"You need a donor, and it has to happen soon, Sophia." Things will get worse quickly if you don't get a transplant. Dialysis is only a short-term solution.
It felt like a death sentence. She didn't expect the reality of it to hit her so hard. How could this be happening to her? She had always been the strong one, the one her family could count on. She was supposed to be the one who kept everything together, not the one who fell apart. But now, everything was slipping away from her.
Her mind was racing, but it was just a storm of hopeless thoughts. Who could help her? Who could help her when even her own family didn't know what to do? Yes, the Vincente family was powerful, but money couldn't buy what she needed right now. There was no way to fix a body that was already getting worse, even with all their money. It felt like her body was against her, like it was not her own.
Tears were welling up in her eyes, but she wouldn't let them fall because she had already lost so much. Her pride had always been the last thing to go, but at that moment, it felt like even that was going away. How had everything gone so wrong so fast? Didn't she have more time?
She could still hear Giovanni's voice on the phone, so steady and sure. He said he would help. He said, "I'll handle it." "I'll make sure you get what you need." But now his words were starting to sound far away. Could he really help her? Could the enemy really save her life? And if he could, how much would that cost both of them?
Sophia closed her eyes tightly to block out the flood of doubt that was about to take over her. She had never really trusted the man. Giovanni DeLuca is the heir to the DeLuca Syndicate, which was her father's biggest enemy. Their families had been fighting for years. It felt like she was betraying everything she had ever known to accept help from him.
But if he's the only one who can help...
She couldn't breathe. That was too much. It was too much to handle: the fear of dying and the fear of needing someone from the other side of the battlefield. But what else could she do? There wasn't enough time to be proud. She needed a quick fix.
Her phone buzzed again, bringing her back to reality. The message on the screen made her stomach drop. Giovanni DeLuca has set up the transplant. Her heart skipped a beat, but the mix of hope and fear was too much for her to handle. She didn't want to die, though. She didn't want to die, but she was scared of what it would mean for her, her family, and the world she had always known.
She took a shaky breath and quickly typed a response, but her fingers were unsteady on the screen.
"Thanks, Giovanni." But I'm not sure if I can do this.
She was about to click the send button with her finger, but something stopped her. It was the fear again, making her stomach feel like it was going to explode. She had never run away from a problem and had never thought about giving up. But this was not the same. She couldn't control this fight. She couldn't win the fight with her fists or her will. The stakes were higher than anything she had ever faced, and it was a matter of life and death.
Is this really the best choice?
She was startled by a knock on the door and quickly wiped away the tear that had fallen down her cheek before her father's voice came from the hallway. "Sophia? "Are you in there?"
She got up from the chair and quickly crossed the room, wiping away the last of her tears before opening the door. Her father stood there, his stern face softening with worry. Don Vincente Vincente, the head of the Vincente family, was the rock of their family. Just being there was enough to make everyone do what he said. But today, it didn't feel that way. It seemed like the cracks in their empire were starting to show.
"Father," she said softly, her voice hoarse from the feelings she was trying to hold back. "What is it?"
He looked at her face for a long time, with a frown on his face. "You haven't said much lately." Not loud enough. What's happening? You're not telling me the whole story.
Sophia felt a sharp pain of guilt in her heart. She had not told him this. She had kept her illness a secret so he wouldn't worry and so she could deal with it on her own. But she couldn't keep it a secret any longer. Not from him, and definitely not from her.
"I—" She stopped for a moment to find the right words. "I've been sick, Dad." The doctors say it's a big deal. A rare illness of the kidneys.
His face changed right away, and his protective instinct kicked in. "What do you mean by 'serious'?" What's going on?
"It's called Alport Syndrome," she said quietly, feeling the heaviness of the words in her chest. "The doctors say it's getting worse, and without a transplant... I could..." As she realized what was going on, her voice trailed off.
As he thought about what he had learned, Don Vincente's face hardened and his jaw tightened. "Who is to blame for this?" "I'm going to make them pay."
Sophia shook her head to try to get through the pain. "Nobody is to blame." It's just in the genes. But I need a donor, and it's not easy to find one.
Her father's eyes softened, and he looked weak instead of angry. "We'll find someone." "We'll take care of this."
Sophia swallowed, and her throat felt tight. She wanted to believe that. But the truth was that there were no guarantees. Time was running out, and no one in their family could be a match.
Then, her phone rang again. This time, it was Giovanni.
"It's done." I'll take care of the details. You only need to sleep. The transplant will happen soon.
Sophia stared at the message, her head spinning. Giovanni had already gotten everything going. Despite the feud between their families and the risks, he was doing this. And she couldn't help but feel a little thankful and scared.
She looked at her father and said softly, "I've made my choice." "I'm going to let him help me."
Don Vincente's eyes got bigger in surprise. "Giovanni DeLuca?" Are you crazy?
Sophia's heart raced and her pulse quickened. She knew how he would react, but that didn't make it any easier to hear.
"I don't have a choice, Dad." I can't keep fighting this by myself. "I can't keep acting like everything is okay."
Her father looked at her for a long time, his eyes full of different feelings. Finally, he nodded, but his face stayed tense.
"Sophia, you're my daughter." I will help you, but you need to know this. The enemy is Giovanni DeLuca. And no matter what happens, we will always remember that.
Sophia's chest got tight. She could feel the weight of her father's words on her, but she had already made up her mind. She was going to fight for her own life, her family's life, and her future. But the war had just started, and she wasn't sure if she would live through it.