Donato should have thought about it. He was a Romano. And Romanos did not live ordinary lives. They had enemies. Danger followed their surname like a shadow. And among all those enemies-Lucas was the worst of them.

Because Lucas did not simply hate Donato Romano. He wanted to destroy him. Every person connected to him. Every happiness tied to him. Every relationship he loved. Why? Because years ago, someone extremely important to Lucas had died because of Donato. and he is unaware of this.

And Lucas never forgot. Never forgave. Donato knew this. He knew Lucas was not the kind of man who would stay silent forever-especially during celebrations like this, where the entire Romano family gathered in one place. Security should have been tighter. Much tighter.

But between the sudden engagement planning, wedding chaos, endless guests, family arrivals, and nonstop responsibilities-He forgot. And that single mistake almost cost him everything. If Rose had reacted even one second later-Kiara would have been lying in a hospital bed right now between life and death. But fate moved faster.

Rewind a few moments earlier-

"KIARA!"

Her voice tore through the celebration so loudly that several people froze instantly in confusion. Before anyone could even understand what was happening-Rose lunged forward with all her strength and shoved Kiara violently away from the laser point.

Kiara gasped in shock as her body lost balance and crashed sideways onto the nearby sofa. At the exact same second-A silenced gunshot ripped through the air. The sound was low. Sharp. Deadly. The bullet sliced past the stage so closely that the flower decorations burst apart from the impact before the shot slammed directly into one of the decorative marble pillars nearby.

Crack. The entire pillar shattered partially, fragments exploding across the garden floor. For one horrifying second-Silence swallowed everything. Absolute silence. Rose hit the ground hard after pushing Kiara away, her breathing uneven as she tried to process what had just happened.

Kiara stared at her in shock from the sofa, her heartbeat violently pounding inside her chest. Then chaos erupted. Screams exploded across the garden. Women gasped in terror. Several guests ducked instinctively. The younger cousins froze completely.

And Donato-The moment he heard Rose scream Kiara's name and saw the bullet strike- His entire face changed. Completely. Every trace of warmth disappeared from his expression. Only cold terror remained. "KIARA!" He moved instantly, almost shoving people aside as he rushed toward her.

At the same time, Enzo's instincts kicked in as well. "EVERYONE DOWN!" he roared furiously. Guards immediately pulled out weapons while several Romano men surrounded the family protectively. The engagement celebration transformed into panic within seconds. Flowers crushed beneath hurried footsteps. Glasses shattered across the floor. People screamed while security spread through the garden trying to locate the shooter.

Meanwhile, before Donato could even properly reach Kiara- Another scream tore through the garden. This time-It was Rose. A sharp cry of pain escaped her lips as she curled slightly on the floor, trembling. Donato's head snapped toward her instantly.

For one brief second, he looked back at Kiara. She was on the sofa. Alive. Safe. Shocked-but safe. And then his eyes landed on Rosie lying on the ground crying in pain. Without thinking further-He made a choice. He turned away from Kiara and ran toward Rosie.

"Rosie!"

Albert and several family members rushed behind him immediately. The garden was still drowning in chaos. Guests panicked, guards spread around searching for the shooter, and frightened voices echoed everywhere. But near the stage, all focus shifted toward Rosie now.

Donato dropped to his knees beside her. "Rosie, look at me," he said urgently while trying to check her condition. "Relax. Breathe." But Rose could barely respond properly. Tears streamed down her face as another painful cry escaped her lips.

At first glance, blood was visible on her hand. When she had fallen after pushing Kiara, her palm and arm had scraped violently against the rough marble floor, leaving a deep bleeding scratch. But that was not why she was crying so desperately. It was her leg.

During the push, her heel had twisted horribly beneath her dress, folding at an unnatural angle when she hit the ground. The pain was unbearable. Every slight movement made her cry harder. Donato carefully tried touching near her ankle, but Rosie gasped sharply in agony.

"Fuck," donato muttered under his breath. "Call the doctor. Right now," he ordered coldly without even looking up. The next second-Without hesitation-He slid one arm beneath Rosie's knees and the other behind her back before lifting her into his arms bridal style.

