Chapter 39

Mila's had was warm.

That was all Archer could focus on as he sat beside her hospital bed. He kissed each of her fingers over and over wishing he could breathe life into her. His eyes were heavy with sleep and exhaustion but the thought of leaving her alone for even just a second didn't sit well with him.

Running a hand through his messy hair, Archer moved his chair closer to the bed and brushed his thumb over Mila's flushed cheek. For the hundredth time, he counted all the marks and bruises on her face. Each one was a glaring testament to the torture he had endured. Archer's eyes watered as he gently brushed back Mila's hair, his finger trembling. He didn't want to hurt her any more than she was already.

In her sleep, Mila felt Archer's feathery touch and leaned into his hand. She knew he was beside her from his familiar scent and slow breathing. She could hear him sniffle quietly as his trembling fingers played with her hair.

If Mila could, she could have kept her eyes closed forever and let him play with her hair. If she could, she would have pretended to be Sleeping Beauty and never wake up. If she could, she would have stayed in her deep slumber and never faced reality.

But that wasn't possible.

As Mila slowly opened her eyes, the harsh light in the hospital room greeted her with a throbbing pain behind her eyes. Beside her, Archer moved his hand away from her cheek, afraid that he had disturbed her. But he couldn't bring himself to move too far from her side. He knew he needed to give her space, but he was equally afraid of losing her again.

"Hey there," Archer whispered, his voice trembling with emotion. His eyes glistened with tears of joy and relief as he continued to gaze at her, his hand hovering uncertainly in the air, unsure of where to land. He wanted to hold her, but he also didn't want to cause her any pain.

Mila slowly awakened in the sterile, unfamiliar surroundings of the hospital room. The harsh fluorescent lights overhead felt like a painful intrusion, intensifying the throbbing ache behind her eyes. Confusion and disorientation clouded her thoughts for a moment until the events leading to her hospitalization came flooding back.

As her senses gradually sharpened, Mila's gaze flickered towards Archer. His face was etched with a mixture of relief and concern. His presence, usually a source of comfort, now only added to the growing turmoil inside her.

Archer's expression shifted, a fleeting look of panic passing through his eyes before he tried to compose himself. He hesitated for a second before speaking her name.

"Mila," he began slowly.

Mila watched him, dread pooling in her chest. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she felt a lump forming in her throat. With great effort, Mila parted her lips.

"Why..." She rasped, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Archer swallowed hard, his gaze dropping to the hospital sheets as he spoke. The silence in the room was deafening, broken only by the distant sounds of the hospital.

"Why?" Mila asked again, pushing Archer's hand away and struggling to sit up. "You and everyone else....you all lied to me."

"Mila, please-" Archer reached out to help her, his insides shaking and his gaze unable to meet Mila's.

"You knew about my dad," Mila's voice cracked. "You knew what he did...you knew what this town was...why didn't any of you tell me."

Mila's emotions swirled inside her, and threatened to drown her. Archer hung his head, unable to provide a satisfactory answer to her anguished question. He couldn't justify his silence.

Tears streamed down Mila's face as the enormity of the betrayal settled in. The people she thought she could rely on had conspired to keep her in the dark about her father's crimes. Her sense of trust was shattered, and her heart was broken in a way she had never imagined possible.

"How could you..." Mila tried again but the words would not make it past her tears. "Were you ever going to tell me?"

Archer dared to look up at her, his eyes swimming with honesty he couldn't fight back.

"It wasn't my secret to share," he said, feeling his chest tighten and his breathing change with every tear that rolled down Mila's face. "Please, believe me. None of this was ever supposed to happen."

"That doesn't make this better," Mila shook her head. "How do I....What do I do now? How can I stay with him? In this town?"

The room seemed to close in on them. The pain of knowing her father's dark secret and the betrayal of those who had concealed it left Mila feeling utterly alone, adrift in a sea of heartbreak and despair.

"I trusted you," Mila said. "What else are you keeping from me?"

"Nothing else," Archer shook his head. "I swear.....I love you."

"You don't lie to the people you love, Archer!" Mila snapped, catching them both off guard. "You don't keep them in the dark and feed them a fairy tale. What am I supposed to do now? Why does this leave me?"

"Giovanni loves you," Archer tried to reason. "He would do anything for you."

"But how am I going to overlook what he does?" Mila's lip trembled.

Archer was once again silenced by her question. He lowered his gaze as Mila wiped her eyes as if fighting with her tears.

