61 (Lucian’s POV) Thankful 2
Lucian
We stood in silence for a while then my father left. No more words left to say.
Hours passed. Then a nurse came in, checked Mara’s vitals, and carefully began disconnecting her from the machines.
“She’s fully healed,” she said. “Just give it time. The sedatives will wear off soon.”
I nodded and sat back down on the couch, eyes fixed on her-waiting.
Eventually, her fingers twitched.
Her eyelashes fluttered.
She blinked slowly, then more deliberately, her eyes scanning the ceiling. She was trying to piece it all together.
I stood and moved closer, gently brushing my lips against her forehead.
She turned her head slowly and looked at me. Blinked again. Focused.
“Hey,” I said softly.
She smiled faintly. “We didn’t die?”
Even now, she joked.
That was Mara. Always finding light in the dark.
I let out a soft laugh and shook my head. “Not this time.”
*Shall we go home?” I asked her, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face.
She nodded and sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. The hospital had provided her with a fresh pair of
joggers, and she dressed without asking for help-even though I would’ve carried her in a heartbeat.
When I tried, she raised a brow and waved me off.
“I’ll walk,” she said.
We stepped out of the hospital and flagged down a cab. I didn’t want to risk any of the mansion’s cars. Not yet. Mara
shifted beside me the entire ride, clearly uncomfortable.
Even if she laughed about it, her body remembered the crash.
Her nerves remembered the sound of bullets.
So did mine.
We asked the driver to take us through the mansion gates. The guards at the front looked stunned to see us alive. I had
one of the staff outside handle the fare and make sure the man was tipped well.
I carried Mara inside and took her straight to our bedroom, laying her gently on the bed. She exhaled, relaxing into the sheets.
But my mind was anything but relaxed.
Someone had made an open attempt on our lives.
In broad daylight.
The knock came just as I expected it would.
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6)(Lucian’s POV) Thankful 2
I opened the door to find Darian standing there, eyes uncertain, posture tense.
He looked past me, toward the bedroom.
“Go ahead,” I said.
He nodded, then entered.
“Mara,” I heard him say softly. His voice cracked.
“Are you… are you okay?” he asked, as if afraid of the answer.
I stayed back, giving him space-but watching. Always watching.
He walked up to her, and when she sat up, he hugged her. Too tightly.
Too long.
I cleared my throat.
Darian pulled back quickly, guilt flashing across his face. “Sorry,” he muttered, and stepped aside.
I walked into the room without a word, my presence enough to realign the atmosphere.
Mara met my eyes.
And just like that-I was grounded again.
18 Points>
After Darian had his moment with Mara, we stepped into the sitting room, and I told him everything Father had shared-
everything except the detail about my mother’s poisoning. That was still too raw to hand over.
Darian was stunned. “He kept all that from us?”
I nodded. “For years.”
He rubbed his jaw, pacing slowly. “So, all this time, someone’s been coming for us? The entire family?”
“Looks that way,” I said. “And now they’re getting bold.”
“I still can’t believe it,” he muttered. “Why wouldn’t he warn us?”
“Because he thought silence was protection,” I said flatly. “But that ends now.”
I looked him in the eye. “I need you to help me investigate the attack-quietly. They’ll expect me to dig. But you? They
won’t see coming.”
He stilled. Then nodded. “I’m in.”
He hesitated. “Do you think… my mother is behind this?”
The fact that he even had to ask said everything. He didn’t trust her either-not fully. She’d left damage in both our lives. If
not for Martha, Mara might’ve been his. Tiffany’s mess wouldn’t have spiraled. We both had reasons to keep her at arm’s
length.
“For Father’s sake, I hope she’s not,” I said. “But gone are the days I let things slide. Someone tried to kill my wife, Darian. That’s a line you don’t cross.”
He nodded slowly, absorbing my resolve. There was concern in his eyes-but he didn’t question my motive. He understood. He’d seen what Mara meant to me.
“I get it, Lucian,” he said. “But this feels bigger than my mother. If what Father said is true-if it goes back years-then
we’re all on a hit list.”
1 didn’t argue. “Maybe. But I’m not ruling anything out. Do your part. Dig deep.”
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6) Cuca POV! Thankut 2
Darian left soon after, and I returned to Mara.
She was sitting up in bed, calmer but still pale. I sat beside her and took her hand.
“I believe Martha’s behind this,” I told her.
Her eyes widened. “Why?”
“With us out of the way, her son keeps everything-regardless of what Father wants.”
Mara looked genuinely disturbed. “But… what about Tina’s baby?”
I chuckled darkly. “You think she’d let that baby be born? Tina’s just a pawn. If you were like Martha, she’d have miscarried
by now. Martha doesn’t lose, Mara. And she doesn’t stop until it’s scorched earth.”
Mara leaned into me and hugged me tight. “We’re alive, Lucian. Whoever planned it-they failed.”
I wrapped my arms around her. “Yes. But we move with security from now on. No more blind spots. Until we get answers
-no one gets close.”
She nodded, exhausted but in agreement.
I climbed into bed beside her. She curled into me, her hand resting over my heart.
The war wasn’t over. But we’d survived the first strike.
And now, we’d hunt back.
2
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62 After The Attack
