Experience the best collection of trending drama movies filled with romance, mystery, revenge, and love storytelling.
Enjoy unforgettable stories about love, ambition, hidden secrets, powerful families, successful CEOs, unexpected reunions, and life-changing decisions. Every full-length movie offers captivating characters, dramatic moments, and exciting twists from beginning to end.
Whether you enjoy romantic dramas, family stories, billionaire love stories, or suspenseful plot twists, you'll always find something entertaining here.
New full drama movies are uploaded frequently. Follow the channel for more popular drama films with English subtitles.
#Drama #FullMovie #Romance #LoveStory #AsianDrama #MicroDrama #DramaMovie #EnglishSub #TrendingMovie #TrendinglStory
Enjoy unforgettable stories about love, ambition, hidden secrets, powerful families, successful CEOs, unexpected reunions, and life-changing decisions. Every full-length movie offers captivating characters, dramatic moments, and exciting twists from beginning to end.
Whether you enjoy romantic dramas, family stories, billionaire love stories, or suspenseful plot twists, you'll always find something entertaining here.
New full drama movies are uploaded frequently. Follow the channel for more popular drama films with English subtitles.
#Drama #FullMovie #Romance #LoveStory #AsianDrama #MicroDrama #DramaMovie #EnglishSub #TrendingMovie #TrendinglStory
Category
🎈
FunTranscript
00:0018. I was drugged at a family event and stumbled into my stepbrother Dante Marchetti's room.
00:06He'd been set up too. He lost control. All I remember is the pain. After that night,
00:14I was carrying his child. That was after the Marchettis learned the truth. 10 years. It took
00:19them 10 years to realize that the day they adopted me, the biological daughter they'd been searching
00:23for was right there too. 10 years ago, 5-year-old me smiled at Dante, so he chose me, not
00:28his own
00:29sister, the wrong choice, without question. So he hated me, couldn't stand me, couldn't stand the
00:34child growing inside me. That day, I took his hand and placed it on my belly, thought he'd want to
00:39feel it. He yanked it back, like he'd touched something filthy. You know what? You made me sick.
00:45You stole my sister's life. Why didn't you die instead? After that, he never looked at me again.
00:51One night, they came. They dragged me off the bed. A gun pressed to my temple. A boot stomped down
00:57on
00:57my belly. Tell Dante Marchetti, this is for what his father did to our family.
01:03I couldn't stop the bleeding, just as Dante wished. My baby died, and so did I, before my eyes closed.
01:09I looked back on this life, from 5 to 15. I was truly happy. The Marchettis treated me like their
01:14own daughter. We were like a normal, happy family. If you didn't think about why the study door was
01:19always locked, didn't count the strangers slipping in and out the back door.
01:27Late at night, and Dante, he had always been my knight. We weren't even in the same grade. He
01:31still took me to school, and picked me up every day. In school, no one dared say a single bad
01:35word
01:35to me, because Dante Marchetti walked beside me. He had blood on his hands. Everyone said so,
01:40but he never made me feel afraid. Once, I had a fever. I woke up in the middle of the
01:44night,
01:45and found him asleep on the floor beside my bed, still clutching a damp towel. I fell for him so
01:50easily.
01:51Then one day, everything changed. Dante wasn't the Dante I loved anymore. After that night,
01:55he hated me even more. Before I died, I wasn't afraid. Not even a little. I even thought it wasn't
01:59so bad. Somehow, I opened my eyes again. I was back, to the day they came to the group home.
02:12Nola, what are you doing back here?
02:14Ms. Linda scooped me off the fire escape.
02:17Mrs. Linda, I don't want to go.
02:20She smoothed my hair down, tucked a strand behind my ear. Silly girl, it's the Marchettis. If they
02:25pick you, you'll finally have a real home, sweetheart. Just smile, okay? That's all you have to do. Just
02:31one smile. One smile. I thought of Dante's eyes in my past life. Cold. Hateful. The moment that black
02:40escalade pulled up. I hid in the storage room. I don't know how long I was in there.
02:45The storage room. I don't know how long I was in there. At some point, I fell asleep. By the
02:49time
02:49they found me, the Marchettis had already left. They didn't end up choosing anyone. I didn't know
02:54why. Didn't care either. That night, I lay in bed. Three other kids shared the room with me. Just
03:00like me. No family. I didn't know who the Marchettis' biological daughter was. But in my
03:04past life, I'd overheard it from one of Ms. Linda's phone calls. The Marchettis believed she was here.
03:09Kidnapped at two years old. Passed through the system for years. They've been searching ever since.
03:12I didn't want anything to do with the Marchetti family. But in my past life, the first ten years
03:17with them, the Marchettis and Dante were all so good to me. If in this life, their real daughter
03:21could find her way back to them, we'd be even. But before I could do anything about it, the Marchettis
03:26came back a second time. All the girls around five or six were lined up for a DNA test. A
03:31cotton swab
03:31along the inside of the cheek dropped into a vial labeled Ten Seconds. That's all it took. This
03:36never happened in my past life. When I walked out after the test, I saw Dante coming toward me.
03:40Expression cold. Something stirred in my chest. Word was, this DNA test was requested by the
03:46young heir of the Marchetti family. Could it be? Had Dante been reborn too?
03:56I lowered my head and stepped aside. Dante paused in front of me. Even at eight years old, there was
04:02something about him. A pressure that made you not want to get too close. The next day, the girl
04:06sleeping of me. Even at eight years old, there was something about him. A pressure that made you not
04:11want to get too close. The next day, the girl sleeping across from me, Sarah, was gone. Sarah barely
04:17talked. She cried all the time. A total crybaby. Turns out, she was the Marchettis' biological
04:22daughter. Two days later, the Marchettis came back again. This time, they said they wanted to adopt a
04:28girl to keep their daughter company. And this time, I didn't hide. All of us, myself included, lined up
04:33in a row, waiting for the Marchettis to come pick. The first one out of the car was the Marchettis'
04:37little girl. The crybaby who used to cry over everything. Now treated like a princess by everyone
04:43around her. Dante carried her the whole way. Only set her down when they reached us. Sarah had this
04:48scent around her I couldn't quite name. Not perfume. More like a warmth. The Marchetti warmth.
04:53The smell of money. Dry cleaning. Leather seats. A bunch of kids rushed up to her. Eyes bright with
04:59excitement. We were all young. But group home kids learn early. You learn to read adults. You learn to
05:05read a room. Everyone knew. If you got to leave with Sarah today, you'd get to wear pretty dresses like
05:09hers. Live in a big house. Have your own room. All eyes were on Sarah. But for some reason,
05:14she stopped right in front of me. My stomach dropped. Before I even realized what I was doing,
05:19I shoved Sarah away. Sarah! Nola!
05:25That day, Ms. Linda made me stay in my room for three hours. As punishment, I thought there was no
05:30way the Marchettis would still want me after what I did. But three days later, I was sitting in that
05:39black escalade. Ms. Linda said the Marchetti family had filed for my foster placement.
05:44The paperwork was already done. I froze. But it was settled. All I could do was accept it.
05:50At least Sarah was easy to get along with. And the Marchettis, just like the first ten years of my
05:56past life, were kind to me. The coldest one in the house was Dante. He barely spoke to me. But
06:02sometimes I'd catch him watching me in silence. Something complicated in his eyes. I didn't want to get
06:08into it. A few days later, after dinner, I heard Dante bring something up.