"I grew up knowing what was right and what was wrong," Mila explained. "It was always black and white. There were good people and bad people.....but now.......now I don't know anything."

"It's not always black and white," Archer said. "It never is."

In her heart, Mila knew Giovanni had been a good father to her in many ways. But the knowledge of his criminal deeds weighed heavily on her conscience. The pain and suffering he had caused others were undeniable, and she couldn't simply turn a blind eye to the harm he had inflicted on people. Her sense of justice demanded acknowledgment of his actions, and she found it impossible to forgive him for the crimes he had committed.

"What am I supposed to do now?" Mila's shoulders shook with sobs. "I spent my whole life wanting to meet my father and my family. I find him and he's everything I ever wanted my father to be like.....but then.....he's......"

"He loves you, Mila," Archer said again. "More than anything I've ever seen him love."

"Will it be enough to make me forget about everything?" Mila questioned. "Will it be enough for me to close my eyes and not see the man I shot to death?"

"It was self-defense-"

"I was in that situation because of everything you all kept from me!" Mila cried with frustration. "My mom, my dad, Nonna, Drew.....you."

"I'm sorry," Archer apologized.

Tears flowed down Mila's cheeks like a torrential rainstorm, each droplet carrying the weight of her emotions. Her sobs were wracked with pain, each cry a desperate plea for some form of solace. She felt as though a dagger had been thrust into her heart, and the wound was bleeding not only with her tears but also with the overwhelming sense of betrayal that consumed her. t was a cruel revelation that those she held closest had kept secrets from her and that the truth had been hidden behind a facade of deceit.

Mila's heart ached with a profound sense of loneliness. She clutched at her chest as if trying to hold herself together as the storm of emotions raged within her. When Archer tried to reach out and touch her hand, she shook her head and moved away.

"Can I just have a minute to myself?" She asked, breaking Archer's heart as he listened to the small voice.

Without a word, Archer lifted from the bed and took a setback. He hovered for a few seconds before walking to the door and stepping out of the room.

___________________

Giovanni stood in the corner of the hospital waiting area, his eyes fixed on Mila. He watched her from a distance, the weight of guilt crushing him. He couldn't bring himself to face her, not after what had transpired, not after she had found out about everything he did and why her mother left him.

The room felt suffocating, the tension thick in the air. Giovanni's heart raced. The truth had come out, and he knew he could no longer hide from the consequences of his actions.

Every second that passed felt like an eternity, and he couldn't escape the feeling that he had betrayed Mila in the worst possible way. The bond they had shared had been shattered by the revelation of his business, and he couldn't fathom how to mend it.

Giovanni knew that he needed to confront the reality of the situation, to face Mila and explain himself, but he felt paralyzed by fear. He had lived through those emotions before and the end result was like a knife twisting in your heart and soul.

As he continued to watch Mila from afar, Anjali stepped out of the room with a somber expression on her face. She turned and her gaze met Giovanni.

"How is she?" Giovanni asked.

"She won't talk to me," Anjali tried to keep herself composed by the shimmering tears in her eyes couldn't be hidden. "She keeps asking for Geet."

"I'll have Jeremiah go get her," Giovanni nodded at once.

"Are you going to go inside?" Anjali asked.

"And say what?"

Anjali opened her mouth but then closed it, "She's your daughter. She's hurt and feels betrayed. We need to speak to her."

"Like I spoke to you?" Giovanni asked. "Remind me how that went again?"

"Giovanni, if you don't speak to her....if you don't try....you'll create an even bigger hole in your relationship with her," Anjali argued.

Giovanni's chest tightened with an ache that went beyond words.

"Answer me one question," he said slowly.

Anjali nodded her head.

"When she's out of the hospital..." Giovanni's throat tightened. "You're going to take her from me, aren't you?"

"She doesn't belong here," Anjali shook her head. "This place....this life...."

"So then why does it matter if I create a bigger hole?" Giovanni asked. "You're going to take my daughter away from me."

_____________________

Mila's tears flowed freely as she sat before Geet on the hospital bed with the white blanket drawn over her knees.

"I just can't believe it," she sobbed, her voice trembling with a mixture of anger, betrayal, and hurt. "How could they all keep this from me?"

"I'm not too pleased with your mother either," Geet huffed. "If I had known why she left Del Mare, I would have never sent you here."

"I trusted them, Geet," Mila continued, her voice choked with emotion. "Dad, Archer, Mom... They all knew about this, and they kept it hidden from me. How could they do that to me?"

