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At last, I stand before Isabella's bedroom door, my heart pounding as I brace myself for what lies beyond. The stench of smoke is overwhelming, and I'm afraid. I try the door handle, but it won't budge – locked from the inside.
"Isabella!" I shout, my voice cracking with desperation. "Let me in! Open the door!"
There's no answer. Panic rises in my chest like bile, choking me.
I can't just stand here, doing nothing. I take a step back, ready to break the door down if necessary.
"Uno... due... tre!" I count, then throw my shoulder into the door. It shudders under the impact, but doesn't give way. I grit my teeth and try again, feeling the pain shoot through my arm as the door finally gives in, revealing the hellish scene inside.
"Isabella!" I call out, my eyes watering from the smoke that billows around me.
The room is barely recognizable – furniture overturned, flames licking at the walls, and everything is shrouded in a thick, suffocating haze. Fear claws at my insides, threatening to consume me.
"Stefano, I'm scared here," I hear Isabella's voice in my mind, remembering her words from earlier, when she tried to trust me with the truth about Luca Conti. Why hadn't I listened to her then? Maybe I could have saved her, if I had only helped her run.
"Isabella, where are you?" I cough, forcing myself to keep moving, even as my lungs protest against the acrid air.
The smoke stings my eyes as I squint, desperately trying to make out Isabella's figure in the haze. My heart hammers in my chest, each beat a reminder of the danger we're both in. I refuse to let fear take hold of me, not when she needs me the most.
"Isabella!" I shout, my voice cracking under the strain. "Answer me,per favore. Please!"
No response. Only the crackling of fire and distant shouts fill the air. I grit my teeth, forcing myself to keep searching.
"Stefano..." Her voice comes as a weak whisper, barely audible through the chaos.
Relief floods me, but also a renewed sense of urgency. Where is she?
"Isabella, keep talking," I call out, following the direction of her voice. My hands reach out, desperate to find her.
"Please... help..." Her words are cut short by a cough, but that's enough for me to locate her. My fingers brush against something soft - her hair. I crouch down, my heart racing.
"You scared me," I choke out, my relief mingled with fear.
As my eyes adjust, I see her lying on the floor, she has fallen unconscious. My blood runs cold when I notice the dark stain on her jacket - a gunshot. My hands search quickly under the jacket. shoulder, it seems to be a shoulder wound. Flames dance around us, but all I can focus on is the still form of the woman I love.
"Ti prego," please, I whisper, my hands shaking as they hover over her body, unsure where to touch without causing her more pain. "Wake up."
She doesn't respond.
"Isabella, keep breathing," I urge her, my voice barely more than a whisper.
I can see the rise and fall of her chest, assuring me that she's still alive. Relief washes over me like like a tight grip was just released from around my throat. I need to get her out.
Lifting her carefully into my arms, I cradle her as if she were made of glass, terrified that any misstep could shatter her. Her body is limp in my embrace, her vibrant green eyes hidden beneath closed lids.
The gunshot wound oozes blood, a dark stain spreading through the white chiffon sleeve on her right shoulder. Despite the pressing danger, I take a moment to study her face, committing every detail to memory.
I can't lose you, I think to myself, chiding myself for all the mistakes I've made when I had the chance to stand by her.
"Stefano, what are you waiting for?" My inner voice jolts me back to reality, forcing me to focus on our escape. Flames lick at the walls around us, their heat searing my skin even as sweat beads on my brow. The smoke stings my eyes and burns my lungs, each breath feeling like I'm inhaling needles.
But none of that matters; all that matters is saving Isabella.
I carry her towards the door. Each step feels like an eternity, the fire roaring in my ears, drowning out all other sounds. I navigate through the inferno, shielding Isabella from the worst of it.
As I kick open the bedroom door, the blistering heat intensifies, and I'm met with a wall of flames. I hesitate for a fraction of a second, but there's no time to find another way out.
"Dio," God, I pray, my resolve unwavering. "Proteggila." Protect her.