06:12Dad, the furnace at the group home is ancient. It breaks down every winter. Why don't we get them
06:17a new one? I stiffened. The truth was, I'd been thinking about the same thing for days. How to keep
06:22the group home from the disaster. And my last life, the group home caught fire. An old space heater
06:27short-circuited in the middle of the night. Those heaters were all second-hand donations, used for God
06:32knows how many years. And those kids were so young. Five, six years old. They couldn't smell
06:37the smoke. Couldn't wake themselves up. Couldn't get out.
06:41Right. That's on me. They looked after Sarah for years. We owe them.
06:47I knew what oh meant in the Marchetti world. From now on, that group home was under Marchetti
06:54protection. The Marchettis replaced the group home's entire furnace and donated a large sum
06:59on top of it. I didn't expect Dante to do something like that. I still kept my distance from him.
07:05But honestly, I was grateful, setting aside everything between us from the past. Dante's
07:10rebirth had genuinely saved a lot of people from a terrible fate.
07:14Oh.
07:19In the blink of an eye, Sarah and I were both old enough for high school. Dante was still in
07:23college, but he'd already started handling family business. He and I barely crossed paths. I kept
07:28my distance on purpose, and Dante was just as cold toward me as ever. The contrast with how he treated
07:33Sarah couldn't have been more obvious. I knew the deal. The Marchettis adopted me to keep Sarah
07:38company. That was always the point. So for all those years, school and Sarah, that was my life.
07:43When everyone found out I wanted to transfer from St. Ignatius to a public high school,
07:47the Marchettis, even Dante, looked at me like I'd lost my mind.
07:50Nora, why would you want to transfer to public school?
07:53No one from the family will be there to look out for you.
07:56Outside Marchetti territory, no one would know who I was. No one would care. But I didn't want to stay.
08:01In this life, I wanted to live my own life. Marchettis tried to talk me out of it. I didn't
08:05budge.
08:06Dante, who hadn't said a word the entire time, spoke up.
08:08Let her go.
08:09The living room went silent for two seconds. No one argued after that. One night during finals,
08:14I stayed at the library studying until almost 11. When I came out, the school gate was deserved to
08:18that. One night during finals, I stayed at the library studying until almost 11. When I came out,
08:23the school gate was deserted. November night, wind cutting hard. I hunched my shoulders and walked
08:27along the sidewalk, passing in and out of pools of streetlight. The neighborhood around a public
08:31school was nothing like Long Island. No Marchetti people. No iron gates. No surveillance cameras.
08:36No, Dante. My phone rang. It was Dante. I hesitated. Picked up anyway.
08:42Where are you?
08:42His voice was low. I didn't answer.
08:45You're just now heading home?
08:47Yeah.
08:48Where exactly?
08:50I looked up.
08:53Outside the bodega near school.
08:54Don't move. I'm coming to get you.
08:56You don't have to. I can-
08:58He hung up. Ten minutes later, a black Escalade turned the corner. He didn't kill the engine.
09:02Just rolled down the window and looked at me. I got in the passenger seat. The smell of tobacco
09:06and woody cologne filled the air. Dante's scent. I was trying to clear my mind. Dante suddenly
09:12moved closer to me. I was startled and instinctively flinched backward. He didn't say anything. He
09:16just glanced at me. Buckled my seatbelt. Silence. Then he suddenly spoke up.
09:23You afraid of me?
09:26This was when the truth came out. That Sarah had been at the group home all along. I was
09:31at St. Ignatius back then. Those family kids knew exactly which side to be on. My locker
09:36got wide open. My things tossed in the trash. Some girl threw milk on me. There was even
09:42an anonymous account making up stories about me. After that night with Dante, even the Marchettis
09:50started looking at me differently. Streetlights flickered past the passenger window. I pulled
09:55myself out of those memories. The car had already turned into the Long Island neighborhood.
09:59Dante's profile shifted between light and shadow under the passing street lamps. There
10:03was a faint scent in the car. Tobacco and woody cologne. I shouldn't have cared. But there
10:09it was. The car pulled into the garage. He killed the engine. Neither of us got out first.
10:14I stared at the time on the dashboard. 11.47. A few seconds later, he pulled the key, pushed
10:20open his door, and got out. I followed behind. Two. Three steps back. Through the Marchetti
10:26front door. After that, I buried myself in schoolwork. Sarah's college was already set.
10:31The Marchettis had arranged a school in England for her. All she had to do was graduate. Before
10:36summer break, Sarah made plans to go to Europe with friends.
10:41Noah, I thought you'd finally hang out with me. Why are you doing a summer program? I
10:46smiled. It's just how it is. But I haven't spent time with you in forever. Sarah looked
10:51hurt. Before high school, we were practically inseparable. It's fine. Just send me pictures
10:56of everything. The fun stuff. The good food. It'll be like I'm there too. I meant it. I wanted
11:01to go, but I couldn't. I wasn't smart enough. I was giving everything I had just to get
11:13my GPA looking good. And even then, compared to kids with private tutors, legacy admissions
11:19and resumes packed with extracurriculars, I was still miles behind. If I was going to
11:24make it on my own, I wasn't doing enough. Not even close. After Sarah left, I started spending
11:31every day after school in the library until the staff kicked me out.
11:35Library's closed. Then I'd walk to the McDonald's on the corner, order a coffee, and sit there
11:40until late. Gianna wasn't happy at first about me coming home so late. But eventually, she
11:45didn't say anything. Senior year, spring break, a whole week off. Sarah came to pick me up
11:49from school. I thought it'd just be her. But when I walked out, I saw the black Escalade
11:54parked by the curb, Dante in the driver's seat. I noticed a bunch of girls on the steps glancing
11:58that way. I thought of how Gianna always said,
12:00After all these years, Dante still hadn't brought a single girl home. Maybe he's gay.
12:05Every time she said that, Sarah would laugh and volunteer to find Dante a boyfriend. I
12:09raised the book in my hands a little higher, about to slip past. But Sarah had already
12:13spotted me. Nola!
12:15She shoved the car door open and grabbed my arm. Didn't you recognize Dante's car?
12:21We're right here. She pushed me into the back seat. Dante, I want to go to that new steakhouse.
12:27When we got there, Dante gave a name. The hostess led us straight to a window table.
12:32Nola, what do you want to eat?
12:33Led us straight to a window table.
12:35Nola, what do you want to eat?
12:37Anything's fine.
12:38I shifted in my seat. A little uneasy, Sarah was about to order the Cajun ribeye and the
12:43spicy shrimp appetizer. But Dante changed it, switched it to mushroom soup and herb-crusted
12:48filet. I quietly exhaled. My stomach had been bad lately, even though I tried to eat on time
12:53every day. When the pain hit, it was brutal.
12:58We drove back to Long Island. My stomach was getting worse. I dug out the Pepto and took
13:03two. It kicked in pretty fast. Soon, I could read again. I pushed through the rest of spring
13:08break, trying to finish a paper due right after. Used every last bit of energy I had.
13:12When I got home, I crashed. Slept straight through to the next day. Probably went too long
13:16without eating. The stomach pain woke me up. I was about to go find something to eat.
13:20The second I opened the door, I saw Dante leaning against the hallway wall. We both froze.
13:25He looked away. Mom says come down and eat. His voice was flat. I nodded. Okay. We walked
13:30downstairs. Nora, you're seriously amazing. Sarah pushed a sandwich she'd made herself right in
13:35front of me. We all see how hard you've been working. You will get everything you want. I know
13:39it. April. College offers started rolling in. Sarah ordered the entire family to be there when my
13:45results came out, including Dante. I sat on the living room couch, opened my laptop,
13:49and logged into the application portal. The page loaded for two seconds. Congratulations.
13:54Oh my god! No!
13:57Sarah screamed and threw herself at me, wrapping me in a hug. My hands were shaking as I reached
14:01up and hugged her back, but my decision took them all by surprise.
