(Sofia's POV)
The door burst open.
Two nurses rushed into the room, their footsteps echoing sharply against the floor. Their eyes immediately locked onto the man standing beside Alessandro's bed — the syringe still raised in his hand.
For one second, no one moved.
Then everything happened at once.
"Stop!" one nurse shouted.
The man froze.
His hand trembled slightly as the heart monitor continued to beep loudly, the sharp sound filling the room with panic.
Another nurse stepped forward carefully, her eyes narrowing.
"Who authorized this procedure?" she demanded.
Silence.
The man did not answer.
Instead, he slowly lowered the syringe, his breathing becoming heavier.
Suspicion filled the room instantly.
One nurse quickly pressed the emergency button on the wall.
Within seconds, security alarms sounded through the corridor.
Footsteps thundered outside.
The fake doctor glanced toward the door, panic flashing across his face.
Too late.
Two security guards burst into the room, followed by another.
They moved fast.
Professional.
"Drop it!" one guard ordered.
The man hesitated.
Then tried to step backward.
But the guards were already on him.
They grabbed his arms, twisting them behind his back and forcing him to the ground. The syringe fell from his hand and rolled across the floor.
"It's poison!" one nurse gasped, staring at the liquid inside.
The man struggled briefly, but the guards tightened their grip.
He was caught.
Mr. Romano Arrives
Moments later, heavy footsteps approached the room.
The air seemed to change.
Mr. Romano entered, followed closely by three of his men.
His presence filled the space immediately — cold, powerful, and dangerous.
His sharp eyes landed on the man being held on the floor.
Rage flickered across his face.
"Who is he?" Mr. Romano demanded.
"No identification yet, sir," one guard replied. "He was posing as a doctor."
Mr. Romano stepped closer slowly, his gaze dark and terrifying.
The fake doctor swallowed hard.
Fear spread across his face.
Mr. Romano bent slightly, studying him like a predator studying prey.
"You tried to kill my son," he said quietly.
His voice was calm.
But deadly.
He straightened and turned to his men.
"Take him," he ordered.
Immediately, his men lifted the fake doctor to his feet and dragged him toward the door.
The man did not resist.
But his eyes were filled with dread.
Because he knew what was coming next.
Interrogation.
Sofia Meets Victor Kane
Across the city, I sat inside a quiet office, facing the man whose reputation alone commanded respect.
Victor Kane.
He leaned back slightly in his chair, his sharp eyes fixed on me as I finished explaining everything that had happened.
The attack.
The surgery.
The suspicion that it had been planned.
The growing danger surrounding my husband.
The room fell silent when I finished.
Victor Kane folded his hands together calmly.
"This was not random," he said.
"I know," I replied quietly.
He studied me for a moment, then nodded slowly.
"I will take your case," he said.
Relief flickered inside my chest.
"But understand this," he continued.
"I do not rush investigations. I take my time. I dig deep. And when I find the truth, it is final."
His voice carried quiet confidence.
The kind that made people listen.
"I want the truth," I said firmly.
"And you will have it," he replied.
Sofia Returns to the Hospital
I stepped out of the building, my mind heavy with thoughts.
The meeting had gone well.
Victor Kane had agreed to investigate.
For the first time since the attack, I felt a small sense of control.
But the moment my car pulled into the hospital compound, something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
Security guards were running.
Nurses moved quickly through the entrance.
Voices were raised.
Panic filled the air.
My heart dropped instantly.
I stepped out of the car.
"What happened?" I asked sharply.
A security officer rushed toward me, breathing heavily.
"Mrs. Alessandro," he said urgently,
"someone tried to kill your husband."
The words hit me like a punch to the chest.
My stomach twisted.
Fear surged through my body.
Without another word, I ran.
My heels struck the floor hard as I rushed down the corridor, my heart pounding violently inside my chest.
I pushed the door open.
And froze.
The room was in chaos.
Doctors.
Nurses.
Security.
Everyone moving at once.
Emotion rose sharply inside me — guilt, fear, anger — all crashing together.
I should not have left him.
But I forced myself to breathe.
To stay strong.
To stay focused.
Because this was not the time to break.
This was war.
And I was still in the fight.
I stood frozen at the doorway, my chest rising and falling rapidly as I scanned the room.
Doctors moved around Alessandro's bed, checking the monitors and adjusting the IV lines. Nurses whispered urgently to one another, their faces tense.
But he was still there.
Still breathing.
Still alive.
Relief flooded through me so suddenly that my knees nearly gave way.
I rushed forward.
"Is he okay?" I asked, my voice shaking despite my effort to remain calm.
A doctor turned toward me immediately.
"Yes, Mrs. Alessandro," he said. "He is stable. The attempt was stopped in time."
The words settled into my chest like a fragile promise.
I closed my eyes briefly, exhaling the breath I didn't realize I had been holding.
Thank God.
Slowly, I reached for Alessandro's hand, wrapping my fingers around his.
Warm.
Alive.
I swallowed hard, fighting back the tears threatening to fall.
"I'm sorry," I whispered softly.
"I should never have left you."
For a moment, guilt pressed heavily against my heart.
But I forced myself to steady my breathing.
Breaking down would not help him.
Being strong would.
I lifted my head and turned toward the nurse standing nearby.
"Where is the man who did this?" I asked.
The nurse hesitated, then answered quietly.
"Mr. Romano took him."
My stomach tightened.
Of course he did.
The Interrogation Room
The room was dimly lit.
Cold.
Silent.
The fake doctor sat tied to a metal chair in the center of the room, his wrists bound tightly behind his back. Sweat dripped down his forehead, soaking into the collar of his white coat.
Mr. Romano stood in front of him, his expression hard as stone.
Behind him, two of his men waited silently.
Watching.
Ready.
"Who sent you?" Mr. Romano asked.
His voice was calm.
Controlled.
Dangerous.
The man kept his head lowered.
Silent.
Mr. Romano stepped closer slowly, his shadow falling over the man's face.
"I will ask you again," he said quietly.
"Who sent you?"
Still nothing.
The silence stretched.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Then finally, the man spoke.
His voice trembled.
"Even if I tell you… it won't change anything."
Mr. Romano's eyes narrowed.
"What do you mean?" he asked coldly.
The man lifted his head slightly, fear filling his eyes.
"My family," he whispered.
"They will kill my family."
The words hung in the air.
For a brief moment, the room went still.
One of the guards shifted uneasily.
Mr. Romano stared at him without blinking.
"You tried to kill my son," he said slowly.
"And now you speak of family?"
The man swallowed hard.
Tears began to gather in his eyes.
"They are innocent," he said weakly.
"If I talk… they die."
Silence followed.
Then Mr. Romano's expression darkened.
Cold fury settled into his face.
He turned slightly toward his men.
His voice dropped into something terrifyingly calm.
"Make him talk."
The command landed like a hammer.
One of the men stepped forward immediately.
He grabbed the fake doctor by the collar and slammed him back into the chair.
Pain flashed across the man's face.
"Please—" he gasped.
But the men showed no mercy.
The interrogation had begun.
Back in Alessandro's Room
I sat quietly beside Alessandro once again, holding his hand as the machines continued their steady rhythm.
The room had grown calm.
But inside me, the storm was still raging.
Someone had tried to kill him.
Again.
That thought burned in my mind like fire.
I leaned closer to him, my voice barely above a whisper.
"I won't let them win," I said softly.
"I will find them."
My fingers tightened around his hand.
No matter what it took.
No matter how dangerous it became.
I would uncover the truth.