Rosie clutched his shirt painfully while trying not to cry louder. And then-Donato carried her inside the mansion immediately. The Romano family followed behind in panic. Albert. Nonna. Aravi. Lucia. Several guards. Everyone moved quickly after them.

And amidst all that chaos- Kiara remained behind. Still sitting near the sofa. Still frozen. Still trying to process everything. Only now-The throbbing pain near her head became more noticeable. When Rose pushed her earlier, Kiara's head had struck hard against the wooden edge of the sofa before she fell sideways.

It was not a severe injury. But it hurt. A dull ache pulsed near her temple while tiny strands of hair clung messily around her face. Yet none of that compared to the ache growing inside her chest. Because while everyone rushed toward Rosie- No one noticed her. Not even Donato.

Kiara's eyes slowly lifted toward the mansion entrance where Donato disappeared carrying Rose in his arms. And for the first time that night- Something inside her cracked quietly. She understood Rose was hurt. She understood Rose had saved her life. She understood Donato was worried.

But still-Wasn't she the target? Wasn't the bullet meant for her? Wasn't she the one who almost died? Wasn't she the one who needed her husband the most right now? Rose had Enzo , Albert. The entire family. Anyone could have carried her inside. Then why-

Why did Donato leave her behind? The question repeated painfully inside Kiara's mind while she stared silently at his disappearing back. A cold emptiness slowly spread through her chest. Around her, the engagement garden still looked beautiful beneath the glowing lights.

Flowers still decorated the stage. Music still played faintly in the background. But for Kiara- The warmth of the night had disappeared completely.

Arav, Ayush, and Mr. Singh rushed toward Kiara the very moment Donato disappeared inside with Rose in his arms. Behind them came Meera, Kavya, Krish, and the rest of the Rajputs, their faces pale with fear after the sudden gunshot shattered the warmth of the engagement celebration.

Kiara still sat frozen near the sofa where she had fallen, one hand weakly gripping the edge for support. A thin line of blood had started sliding from the side of her forehead where it had struck the sharp wooden corner. Her breathing was uneven, her pulse still trembling from the shock, but her eyes... her eyes remained fixed on the direction Donato had gone, as if silently waiting for him to turn back. But he never did.

"Princess, did you get hurt? Let me see." Ayush's voice came out strained with panic as he crouched in front of her. He gently cupped her face with both hands, carefully brushing her hair aside to inspect the injury. The moment he saw the blood properly, his expression darkened with worry. "God, you're bleeding." His voice softened immediately after, almost protective. "Come inside. We need to clean this before it gets worse."

Kiara shook her head faintly, though her gaze still lingered toward the hallway where Donato had vanished. "N-No, bhai... I'm okay," she whispered, but even she could hear how hollow her voice sounded.

"No, Princess, you are not okay." This time Arav spoke firmly while kneeling beside her. His usually calm face was filled with concern. "Ayush bhai is right. Your head is injured." "Yes, baby," Mr. Singh added quietly, standing beside her with worry clouding his eyes. "Let them take care of you."

Kiara finally nodded weakly. Ayush and Arav carefully helped her stand, one on each side supporting her as though she might collapse any second. Beside them, Krish followed silently, his face completely drained of color. The playful boy who joked endlessly had disappeared; in his place stood a terrified younger brother. Kiara noticed his trembling hands and stopped walking for a moment. Her own pain blurred instantly seeing him like that.

She reached for his hand softly. "Baby... look at me," she whispered gently. "I'm okay. Nothing happened." That was all it took. Krish's eyes immediately filled with tears. "It was a gun, dii..." His voice cracked helplessly. "It could've hit you."

The words struck Kiara harder than the injury itself. Yes. It was a gun. She could have died. For one terrifying second, death had truly stood in front of her. And suddenly another thought pierced through her chest far more painfully than fear itself - shouldn't Donato have thought the same?

Shouldn't he have run to her first? She had been the target. She had been the one almost shot. Rose had saved her, yes, and Rose was hurt... but there were so many people around Rose. Albert was there. Enzo was there. The entire Romano family was there. Then why had Donato not even looked at her properly before leaving?