14:08I got offers from several schools. East coast. West coast. I chose San Francisco. Five hour flight
14:14from New York. Not that far, but far enough. Far enough that I wouldn't be breathing Marchetti
14:18air every single day. If he was in New York, then I'd go west. Gianna wasn't happy about
14:22it. Almost backed out of the graduation trip we'd already planned. In the end, Sarah talked
14:26her mom into it again. Sarah. She's so nice. She didn't always understand me, but she always
14:31respected my choices. More than once, I felt grateful to Dante. Grateful that in this life,
14:35he'd brought Sarah back to us as soon as he could. April. Prom season. The hallways were
14:39full of promposals. Balloons. Spray paint in the parking lot. Handmade posters blocking
14:43classroom doors. Within one week, three different guys asked me to be their prom date. One did
14:47it at lunch, in front of the entire cafeteria. One slipped a note into my locker. One sent a friend
14:52to ask on his behalf. I turned them all down. After that, Sarah and I went to Europe together.
14:55A trip that belonged to just the two of us. When we got back, I made one more stop. The
15:00group home where I grew up. Ms. Linda still remembered me. When she heard I'd gotten into
15:04college, her eyes welled up. Good. Good sweetheart. Once she pulled herself together, she asked if
15:12the Marchetti family had been good to me. Yeah. Really good. This time around, I wasn't going
15:17to let myself fall into tragedy again. The night Sarah flew to England, I packed my bags
15:29too. Gianna couldn't understand why I wanted to go to school so early. That evening, I
15:33passed by Gianna's room. She's never going to see us as her real family. No matter what
15:37we do, she's always going to... I heard her voice through the door. I went back to my room.
15:44Didn't turn on the light. Sat there in the dark the whole night. The next day, the Marchettis
15:49were driving me to JFK. Dante was behind the wheel. Enzo and Gianna were in the back. The
15:53whole ride, Gianna kept talking. Call us if you need anything. Don't forget to eat. We're
15:58always here. I responded to every single one at the airport. I said goodbye to each of
16:02them. I reached for the suitcase in Dante's hand. He pulled it back. Let's go. I blinked.
16:08Watched him walk with me through security. Then onto the plane. He sat down next to me.
16:12I still hadn't processed what was happening. What? He slid a gray neck pillow behind my
16:16head. Quick. No warning. When his fingers brushed the back of my neck, my whole body
16:19went rigid. He didn't say anything else. Leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. I put
16:23my earbuds in. Body stiff the entire flight. Didn't sleep a single second. After we landed,
16:29Dante carried my luggage all the way from the parking lot to the dorm. He walked half a step
16:33ahead of me. Not side by side. Not holding hands. Just him in front. Everything had to go through
16:37him first. It had been like that my whole life. My roommates assumed he was my boyfriend.
16:41After he left, they found out he was my boyfriend. After he left, they found out he was my brother.
16:46Every single one of them came at me for his Instagram. That is not a brother face.
16:56The truth is, in this life, Dante and I barely interacted. I knew he probably hated me. So
17:01I always kept my distance. I never smiled at him. Not once. And it wasn't just him. I
17:05kept my distance from everyone. In my past life, he hated that smile I gave him when I
17:10was five. That day at the group home, he looked at every single girl. Then walked up
17:14to me. All because I smiled at him. He chose me. And Sarah was left behind. The reborn Dante.
17:20He probably hated my smile too. So in the Marchetti house, I was always guarded. Just
17:25like Gianna said, I never let myself belong. Only around Sarah could I relax a little.
17:29Now that I was in San Francisco, I didn't have to face any of them. I couldn't finally breathe.
17:34College was busy. Full. That was good. The only hard part. Every Christmas, I had to come
17:40up with a different excuse each year not to go back. The first year, Sarah FaceTimed me.
17:44She looked a little hurt. Behind her was the Marchetti living room. Christmas tree.
17:48Fireplace. Gianna setting the table. The second year, I still didn't go back.
17:52Nora? What's going on with you?
17:54Sarah's tone changed. I feel like you didn't just go to college. You left us.
17:59For good. I gripped my phone. Didn't know what to say.
18:02Sarah waited a long time. Then hung up.
18:05She left us. For good. I gripped my phone. Didn't know what to say.
18:09Sarah waited a long time. Then hung up.
18:13That night, I made myself a cup of hot cocoa. Steam fogged up the window. That gray neck pillow
18:19was still at the bottom of my closet. Some nights, a trace of tobacco and woody cologne
18:24would drift through. I wasn't sure if I actually smelled it, or if it was just a memory.
18:31The dorm was almost empty. Not a single person in the hallway. The door to the room next door
18:36hung open. Beds stripped bare. Nothing left but fairy lights still blinking on the wall.
18:40I forced my eyes shut. Then my phone rang. Sarah.
18:43Sarah?
18:43Nora, come downstairs. Now.
18:47Nora, come down. I'm right outside your building.
18:50I froze for a second. Grabbed my jacket and ran. From a distance, I could see a few figures
18:54standing below. I slowed. Sarah had already spotted me.
18:57Nora!
18:57Sarah! I ran toward them. It wasn't just Sarah.
19:00Dante was there too. Behind them was a bodyguard. Sarah was holding a bag of Whole Foods groceries.
19:05Dante had a small, tabletop Christmas tree cradled in his arms. My eyes burned. I suddenly
19:10felt like I'd been so selfish. When Sarah saw me cry, she looked happy about it. She pulled
19:14me into a tight hug.
19:15I knew it. I knew you missed us.
19:18That night, Sarah made Christmas dinner in the communal kitchen. A pot of pasta, garlic,
19:22olive oil, parmesan. The smell filled the entire floor. Dante set the little Christmas tree
19:27on the windowsill and plugged it in. He didn't say a word, but he was there the whole time.
19:31We were halfway through eating. Plugged it in. He didn't say a word, but he was there
19:35the whole time. We were halfway through eating. Then, hurried footsteps at the end of the hallway.
19:39A voice, low and urgent. Dante's bodyguard burst in, face white.
19:44We need to move. Now.
19:46Before I could process it, the window shattered. Sarah screamed. Dante shoved her to the ground.
19:50Glass still hanging in the air. I saw a shadow flash at the doorway. The gun was aimed at
19:54Sarah. I don't know where the strength came from. I threw myself in front of her. Then
19:58a bang. My abdomen, torn through. Dante's face appeared above me. He was shouting something.
20:03I couldn't hear it. Everything went black.
20:10When I woke up again, I was in the ICU. The doctor said the bullet hit my left kidney.
20:15During emergency surgery, they removed it. The surgery was a success, they said. I was lucky.
20:19But on the third day post-op, my attending came in with a report. He said, my remaining
20:24right kidney had some congenital issues. Something I might have gone my whole life without knowing.
20:29If the left one were still there. But now, the pressure on a single kidney was too much.
20:34We need to monitor your kidney function closely going forward. In the worst case scenario,
20:39you may need a transplant down the line.
20:40I stared at the ceiling. I didn't understand. I tried so hard, so hard, to break free from
20:47the Marchettis. To live my own life. I'd gotten into a great school. Two more years,
20:52and I could have been working. Independent. But now, everything felt like it was sinking
20:56into the dark. Into the dark. I was transferred to a private hospital in San Francisco. Enzo
21:01arranged it. One phone call. One black SUV. And just like that, I was moved from a public
21:06hospital bed into a private room with an ocean view. Sarah's eyes were swollen from crying.
21:11Her school was about to start. She didn't go. Took a leave of absence. Refused to leave
21:16my side. That bullet was meant for me. She held my hand. Voice trembling.
