Shadows of Affection (GxG)

The jet touched down on the private airstrip in Italy just before dawn. Alessia was still unconscious, her head injury stabilised as best as possible by her friends during the flight. Francesca barked orders to the Sorento family's private medical team waiting on the tarmac, her voice trembling only slightly as she demanded urgency. Luciano and Lorenzo carefully carried Alessia out on the stretcher, their expressions grim, the sight of their capo—always so strong—lying so vulnerable unnerving them.

The drive to the Sorento-owned hospital was a blur of flashing lights and hurried whispers. Luciano sat in the backseat with Alessia, his hand gripping hers tightly as if willing her to wake up. Francesca sat rigid in the front, her knuckles white as she clenched the seat. Lorenzo followed behind in another car, ensuring their transport wasn't tailed.

Meanwhile, across town, Lily's world was unraveling.

Lily had been curled up on the couch when the call came in. The sound of Francesca's voice on the other end—a voice usually filled with confidence—cracked as she explained what had happened. Alessia was hurt. Badly hurt.

At first, Lily froze, the phone slipping from her fingers onto the carpet. The words car crash, gunfire, and head injury echoed in her mind like a nightmare on loop. Her chest felt tight, her breathing shallow. She tried to stand but stumbled, her knees buckling under the weight of the fear that consumed her.

"She's...she's going to be okay," she whispered to herself, her voice shaky and desperate. But the creeping thought of what if kept clawing at her mind.

Lily grabbed her keys and bolted out the door, barely remembering to lock it. She sped through the quiet streets, her hands trembling on the wheel. Tears blurred her vision as she whispered frantic prayers into the silence of the car.

What if I lose her? What if she doesn't wake up?

Her mind spiraled further. Alessia wasn't just her fiancée; she was her anchor, her home, her forever. Without Alessia, there was no her. Lily couldn't imagine a world where those stormy blue eyes didn't look at her with love, where those hands didn't hold her through every joy and sorrow.

The thought gutted her.

By the time Lily reached the hospital, her heart was pounding like a drum, her breath hitching in gasps as she ran inside. She barely registered the familiar faces of the Sorento guards stationed outside, their expressions grave as they nodded her through.

-

Back in the hospital, Alessia's stretcher was rushed into a private operating room. The best neurosurgeons in the country were on standby, having been flown in under Francesca's orders. As they worked to assess the extent of the damage, Alessia's friends stood in the waiting area, their faces etched with worry.

When Lily arrived, she spotted Francesca first. The usually composed woman looked frayed at the edges, her blazer wrinkled, and her makeup smeared from the stress of the past few hours.

"Where is she?" Lily demanded, her voice trembling.

Francesca placed a gentle hand on Lily's shoulder, but the contact only made Lily's panic bubble over.

"Where is she?!" she repeated, louder this time.

"She's in surgery," Francesca said softly. "They're doing everything they can."

Lily felt her knees weaken, but Francesca quickly caught her, guiding her to a chair. "She's strong, Lily. You know she is."

But Lily shook her head, her tears spilling freely now. "She's strong, but...what if this is too much? What if...what if I lose her?"