CHAPTER 127: WHEN SILENCE BECOMES A WARNING

The silence after the storm did not feel like peace.

It felt like the breath before a scream.

The air inside the compound was thick with smoke, electrical residue, and the scent of shattered glass. Guards moved through the hallways with weapons raised, stepping over fallen equipment and splintered doors. The medical wing was partially destroyed, the lights flickering weakly, casting long shadows along the cracked floor.

Aria lay unconscious in Luca’s arms, her breathing shallow but steady. Her skin no longer glowed, but faint traces of light shimmered beneath the surface, like embers that refused to die.

Rosetta hovered close, wiping sweat from Aria’s forehead. "She is fading in and out. She is very weak."

Dr. Henri checked her pulse again, his brow deeply furrowed. "Her vitals are stabilizing, but she is in a state of extreme exhaustion. She needs complete rest. No stimulation. No stress."

Nico stood near the broken window. "There is no fog left," he reported softly. "No Patron. No sentinels. Nothing. It is like they evaporated."

Salvatore joined him, eyes scanning the grounds. "Or they are hiding."

Luca did not speak. His entire attention was on Aria, the weight of her fragile body held against his chest. He brushed his thumb gently across her cheek, his jaw tight with emotion he refused to let break open.

Aria shifted slightly, her eyelashes fluttering. "Luca..."

He leaned close. "I am here."

"Is he gone?"

"For now."

Her eyes closed again. "That means he is planning."

Luca kissed her temple. "Then we plan faster."

She drifted back into unconsciousness, her breathing soft and uneven.

Rosetta placed a gentle hand on Luca’s shoulder. "She needs to be moved somewhere safer. Somewhere quieter."

Luca nodded. "Prepare the inner suite. Reinforce it. I want five guards at the door. No one goes in or out without my approval."

Salvatore saluted. "Yes, Don DeLuca."

Nico stepped forward. "Boss. The Patron’s retreat was too clean. Too fast. He did not lose. He regrouped."

"I know."

"We need a new strategy."

"I know."

"We need answers."

Luca looked up then. Truly looked. His eyes were colder than the night outside. "And we will get them."

Rosetta cleared her throat softly. "But first, she needs time."

"Time," Luca whispered, tightening his hold on Aria, "is the one thing he is not going to give us."

The inner suite was usually a sanctuary. A quiet place. A protected haven built deep inside the compound, lined with reinforced steel and soundproof walls. But tonight it felt too small. Too fragile. Too exposed.

Luca lay Aria gently on the large bed. She curled onto her side instinctively, her hands resting over her stomach, protecting the life inside her even in sleep.

The doctor adjusted the monitors again. "She is unconscious but stable. I will stay nearby. Call me if anything changes."

Rosetta pulled a blanket over Aria’s legs and brushed her hair back from her pale face. "Poor girl. She has not eaten in hours. Her body is drained."

Luca sat on the edge of the bed, his hand resting on Aria’s pulse point. "I will feed her when she wakes."

Nico leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "We need to talk about what happened out there. The circle. The ground is splitting. The lightning that went upward. That is not something we can handle with guns."

Luca did not lift his gaze. "I know."

"Then we need someone who understands these things."

Luca finally looked up. "And who is that?"

Nico hesitated. "There is a man in Naples. A historian. He deals with old bloodlines. Ancient rites. Things people do not speak about."

Rosetta crossed herself. "People like that should not be trusted."

Nico shrugged. "We do not have many options."

Luca exhaled. Slowly. Controlled. "If he knows anything about the first bearer, about the circle, or about why the Patron is calling our child by that name, then I want him here by morning."

Nico nodded and left without a word.

Rosetta lingered, touching Aria’s hand. "She is so strong. But she is breaking. Piece by piece. He is chipping away at her."

Luca’s expression hardened. "Then we rebuild her stronger than he can break."

Rosetta lifted her eyes. "Love alone will not be enough."

Luca stood. "My love is not fragile."

He meant it.

Rosetta believed him.

What none of them saw was the faint flicker of white beneath Aria’s skin.

The door was closed.

Not destroyed.

And the Patron was waiting.

Hours passed. The storm moved on. The compound remained tense but quiet. Guards patrolled every hall. Salvatore doubled their rotations, refusing to let fatigue dull their alertness.

Inside the suite, Luca had not left Aria’s side.

He sat with her hand in his, watching her chest rise and fall with each shallow breath. Every small twitch of her fingers made his heart tighten in fear. Every soft sound from her throat made him lean closer, afraid she was slipping.

Around dawn, she stirred.

Her eyes fluttered open.

Luca leaned forward instantly. "Aria. I am here. You are safe."

Her lips parted. "Safe is temporary."

He exhaled softly. "Tell me what you feel."

"Everything," she whispered.

Tears slipped down her temples. "My body hurts. My head feels full of smoke. My heart feels like it is cracked. And she..."

Her hand slid to her belly.

"She is restless. She is confused."

Luca pressed his palm over hers. "She is here. With us. And she will stay with us."

Aria closed her eyes, leaning into his touch. "I fought him. I fought his blood. I fought the part of me that wanted to understand him. I fought the whispers that sounded like ancestors. I fought the door. I fought the light."

Her voice trembled.

"And I won."

Luca kissed her forehead. "You did."

Her voice shook. "But I felt him. Inside the circle. Inside the fog. Inside me."

Luca gently lifted her chin. "You will never face him alone again."

She met his gaze. "He knows I chose you."

"Good."

"It made him angry."

"Even better."

Aria gave a faint, weak laugh that turned into a soft cry. "Luca. He will not stop. He will never stop."

Luca gathered her gently in his arms. "Then I do not stop either."

Her breath steadied against him, her cheek pressed to his chest. "Hold me for a while."

"I am not going anywhere."

They stayed like that until her breathing evened out.

She fell asleep again. This time peacefully.

But not for long.

By noon, Nico returned.

He entered the suite quietly, nodding to Luca.

"He is on his way."

Luca did not move from Aria’s bedside. "The historian."

"Yes."

"Does he know why he is coming."

Nico hesitated. "He knows enough."

Luca narrowed his eyes. "Explain."

Nico scratched the back of his head. "I barely said Aria’s name before he said he had been expecting the call. He said the circle has been restless for months. Said the bloodline was waking."

Rosetta gasped softly.

Nico lowered his voice. "He said the Patron will not fight alone forever."

Luca’s eyes darkened. "What does that mean."

Nico swallowed. "He said the circle is not just one man."

Rosetta whispered, "There are others."

Nico nodded. "And they will come for her."

Luca looked down at Aria as she slept, her face fragile, her hand resting protectively over her stomach.

The Patron was not the only threat.

And the war had only begun.