21:22Nora, that bullet was meant for me. Don't be stupid. Don't say that.
21:28I touched her face. After surgery, things got worse than the doctors expected. He confirmed
21:33it. I needed a kidney transplant. And worse. My blood type was rare. Finding a match would
21:38be extremely difficult. What I didn't expect was Sarah going behind everyone's back to get tested
21:43for compatibility. And she was a match. I lay in the hospital bed, listening to Gianna's voice
21:51out in the hallway. Sarah, have you thought about this? If you give up a kidney, what happens to you
21:56for the rest of your life? Stop telling me you'll be fine with one kidney. You don't know that.
22:04I won't allow it. Do you hear me? I won't allow it. My tears fell. Sarah, I won't allow it
22:12either.
22:12When none of the Marchettis were around, I packed my things and left the hospital. I had nowhere to go
22:17and I didn't want the Marchettis to find me. I couldn't even book a flight, rent a car, or check
22:28into a hotel under my own name. Inzo had people in every system. The second my name showed up,
22:32the Marchettis would know. I called a car outside the hospital, paid cash, told the driver to keep
22:37heading east. Sacramento, a city I'd never been to before. I'd always planned to pay back every
22:42dollar the Marchettis ever spent on me. But now, clearly, that wasn't going to happen. I'd owe the
22:47Marchetti family for the rest of my life. I found a tiny studio on a quiet side street, off Craigslist,
22:52cheap rent, everything old. To make myself feel somewhat normal, I got a job at a flower shop
22:57wrapping bouquets. The owner was a Mexican lady in her 60s. She didn't ask many questions. She just
23:02looked at me once and told me to come in at 9 the next morning. The hours weren't long, six
23:06hours a day,
23:07not hard work. But every time I came back to that little studio, I felt so alone.
23:16Valentine's Day. The flower shop was slammed until late. By the time I clocked out, it was almost
23:20midnight. Sacramento at night was dead quiet. The last bus was long gone. All I could do was walk,
23:26but on the way, I kept feeling like someone was behind me. Up ahead was a narrow stretch with no
23:31streetlights. No one around. I walked faster and faster. Eventually, I broke into a jog, but the
23:36footsteps behind me, they sped up too. I panicked, tripped, hit the ground. I could feel someone
23:41coming toward me. I screamed, scrambling backward. Coming toward me. I screamed, scrambling backward.
23:47Headlines started flooding my brain. Rape. Murder. Body found three days later in a ditch. A hand
23:52raised around my wrist. No! Please let me go! Please! I'm sick! I really am! I don't have money!
24:01Please! Please! Leave me alone! Help! I kicked and hit at whoever was in front of me. Then someone
24:08pulled me in, held me tight. No. No. No. It's me. That scent came back. Tobacco and woody
24:15cologne. In the darkness, it surrounded me completely. I froze for one second. Then I broke down crying.
24:28Dante held me while I fell apart and couldn't get a single word out. After a long time, I pulled
24:34myself free and went back to the little studio. I didn't know how Dante found me here. I didn't
24:38want to know why he came. In our past life, he hated me. So why? Over the next few days,
24:43Dante was
24:43just there, following me. He didn't talk. Didn't explain. Didn't get too close. He was
24:49just there. When I went to work at the flower shop, he sat in the cafe across the street,
24:54pretending to look at his phone. When I walked home after my shift, he trailed half a block
24:58behind. I didn't want to deal with it. Didn't want to ask. But the shop owner noticed. She
25:03glanced out the window at Dante sitting in the cafe. Then looked back. I didn't want to deal
25:07with it. Didn't want to ask. But the shop owner noticed. She glanced out the window at
25:11Dante sitting in the cafe. Then looked back at me.
25:18Boyfriend trouble? I didn't answer. Just walked out in silence. I just didn't want anything
25:22to do with the Marchettis anymore. One time, Dante showed up outside my building again. I
25:28couldn't help it. I walked up to him. Let me go. Clean. Is that too much to ask? Something
25:33shifted in his eyes. Not anger. Something heavier than anger.
25:37Nola. I'm sorry.
25:47My condition was deteriorating fast. The next time I ended up in the ICU, I was transferred
25:52back to New York. Sarah was at my bedside again. She held my hand, forehead pressed against
25:56the back of it. Her shoulders were shaking.
25:59Nora, please. Let me do this. Let me save you. Please.
26:05She looked up at me, eyes so swollen from crying. She could barely keep them open.
26:09You're my sister. Do you hear me? You're my sister.
26:15That was the first time Sarah ever said that. I held her hand weakly. Shook my head. I was
26:18happy she said it. But no matter how many times she did, I couldn't let Sarah give me her
26:22kidney. Before, the reason I refused was because I couldn't bear it. What if? What if something
26:26happened to Sarah because of me? I couldn't imagine how the Marchettis would treat me then. But now,
26:30my reason was different. I just couldn't ruin the rest of Sarah's life. She was still young. She'd only...
26:35been back in this family for a few years. Losing a kidney. No one knew what that would mean for
26:43her
26:43future. Gianna had aged so much during this time. The elegant matriarch of the family. Now,
26:50the lines around her eyes had deepened overnight. I knew she had regrets. Because after that fight,
26:55Sarah still refused to speak to her. She probably thought she'd failed as a mother. An adoptive one,
26:59at least. That her selfishness was the reason my condition got this bad. But I never blamed Gianna.
27:03Not really. Because I knew it wasn't just Sarah who got tested. Gianna did too. She just wasn't a
27:07match. And she never told anyone she tried. Just when everyone was about to lose hope,
27:13we got a call from the hospital.
27:17I made an excuse. Said there was a shipment issue on the west coast. Had to fly out and handle
27:21it.
27:21Mom gave me hell for it. Said Nola had finally found a kidney donor. Surgery was right around the
27:25corner. And I, her brother, couldn't even be bothered to care. The truth was, I just didn't
27:41know how to face Nola. Every time I looked at her, I thought of our past life. I thought about
27:44what I
27:44did to her. Of course I knew. Sarah's death in our past life had nothing to do with Nola. Not
27:48one bit.
27:49But back then, we were all drowning in grief. Too blind to think straight. So I watched Nola get
27:53bullied. Humiliated. Over and over. And I clenched my jaw and pretended I didn't see.
27:57Like that would somehow make her hurt the way I hurt. Sarah. That would somehow make her hurt the
28:01way I hurt. Sarah was dead. Nola should have been in pain too. I even said cruel things to her
28:05face,
28:05more than once. Until the night of that family dinner, when someone slipped something into Nola's
28:09drink. I noticed her glass had been tampered with. I went after her immediately. But what I didn't
28:15expect? The moment Nola saw me, she held onto me and wouldn't let go. I lost control. That was the
28:20first time I ever completely lost it. I knew what I felt for her was more than what a brother
28:23should
28:24feel. I'd been suppressing it. For over a decade, I kept it buried. That night, it all came crashing
28:28down. After that night, the regret hit. When I found out Nola was pregnant, I pushed her away.