The ache spreading inside her chest felt far deeper than the wound on her forehead. Still, she swallowed everything down and squeezed Krish's hand reassuringly. "But it didn't hit me," she said softly, forcing a tiny smile for him. "See? I'm safe."

"Exactly," Meera quickly added, trying to calm the atmosphere before Krish completely broke down. She wrapped an arm around krish protectively. "Your dii is fine now. Let's take her upstairs and let her rest."

"Thank God..." Mrs. Dhani murmured shakily from behind them, still visibly disturbed by the incident. Her hand rested against her chest as if trying to calm her own racing heartbeat. "That girl... Rose. She pushed Kiara at the right moment. Otherwise anything could have happened."

Everyone silently agreed. Gratitude toward Rose filled the room, because they all knew the truth - if she had reacted even a second later, the bullet would have hit Kiara directly. Together they walked inside the mansion. But the moment they entered the main living room, Kiara noticed it was completely empty.

The once lively hall now felt cold and abandoned. Only distant voices echoed from one of the room, mixed with Rose's muffled cries of pain. Kiara understood instantly that everyone had gathered there around her.

A strange emotion twisted inside her chest. She was thankful to Rose. Deeply thankful. But at the same time... hurt. Hurt enough that breathing felt difficult. Without another word, they slowly took her upstairs to her room.

Ayush carefully cleaned the wound on her forehead while Arav sat beside her the entire time, watching silently to make sure she was truly alright. Krish refused to leave her side even for a second, still shaken by the image of the gun pointed toward his sister.

And through it all, Kiara remained unusually quiet. Because while everyone around her worried for her...The only person she wanted had not come back.

_____

Downstairs, the atmosphere inside the Romano mansion had turned completely tense. The joyful warmth of the engagement ceremony had vanished, replaced by panic, fear, and suffocating silence. The room where Rose had been taken was crowded with family members, and worried voices overlapping each other. The sharp smell of antiseptic soon filled the air as the family doctor hurried inside with his medical kit.

Rose sat on the bed now, her injured leg carefully supported on a cushion while nurse cleaned the blood from her scratched hand. Her face was pale from the pain, strands of hair sticking to her damp forehead, and every slight movement made her wince sharply.

"Careful," she hissed through clenched teeth when the doctor touched near her ankle. The doctor frowned seriously while examining it. "The ankle twisted badly," he said. "It's not fractured, thankfully, but the ligament has stretched. She needs complete rest."

A collective breath of relief spread through the room. Nonna pressed her hand against her chest. "Thank God..." Aravi immediately sat beside Rose and kissed her forehead lovingly. "You saved our Kiara today, child," she whispered emotionally. "God bless you."

Albert looked shaken even now. His usually composed face was tense as he crouched beside Rose protectively, unable to fully process how close they all had come to disaster. Even Enzo stood unusually silent near the window, jaw tight with rage while speaking sharply to the guards through his phone.

"Search every corner," he ordered coldly. "I want that bastard found tonight." Meanwhile, Donato stood near the bed staring at Rose's injured leg while his mind remained somewhere else entirely.

Kiara. The image of the laser pointed toward her replayed repeatedly inside his head. The gunshot. The scream. The thought of the bullet piercing through her body-his stomach twisted violently. What if Rose had not seen it? What if she had reacted one second later?

What if the bullet had hit Kiara directly? The mere thought made his chest tighten painfully. No. No. He could not even think about it. For the first time in years, genuine fear had shaken Donato Romano to his core.

The moment the doctor confirmed Rose was stable, Donato instinctively stood up, ready to go to Kiara immediately. Now that Rose had everyone around her - Albert, Aravi, Nonna, Lucia, Enzo, the doctor - he finally wanted to check his wife properly.

Because he had not even seen how badly Kiara got hurt while falling. And guilt had already started creeping heavily into his chest. But the moment he moved-Rose grabbed his hand tightly. A painful gasp escaped her lips as another wave of pain shot through her ankle.

"Don..." she whispered weakly, clutching his hand harder instinctively. Donato froze. The doctor began adjusting Rose's ankle carefully again, making her cry out softly from the pain. Every time the doctor touched near the swollen area, Rose tightened her grip around Donato's hand unconsciously like a lifeline.

