The light drizzle continued as Cleopatra and Peter arrived at the hospital. The sterile white walls felt eerily silent, filled only with the occasional sound of nurses' hurried footsteps and the monotonous beeping of medical monitors.

Cleopatra walked briskly through the corridor, her heels clicking against the floor in a firm, steady rhythm.


Behind her, Peter struggled to keep up, unable to ignore the shift in her demeanor. Cleopatra—the confident, untouchable, sometimes arrogant CEO—now looked serious and… almost concerned.

Her sharp gaze swept the hallway until it landed on a familiar figure standing outside the ICU.

Louis.


He leaned against the wall, head lowered, fists clenched at his sides. His face was pale, exhaustion carved into every feature. His eyes were red— from lack of sleep, or maybe from thinking too much.

Cleopatra didn't say anything at first. But without realizing it, her steps slowed.


Her gaze softened. Just a little.

When Louis finally noticed their presence, he lifted his head. His expression was blank, but when he saw her, a flicker of surprise crossed his face.

'Cleopatra?" His voice was hoarse, as if he had been holding in too much.

Cleopatra stopped in front of him, her stare unwavering.

'How's your mother?"

Louis exhaled shakily, running a hand over his tense, worn-out face.

'The doctors said she's critical. She needs surgery soon."

Cleopatra didn't respond immediately.

She searched his eyes.

And what she found shook her.

Louis was breaking.

Usually, he was the calm one—the man who could always compose himself, no matter what.

But tonight, Cleopatra saw something different.

Vulnerability.

And strangely… it hit her harder than she expected.

Before she could think twice, her fingers reached for Louis' clenched fist.

And she gently patted it.

Louis froze.

The touch was warm.

It was so different from the cold, sharp-witted Cleopatra he knew.

His eyes widened slightly, almost not believing she had touched him like this.

'I'll handle the paperwork," Cleopatra said firmly. 'You focus on your mother."

Louis looked at her, stunned.

'Cleo… you don't have to—"

She cut him off with a sharp look. 'I'm not in the mood to argue, Louis."

Her voice was steady, decisive.

'I can handle this, so let me do it."

Louis couldn't argue.

Something about the way she said it left no room for protest.

Behind them, Peter cleared his throat.

'I'll check the CCTV footage and contact the police. If this was a hit-and-run, we need to find out who did it."

Cleopatra nodded. 'Get the footage as fast as possible, Peter."

Peter immediately pulled out his phone and walked off.

Meanwhile, Louis stood frozen.

Trying to process everything.

Cleopatra was really here.

For him.

'…Why are you doing this?" His voice was barely above a whisper.

Cleopatra's gaze softened, just a little.

'Because you don't have to go through this alone."

Such simple words.

Yet, to Louis, they meant everything.

All this time, he thought Cleopatra only saw him as a pawn in her inheritance game.

But tonight… he saw something else.

Something deeper.

He saw a Cleopatra who cared.

And that terrified him.

Because if he wasn't careful—he might just fall for her completely.

Cleopatra took a deep breath, as if suppressing something within herself.

She wasn't used to this.

She wasn't used to being the one who stayed.

But for Louis…

For some reason, she didn't want to walk away.

'Sit down," she said at last. 'You need rest."

Louis held her gaze for a moment.

Then, finally, he nodded.

He lowered himself into one of the waiting chairs.

Cleopatra remained standing beside him, ensuring he wasn't alone.

Time passed… but Cleopatra never left.

And for Louis—that was more than enough.

________________________________________

Meanwhile…

In his lavish mansion, Theodore William Blake sat comfortably in his genuine leather chair.

A lit cigar rested between his fingers, smoke curling into the air, mixing with the scent of expensive brandy.

Across from him, a large mahogany desk was cluttered with important documents.

But his attention was elsewhere.

His phone had just vibrated.

Lazily, he picked it up, placing the cigar back between his lips before answering.

'Yes?"

A voice on the other end spoke—calm, satisfied.

'The job is done, sir."

Theodore smirked, inhaling deeply before exhaling a slow stream of smoke.

'Good."

He leaned back, his voice smooth.

'Cleopatra will be distracted now."