28:33Truly. I knew the Vicaris had been watching us, looking for a weak point. But I still turned my
28:37back and walked away. It wasn't until she was dead that I realized what I really was. A complete and
28:41utter piece of shit. In this life, I brought Sarah back. And I brought Nola back too. I thought I
28:47was
28:47making things right. But slowly, I started to realize, Nola didn't seem happy. It's not like
28:51I didn't notice. Back at the group home, she was already hiding from us. But I told myself that the
28:55Marchetti family could give her a better life. Besides, in our past life, we owe her. So in this
28:59life, when Nola wanted to go to public school, I convinced the family to let her. When she wanted to
29:03go somewhere five and a half hours away by plane, I convinced them again. What Nola didn't know,
29:07during her two years in San Francisco, I flew out to see her more than once. The lecture halls,
29:12the library, even outside her dorm. Every time I parked a block away, baseball cap on, a jacket
29:17that didn't look like mine, I never let myself get close. When people around me asked where I was
29:21going, I said business. A jacket that didn't look like mine, I never let myself get close. When people
29:25around me asked where I was going, I said business. No one dared push it. Until that Christmas, when
29:30Sarah insisted on going to see Nola, I went with it and the Vicari showed up. That bullet was meant
29:35for
29:35Sarah. Nola threw herself in front of it. I watched her life all off a cliff, right in front of
29:39me.
29:39I saw how mom fought against Sarah donating a kidney. I also saw how mom quietly got tested
29:43herself and dragged dad into it too. Neither matched. I went and got tested on my own. My
29:48kidney was a match for Nola. I went into the operating room first. Before they wheeled me in,
29:56I saw the door to another OR down the hall. The light above it was on. She was behind that
30:00door,
30:00I knew. Before surgery, I stopped the doctor. Take care of her. Whatever it takes. The surgery was a
30:04success. I was transferred to a different hospital to recover. My family was thrilled. Messages came in
30:09one after another. The surgery went well. Nola's numbers were improving. No one knew whose kidney
30:13it was. Later, Nola went back to San Francisco to finish school. And me. I actually found that
30:18missing a kidney didn't really change my life. If it weren't for the scar, I'd sometimes forget
30:21there was something missing inside me. Once I healed up, I fell back into old habits, flying out to San
30:26Francisco to see Nola. I knew her grades were good. Knew she got into a prestigious research lab her
30:31senior year. One time, I saw Nola walk out of the school gates. There was a man beside her,
30:35the two of them. Walking close. Nola's eyes. That look she had. Shy. Uncontainable. A smile she
30:40couldn't hold back. I'd never seen her smile like that. Not once. Not at me. Not at anyone in our
30:44family. Never. And it hurt so bad I couldn't breathe. I thought, maybe during that surgery
30:48it hurt so bad I couldn't breathe. I thought, maybe during that surgery the doctors made a mistake.
30:52Gave Nola half my heart along with the kidney. Why else would it hurt this much?
30:59I met someone at school. Luca Caldwell. The first time I noticed him was in the research lab. He was
31:04sitting at the bench across from mine. A book spread open in front of him. One I happened to
31:08be reading too. He didn't look like the other guys. Not the deliberately messy, I don't care type.
31:14Not the trying too hard polish type either. Just clean, white t-shirt. A worn leather watch
31:19strap on his wrist. The first time we spoke was because he borrowed my highlighter.
31:26Thanks. He smiled a little when he handed
31:28it back. A light smile. No edge to it. After that, we kept running into each other in the lab.
31:34He didn't talk much. But every time he spoke to me, he'd really look at me. Not the way Dante
31:39looked
31:39at me. The kind that made you want to run. This was the kind that made you feel like every
31:44word you
31:44said was actually heard. One night, I stayed late in the lab finishing something due. Everyone else
31:50had left. Just the two of us. He stood up. I thought he was leaving. Instead, he pulled a sandwich
31:57out of
31:57his bag and set it on my desk. You didn't eat lunch today. I blinked. How would you know?
32:05Because you were in here the whole time. He didn't explain further. Grabbed his bag and left.
32:10How would you know? Because you were in here the whole time. He didn't explain further.
32:16Grabbed his bag and left. That night, walking back to the dorm alone, I realized I was smiling.
32:22It had been a long, long time since that happened.
32:26Luca never asked about my past. He didn't ask why I always ate alone. Didn't ask why I'd slipped to
32:31the
32:31end of the hallway whenever certain calls came in. One time, we were reading on the campus lawn.
32:36I was wearing a slightly shorter top. When I sat down, it might have ridden up a little. His gaze
32:40brushed past it. Just one second. Then he said nothing. Just handed me his jacket. Getting windy.
32:47That was all. Luca pursued me slowly. Not the overwhelming roses and proposal kind of loud. It
32:53was a coffee that appeared on my bench every time he came to our lab to drop off data. It
32:57was me
32:58staying late in the lab. Pushing the door open. And finding him leaned against the hallway wall.
33:02I was passing by. It was one time it rained. And I didn't have an umbrella. He ran over from
33:06god knows where. Completely soaked. Holding an umbrella in his hand. He was out of breath.
33:11You didn't pick up. I looked at him. Rain dripping down his forehead. White shirt drenched.
33:16Clinging to his body. He wasn't angry. Just looked at me and smiled.
33:20Pick up next time. I said okay. That night. I said yes.
33:28Luca for a full three seconds. Didn't speak. No expression. Just looked. Then he pulled his gaze
33:33away and walked towards Sarah. Get in the car. Dante, didn't you see Noah brought- I saw.
33:38You see Noah brought- I saw. He opened the back door. Waited. On the drive back to Long Island,
33:43Luca and I sat in the third row of the escalade. Sarah was in the second row, twisting around to
33:48stare at us the whole time. Eyes full of gossip. Dante didn't say a single word, but I could feel
33:53his gaze
33:53in the rear-view mirror, not angled at the road. When we pulled up to the estate,
33:57Gianna was already waiting at the door. She paused when she saw Luca, but smiled quickly.
34:01Noah didn't tell me she was bringing a friend home.
34:03Sarah beat me to it. Boyfriend.
34:05Gianna's smile deepened. Even better. Come inside. It's cold out.
34:08Dinner was Gianna's Christmas Eve Italian feast. Luca sat to my left. Dante sat across from me.
34:14The entire meal, Luca was polite, composed.
34:17He answered every one of Gianna's questions.
34:20Jeanette.
34:21Complimented the food. Poured wine for Sarah.
34:24Dante said nothing. Just ate. Glanced up every now and then. Every time he did. It was the exact
34:29moment Luca was smiling at me. Near the end of dinner.
34:33Let's open a bottle of wine.
34:34Sarah suggested opening a bottle of wine. Dante spoke suddenly.
34:38No one that doesn't drink.
34:40Everyone looked at him. Luca looked too.
34:42I know.
34:43Luca's tone was even.
34:44I already got her water.
34:46He had. The wine glass in front of me had been swapped for a water glass. I didn't even
34:50notice when he did it. Dante's gaze landed on that glass of water. Lingered for one second.
34:54Then he stood up and left the table.
34:57After dinner, Luca went to the guest room to drop off his bags.
35:04Sarah pulled Gianna into conversation. I stood alone in the hallway, heading back to my room.
35:09Nola.
35:10Behind me, I turned around. Dante was standing at the other end of the hallway.
35:14Back lit. I couldn't make out his expression. He walked toward me, every step slow. I stepped
35:20back instinctively. My back hit the wall. He leaned in closer.
35:26Does he know where that scar on your body came from?
35:29My breath caught.
35:32Does he know why you can't drink?
35:34I didn't answer. That last one, his voice was so low, almost just a breath.
35:38Does he know whose kidney you're carrying?
35:40I clenched my fists.
35:42That's none of your business. He looked at me. That look, dark, heavy, like it could swallow
35:47me whole.
35:48None of my business.
35:50His hand came up. Fingertips touched the side of my face, just a touch, so light it might
35:54not have happened at all. Then he turned and walked away. I stood there, heart pounding
36:00so hard it scared me.
36:03I couldn't sleep. Luca was right next door in the guest room, but all I could think about
36:07was that moment in the hallway. Dante's fingertips, the warmth on the side of my face, that look.