Unable to pull away in that moment, Donato sat back down beside her. "It's okay," he said automatically, trying to calm her. "Relax. Breathe slowly." But even while speaking to Rose- His thoughts remained somewhere else entirely. With Kiara. His wife had almost been shot tonight.

The realization still felt unreal. His mind kept imagining horrifying possibilities against his will. What if the bullet had entered her chest? What if she had collapsed in front of him? What if he lost her tonight? His fingers curled tightly into his fist.

For the first time since the incident, anger slowly started replacing fear. Cold. Dangerous. Deadly anger. Because someone had dared to point a gun at his wife. And Donato Romano was not going to let that person survive for long.

_____

The atmosphere inside the grand living room of the Romano mansion had turned strangely heavy after the chaos outside. Just moments ago the garden had been filled with laughter, music, and celebration, but now an unsettling silence lingered between both families. The Rajputs sat together on one side of the room, their expressions tense and shaken after witnessing an attack happen right before their eyes.

The older members tried to remain composed, but the fear for Kiara was still visible in their eyes. Meanwhile, the Romanos stood opposite them, carrying guilt and embarrassment because such a dangerous incident had happened under their protection, inside their own mansion.

Nonna slowly stepped forward first, her elegant posture slightly weakened by guilt. Her aged eyes carried genuine remorse as she looked toward Mrs. Dhani. "Mrs. Rajput... I am truly sorry for what happened today," she said softly, her voice calmer than usual. "You all came here trusting us, and instead you had to witness something so terrible."

Beside her, Aravi also apologized to Meera with sincerity, while Alessandro Romano turned toward Shivam and offered his own regret for the incident. The tension in the room deepened because everyone knew this was not some ordinary accident-it was an attack.

Then Donato stepped forward. For the first time since the chaos began, the arrogance and confidence usually present in the Romano heir were missing. His jaw was tight, his expression dark with frustration and guilt. He joined his hands respectfully in front of the Rajputs before speaking. "I am truly sorry for what happened," he said, his deep voice unusually restrained. "I became distracted with the wedding preparations and failed to think properly about tightening the security. That mistake is mine."

His eyes lowered for a brief second before lifting again, colder this time. "But I promise you all... this is the first and last time something like this will happen inside Romano property. From this moment onward security will be doubled. The man responsible for this will be found." There was something dangerous in the way he said the last sentence-a calm fury that made it clear whoever had done this had already signed his death wish.

Shivam looked at him quietly before stepping forward. Unlike others, his expression remained controlled. "It's alright, Donato," he said in a steady voice. "When powerful families exist, enemies exist too. Rajputs understand that very well."

His gaze briefly drifted toward his children before returning to Donato. "Just make sure nothing like this happens again. This is a family wedding, not a battlefield." Donato nodded immediately, accepting every word without argument.

Mrs. Dhani then spoke softly to nonna and Aravi, her voice filled with gratitude despite the fear lingering in her heart. "We are thankful to Rose," she admitted honestly. "If she had not pushed Kiara away in time..." She could not even finish the sentence. The thought alone terrified everyone again. she is also got hurt, how is she now. Mrs dhani asked."

Aravi quickly reassured her, explaining that Rose was fine now, only suffering from a twisted ankle and a scratched arm. Hearing that eased the tension slightly. But then Aravi suddenly frowned and looked around the room carefully. "Where is Kiara?" she asked.

The question froze the atmosphere again. Donato's eyes immediately moved across the living room for the first time properly, scanning every face between the Rajputs and Romanos. Sofia was there. Elana too. Krish stood beside Ayush. Kavya sat near Meera. But Kiara-Kiara was not there. A strange uneasiness gripped his chest instantly.

"Oh, she's resting upstairs," Ayush answered calmly. "She hit her forehead on the edge of the sofa when she fell. I cleaned the wound and applied medicine. She's resting now."

The moment Ayush mentioned Kiara's injury, the entire atmosphere in the living room shifted. Until now, everyone had been focused on the chaos of the attack, on Rose's twisted ankle, on the terrifying fact that a gun had been fired inside the Romano mansion. But the second the words "she got hurt on her forehead" left Ayush's mouth, Donato's entire body went rigid.

