The hospital corridor was painfully quiet.
Too quiet.
Vincenzo stood directly in front of the emergency room doors, his arms crossed over his chest, his face unreadable.
But his eyes betrayed him.
They hadn’t left those doors once.
Every few seconds, he glanced at the clock.
Then at the doors.
Then back at the clock.
He hated waiting.
He hated uncertainty.
Most of all, he hated not knowing whether Purvi was alive.
A nurse rushed past him.
Vincenzo immediately turned.
“How is she?”
The nurse stopped.
“She’s still being treated, sir.”
“Is she alive?”
The nurse hesitated.
“Yes.”
Vincenzo exhaled slowly.
“Then keep treating her.”
The nurse nodded quickly and disappeared.
Vincenzo lowered his head.
His hands curled into fists.
He could still feel Purvi’s fingers in his hand.
Cold.
Weak.
Barely moving.
He remembered the way she had smiled at him in the car.
Even when she could barely breathe.
He remembered her calling him bossy.
His jaw tightened.
“Idiot,” he muttered.
Why had she pushed Lucia?
Why hadn’t she thought about herself?
Why had she risked her life for someone she had known for such a short time?
He didn’t understand her.
And for some reason, that bothered him more than it should.
Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor.
Vincenzo looked up.
Alessandro appeared first.
Behind him were Isabella, Serafina, and Lucia.
Lucia was walking faster than anyone had ever seen her walk.
The moment she saw Vincenzo, she rushed toward him.
“Where is she?”
Vincenzo caught her before she could stumble.
“She’s inside.”
Lucia looked toward the emergency room doors.
“How long?”
“About twenty minutes.”
Lucia’s eyes filled with tears.
“My child…”
Isabella covered her mouth.
“Is she conscious?”
Vincenzo shook his head.
“No.”
Isabella’s tears immediately fell.
“No…”
Alessandro looked at his brother.
“What happened?”
Vincenzo’s expression hardened.
“The venom spread quickly.”
Everyone became silent.
Serafina looked frightened.
“Did the doctors say she’ll survive?”
Vincenzo looked at her.
“No.”
His mother froze.
“They haven’t said anything.”
Lucia placed a trembling hand over her chest.
“This is my fault.”
“No.”
Vincenzo’s voice was immediate.
Lucia looked at him.
“She was protecting me.”
“I know.”
“If I hadn’t been there—”
“Grandmother.”
His tone softened slightly.
“You didn’t do this.”
Lucia shook her head.
“She pushed me away.”
Her voice broke.
“She saved my life.”
Vincenzo didn’t answer.
Because he knew.
He had watched it happen.
Purvi hadn’t hesitated.
Not even for a second.
She had seen danger and moved toward it.
For someone who was supposed to be nothing more than a temporary wife, she had shown more courage than most people he knew.
Isabella stepped closer.
“Can we see her?”
“She’s unconscious.”
“But can we—”
“Not yet.”
Isabella looked toward the doors.
“I just want to tell her we’re here.”
Vincenzo stared at her.
Then nodded.
“When they allow it.”
Alessandro placed a hand on Vincenzo’s shoulder.
“Brother.”
Vincenzo looked at him.
“You should sit down.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’ve been standing here since you brought her.”
“I’m fine.”
Alessandro sighed.
“You’re clearly not.”
Vincenzo removed his brother’s hand.
“Don’t start.”
Alessandro studied him.
For once, he didn’t tease.
He knew his brother.
He knew what Vincenzo looked like when he was angry.
He knew what he looked like when he was furious.
But this was different.
Vincenzo looked terrified.
And Alessandro had never seen that before.
Minutes passed.
Then another fifteen.
Still nothing.
Lucia sat down.
Serafina sat beside her.
Isabella paced nervously.
Alessandro leaned against the wall.
Vincenzo remained standing.
A doctor suddenly rushed out of the emergency room.
Everyone stood.
Vincenzo reached him first.
“Doctor.”
The doctor removed his gloves.
“We’re administering antivenom.”
Vincenzo’s expression remained hard.
“Will it work?”
“We’re hoping.”
“Hoping?”
The doctor looked at him seriously.
“The venom is extremely aggressive.
Her symptoms progressed very quickly.”
Lucia covered her mouth.
Vincenzo’s eyes darkened.