36:13I forced my eyes shut. At some point, I fell asleep. In the dream. I was back on that night
36:19when I was 18. The family dinner. Crystal shack on that night when I was 18. The family dinner.
36:26Crystal chandeliers. A room full of noise. I pushed open a door. Dante was inside. Shirt
36:38collar undone. Eyes red. He looked at me. Then he stood up. And walked toward me. In the
36:47dream, he didn't say,
36:48You make me sick.
36:50He pressed me against the door. Forehead against mine.
36:55His breath scalding.
36:58Do you know how long I've waited?
37:00The moment his lips touched mine, I jolted awake. 3am. Heart slamming. Drenched in sweat.
37:13I stared at the ceiling. A wave of self-hatred washed over me.
37:20The next morning, I ran into Dante in the kitchen. He was leaning against the espresso machine,
37:25black coffee in hand. His eyes flicked over me when I walked in. Luca was already up,
37:30sitting at the table with a plate of Gianna's cannoli in front of him.
37:33Morning.
37:34He smiled at me, pulling out the chair beside him like it was the most natural thing in the
37:38world. I sat down. Dante carried his coffee over and sat across from me. No one spoke.
37:43Sarah came bounding down the stairs and broke the silence.
37:47Stairs and broke the silence.
37:51Luca, what's your major?
37:53She was leaning over the table, chin propped on both hands, eyes bright and locked on him.
37:57CS. Luca said. Doing some computational modeling stuff. And after graduation? Might do my own
38:04thing. Start a company? Sarah perked up. What kind? Luca smiled. Still figuring it out. He said
38:11it so lightly, like he really was just another college kid without a plan yet. But that afternoon,
38:17I happened to walk past Enzo's study. The door wasn't fully shut. I heard Enzo's voice, low.
38:22Caldwell. Have you looked into that name? Then Dante's voice. Yeah. And?
38:27Two seconds of silence. Clean. Strangely clean. I didn't stay to listen. Walked away fast.
38:40Christmas Day. A dinner at the Marchetti Estate was never just a meal. The long table stretched
38:45from the dining room into the living room. Over twenty people. Some faces I recognized.
38:49Uncles. Cousins from the family. Others I'd never seen before. Men in dark suits. Women in gowns.
38:55The fireplace burning high. Luca wore a simple black turtleneck with a gray blazer over it. He
39:00stood among the crowd. Not conspicuous, but impossible to overlook. A few family members
39:05glanced his way. Eyes lingering for a second or two. That appraising look of who are you. Luca
39:09didn't look at this, but impossible to overlook. A few family members glanced his way. Eyes lingering
39:14for a second or two. That appraising look of who are you. Luca didn't look uncomfortable. Not once.
39:18He chatted with Gianna easily. Passed wine. Picked up conversations. Smiled at just the right
39:24moments. Neither too humble nor too eager. Like he'd done this a hundred times before. Halfway
39:28through dinner, Enzo stood and raised his glass. To family. Everyone raised theirs. And in that exact
39:34moment, a deafening bang from the direction of the front hall. Then a second, a third, glass shattering.
39:39Someone screaming. Dante reacted faster than anyone. Get down! He grabbed Sarah beside him and shoved her
39:45under the table. The room exploded. Screams. Chairs crashing to the floor. My body froze in place. This
39:52scene. Again. My hand seized my wrist and pulled me down hard. Not Dante. Luca. He pressed me beneath
39:57him. One hand cradling the back of my head. His heartbeat against my back. Steady. So steady. Not the
40:03heartbeat of someone afraid. Don't move. His voice right against my ear. Low and deep. Much faster than
40:09unusual. That tone. It didn't sound like an ordinary college student.
40:16The chaos lasted less than two minutes. Enzo's people had it under control. A few men in black
40:21coats rushed in and pinned the intruders to the ground. Vicari. Again. After it was over,
40:26I got up from beneath Luca. As he stood, I caught his phone screen lighting up. The caller ID. No
40:31name.
40:32Just a string of numbers. He glanced at it. Didn't pick up. Flipped the phone face down. Then he looked
40:36at me.
40:36And he was the looked at me. And he was the gentle Luca again. You okay? I nodded. But I
40:41saw it. In
40:41those few seconds of chaos, the look in Luca's eyes wasn't fear. It was assessment. Population.
40:46Control. That look. I'd seen it on one other person before. Dante. After the dinner, the estate was in
40:52disarray all night. Enzo locked himself in the study. Family men coming and going. No one slept.
40:56Sarah was taken upstairs by Gianna. Her face was white. I knew what she was thinking. The last bullet had
41:01been Vicari's too. Luca stayed with me the whole time. We sat at the end of the second floor hallway.
41:06Him leaning against the wall. Me leaning against his shoulder. His hand resting on the back of mine.
41:11Thumb brushing back and forth. It was all quiet.
41:14Were you scared? He asked. No. I said. And I meant it. When you've already died once, gunshots don't scare
41:20you that easily.
41:21Luca. Hmm? Just now you... I wanted to ask. But I didn't know how to start.
41:25Why were you so calm? Why weren't your hands shaking? Who was that call from? He waited a moment.
41:30I've seen this kind of thing before. He said. I looked up at him. He didn't explain. Just leaned
41:35down and pressed his lips to my forehead. Barely a touch. You don't have to be scared. I'm here.
41:41The next morning, when I came downstairs, I heard Enzo and Dante talking outside the study door.
41:46Enzo's voice was heavy. Last night, someone intercepted the Vicardi's second wave. It wasn't our
41:51people. Dante was quiet for a second. It was Caldwell. You're sure?
41:54His men showed up on the perimeter of the estate. At least four of them.
41:58Enzo's. His men showed up on the perimeter of the estate. At least four of them.
42:02Enzo's voice dropped even lower. So low I could barely hear.
42:05Who the hell is this kid? I stood at the turn of the staircase. Palms drenched. Luca
42:10Caldwell. Who are you? The day after Christmas, Long Island got buried in snow. The entire estate
42:16was covered in white. A layer of frost clung to the M on the Iron Gate. Luca was standing by
42:21the window on the phone. His back was to me. Voice low. I only caught one word.
42:25Handled.
42:25He hung up, turned around, and saw me standing in the doorway. Not a trace of panic on his
42:29face.
42:30Morning.
42:30Luca.
42:31Hmm?
42:33Last night, those men, were they yours?
42:36He looked at me for two seconds.
42:37You heard.
42:38Not a question. I didn't say anything. He walked over and stood in front of me.
42:41My family's in investing. Fairly large scale. We keep a low profile.
42:46So you have armed personnel?
42:48Security team.
42:48He corrected me gently.
42:50In our line of work, you make enemies. Having a few people around is normal.
42:53It all sounded perfectly reasonable, but my gut told me he wasn't telling me everything
42:56before I could push further.
42:58Nola.
42:58End of the hallway. Dante. Leaning against the wall. Hands in his pockets. He was looking
43:02at Luca.
43:03Mind if we have a word, Mr. Caldwell?
43:05Not the tone of a request. Luca smiled.
43:07Of course.
43:07They walked into the study. The door closed. I stood in the hallway. Heart racing. Through
43:11that door, he couldn't hear a thing. But three minutes later, it opened. Luca came
43:14out first. Expression unchanged. Dante followed. Face dark. When he passed me, he stopped. His
43:19lips moved like he wanted to say something. In the end, he said face dark. When he passed
43:24me, he stopped. His lips moved like he wanted to say something. In the end, he said nothing.
43:28Went straight upstairs. I looked at Luca.
43:31What did he say?
43:32Luca looked at me. One second of silence.
