Page 6

Xander gave a small shrug and nodded toward the open file. “It’s all there. Not a cent.”

Lorenzo’s grip tightened around the papers, his knuckles paling against the matte finish. His jaw clenched so hard it looked like he might crack a tooth.

“She doesn’t have a job. No family. No friends. She’s an orphan who probably didn’t even finish school,” he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. “And now she’s saying she’ll just walk away from everything—with nothing? How the hell does she think she’s going to survive?”

“Mrs. Moretti said she’ll figure things out on her own,” Xander replied quietly.

Lorenzo slammed his palm down on a nearby table. The divorce papers flew from his hands and scattered across the floor. His voice boomed across the corridor.

“She’s a full-time housewife! What the hell is she going to figure out? Does she think this is a damn movie?” His breathing grew ragged. “Where is she now?”

Xander shifted uncomfortably, already dreading the answer. “The maids told me right before I came here… She went home, grabbed a suitcase, and left. Only packed some clothes. Didn’t take any bags, no jewelry. Just walked out.”

Lorenzo’s face turned stone cold. A nerve ticked violently on his forehead as he clenched his jaw.

“She didwhat?” he asked in a low, dangerous voice.

Xander took a careful step back, his throat dry. “Sir… she’s already gone.”

Fury burned in Lorenzo’s eyes. He looked like a man barely restraining a storm.

“She didn’t take a single damn thing with her?” His voice was no longer calm—it was fire. “What the fuck does she think I gave her all that jewelry for? Those handbags alone are worth millions! She could’ve lived comfortably for years. And why the fuck did she even leave the house? When did I ever ask her to leave the damn house?!”

Xander spoke softly now. “Sir, Mrs. Moretti loves you so much. Maybe the shock of getting those papers… maybe she was overwhelmed. Maybe she didn’t want to inconvenience you by staying any longer.”

Lorenzo’s fury faltered for a split second. His face paled, lips parting slightly, like the breath had been knocked out of him. So pale it made Xander worry. For a moment, he thought the man might collapse from the pressure building inside him.

Without another word, Lorenzo turned sharply and started to storm off.

But then, a weak voice floated out from behind the hospital room door.

“Lorenzo… where are you? It hurts. Why did you leave?”

He stopped in his tracks, fists clenched, shoulders stiff.

He closed his eyes for a second, then turned around slowly, walking back to the room. He reached for the doorknob but didn’t open it right away. His fingers lingered on the handle as restraints passed through him like a shadow. Then, after a breath, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The girl on the bed looked up. She was petite, with soft blonde hair falling around her shoulders and eyes slightly red from strain or tears, giving her a fragile, porcelain-like appearance. Her back rested against the pillows, and despite the weakness in her features, her face lit up the moment she saw him. She reached out and took his hand.

“Please don’t leave me yet,” she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. “It hurts too much.”

Lorenzo walked to her side, gently patting her hand. “I won’t,” he said softly. “Don’t worry, Esther.”

Then he turned to the doctor beside the bed. “Lyle, she was treated in Japan for two years. Why the hell is her condition worse now than before?”

Dr. Lyle, a short man with thinning hair and tired eyes, looked troubled. “I’ve been asking myself the same thing, Mr. Moretti. The car accident caused blood clots to form in the nerves around her brain. We’ve removed them multiple times, but they keep coming back.”

Lorenzo’s eyes darkened. “You’re telling me you have no solution?”

He shifted uncomfortably before continuing, “Honestly, the only hope I see now is finding Dr. Astra. She’s one of the top neurologists in the world. She created her own medication protocol and has unmatched success treating nerve-related complications. Without her, I don’t think we can save Miss Esther.”

Lorenzo’s already tense face tightened further. He turned back to Esther and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“You’re in this condition because of me,” he said quietly. “If you hadn’t been with me in the car two years ago, you wouldn’t have been in that accident. I’ll make sure you get better.”

Esther smiled softly and wrapped her fingers around his hand. “As long as I’m with you, I can die peacefully. I don’t blame you.”

Lorenzo’s expression didn’t soften. “Don’t say that,” he muttered. “You’re not dying. I’ll find Astra. No matter what it takes.”