Chapter 4 One Breath Left
975 Words
But no one believed me. Everyone stared at me as if I were a cornered madwoman.
The bodyguards had my shoulders pinned. They were about to drag me back to Dominic.
Then Simon Carter stepped out from the corner where he had been standing in terrified silence.
He was the private physician's assistant, and sweat covered his face.
"Wait," he said.
For a split second, the room went silent.
Simon swallowed hard.
"Just now, Thea's finger moved," he said. "I'm sure I saw it move."
The private physician's face twisted.
"Dr. Carter," he snapped, "don't talk nonsense."
Simon's face went pale, but he forced himself to continue.
"I was standing close by. I don't think I imagined it," he said. "In infants, a breath-holding spell can sometimes look like death. If the trigger is removed in time, a brief response is still possible."
Bianca's composure finally cracked. Her voice cut through the room, sharp and shrill.
"Have all of you lost your minds?" she snapped. "You're treating a one-year-old child like an experiment. Who is going to take responsibility if something goes wrong?"
Dominic had not said a word until now. Slowly, he raised his head, his gaze fixed on Thea's face.
"Open all the balcony windows," he ordered. "Let her take the child somewhere with fresh air."
Bianca's breath caught. "Mr. Vittori..."
Dominic's eyes snapped toward her. "I said open them."
The balcony windows were thrown wide. The moment the cold wind swept into the ballroom, Thea gave a tiny, fragile twitch in my arms.
A raw, hoarse sob broke from Seraphina. "Let me see my daughter."
Supported by the household staff, Seraphina staggered toward me. Her face was streaked with tears, and her hair had come loose. At that moment, she no longer cared about pride or dignity.
She reached for Thea.
Out of instinct, I shifted Thea slightly out of her reach.
Seraphina froze.
Bianca seized the opening at once. She hurried forward and reached for Seraphina's arm.
"Mrs. Vittori, please don't upset yourself," Bianca said quickly. "The child is already..."
Before Bianca could finish, Seraphina slapped her hard across the face.
The sharp c***k echoed through the ballroom.
Bianca's head snapped to the side, and one side of her face turned red and swollen almost instantly.
Seraphina was shaking from head to toe, and her voice broke with rage.
"Stay away from her," she said. "You are not allowed to get close to my daughter."
Bianca clutched her face as tears spilled down her cheeks.
"Mrs. Vittori," she said weakly, "I was only worried about you."
Seraphina ignored Bianca completely.
Her red-rimmed eyes locked onto mine.
"You said my daughter isn't gone," Seraphina said, her voice trembling. "You said someone poisoned her and made her stop breathing."
"Yes," I said.
The private physician tried to step forward.
"Mrs. Vittori, don't let her mislead you."
Seraphina spun around, grabbed a bottle of wine from the table, and hurled it at the physician's feet.
The bottle shattered with a sharp c***k. Glass sprayed across the floor, and dark red wine splashed over his trousers.
"My daughter is lying there fighting for her life, and you still think you can tell me who to believe?" Seraphina said, her voice shaking with fury. "If she has even one breath left, then anyone who tries to stop this girl will pay with their life."
Every Vittori brother went rigid.
Bianca's face turned ashen. She opened her mouth as if she still wanted to argue.
"But Mrs. Vittori..."
Before she could finish, Dominic pulled the gun from his waist and fired a single shot into the air.
"Shut up!" His eyes were bloodshot with rage. "No one stops her today."
Then his gaze shifted to me. "But remember this. If you are playing me, you will be buried alongside my daughter."
I nodded quickly at Dominic and Seraphina. Then I carried Thea onto the balcony and laid her carefully on a wicker chair. I pulled the baby blanket open.
Simon followed close behind me, his forehead beaded with sweat.
"Loosen her clothes," he said quickly. "Make sure nothing is pressing against her chest. Check her breathing first. See if her chest is rising."
I did exactly as he said. My hands were shaking so badly that I could barely move properly. Inside my head, Thea's voice was growing weaker and weaker.
"Faster... please."
Tears spilled down my face. "Don't fall asleep," I said, my voice trembling.
Simon's hands were shaking too, but he forced himself to begin emergency stimulation at once.
"Tap the sole of her foot gently," he said. "Then check her carotid pulse. See if you can feel even the faintest heartbeat."
I did exactly as he told me, but nothing happened. There was no movement, no pulse, no response at all.
Bianca stood a short distance away, one hand still pressed against her swollen cheek. A dark gleam slowly crept into her eyes.
"Mr. Vittori," she said softly, "that's enough. If you keep putting Miss Vittori through this, she won't even be allowed a peaceful end."
Dominic's jaw clenched so tightly that he looked seconds away from snapping. But he said nothing.
Simon's face grew paler and paler.
"It's over... It's really over," I murmured as my strength gave out and I collapsed onto the floor.
Simon pressed his hand to Thea's chest, searching for any sign of a heartbeat. The light in his eyes slowly faded, and even his lips began to tremble.
Bianca seemed to exhale in relief, as if this was the moment she had been waiting for. Then she raised one hand and signaled to the bodyguards.
"Take her away."
But before the bodyguards could move, Simon suddenly went rigid. His head snapped up, and his voice came out strained with shock.
"Wait! Miss Vittori... I think she just moved!"
- Writer
