaos could tear through their lives.
But as she stood amidst the ruin, a deeper ache settled in her chest.
The night’s violence brought a wave of old memories rushing back, and she found herself agonizing over the past.
She thought about how she had left Luca’s life years ago when he was at his most vulnerable.
She had allowed him to push her away, not knowing he did it for her own safety. The same haunting thoughts kept spiraling in her head, refusing to let her find peace.
"Sara," Lucius spoke from behind, his quiet voice cutting through her thoughts.
She turned around, blinking away the heavy memories. "Yes? Did you finish the talk?"
"Yes. Let’s go in," Lucius replied, gesturing toward the double doors of the mansion.
As they stepped onto the marble walkway, the silence between them lengthened, prompting Sara to voice the question that had been lingering in her mind. "How did Luca help you in the past?"
Lucius slowed his pace slightly, a reflective shadow crossing his face. "Well, he helped me fight my brother. My brother was a dangerous man, and Luca stayed by my side to help me handle him. Luca was also a very good friend to my wife. Back then, I was backed into a corner, unable to find a way to protect her and the rest of my people. Luca appeared when everything was falling apart, and he did a lot for us."
"I see," Sara stated, digesting the weight behind his brief words. "We shall go in now."
Lucius nodded, and together they walked inside the house, leaving the ruined garden behind.
~~~~~
At the hospital, the stark white corridors offered a grim contrast to the chaos Luca had just left behind. He paced the floor until the double doors finally swung open, and he immediately intercepted the surgeon who had operated on Remo’s leg.
"Is he going to be fine, Doctor?" Luca asked, his voice strained with a desperate urgency. "Give it to me straight. There won’t be any permanent damage, right?"
The doctor pulled down his surgical mask, offering a reassuring, professional nod. "Mr. De Augustino, your friend is stable. The bullet missed the primary artery, and because he received timely treatment, we were able to repair the damage without any immediate complications. There is no need to worry."
Luca felt a sudden shift in his chest, the suffocating tension finally beginning to break.
"For now, he’s under a sedative and likely won’t wake up until tomorrow morning," the doctor continued, tapping his clipboard. "There is nothing more you can do here tonight. You should go home and get some rest."
As the doctor walked away, Luca leaned against the corridor wall, closing his eyes as a massive weight was finally lifted off his chest.
"Thank you, Doctor." Luca said and watched him leave. He ran his hand through his hair when a hand came resting on his shoulder.