Gone Before He Loved Me Chapter 06

Gone Before He Loved Me Chapter 06

I passed out. Remember nothing.

Woke up in a white room. Disinfectant in my nostrils.

A stranger’s face—but vaguely familiar.

When she saw my eyes open, relief flooded her expression.

“Lucia! You’re awake! God, if you’d arrived any later…”

She was a nurse. Eight years at the Ferraro family’s private facility. Had been there through all my admissions.

The only one who ever believed I wasn’t crazy.

When the ECT machine shorted out, she snuck in. Felt my pulse. Dragged me to a supply closet, rolled me out the back door in a wheelchair.

She looked at me, eyes full of pain.

“Lucia, I faked your death certificate. The ashes in that urn belong to someone else.”

“Run. Someone is still coming for you—they’ll never stop.”

On discharge day, she gave me some cash and told me to leave immediately.

I went straight to find my father. He’d protect me. If he knew the truth, Aurora and her mother would be thrown out.

But as I approached the Santoro estate—

A man yanked me into an alley.

I thrashed, screaming, until he said,

“Lucia! It’s me!”

I stopped. Looked at his face.

Enzo. My father’s most trusted consigliere. One of the Santoro family’s oldest loyalists.

He’d handled security at my wedding.

Seeing him shocked me. But he spoke first.

“Lucia. I’ve been waiting for you. I have eyes in the hospital. I knew you escaped. Thank God someone decent helped you—I almost missed you.”

I was confused. He went on.

“Lucia, you really think Aurora could’ve pulled all this off on her own?”

I froze.

Ice flooded my veins.

He was right. Aurora had always been careless, incompetent. But the drugging, the hospital infiltration, every step had been flawless.

Someone was behind her.

My stepmother. That woman who always wanted to control everything.

My heart raced. I told Enzo, “I have to tell Dad the truth—now!”

But Enzo shook his head. Grabbed my arm.

“Too late, Lucia. I couldn’t save Don Santoro.”

They’d all kept it from me.

My father had a stroke a month ago. Fell into a coma. My stepmother Vivian took over the estate, claiming she was caring for her husband. Locked the whole place down.

No family members allowed near.

The media praised her devotion. The family elders praised her grace.

Only Enzo knew something was wrong.

Everything was too convenient. Like someone was systematically dismantling the Santoro family.

Enzo knew too many secrets. He slipped away, gathered evidence, waited for the truth.

He bought me a plane ticket to France. Told me to lay low.

Months later, my father died.

My stepmother cried on camera. Looked so pitiful. Everyone was moved. She inherited everything.

Aurora, as the only legitimate heir, joined the board.

Watching those two women strut around like they’d won… it made me sick.

I’d never come back.

But today. Scrolling through the news. My thumb stopped.

[The Ferraro family and Santoro family to unite in marriage.]

[Don Matteo Ferraro will wed Aurora Santoro in seven days.]