His breathing stopped for a second. "What?" he asked quietly, almost too quietly, as if his mind had failed to process the sentence.

Meera looked at him with slight confusion. "When Rose pushed her, Kiara hit the edge of the sofa. It was bleeding a little. Ayush cleaned the wound and put medicine on it. She is resting now."

Donato stared at her blankly. Blood. Kiara was bleeding. And he had not even noticed. A sharp wave of guilt slammed into his chest so violently that it almost made him dizzy. In that moment, the scene replayed in his head with brutal clarity-Kiara falling against the sofa, Rose screaming on the floor, him running past his wife without even checking her properly.

His jaw clenched. God. What had he done? For the first time since the attack, real fear settled into his bones. Not the fear of enemies. Not the fear of Lucas. But the fear of realizing he had left his wife alone after she had almost been shot.

Donato did not wait another second. He turned instantly and strode toward the staircase so fast that everyone in the room fell silent watching him. His footsteps echoed heavily through the mansion halls, sharp and hurried, carrying the weight of panic and regret.

"Donato-" Alessandro called behind him, but he did not stop.

He ran upstairs. The Rajputs exchanged quiet looks amongst themselves. Meera sighed softly, understanding immediately what had gone through Donato's mind. Aravi lowered her eyes with guilt too, because only now did all the Romanos realize something terribly important.

Kiara had been the target. Not Rose. Yet after the attack, everyone had surrounded Rose while Kiara had quietly disappeared upstairs with her brothers. Meera watched the staircase silently, her eyes heavy with emotions. She had seen everything clearly. The way Kiara's eyes had followed Donato when he carried Rose away. The way kiara had forced herself not to cry in front of everyone.

And now, she could only hope Donato understood that too. "my baby is controling her anger, herself from breaking so well." she thought.

Meanwhile upstairs, Donato reached the bedroom door almost breathless. His hand stopped on the handle for a brief second. For the first time in years, Donato Romano felt nervous to enter his own room. Because suddenly, he did not know what kind of expression would be waiting for him on the other side.

Pain? Anger? Silence? Or worse. Disappointment.

Donato took a slow, unsteady breath before finally pushing the bedroom door open. The soft creak of the wood echoed faintly inside the otherwise silent room. Darkness welcomed him first. The chandeliers were off, the warm lamps near the walls dimmed to the lowest glow, leaving only pale moonlight spilling through the tall glass windows and a faint amber light from the bedside lamp. The room looked cold despite its luxury, heavy with a silence that pressed against his chest.

Then his eyes found her. Kiara was resting against the headboard of the bed, her body slightly tilted to one side as sleep had taken over her in exhaustion rather than peace. Her hair was messy, falling around her face in soft waves, and the blanket had slipped halfway down her lap. But none of that mattered to Donato. His entire world stopped at the white bandage wrapped around her forehead.

For a second, he could not move. The memory of the gunshot replayed violently inside his head. The laser pointed at her. Rose screaming. Kiara falling. And him... running away from her. His throat tightened painfully.

Slowly, almost fearfully, he walked toward the bed. Every step felt heavier than the last. The closer he came, the more details he noticed. Her swollen eyes. The faint redness around them. The dry tear tracks still visible on her cheeks under the moonlight.

She had cried herself to sleep. That realization shattered something inside him. Donato crouched beside the bed until he was at her level, staring at her face as if trying to convince himself she was truly alive, truly safe.

His trembling fingers slowly reached toward her cheek, brushing softly against the dried tear marks before moving carefully toward the edge of the bandage. His touch was feather-light, filled with guilt, regret, anger at himself, and a fear so deep it made his chest ache.

How could he not notice she was hurt? How could he leave her like that? She was his wife. His Kiara. And yet in the moment she needed him most, he had walked past her. His jaw tightened harshly as self-hatred rose inside him. He closed his eyes for a brief second, taking a shaky breath near her face, trying to calm the storm inside him.

