Beneath The Ashes

Xavier's POV

The hallway was dark, save for the low lights running along the baseboards. The kind of silence that clung to the walls after too much had been said and not enough had been forgiven.

Massimo walked beside me as we left the office—
No words passed between us, but the weight of everything hung in the air like smoke. I glanced at him once, and he gave me the smallest nod.

As we reached her door, the soft click of it opening somehow felt deafening.

Inside, the warm golden light from the lamp barely softened the ache that coated the room. Felipe was sitting beside her on the bed, one leg folded under him, the other resting on the floor as his fingers gently combed through Ivy's hair. His expression was tight with worry, his brows furrowed as he looked down at her sleeping face, whispering things that were only meant for her ears.

His thumb brushed her cheek. "Come on, Sunshine... come back."

Massimo slowed, stopping at the threshold. I stepped in, the floor creaking faintly under my shoes. No one looked up. Not even Felipe. His entire focus was on her—eyes brimming with quiet desperation.

We all waited.
_______________________________
Ivy's POV

The first thing I felt was warmth—fingers moving softly through my hair. Familiar. Safe.

Then the ache came.
Behind my eyes. In my chest.
My body felt heavy, but my heart... it felt hollow.

I blinked slowly, my vision blurry until it cleared into the soft golden light of my room. Felipe's face came into view, leaning over me, eyes wide with relief and worry wrapped into one expression. He looked like he hadn't blinked in hours.

"Hey," he whispered, a soft smile cracking through. "There she is."

He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead.

"You okay now, Sunshine?"

The second he said those words, it all came rushing back.

Deluca
The truth.
Massimo.
Mafia.

I jolted up, heart racing. My eyes immediately went to them.

All five of them were standing there—like statues carved from guilt and regret.

Every one of them watching me like I was about to shatter again. And maybe I was.

I looked at them, breathing hard. They didn't say anything. None of them even dared to blink. Declan and Jaxon stood closest to the door, stoic but clearly on edge. Zayn was dishevelled, his jaw tight and unreadable. Vale's hand gripped the side of the dresser, knuckles white.

But it was Massimo who took a hesitant step forward.

"Ivy..." he said softly.

"No," I said coldly, my voice trembling more than I wanted it to. "Stop right there."

He froze mid-step.

My chest was heaving, my eyes burning, but I didn't dare let them fall. Not yet.

But then—my gaze shifted past him.
He was here.

Xavier.

Standing just behind Massimo, his eyes locked onto mine like the whole world narrowed between us. I could barely breathe.

"Xavy..." I choked out.

My feet moved before my mind caught up.

I ran—straight past them, straight into him.