"I can't imagine how difficult this must be for you," Geet brushed back Mila's hair with her worn soft hand. "But, shona, you must stop crying. Your body needs to heal. You have to regain your strength."

"I want to go home," Mila cried. "I want to forget this all ever happened."

"Soon, mera beta," Geet moved closer and pulled Mila into her arms. "Soon."

"I don't know how to face them," Mila continued to talk as if she was unable to stop herself. "I'm so angry, Geet, but at the same time, I'm scared to confront him. He's my dad, and I love him, but... I can't forgive what he's done."

Geet listened carefully, knowing what a painful situation Mila was facing.

"It's okay to feel angry and hurt, shona," she kissed the top of Mila's head. "Your feelings are valid. And it's alright not to have all the answers right now. Give yourself time to process this."

Mila nodded, her shoulders trembling with the weight of her emotions. Geet smiled softly and gave Mila's hand another reassuring squeeze.

"You don't have to go through this alone," she said. "We'll figure it out together, one step at a time."

Mila buried herself closer to her grandmother. Geet's familiar scent grounded her heart and she found herself never wanting to let go.

"Will you speak to Archer?" Geet asked several minutes later. "He's losing his mind."

"I don't know what to say to him," Mila confessed, her heart tightening.

"Then we wait," Geet said. "There's no rush."

_____________________

Archer sat alone outside the hospital, his thoughts consumed by worry for Mila. The weight of the world seemed to rest on his shoulders as he contemplated the dangerous situations they had found themselves in. All he wanted was to sit by her side and hold her. He needed to know she was safe. He needed to feel her warmth.

As Archer gazed into the distance, lost in his thoughts and longing for Mila, Giovanni appeared, his presence bringing with it a heavy and gloomy cloud. Archer looked up, his expression guarded, as Giovanni approached.

"How are you feeling?" Giovanni asked, taking a seat beside Archer.

"I've been better," Archer replied.

They sat side by side on a weathered bench, their silhouettes gradually blending with the gathering shadows. They were both deep in thought, their expressions mirroring the weight of the world on their shoulders.

The atmosphere around them was heavy with unspoken emotions. The quietness between them was not an uncomfortable one, but rather a shared understanding of the gravity of the situation they found themselves in. Each man contemplated the events of the day, the secrets and revelations that had come to light, and the uncertain future that lay ahead.

Archer stared into the distance, his gaze fixed on nothing in particular, lost in his own thoughts. His face displayed a mix of determination and worry.

Giovanni appeared pensive as well. His features were marked by concern, his eyes clouded with a sense of unease. He pondered the consequences of the choices he had made and the rift that had formed between him and his daughter. Guilt weighed heavily on his heart, and he struggled to find a way to make amends.

"I've been thinking about Mila," Giovanni began after some time. "About you two being together...."

Archer held his breath. He knew where the conversation was headed.

"I can't help but worry, Archer," Giovanni rubbed his jaw.

Archer stared ahead, his eyes hooded and his face scowling. "Worry about what?"

"You and Mila," Giovanni sighed. "She'll always be in danger if she stays with you."

Archer shut his eyes as his jaw flinched. He had known those words would come out. But he wasn't ready to face them.

"Look at what's happened," Giovanni continued. "She's been kidnapped, hurt, and who knows what else. She was safer before all of this. She was safe with her mother."

Archer clenched his fists, struggling to control his anger.

"Gio," he began slowly. "I love Mila, and I'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe. I won't let anyone hurt her, and I won't give up on us."

"I'm not saying you don't love her, Archer." Giovanni looked down at his hand. "I just worry that love might not be enough to protect her from the dangers that follow us wherever we go."

"Mila and I will face whatever comes our way together. She means everything to me, and I won't let fear dictate our choices," Archer said. "We're not you and Anjali."

"No," Giovanni shook his head. "You're not me and she's not Anajli."

Archer turned back towards the dark lawn.

"She's Giovanni Capello's daughter," Giovanni spun the ring on his finger, his eyes glued to it. "The merchant of death...."

Archer's chest squeezed as if all the air in his lungs were being pushed out all at once.

"She's much more than Anajli ever was," Giovanni continued. "She has my blood and with that comes a bigger target on her back."

A sudden chill coursed through Archer, causing his heart to clench with a gut-wrenching fear.

"And that target will only get bigger if you're with her." 

What do you think will happen next? What will Archer do?