Maybe it was his uneven breathing. Maybe it was the warmth of his hand against her skin. But Kiara stirred lightly in her sleep. Her brows frowned softly before her eyes slowly fluttered open. For a brief moment, her sleepy gaze looked lost and unfocused.

Then she saw him. Saw how close he was. Saw his hand on her face. And instantly her expression changed. Pain. Hurt. anger. Coldness. she abruptly straightened up against the headboard and harshly pushed his hand away from her face.

The sudden force made Donato freeze completely. Her eyes, still wet and exhausted, looked directly into his, but there was no softness in them tonight. Only heartbreak. "What are you doing here?" she asked quietly.

Those five words hit harder than any bullet ever could. Donato felt his chest hollow out at the distance in her voice. No "Ro." No warmth. No instinctive leaning toward him. Just a wall he himself had created. The silence between them became unbearably heavy.

Kiara looked away from him first, her fingers tightening around the blanket in her lap as if holding herself together with the little strength she had left.

Donato stared at her in silence, his chest rising and falling heavily as Kiara turned her face away from him like even looking at him hurt her. The dim light of the bedside lamp fell across her tear-stained cheeks, over the white bandage wrapped around her forehead, and the sight twisted something painfully inside him. "kiara sweetheart look at me, i am so- he got cut bye kiara.

"Don't, say sorry when you didn't even meant it." she said.

"Its not like that. i know i did wrong i am sorry please look at me." he again try despraitly.

"WHY ARE YOU EVEN HERE?" she shouted, finally looking at him. Her eyes were red, swollen, burning with months of buried pain. "SHOULDN'T YOU BE WITH ROSE?"

"Kiara-"

"NO!" she screamed so loudly her voice cracked. "DON'T YOU DARE INTERRUPT ME THIS TIME!"

Donato froze. For months, whenever she complained about Rose, he reassured her softly, kissed her forehead, distracted her with love until she stayed quiet. But tonight there was no softness left inside her. Tonight, everything she had swallowed silently came rushing out like poison.

"You know what hurt the most today?" she whispered shakily before her voice rose again. "NOT THE GUN. NOT EVEN THIS INJURY." She pointed angrily at the bandage on her head. "IT WAS SEEING MY HUSBAND RUN TO ANOTHER WOMAN WHILE I WAS SITTING THERE BLEEDING!"

Donato clenched his jaw. "Kiara, Rose was in pain she got hur-"

"And I WASN'T?" she yelled back instantly. "I WAS THE TARGET, DONATO! THE GUN WAS POINTED AT ME!" Tears streamed uncontrollably down her face now. "DO YOU EVEN REALIZE WHAT I FELT WHEN YOU DIDN'T COME TO ME?"

"I thought you were safe!" he shouted back desperately. "I saw you on the sofa-"

"And THAT WAS ENOUGH?" she laughed bitterly. "One look was enough for you to decide I didn't need you?"

Donato ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Please stop twisting this-"

"I AM NOT TWISTING ANYTHING!" she screamed. "I SAW IT WITH MY OWN EYES! EVERYONE SAW IT!" Her breathing became uneven, angry sobs shaking her body as months of insecurity and months of jealousy finally spilled out.

"First the cake..."

Donato closed his eyes briefly.

"Then the dance..."

"Kiara-"

"AND NOW THIS!" she shouted. "EVERY SINGLE TIME IT COMES DOWN TO ME OR HER-YOU CHOOSE HER!"

"That's not true!"

"IT IS TRUE!" she cried violently. "YOU JUST DON'T WANT TO SEE IT SHE IS FUCKING TRY TO COME BETWEEN US !" She got off the bed abruptly, standing in front of him with trembling legs and wet eyes.

"You know what's funny?" she whispered brokenly. "Everyone says I'm your wife. Mrs. Kiara Donato Romano." Her lips trembled painfully. "But half the time I feel like the third person between you two."

That sentence hit Donato like a slap. His eyes darkened instantly. "ENOUGH."

But Kiara was too hurt to stop now. "No, not enough!" she shouted again. "I stayed quiet for months! MONTHS, DONATO!" She pointed toward the door angrily. "She comes here every day! She hangs onto you all the time! You dance with her, laugh with her, leave with her-and I'm supposed to stand there smiling because she's your 'best friend'?"

