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Chapter 19

Laugh remained frozen, his hand rising slowly to touch his reddening cheek, stunned duele written across his unshaven face.

“You’re… real?” he whispered, staring at her as if she might evaporate

Ariana had reached her absolute limit with this absurd day. She laughed a sharp, brittle sound utterly

devoid of humor.

“Real? Sure. Apparently I’m trapped in a real–life horror movie where my supposed death wasn’t enough to get you out of my life.”

Without deigning to look at him again, she pivoted sharply toward the staircase.

“Ariana, wait–please!”

Luigi lunged after her, alcohol and desperation making his movements clumsy. As he grabbed for her wrist, the combination of his unsteady state and her quick evasion created disaster–her foot slipped on the polished marble step.

“Look out!”

Despite his impaired reflexes, Luigi managed to pull her against him as they fell, positioning his body to take the impact.

Their bodies hit the marble stairs with a sickening thud that echoed through the foyer.

Cushioned by Luigi’s intervention, Ariana escaped with minor disorientation. Luigi, however, wasn’t as fortunate–a crimson stain began spreading across the white marble beneath his head.

“Sir!” Davis’s horrified voice cut through the sudden stunned silence.

medical protocols were activated. Within fifteen minutes, both were being loaded

Luigi still hospitalized, Ariana decided it was finally time to execute

confidently for the main entrance, only to find her path. blocked by two female security staff

immediately hardened into glacial

uncomfortable glances. “Ms. Collins, we

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Swan’s Furuil Revenge Pirouette. The 9976.

the premises without Mr.

laugh escap felony

hold me

formulate a response, she attempted to push past them toward

woman, the security team hesitated to use force,

please reconsider–Mr. Maggiore was very

accelerated Ariana’s determined stride

windows glided to a stop directly in her path. The rear door swung open to reveal Laulgi–pale and bandaged, but unmistakably present.

Her name emerged with an unsettling combination of relief and

she snapped, actual revulsion contorting her features. “It makes my skin crawl hearing it

for an eventual confrontation with Luigi. She’d recognized the reality that neither she nor her family could match the Maggiore empire’s

or influence.

been calculated avoidance–minimal contact, neutral responses if they did encounter. each

would be misinterpreted. Her silence read as invitation. Her avoidance as challenge. Her composure as

merely attended her performances, sending messages she systematically ignored. When blocked, he’d found new channels, seemingly content that she remained somewhere within his orbit.

even the pretense of boundaries–attempting to literally imprison her in his home.

completely lost your fucking mind?” she demanded, years of suppressed fury finally breaking

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