Chapter 26
JACE MARINO
I don’t rember walking out of that hallway.
One second I was standing in front of Julian’s door, and the next I was halfway down the corridor, my hands shaking like I’d been punched.
I didn’t even look back. I couldn’t.
Because if I did, I might’ve begged him not to say what he said.
He told to let Enzo in.
He chose him.
The word keeps replaying in my head. Friend.
"He’s my friend."
I know he didn’t an it the way it sounded, but damn, it hurt. Like every word I didn’t want to hear rolled into one sentence.
I find a chair in the waiting area and just sit there, staring at the floor. The tiles blur after a while. My body feels heavy, but my chest won’t stop tightening. It’s a weird kind of pain. Quite, steady, the kind that doesn’t go away when you breathe.
My phone’s been buzzing for hours. Aiko. Matteo. Marco. Even my father’s assistant. I haven’t looked at a single ssage. I already know what they’ll say.
Where are you?
Your father wants to see you.
You’ve caused enough trouble already.
I run a hand through my hair and let out a slow breath. The hospital slls like tal and bleach, and I hate it. But I’d rather be here than anywhere near that house.
When the elevator doors open, I almost ignore it, but then I hear a voice I know too well.
"Of course you’re still here."
Matteo.
He walks over, wearing that half-annoyed, half-worried look he always gets when he’s been sent to clean up my ss.
"Don’t start," I say.
He sighs and sits beside . "You look like shit."
"Thanks."
"I’m serious, Jace. You’ve been here all night. A nurse told you didn’t even move when they cleaned the hallway."
I shrug. "He passed out because of . What was I supposed to do? Go ho and get so sleep?"
"Yeah. That’s what normal people do."
"I’m not normal."
He exhales. "No, you’re not. You’re a Marino. Which ans Dad’s furious right now. He knows about the kid."
"You think we can hide anything from him? He’s got people watching you everywhere. Enzo made sure he found out."
"Why is he even bothered about what happens in our family"
That na again. My stomach twists. "What did he say?"
"Matteo looks away for a second. "He’s been talking to Aiko. Said you’ve been ’distracted,’ that you’re putting the family’s reputation at risk. Dad thinks you’ve been compromised."
I laugh once, bitter. "Compromised. Yeah, that sounds like him."
"He wants you ho. Today."
"No."
"Jace—"
"I said no." I look him dead in the eye. "I’m not leaving him. I don’t care what Dad says."
Matteo studies for a mont. He’s quiet, which is normal for him. Then he nods slowly. "Alright. Then listen to , because you’re not hearing this from anyone else."
I lean back in the chair, waiting.
"Enzo’s not just here for fun," Matteo says. "He’s digging for sothing. And he’s using that boy to get it. Dad’s letting him because it works in his favor."
My chest goes cold. "What do you an using him?"
"I an," he says, "if Julian gets close to Enzo, it gives Enzo a way to control you. And Dad thinks you’ll do anything to keep Julian safe. Which makes him leverage."
I feel my pulse spike. "I’ll kill him."
"No, you won’t," Matteo says quickly. "That’s exactly what they want, for you to act reckless so they can take control. You have to be smarter than that."
I press my hands to my face. I can feel the edge of panic trying to crawl back up my throat. Julian’s in there, and Enzo’s sitting with him, feeding him whatever lies he’s been paid to say.
"I can’t just sit here," I say quietly.
"You can’t make things worse either."
I glance up. "So what do I do?"
Matteo looks tired. "Tell him the truth. All of it. About Dad, Aiko, Enzo. Everything. If he’s going to hate you, at least let it be for sothing real."
He stands, straightens his jacket, and claps once on the shoulder. "You’ve got one shot, Jace. Don’t screw it up."
Then he leaves.
I sit there for a while after that, replaying his words. Tell him the truth. The idea terrifies . Because once I do, there’s no going back. He’ll know who I really am. Not the professor, not the quiet man who brings him coffee and tells him stupid Italian stories, but the son of a man who ruins people for profit.
I don’t even realize how long I’ve been sitting there until the sky outside starts turning dark again. The fluorescent lights buzz overhead. My neck hurts from leaning forward too long.
When I finally stand, I walk back down the hall toward Julian’s new room. I can hear voices through the door, low, calm ones. Enzo’s voice. Then Julian’s.
I stop right outside, listening without aning to.
"...I didn’t know," Julian says softly. "I didn’t know who he was."
"Of course you didn’t," Enzo replies. "He’s good at hiding things. It’s what they do. The Marinos always have an agenda."
"He said he wasn’t getting married."
Enzo lets out a quiet laugh. "You really believe that?"
I feel my fists clench so tight my knuckles crack.
Then Julian says, "He wouldn’t lie to about that."
There’s a pause. A long one.
"I hope you’re right," Enzo says finally. "But be careful, Julian. People like him... they always choose their family first."
That’s it. I can’t listen anymore.
I take a step back and walk away before I do sothing stupid.
I can’t bla Julian. He has a pure heart, and he truly believes Enzo is his friend.
For once, I feel like Rico and I are on the sa side. He dislikes Enzo just as much as I do.
They’ve been gone for hours now.
I end up outside again, leaning against the side of the building, the cold air biting at my skin. My head feels heavy. My phone buzzes again, and this ti I pick it up. Matteo’s na flashes on the screen.
"Yeah?"
"You’re still there, aren’t you?"
"Yeah."
"Then listen," he says quickly. "Dad’s furious. He sent soone to check on you. They’re probably already on the way."
"Let them co," I say. "They’ll find right here."
"Jace—"
"I’m done running, Matteo. If he wants , he can look in the eye and tell what I’m supposed to give up this ti."
He’s quiet for a second. Then, softer, "You really love him, huh?"
I close my eyes. "Yeah. I do."
He sighs. "Then be smart. Protect him before Dad or Enzo make their next move."
The line goes dead.
I stare out at the street lights for a long ti. Cars pass, people walk by, life keeps moving. But I can’t move. Not yet.
When I finally go back inside, the hallway is quiet. Enzo’s gone. I can tell because the air feels different, lighter, like sothing toxic just left the room. The door to Julian’s room is closed, the light dim inside.
I stand there for a second, debating if I should go in. But I don’t. Not tonight. He needs rest, and I need to figure out how the hell I’m going to fix this.
I sink into the sa chair outside his door, the one I’ve basically claid as mine. My jacket’s still wrinkled, my shirt’s stained with coffee, and I probably sll like exhaustion. I don’t care.
I just sit there, elbows on my knees, staring at the floor again.
The nurse from earlier walks by and gives a sympathetic look. "You should get so rest, sir."
"I will," I say, even though I won’t.
When she leaves, I let my head fall back against the wall.
I think about Julian. The way he looked at before he said please, the way his voice cracked when he said my na. He’s angry, but he’s still here. That has to count for sothing.
I don’t know how to fix this yet. I just know I can’t lose him. Not to my father. Not to Enzo. Not to the lies I built to protect him.
I take out my phone again and type a ssage.
"If anything happens, don’t believe a word they say. Please."
I stare at it for a while before deleting it.
He deserves to hear it in person.
I close my eyes and let out a shaky breath. For the first ti in a long ti, I feel sothing close to fear.
No
I’m afraid.
Not of my father, not of the family na, but of what happens if I’m too late.
Because for the first ti, I’m not fighting for the Marino na.
I’m fighting for soone who made want to be better.
And I’ll be damned if I let anyone take that from .
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