"She IS my best friend!" Donato snapped.

"And what am I?" Kiara shouted back immediately. "JUST YOUR RESPONSIBILITY?" "For months I stayed quiet! FOR MONTHS I WATCHED HER STICK TO YOU EVERY SINGLE DAY!" Her voice echoed through the room. "Office. Home. Parties. Lunches. Outings. EVERYWHERE!" She laughed painfully.

"And every single time I complained, what did you say?" She mocked his calm tone bitterly.

'She's like my sister, Kiara.'

'There's nothing between us, Kiara.'

'Don't overthink, Kiara.'

Her eyes burned red. "But did you ever once think what it feels like for me?"

Donato rubbed his face tiredly. "I understand your jealousy-"

"NO YOU DON'T!" she screamed immediately. "If you understood, you wouldn't have danced with her that night while I sat here crying!" The memory flashed between them. "And tonight..." her voice cracked violently, "tonight you proved exactly who matters more to you."

"That's not true!"

"THEN WHY DID YOU GO TO HER FIRST?"

Silence. Dead silence. Because Donato himself had no answer that could erase what happened.

Kiara laughed weakly through tears. "See?"

Donato ran frustrated fingers through his hair. "She was screaming in pain, Kiara! I reacted without thinking!"

"And I WASN'T IN PAIN?" she cried. "I WAS THE TARGET!" Her voice finally shattered completely. "I was scared too, Ro..." That one word-Ro-coming from her broken voice almost destroyed him. "I needed you too..."

Donato looked away for a second, unable to bear the tears in her eyes. "I know," he whispered hoarsely.

"But you weren't there." Those four words hit harder than any bullet.

The silence after that felt suffocating. Donato stared at her, hurt flashing across his face before anger slowly replaced it. "You think I don't care about you?" he asked quietly, dangerously.

Kiara laughed through tears. "I KNOW you care about me . That's what makes this worse."

Donato stepped closer. "Then why are you questioning me like this?"

"BECAUSE I'M TIRED!" she screamed, finally breaking completely. "I'M TIRED OF FEELING LIKE I HAVE TO SHARE MY HUSBAND!"

"YOU DON'T HAVE TO SHARE ME!" Donato shouted back for the first time, his voice echoing through the room. "HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THERE IS NOTHING BETWEEN ME AND ROSE?"

"But there IS SOMETHING!" Kiara cried. "MAYBE NOT FROM YOUR SIDE BUT FROM HERS!"

Donato's expression hardened instantly. "Stop it."

"No! You stop ignoring it!" she shouted. "I SEE THE WAY SHE LOOKS AT YOU!"

"You're crossing the line now."

"And YOU crossed it first!" she yelled. "The moment you left me there and carried her away in your arms!"

Donato's patience finally snapped. "WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO?" he roared. "SHE SAVED YOUR LIFE!"

"And I'M GRATEFUL FOR THAT!" Kiara shouted back immediately, tears pouring endlessly, her head pounding becsue of immense pain now. "BUT WHY DID MY HUSBAND FORGET ABOUT ME AFTER THAT?"

The room fell silent again except for her broken sobs. Donato looked at her as if he did not recognize the woman standing in front of him anymore. And Kiara looked back with equal pain, because for the first time since their marriage, love was not enough to cover the wound between them.

"You really think I chose her over you?" Donato asked quietly, his voice shaking now not with anger but hurt.

Kiara wiped her tears harshly. "Tonight you did."

That answer shattered whatever control he still had left. Donato stepped back slowly, nodding once, his eyes cold with pain. "Fine." Kiara's breath hitched. "If that's what you truly believe," he said bitterly, "then maybe nothing I say tonight will matter."

He turned toward the door. But before leaving, he stopped his hand already wrapped around the handle, his shoulders heavy with exhaustion and anger and fear all mixed together. The room was suffocatingly silent except for Kiara's uneven breathing.

He stood there for a second with his back facing her, his jaw tight, his chest rising harshly as if even breathing had become difficult for him tonight. without looking back and said in a broken voice, "I was terrified tonight, Kiara. Terrified that I almost lost you." His fists clenched tightly at his sides.