He knew exactly what he was doing.

Attacking Louis' mother would shake Cleopatra—not just because she cared about Louis, but because Louis wasn't the type to walk away when someone he loved was hurt.

He would become reckless.

He would become vulnerable.

And Cleopatra… would be forced to make choices she never expected.

But Theodore wasn't done yet.

He pressed another button on his phone, calling a second number.

This time, his voice turned colder.

More calculated.

'It's time for Phase Two."

A deep, authoritative voice responded. 'Understood. Cleopatra will start doubting Louis. Let's see if she really trusts him."

Theodore's smirk widened.

He could already picture how it would unfold.

Cleopatra was strong.

But she had one fatal weakness.

Betrayal.

And if there was one thing that could break Cleopatra completely—

It was the idea of being stabbed in the back.

"If she wavers," Theodore took another drag from his cigar, his sharp eyes gleaming with dark intent, "I'll make sure Cleo's trust in Louis crumbles."

The voice on the other end chuckled softly. "I'll start planting the seeds of doubt. Cleopatra will get the ‘proof' she needs to question Louis."

Theodore took a slow sip of his brandy, nodding in satisfaction.

"Don't rush it. Let her think everything is fine. Let her rely on Louis even more. And just when she starts feeling safe…"

He smirked. "We'll rip it all away from her."

"Understood, sir."

The call ended.

Theodore leaned back, letting a cloud of cigar smoke swirl around him.

He could already see it.

Cleopatra watching Louis crumble in front of her.

Her mind twisting with doubt.

She'd start questioning every word, every action.

And then, just maybe… she'd start believing that Noah was right all along.

His smirk widened.

"Welcome to the game, Cleopatra," he muttered. "Let's see how strong your faith in that man really is."

The hospital hallways were eerily quiet. Dim overhead lights cast soft shadows on the sterile white walls. The faint sound of nurses walking by and the rhythmic beeping of heart monitors were the only signs of life.

In a quiet corner of the hospital, Louis Toreto sat in the ICU waiting area.

His hands were clasped together, his head bowed, silently praying.

This had been one of the hardest days of his life.

From the moment he got the call about his mother's accident, to the agonizing wait through her surgery, and finally—hearing the doctor say she had survived.

"The surgery was successful, but she's still in critical condition. We'll continue monitoring her progress."

Those words had held him together when he felt like he was about to collapse from sheer exhaustion.

Louis finally let out a deep breath, his chest loosening just a little.

He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to steady himself.

And when he looked up again, Cleopatra was still there.

She sat beside him, her legs elegantly crossed, though her face showed subtle signs of fatigue.

Louis watched her for a moment, a strange feeling settling in his chest.

She was still here.

Even past midnight.

Even though she didn't have to be.

She wasn't barking orders. She wasn't playing games.

She was simply staying by his side.

Louis exhaled. 'You should go home and rest."

Cleopatra glanced at him and smirked slightly. 'I don't abandon the people who matter to me."

Louis' breath caught.

He stared at her—longer than he should have.

Those words sank in, deeper than he expected.

'Cleo…" His voice was quieter this time, as if he needed to be sure he heard her right.

Cleopatra didn't answer immediately.

She simply held his gaze, her expression unreadable, before finally offering a small, knowing smile.

'Don't overthink it, Toreto. I just didn't want you to be alone tonight."

But Louis knew better.

Cleopatra could have left.

She could have let him face this alone.

But she didn't.

And that meant something.

Louis sighed, and without thinking, his hand moved.

His fingers lightly brushed against the back of hers.

Cleopatra stiffened.

Her eyes flicked down to their hands before meeting his again.

'Thank you, Cleo." Louis swallowed before adding, 'I don't know what else to say…"

Cleopatra raised a brow, then—in true Cleopatra fashion—smirked playfully.

'Just admit I'm special to you, Toreto."

Louis didn't reply immediately.

Normally, he'd roll his eyes.

Normally, he'd tease her back.

But tonight…

Tonight, it felt different.

His gaze softened. For the first time, he saw past the woman who loved to play games with him.

He saw someone who was truly there for him.

Someone who cared.