“What exactly is happening to her?”
“Her breathing became severely compromised.
Her blood pressure dropped, and she lost consciousness.”
Isabella started crying again.
Vincenzo didn’t move.
“Can you save her?”
“We’re doing everything possible.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
The doctor looked at him.
“We’re fighting for her.”
Silence.
Vincenzo nodded once.
“Then fight harder.”
The doctor looked slightly taken aback.
But before he could respond, Vincenzo added,
“Whatever she needs, get it.”
“Mr.
De Luca—”
“Whatever.”
The doctor nodded.
“We’ll continue.”
He disappeared back inside.
Lucia lowered her face into her hands.
“I can’t lose her.”
Serafina placed an arm around her.
“You won’t.”
“You don’t know that.”
Serafina had no answer.
Because none of them knew.
Another hour passed.
The hospital corridor became crowded with De Luca security.
No one spoke loudly.
No one laughed.
The entire family seemed to be holding their breath.
Then Isabella suddenly sat beside Vincenzo.
He glanced at her.
She wiped her cheeks.
“She was so happy today.”
Vincenzo said nothing.
“She spent the entire evening making sure Grandma was comfortable.”
Still nothing.
“She even fixed my necklace before the party.”
Vincenzo looked toward her.
Isabella smiled sadly.
“She kept asking everyone if they had eaten.”
A pause.
“That’s just Purvi.”
Vincenzo looked away.
He knew.
She was always like that.
Always smiling.
Always helping.
Always asking whether everyone else was okay.
Even him.
He remembered the mornings when she brought him tea.
The cake.
The fruit.
The way she had deliberately disturbed his meeting because he hadn’t eaten.
He almost smiled at the memory.
Almost.
Then the smile disappeared.
Because she was fighting for her life behind those doors.
He looked down at his hands.
He had once found her irritating.
Now the thought of never hearing her voice again made his chest feel painfully tight.
He didn’t understand it.
He didn’t want to understand it.
Suddenly, a scream came from inside the emergency room.
Everyone froze.
Vincenzo’s head snapped toward the doors.
Another alarm sounded.
Doctors rushed past the glass doors.
Nurses moved quickly.
Lucia stood.
“What is happening?”
Nobody answered.
Vincenzo stepped toward the doors.
A nurse blocked him.
“Sir, please stay back.”
“What happened?”
“Her heart rate dropped.”
Vincenzo went completely still.
“What?”
“We’re treating her.”
“Move.”
“Sir—”
“I said move.”
The nurse looked frightened.
But another doctor immediately called from inside.
“Get the emergency medication!”
The nurse turned and ran.
Vincenzo stared through the glass.
He could see people moving around Purvi’s bed.
Machines flashing.
Doctors working.
His wife’s body lying completely still.
For the first time, the walls around him seemed to disappear.
He pressed his palm against the glass.
“Purvi.”
Nothing.
“Come on.”
His voice was barely a whisper.
“You don’t get to leave.”
Alessandro stood behind him.
“Vincenzo…”
Vincenzo didn’t turn.
“She promised.”
Alessandro frowned.
“Promised what?”
Vincenzo swallowed.
“Nothing.”
He closed his eyes.
Because Purvi hadn’t promised anything.
But somehow, he wanted her to.
He wanted her to wake up and annoy him again.
He wanted her to bring tea into his office.
He wanted her to smile when he was rude.
He wanted her to complain about his attitude.
He wanted her to call him impossible.
Anything.
Just not silence.
Inside the room, the alarm suddenly stopped.
Everyone froze.
The doctor looked at the monitor.
Then nodded.
“She’s responding.”
Vincenzo opened his eyes.
Lucia began crying with relief.
Isabella hugged Serafina.
Alessandro exhaled deeply.
But Vincenzo didn’t move.
He continued staring through the glass.
The doctor looked toward the corridor and gave him a small nod.
It wasn’t a promise.
It wasn’t certainty.
But it was hope.
Vincenzo slowly lowered his hand from the glass.
“Good.”
His voice was quiet.
“Keep fighting.”
He looked at Purvi one last time.
“And don’t you dare give up.”
Because somewhere between the contract, the arguments, the teasing, and the boundaries…
Purvi had become someone he wasn’t ready to lose.
Not yet.