Her gaze dropped to his stomach, and her breath caught as she saw the wound, deep, dangerous, still bleeding heavily, staining everything.

"You're going to die," she said before she could stop herself.

He let out a faint, almost amused breath, his lips twitching slightly despite the situation.

"Not tonight," he replied and staggered out of her room, she stood on the same spot for a while still trying to process everything when she suddenly heard a loud thud. She ran outside. She ran outside and saw him on the ground. She wanted to ignore him, she really wished she could but not when someone is about to die. She went outside and helped him up, supporting him back into her room. She hesitated for a while before unbuttoning his chest, he has a lion's tattoos on his chest but her eyes were focused on his wound. She was bleeding. She pressed the shirt on it to stop the bleeding because she is afraid now that he might die if she didn't. He groaned, feeling the pressure of the clothes. She carries her first aid box and helps him to apply treatment. He didn't even make any sound.

"I think we need to get you to the hospital, we have to get your wound stitched" she said though she wasn't sure if he heard her.

"Don't dare" he warned without opening his eyes and she rolled her eyes before using bandages on the wound. Then she left him in the sitting room and went to her room to sleep. She kept turning around most of the time on the bed till almost morning, that was when she finally fell asleep.

THE BLOODY MATRIX

The Bloody Matrix is the most feared mafia gang in Italy, and just hearing their name is enough to make people lower their voices or walk away. They are known for being ruthless, dealing in drugs, breaking laws without fear, and no one dares to challenge them because anyone who tries never lasts long enough to try again.

Their den is massive, stretching across thousands of acres of land, heavily guarded and completely restricted. No normal person goes anywhere near that place unless they have a death wish. Inside, there are several large and beautiful mansions owned by high-ranking members, each one built to show power and wealth. At the very center stands the most expensive villa, a place that belongs to the head of the empire, Don Draco, his daughter Lamborghini, and his son Lucien.

The villa itself looks calm from the outside, but inside, danger lives in every corner.

Don Draco sat in his office, leaning back on his chair with a large pipe of tobacco between his lips as he took a slow drag from it. Smoke filled the room, spreading thickly in the air while his sharp eyes remained calm, almost bored, like nothing in the world could shake him.

In front of him, Lamborghini, popularly called Lambo, was pacing around the room in anger, her heels clicking loudly against the marble floor as she held her phone tightly to her ear.

"What do you mean he isn't found yet?" she snapped, her voice filled with frustration and fear.

"I don't care how you do it, search everywhere, every street, every building, every corner. If he isn't found, I swear we are burning that whole town down." She threatened and ended the call harshly and ran her hand through her hair, clearly losing patience.

"Why not take a chill pill?" Don Draco said calmly as he blew out smoke, not even looking bothered.

Lambo turned to glare at him, her eyes filled with anger.

"Don't you even care about him at all?" she asked.

"All the guards that went with him have been found dead, and you are just sitting here like nothing happened. Aren't you even worried that something might have happened to him?" She asked.Don Draco let out a low chuckle, dark and unbothered.

"I don't think you know your brother that much," he said, finally looking at her.

"Do you really think something is going to happen to him just like that? Lucien is not someone that dies easily." He said and Lambo scoffed, clearly not convinced.

"You are also forgetting that he is just twenty two," she said, her voice rising again.

"He is still young, too young for all this, no matter how strong you think he is." She added.

Don Draco removed the pipe from his lips and stood up slowly, adjusting his suit like the conversation no longer interested him.

"I am going to my room," he said simply as he walked toward the door.Lambo stared at his back in disbelief.

"Heartless bastard," she muttered under her breath as he left the room without another word.

The moment the door closed, she quickly picked up her phone again, dialing another number, her fingers trembling slightly despite her strong front.

"Find him," she said the moment the call connected, her voice low but deadly serious.

"I don't care what it takes, just find my brother." She yelled.

THE NEXT DAY

Morning came quietly, the light slipping through the thin curtains and falling across the small living room where Lucien lay on the couch. His eyes opened slowly, his body stiff as he tried to move, and a low groan escaped him when pain shot through his lower abdomen. He stayed still for a moment, breathing carefully as he adjusted to it, his jaw tightening, but he did not let it show on his face.

He pushed himself up slowly, ignoring the way his muscles protested, then placed a hand briefly over the bandaged wound before standing to his full height. His expression remained calm, like the pain meant nothing, even though it was clear his body had not fully recovered.