43:35He asked if I was worthy of standing beside you.
43:38What did you say?
43:39The corner of Luca's mouth lifted just slightly.
43:41I said, maybe he should ask himself that first.
43:46The day before New Year's, Luca flew back to San Francisco early, at the airport. He
43:50held me for a long time before he left.
43:52Be safe going back. Call me if anything comes up.
43:54I nodded.
43:55When he let go, his thumb grazed my cheekbone.
43:57I'll be waiting for you.
43:58He walked into the security line. Didn't look back. But he left that feeling of safety
44:02hanging in the air. Still there even after he was gone. So different from Dante. Dante's
44:06presence was overwhelming. When he was there, you couldn't ignore him. When he wasn't, you
44:11still couldn't. Luca's presence was easy. Like sunlight coming through a window. Not
44:15burning. Just warm. The day after Luca left, I was helping Gianna clean up the kitchen.
44:20Sarah was curled up on the couch, scrolling her phone when she suddenly sat up.
44:23Noya, come look at this!
44:25She held her phone out to me. On the screen was a Forbes article. Long headline. But I only
44:30caught two things. Caldwell. And a number. A lot of zeros.
44:32Isn't that your boyfriend's last name? Sarah's eyes were wide. I stared at the article.
44:36Caldwell family office. Spanning tech. Energy. Real estate. Family assets. I didn't finish
44:42reading. I handed the phone back to Sarah. Probably just the same last name. But my hands
44:46were shaking.
44:48New years. I went back to San Francisco. Life seemed to go back to normal. Lab. Classes.
44:54Luca. But something had shifted. I started noticing things I'd overlooked before. Luca never
44:58talked about his family. His apartment looked ordinary. But it was in Pacific Heights. One
45:03of the most expensive neighborhoods in San Francisco. That worn leather watch strap of
45:07his. I leaned in close once. The logo on the dial, Patek Philippe. The old Volvo he drove.
45:13I happened to catch a document on the back seat. The letterhead read, Caldwell family office.
45:18I didn't ask. Just like he never asked about my past. I didn't poke at his. Maybe we were
45:22both people hiding scars. His were just covered with money. February. Late one night. Sarah
45:28called. She was crying. Nola. Something happened to Dante. My blood went cold. What? He was
45:34in a car accident. North shore of Long Island. He's at the hospital now. I gripped my phone.
45:39Knuckles white. How bad is it? Sarah was crying. Too hard to speak. Gianna took over the phone.
45:44Her voice was steady. But I could tell it was the kind of steady you force. Nola, you don't
45:48need to come back. He's not in danger. I... Surgery's already done. He's in the ICU for
45:54observation. Surgery? Gianna was quiet for a second. The impact to his abdomen was too
45:59severe. The doctor said... She stopped. Said what? He only has one kidney, Nola. The injury
46:05was too close to it. I heard the words, but my brain refused to process them. He only has
46:10one kidney. Why? Why does Dante only have one kidney? I booked the next red eye back to New
46:18York. Five and a half hours. I didn't sleep a single second. After landing, I took a cab
46:22straight to the hospital. Four AM hallway lights. Pale and harsh. Sarah was curled up on a bench
46:28outside the room. He's stable. Just got moved from ICU to a regular room. Can I go in and
46:34see him? But she didn't cry. He's still asleep. I just want to look. That's all. She didn't
46:40stop me. I pushed the door open. Dante was lying in the hospital bed. Face white. Lips drained
46:45of color. Tubes in his arm. The heart monitor beeping in steady rhythm. His hospital gown
46:49was loose at the collar. An old scar above his collarbone. My eyes moved lower. The gown
46:54had been left partly open. I saw it. His left abdomen. A long, healed surgical scar. My knees
46:59gave out. I grabbed the edge of the bed. That kidney. The one I thought came from an anonymous
47:03donor. The one that kept me alive. It was his. I crouched beside his bed. Hand pressed
47:08over my mouth. Tears hit the hospital floor. He was asleep. He didn't know a thing. And I
47:12was right there beside him. I don't know how long I crouched there beside his bed. My tears
47:20dried up. Knees gone numb. The heart monitor beeped on. Then he woke up. Not the slow, drifting
47:27open kind. It was instant. Like he sensed something. He turned his head. Saw me. I was still on the
47:35ground. Eyes swollen. A mess. He didn't ask how I got here. Didn't ask why I was crying.
47:43He just looked at me. Then reached out. Fingertips touched my face. Light as that time in the
47:49hallway. My voice was shaking. It was yours, wasn't it? His hand stayed on my face. Why
47:56didn't you tell me? He didn't pull it back. What difference would it make? He didn't deny
48:00it either. I couldn't speak. He looked at me, eyes heavy. You wouldn't have. You would
48:06have said no. You would have run. Just like you always do. I clenched my fists. So you
48:16just kept it from me? He said it softly, without a second of hesitation. I kept it from you.
48:24I don't regret it. My chest felt like someone had it, squeezing until it hurt. I stood up,
48:29tried to step back. But he caught my wrist. He shouldn't have had any strength. Just out
48:34of surgery, abdomen still wrapped in gauze. But his grip was tight. He pulled me forward.
48:40I lost my balance, one hand landing on the pillow beside his head. Our faces were so close. Close
48:46enough to see the shadows on his lashes. And to feel his breath land on my lips. His gaze
48:50dropped from my eyes to my mouth. Do you know how long I've waited? The exact same words from
48:56the dream. My mind went blank. His lips grazed the corner of my mouth. Not a kiss. Something
49:01worse than a kiss. A test. A crack breaking through after holding back for too long. My
49:07heart was pounding so hard I thought it would burst. His hand slid from my wrist to the back
49:11of my neck. Fingers threading into my hair. I closed my eyes. And I snapped them open. No.
49:16This isn't right. We were free from his hand. I stepped back. His hand hung in the air. We
49:22stared at each other. Pain. Want. And something I'd never once seen on Dante Marchetti's face
49:27before. Vulnerability. But I still turned around. Pushed the door open. Walked out. The hallway
49:33was quiet. Lights pale and harsh. I leaned against the wall. My legs barely holding. The warner of my
49:38mouth. Closed my eyes. Hated myself. More than after that wet dream.
49:44After I came back from the hospital. I stayed on Long Island for three more days. Not because
49:49I wanted to. Sarah wouldn't let me leave. You just got into trouble. And you're flying
49:54back right away? Do you really not want to stay with us? I didn't explain. Dante was discharged
49:59back at the estate. He didn't come find me. I didn't go find him either. But that night.
50:04The scar. Those words. The warmth of his lips brushing the corner of my mouth. I hadn't
50:09forgotten a single second of it. On the third day. Luca flew here. He didn't tell me ahead
50:13of time. I opened the front door of the estate. And he was just standing there. Gray coat.
50:18Scarf draped loosely. I looked at him. He smiled. Gentle. Same as always.
50:23I'll come pick you up. I couldn't speak. You didn't answer my calls. And I was worried
50:27sick. I just walked over and buried my face in his coat. His hand came up to the back of
50:32my head. He didn't ask questions. I was in the living room chatting with Sarah. I went to
50:36the kitchen for water. Passing the study. The door was open. Dante was inside. Standing
50:42by the window. He saw me walk. I stopped. I don't know why. I walked in.
50:49So you're just gonna act like nothing happened?
50:53Dante. He took a step toward me. You know now. You know everything. So what? You go back
50:59and live your nice little life with that guy? He has a name. I don't care what his name
51:04is. His voice dropped low. Nola, do you have any idea? That child? The one you were carrying?
