Chapter 144: 144 ~ Mira
The tension after Donna’s declaration was so thick it could be cut with a knife.
I could feel the anger and shock radiating from Jace’s body in waves. His broad shoulders stiffened, his jaw locked tight, his hands balled into fists at his sides. It wasn’t often I saw him so openly rattled.
No one said anything. Donna reclined against the pillows, looking far too composed for someone who had nearly died only days ago. She stared at her son with sharp, unflinching eyes, unmoved by his glare. If it had been anyone else under the weight of that look, they would have crumbled, melted into the floor just to escape the intensity. But not her.
Even I felt uncomfortable, like I was standing on dangerous ground I didn’t belong on.
I glanced at Jace. His chest rose and fell with measured breaths, like he was seconds away from exploding but was forcing himself to hold back. His eyes were storm clouds. They were cold and unforgiving.
Alejandro, the man Donna had just introduced as her lover, stood at the foot of the bed. His bouquet of flowers looked ridiculous now, limp and out of place. He cleared his throat nervously, shifting his weight from one leg to another. I wondered if he realized just how badly he had stepped into the lion’s den.
Jace finally spoke, his voice sharp enough to slice through the silence. "What did you just say?"
Donna didn’t flinch. If anything, her lips curved ever so slightly. "You heard me, Jacopo. Don’t make me repeat myself."
My heart pounded. I wanted to say something, anything, to diffuse the situation, but my throat was dry. There was no safe place for me in this conversation. Whatever was happening between mother and son was a war older than me, deeper than me, and I had no power to control it.
"You allow this man into her room?" Jace snapped, finally turning his rage on the guards stationed at the door. His voice cracked like a whip. "How the fuck did you let this happen?!"
The men exchanged nervous glances, but Donna cut in smoothly. "They let him in because I gave the order. Or do you think I’ve lost all authority just because I was shot?"
Jace’s nostrils flared, and for a moment, I thought he might shout back. But instead he ground his teeth, staring at her like he couldn’t recognize his own mother. His silence was louder than his words.
I stepped closer to him and gently slipped my hand into his, hoping to anchor him before he spiraled. His hand was ice cold, but he didn’t push me away. That alone was a good sight. I guess...
"Mom," he finally growled, "he’s young enough to be your—"
"Don’t you dare say it." Donna’s voice cracked like thunder. There was so much strength in her voice, you wouldn’t believe she just escaped a near death experience.
"Do not insult me in my own bed. I’ve survived bullets and betrayal. I don’t need your judgment added to the list."
Alejandro shifted again. He hadn’t said a word since Donna’s bold announcement. His dark eyes flicked nervously to me, then back to Jace, like he was calculating whether or not he would leave this hospital alive.
I didn’t envy him.
Jace let out a harsh laugh, but there was no humor in it. "You think this is a fucking joke? That you can parade some boy in here and call it love?"
The word love dripped from his lips like poison. I had not heard him sound like that in a long time.
Donna lifted her chin, unbothered. "At least he makes me feel alive. Which is more than I can say for you lately."
That one landed. I saw it in the way Jace’s eyes darkened and in the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.
The air was suffocating, pressing down on me until I could barely breathe. This was no ordinary family disagreement. This was something deeper, messier, and I was stuck right in the middle of it.
"Jace," I whispered, squeezing his hand, "let’s not—"
He shook me off and turned back to his mother. His voice dropped low, dangerously calm. "This conversation is over."
"No, son. It’s just beginning." Donna leaned back against her pillows, her expression smug, as if she’d just checkmated him in a game I didn’t even know they were playing.
Jace’s body went rigid, then without a word, he spun on his heel and stormed out of the room.
I jumped, startled by the suddenness of it, then scrambled after him. My heels clicked loudly against the linoleum floor as I tried to keep up with his long strides. He didn’t slow down, didn’t even look back.
All I could think as I hurried behind him was that something had cracked between them. Maybe it was something fragile and irreparable and I didn’t know how we were supposed to fix it.
We got into the car, and the silence was deafening. The air felt heavy, thick with words left unsaid. I swallowed hard, trying to gather the courage to speak, but Jace cut me off before I could.
"Don’t say anything."
"I wasn’t even-"
"He’s old enough to be her son." His voice was flat, like he was stating a fact he couldn’t process.
I chewed my lip. "It’s probably not the most ideal kind of relationship, but... if they’re happy—"
"Fuck happiness!" His voice thundered through the car, making me flinch. The driver’s eyes flicked to the rearview mirror nervously, but one glare from Jace sent them right back to the road.
I stared at him, my chest tight. His anger wasn’t just about Donna’s declaration. It was about control slipping through his fingers, about the cracks forming in the empire he was trying so desperately to hold together.
I didn’t know what to say, so I stayed quiet. But inside, I couldn’t shake the fear that whatever was unraveling in his world was only just beginning and we were both going to pay the price for it.