Lucien walked toward the bedroom without making noise and pushed the door open slightly. His eyes landed on Scarlette, who was fast asleep on the bed, her hair spread across the pillow, her face relaxed in a way that made her look different from the guarded girl he had seen the night before.

For a moment, he just stood there, watching her.

"You must be a fool," he muttered coldly under his breath, his gaze still fixed on her.

"How can you accept a dying stranger into your house?" He added.There was no anger in his voice, just quiet disbelief.

He stepped closer and picked up her phone from the small table beside the bed, unlocking it easily before dialing a number he clearly knew by heart. The line connected quickly.

"Meet me at Via Roma," he said in a low voice.

There was no question from the other end, only an immediate response. "Yes, sir."

Lucien ended the call without another word and placed the phone back beside her. Then he reached into his pocket and dropped a black card on the table along with a small note he had quickly written, adding the password beneath it.

He glanced at her one last time, his expression unreadable, then turned away.

In the living room, he picked up the shirt she had washed for him the night before. It was clean now, though slightly worn, but he didn't care. He slipped it on carefully, avoiding putting pressure on his wound, then adjusted it before heading toward the door. Without looking back, he walked out.

......

About thirty minutes later, Scarlette stirred in her sleep before slowly opening her eyes. She stretched slightly, then froze when she realized the room felt too quiet.

She sat up immediately, her eyes moving around the room.

She got out of bed quickly and walked into the living room, checking around like she expected him to still be there, but there was no sign of him anywhere.Her gaze then fell on the table.

She walked over and picked up the card and the note beside it, her brows furrowing slightly as she read what was written.

"Payment for saving me, that should be enough. Password 5555."

Scarlette stared at it for a second, then scoffed in disbelief.

"He is so arrogant," she muttered, shaking her head as she dropped the card carelessly.

"Just a thank you could have been okay." She muttered. She threw the paper into the dustbin and placed the card down without much thought, clearly not impressed.

Letting out a small sigh, she glanced at the time and her eyes widened slightly.

"I'm late."She rushed off to get ready, pushing everything that happened the night before out of her mind as she grabbed her things and prepared to leave for work.

THE BLOODY MATRIX

A black car sped through the large gates of the Bloody Matrix, the guards immediately recognizing it as they straightened and rushed forward without hesitation. The moment the car came to a stop in front of the main villa, two guards quickly stepped forward and pulled the door open.

Lucien stepped out calmly, his expression unreadable as always, even though the wound in his abdomen still hadn't fully healed. His movements were controlled, steady, like nothing was wrong with him, and the guards lowered their heads slightly as he walked past them without a single glance.

The villa stood tall and expensive, a symbol of power that belonged only to the strongest, and Lucien entered like he owned every part of it, which he did.

Inside, a doctor was already waiting in the living room, his equipment set and ready. The moment Lucien walked in, the man stood up quickly, clearly nervous despite trying to hide it.

Lucien sat down without a word, unbuttoning his shirt slightly to expose the wound, and the doctor wasted no time as he moved closer and began his work, carefully removing the old bandage before starting to stitch the injury properly.

The needle went in and out but Lucien didn't react.

His face remained calm, almost bored, like he wasn't feeling anything at all, even though the wound was deep enough to make any normal person scream.

"Thought you were dead." A voice came from the door as Lamborghini walked in, her heels clicking against the floor as her eyes immediately landed on him.

Lucien didn't look at her. "Like you could live without me," he muttered.She scoffed and folded her arms.

"Why not, I don't care that much about you." She said.

"Really," Lucien said, finally glancing at her with a faint smirk. "But I heard you almost cried last night."

Her eyes widened slightly before she quickly recovered. "Who said that? I don't give a fuck about you, okay," she said fast, trying to brush it off.Lucien only smirked more, clearly not believing her.

The doctor continued his work quietly, finishing the stitching carefully before stepping back, wiping his hands nervously.

"Where is the old bastard?" Lucien asked casually, referring to their father.

Lambo rolled her eyes slightly. "He is in a meeting with the Don of Black Cobra," she said.

"I think they are planning your marriage. You are going to marry his daughter." She added with a grin.

Lucien's expression didn't change much, but his eyes darkened slightly.

"That will never happen," he muttered.