His voice cracked at the end. "But you won't understand my fear..."The words hit the room like shattered glass. He was about to open the door when Kiara suddenly shouted again, her voice sharp and trembling with rage and hurt.

"WHERE ARE YOU GOING NOW? TO HER?" she screamed. "DON'T YOU DARE, DONATO!"

His hand froze on the handle. Slowly, he turned around and looked at her. For a moment, he simply stared at her in disbelief. His eyes were red, tired, hollow from everything that had happened tonight. Then he closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. She is angry. She is hurt. Control yourself.

But even then, her words still stabbed somewhere deep inside him. His gaze softened with pain as he looked at her standing beside the bed, her hair messy, tears running endlessly down her face, her bandaged forehead making him feel even worse.

"How far have you gone in your anger, Kiara..." he muttered quietly to himslef. His lips twitched bitterly. "You didn't even realize how many times you called me Donato tonight... not Ro." That hurt him more than he expected. Because she only called him "Donato" when she was truly wounded by him.

He inhaled deeply before walking a few steps closer to her again, though he kept distance between them this time. "You're angry right now," he said softly, trying to keep his voice calm despite the storm inside him. "And honestly... so am I."

His eyes met hers. "So let's not talk tonight. Otherwise we'll both say things we'll regret later." he exhaled shakily, forcing himself to stay calm. " and I'm not going to Rose." Kiara looked away stubbornly. "I'm going to check the man who fired today. That's it."

His voice softened again despite everything. "Just rest, sweetheart... please." But Kiara no longer answered him. She turned her face away completely.

Donato stood there for a long moment, staring at her trembling shoulders, wanting to go hug her, wanting to fix everything, but knowing anything he said now would only make things worse.

So quietly, painfully, he walked out of the room. The moment the door closed- Kiara broke completely. A loud scream tore out of her throat. "AAAHHHH!" In one violent motion she grabbed the lamp from the bedside table and threw it across the room. It crashed against the wall, shattering into pieces.

She burst into uncontrollable sobs, her entire body trembling violently with every broken breath leaving her chest. Her fingers tangled painfully into her hair as she clutched her head tightly, as if she could somehow stop the storm raging inside her mind.

"I hate this... I hate this..." she cried breathlessly. Her voice echoed through the dark room, weak and shattered. "I hate shouting at him... I hate getting angry at him..."Fresh tears streamed endlessly down her face as guilt slowly started crawling over the anger that had consumed her moments ago.

"Still... I did it..." her breathing became uneven. "I hurt him..." The realization broke something inside her all over again. "How could I do that to him..." she whispered brokenly. "How could I say those things..." She pressed both hands harder against her head, squeezing her eyes shut as another wave of emotional pain crashed into her.

"AAAH-"A painful scream escaped her lips. Because she knew. She knew she had lost herself tonight. Again. Just like two and half years ago. That same terrifying anger. That same loss of control. That same suffocating feeling where emotions became too heavy to contain until they exploded and destroyed everything around her.

And she hated it. She hated this side of herself more than anything. "I hate myself..." she sobbed, curling into herself on the bed. "I hate my anger..." Her shoulders shook violently. She remembered the look in Donato's eyes before he left.

The hurt. The exhaustion. The disappointment. And despite her pain, despite her jealousy, despite everything-she knew he had been hurting too. He was scared for her. Terrified. But instead of understanding that, she had thrown all her pain at him like knives.

"I-I'm sorry, Ro..." she whispered weakly into the darkness. The nickname slipped out naturally this time, filled with love and heartbreak. "I'm sorry..."

Her tears soaked the bedsheet beneath her as she cried harder, no longer out of anger now, but guilt. Because no matter how hurt she was-she never wanted to become someone who wounded the person she loved most. And tonight, she felt like she had done exactly that.
_

"Ahh, I tried to write heavy angst. I don't know if it turned out well or not.
So, this is the first angst chapter of this book. And I'm warning you guys - in the coming chapters, there will be both angst and emotional moments. The domestic fluff is going to end now, so enjoy."
🫡