51:11My blood went cold. I think about it every day. If I hadn't walked away. If I hadn't
51:15pulled everyone off you. Stop! It would have been born. Grown up. Could have been calling
51:20me dad by now. Could have. I said stop! Stop!
51:24My voice came out louder than I expected. He went still. We stared at each other. Then,
51:27a soft sound at the study door. Leather shoes on hardwood. I turned my head. Lucas'
51:31expression hadn't changed. But his eyes. And I'd never seen that look before. Not
51:35anger. Not hurt. It was the kind of calm that comes when something suddenly clicks into place.
51:40He looked at me. Then at Dante. Then he spoke quietly. Sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt.
51:44He turned and walked away. His footsteps were steady. Didn't speed up. But I knew. Something
51:47had just broken.
51:51Luca didn't ask me. That night. He said nothing. We sat together in the living room. Sarah was
51:55watching a movie beside us. Gianna was in the kitchen. Everything looked normal. But he didn't
52:00rest for something random in my ear like he always did. He just sat beside me. Quiet.
52:05Not the Luca kind of quiet. The easy kind. This was a glass wall. After the movie ended,
52:10Sarah yawned and went upstairs. The living room was left with nothing but the flicker of the fireplace.
52:15We sat side by side. Ten centimeters between us. There had never been those ten centimeters before.
52:21Luca?
52:24You?
52:25Not tonight.
52:26He cut me off. Voice soft. Tomorrow.
52:28His gaze was on the fire. Firelight shifting across his profile. Quiet. But I saw his hand.
52:34The one resting on his knee. Knuckles tightening. That was the first time I'd ever seen restraint
52:39on Luca. He was warm. Always the person who made me feel like nothing could go wrong.
52:43Back. Child. Those three words Dante said. To Luca, those three words meant. Between Dante and
52:49me. There was a past he would never be able to understand. Not a fling. Not old feelings.
52:55A child.
52:57That night. I went and knocked on his guest room door. He opened it.
53:05Saw me. Expression unchanged.
53:08Come in.
53:12Luca, what you heard today.
53:14That child.
53:14He spoke. Voice flat. The child he was talking about. What did he mean?
53:18My breath caught. I walked in.
53:19Did something happen between you two?
53:21I opened my mouth. I couldn't tell him about the past life. No one would believe it. Saying
53:25it out loud would only make me sound insane.
53:27That was a long time ago.
53:29How long?
53:31A long time.
53:32He looked at me. Those eyes. So clear. Clear enough to make you feel guilty.
53:38I'm not gonna force you to explain.
53:40He said.
53:41But I need to know one thing.
53:43He stepped closer.
53:46Do you still love him?
53:47I could hear my own heartbeat.
53:49I don't know.
53:49Oh, I meant it. Maybe it was the cruelest answer I could have given. I don't know.
53:54He's more hopeless than yes.
53:56Because yes is at least an answer.
53:58I don't know.
53:59Thank you for not lying to me.
54:00Means I'm still caught in it.
54:01Luca looked at me.
54:02I won't pressure you to choose.
54:04The next morning, Luca booked a flight back to San Francisco.
54:07Before he left, he stood at the front door of the estate looking at me.
54:10Figure it out.
54:11Then come find me.
54:14Whatever the answer is, I'll take it.
54:16Coat collar turned up.
54:18Breath turning to white fog in the cold air.
54:20His thumb grazed my cheekbone one last time.
54:23The same motion as the very first time.
54:25Gentle.
54:25Steady.
54:26Then he got in the car.
54:27Didn't look back.
54:28This time, after he left, there was nothing in the air.
54:30Not like Dante.
54:31After Dante left, his traces lingered.
54:33Tobacco.
54:34Colobio mirror.
54:35That brush across the corner of my mouth.
54:37I stood in the doorway, palms cold, and suddenly realized, why do I always compare him to Dante?
54:42I stood at the door crying like a lunatic for a long time.
54:45Then I turned around and saw Dante.
54:47Long Island had cleared up for once.
54:49The snow was half melted.
54:50He looked so much thinner.
54:52I was about to go back inside.
54:53Nola.
54:54I stopped.
54:55I have something for you.
54:56He pulled an envelope from his pocket, took two steps toward me, and held it out.
55:00I didn't take it.
55:01What is it?
55:02Open it.
55:02I hesitated, then took it.
55:04Inside was a document.
55:05A property transfer agreement.
55:07Address in San Francisco.
55:08Mission District.
55:09A one-bedroom apartment.
55:10The name on it.
55:12What is this supposed to mean?
55:13It's not Marchetti's.
55:15It's under my personal name.
55:17Nothing to do with the family.
55:19His voice was flat.
55:20You don't have to live in places you find on Craigslist anymore.
55:23I gripped the document hard.
55:25I don't want it.
55:26I'm not asking you to want it.
55:28It's yours.
55:29Throw it away if you want.
55:30I looked at him.
55:30Those eyes.
55:31Calm.
55:32Nola.
55:33This was the kind of calm that comes after a decision has already been made.
55:36I'm not going to hold you back anymore.
55:38Go live your life with whoever you want.
55:41Dante!
55:42I owe you two lives.
55:44One from our past life.
55:46One for this life.
55:47He pressed a hand to his left abdomen.
55:49I won't cage you anymore.
55:51He finished.
55:52That day at the group home, you smiled at me.
55:55That was the most right decision I've ever made in my life.
55:58And the most selfish.
55:59Then he walked away.
56:00I stood in the backyard.
56:02The envelope trembled slightly in the wind.
56:04My whole life.
56:05I was always the one running.
56:06He was always the one chasing.
56:08Pinning me in place with his silence and his presence.
56:11This was the first feel relieved.
56:12But I stood there for a limb.
56:14Unable to move a single step.
56:16A week later, I went back to Sam.
56:18Seemed to return to normal.
56:19Lab.
56:20Classes.
56:21Alone.
56:21Luca didn't reach out.
56:22I didn't reach out either.
56:24Those people I used to notice.
56:25Standing on the corner.
56:26Trailing half a block behind in a car.
56:28They were gone.
56:28The Marchetti people assigned to watch over me.
56:30All of them.
56:31Gone.
56:31I assumed Dante had pulled them.
56:32Until one day.
56:33Nola, have you seen the news?
56:35What?
56:35The Vakiris.
56:36FBI raided them.
56:37Several members arrested.
56:38Rico charges.
56:39Dante did that?
56:40No.
56:41Dad says it wasn't our people.
56:43Someone fed evidence to the FBI.
56:45But no one knows who.
56:46I hung up.
56:47A vague answer already forming in my mind.
56:49That afternoon, I got a text from Luca.
56:51Short.
56:51Free.
56:51Want to see you.
56:52Come to my place.
56:53He'd never invited me to his home before.
56:55Pacific Heights.
56:56A white apartment building.
56:57Top floor.
56:58When the elevator doors opened.
56:59I saw the Golden Gate Bridge through the floor to ceiling windows.
57:02Sunset had turned the entire bay orange.
57:04Luca stood in the living room.
57:05Wearing a simple white linen shirt.
57:07But the space was anything but simple.
57:08A painting on the wall.
57:10I didn't know art.
57:10But I could tell.
57:11This didn't belong to a college student.
57:13Want something to drink?
57:15Luca.
57:16Hmm?
57:17The Vakari thing.
57:18That was you.
57:19Not a question.
57:21Do you plan for me?
57:21I should rename it to the floor to the floor.
57:21What?
57:21There are so many things I've got to work.
57:21But if it's mentioned in that space for me,
57:22sometimes you're hurting some of the other spaces.
57:22There are so many people are talking about those things.
57:22The Vakari thing you've got to remove the space.