"You know how dad is," Lambo said, shaking her head.

"He will never back down. You are both stubborn, but he always has a backup plan." She said.

Before Lucien could respond, the door opened again and a man walked in.

He was Killian.He moved with confidence, clearly someone who belonged here, and more importantly, someone close to Lucien.

"She didn't spend the money," Killian said immediately.

"She dropped the card at a bank and it was sent back here." He added while showing Lucien the card.

Lucien's brows lifted slightly, a small smirk forming on his lips.

"That is quite interesting," he said. "Do some digging about her."

Killian smirked lightly. "I suspected you might say that, so I already did." He pulled out his phone and sent something over, and Lucien's phone buzzed almost immediately. He picked it up and started going through the information.

"Name, Scarlette Voss," he read slowly. "An orphan. She graduated from high school a year ago. Age twenty. Works as a waitress and delivery girl."

The smirk on his face grew slightly, something thoughtful and dangerous settling in his eyes.

"This time around," he said calmly, locking his phone, "I think I will be ahead of whatever plan the old bastard is planning."Without saying anything else, he stood up and adjusted his shirt before walking toward his room.

His bedroom was large, dark, and quiet, matching his personality perfectly, and he stepped inside without hesitation.

Lambo watched him from behind, her brows slightly furrowed in curiosity.

"What are you hatching?" she asked. Lucien paused at the door for a second, then gave a faint smirk without turning back.

"Why not stop rushing and enjoy," he muttered before walking in and closing the door behind him.

A RESTAURANT

Scarlette stretched her body slightly as she stood behind the counter, a low groan escaping her lips as she rolled her shoulders, already feeling tired even though her shift was not over yet. She had been on her feet for hours, moving from one table to another, dealing with customers and noise, and all she wanted at that moment was to go home, take a shower, and sleep.

"Table 8," her manager called out from behind. Scarlette nodded and grabbed a menu, forcing herself to move as she walked toward the table without thinking much about it.

"What would you like to-" The rest of her words got stuck in her throat the moment she looked up.

Her steps stopped completely. It was him, the same man from last night.

He sat there like he owned the place, calm and composed, his dark eyes fixed on her like he had been waiting for this moment, like he already knew she would come. Her brows slowly pulled together into a frown.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice low but clearly annoyed.

Lucien leaned back slightly in his chair, his gaze never leaving her face.

"I thought everyone is free to come here," he said calmly. Scarlette stared at him for a second, clearly not impressed, then tightened her grip on the menu.

"What would you like to eat?" she asked, ignoring his presence and focusing on her job.

"Why didn't you spend the money?" he asked instead, his tone casual like it was a normal question. Scarlette acted like she didn't hear him.

"You haven't told me what you want to eat," she repeated, her voice firmer this time.

Lucien's eyes narrowed slightly as he studied her, then he spoke again, his voice calm but commanding.

"Sit."

Scarlette blinked, taken aback. "No, my work is-"

"Shut up and fucking sit." His voice was sharp this time, loud enough to draw attention from a few people around them, and Scarlette felt the weight of their stares immediately.

Her jaw tightened. She didn't like this but she also didn't want to cause a scene. So after a brief pause, she pulled the chair and sat down, clearly annoyed, her eyes fixed on him.

Lucien didn't say anything for a moment. Instead, he reached into his pocket and brought out a small box, placing it gently on the table in front of her.Scarlette frowned slightly before picking it up and opening it.

Her eyes widened in surprise. Inside was a diamond ring, shining under the light, expensive enough to tell it didn't belong to someone normal.

She looked up at him immediately.

"Marry me," Lucien said calmly.

"I will protect you forever. Your life will change too." He added and Scarlette stared at him for a few seconds, clearly shocked, her mind trying to process what he just said.

Then slowly, she recovered.Her expression changed from surprise to disbelief.

"I thought you only hurt your belly, it seems like you hurt your head too." she said dryly, closing the box and pushing it back toward him.

Lucien didn't react, his eyes still locked on her.

"Why would I ever want to marry you?" she continued, her tone blunt and unfiltered. "Not in this life. Not ever." Without waiting for a response, she stood up immediately and walked away from the table, her steps quick, not even looking back.Lucien remained seated while watching her.

His gaze followed her until she disappeared behind the counter, and then slowly, a darker smile formed on his lips, something dangerous settling in his expression.