Page 180 of I'm sorry, Princess

“What could he have possibly done for you to—” My voice cracks. I look at my father’s broken face and sob harder. “He’s unrecognizable, Lorenzo! You destroyed him!”

My father coughs, blood bubbling at his lips. His eyes find mine, weak but full of something I’ve never seen before, remorse. “Serena… I’m sorry. For everything.” His chest rattles as he speaks, tears spilling from his swollen eyes. “I should’ve protected you… from her. From all of it. My sweet girl… I failed you.”

I clutch his hand, desperate, terrified. “It’s okay, Dad. You’ll be fine. We’ll call an ambulance, you’ll be okay.” I look up at them, pleading. “Call someone! Please, call an ambulance!”

They don’t move. Not Lev, not Andres. And Lorenzo, he just watches me. Silent. Empty.

I crawl closer to him, my knees slipping in blood, my chest burning. “If you ever loved me, please… help him.” My voice breaks as I beg, tears spilling faster. “I don’t know what he did, I don’t care, please, Lorenzo, help him. For me. For us. I love you.”

The words rip out of me like a confession, like a prayer. “Even after all of this, I still love you.”

For the first time, I see something flicker in his eyes. Hurt. Conflict. The monster cracks, just for a second, and I see him, the man who once danced with me in the rain.

And then he pulls out his phone. “I’ll call the doctor,” he says flatly. “He can stay with the nurse until the doctor arrives.”

Relief crashes through me, a fragile hope blooming in my chest. “Thank you,” I whisper, my voice shaking.

But then—

A sharpping.

Andres’ phone lights up. He picks it up, reads something, and his face changes. Hardens. He stares at thescreen for what feels like an eternity before he looks at Lorenzo.

“I think you should see this,” Andres says quietly, handing him the phone.

The shift is immediate. Lorenzo’s face darkens as he scrolls, his jaw tightening with every second. His eyes bleed into that icy rage I’ve seen before, but this time it’s worse. This time it’s final.

The phone shatters against the wall as he hurls it, the sound splitting the silence. I freeze, my chest tightening, every bone in me screaming that something terrible is about to happen.

He nods once at Andres.

And before I can react, Andres’ hands are on me, pulling me away from my father.

“No!” I scream, thrashing, my throat tearing from the force of it. “Don’t touch him! Please, Lorenzo! Please!”

“I’m sorry, princess.” Lorenzo’s voice is cold, final.

The gunshot explodes.

Blood sprays across the floor. My father’s body jerks once, then slumps, lifeless. His eyes go empty, staring past me, past everything.

And in that instant, my world collapses.

I can’t breathe. I can’t scream. I can’t do anything but fall apart as the man I love destroys the last piece of my heart.