Louis' voice dropped to a whisper.

'You already know the answer."

Cleopatra's heart skipped a beat.

She told herself not to react.

Not to let his words sink in.

But they did.

And for the first time in a long time—Cleopatra felt nervous.

She looked away, not wanting Louis to see the faint warmth creeping onto her cheeks.

Louis smiled. He had never seen her like this before.

And somehow… it was the sweetest thing he'd seen all night.

A Few Hours Later…

Louis sat alone in the hospital waiting room, the quiet swallowing him whole.

Cleopatra had finally gone home, after much convincing.

Now, with nothing but the soft hum of the air conditioning and the occasional footsteps of nurses passing by, Louis let himself breathe.

It wasn't much.

But it was enough—for now.

At least, until his phone vibrated on the table.

Louis frowned, picking it up.

Unknown Number.

A cold, uneasy feeling crawled up his spine.

With hesitation, he answered.

"Hello?"

The voice on the other end was flat. Cold. Menacing.

'Louis Toreto."

Louis immediately tensed. His posture went rigid.

"Who is this?"

There was a brief pause.

Then—a chilling response.

"If you want your mother to stay alive, call off your engagement with Cleopatra."

His blood ran cold.

His grip on the phone tightened, his jaw clenching. "What the hell are you talking about?"

A low chuckle came from the other end.

"You can try to defy me, but look at what happened to your mother. I can destroy more. Your career. The people you love. Everything."

Louis' chest tightened.

He tried to stay calm.

Tried to think logically.

But rage clawed at his throat.

"You think I'm scared of some cheap threats?" His voice was low, controlled—but furious.

Another laugh. Slower. More sinister.

"This isn't a threat, Toreto. It's a warning. I've already proven that I can act. And I won't hesitate to do it again."

Louis' mind raced.

This wasn't just some empty intimidation.

This was real.

Someone with power had done this.

And they weren't done yet.

He forced himself to speak, his voice like steel.

'What do you want?"

The voice answered smoothly.

"Stay away from Cleopatra. Call off the wedding. If you don't…"

The person let the silence linger—as if letting the possibilities settle in.

"It won't just be your mother who suffers. I can ruin your entire life overnight."

Louis' fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.

His breath came slow, controlled—but his heart pounded with pure rage.

And then, through gritted teeth, he asked the only question that mattered.

'Who the hell are you?"

But before Louis could get an answer, the call abruptly ended.

Louis stared at his phone, his breathing heavy.

His hands were still shaking—not from fear, but from pure, burning rage.

Who was after him?

Who wanted him away from Cleopatra?

And more importantly… did this mean Cleopatra was in danger too?

Louis took a deep breath, trying to think rationally.

If he ignored the threat, his mother could become the next target.

But if he walked away from Cleopatra…

That meant surrendering to the people who wanted to tear them apart.

He had to make a decision.

But for the first time, he didn't know which one was right.

Cleopatra arrived at the office earlier than usual.

The sky was still gloomy, the heavy clouds adding a somber atmosphere to the morning—a perfect match for the unease in her chest.

Her heels clicked rhythmically against the marble floors as she strode through the main corridor.

Employees greeted her with polite nods, but she barely acknowledged them.

Her mind had been restless since last night.

Something was off.

Louis.

She hadn't heard from him all morning.

Normally, even when he was busy, he would at least send a short text.

If not that, he'd be here before anyone else.

But today?

Nothing.

Her eyes flicked toward her phone.

No messages. No calls. No notifications.

"What the hell is going on?" she muttered under her breath.

A knock on her office door pulled her out of her thoughts.

Peter stepped in, his usual easygoing demeanor in place.

'Morning, Boss."

Cleopatra barely looked up.

'Has Louis arrived?"

Peter raised an eyebrow, slightly caught off guard by her directness.

'Nope. First time he's ever been late."

Cleopatra pressed her lips together.

The bad feeling in her chest only grew stronger.

Just a few minutes later, the front doors finally swung open.

Louis walked in.

But something was wrong.

He didn't look like himself.

His face was pale, his eyes dark and sunken, as if he hadn't slept in days.

His usual strong, confident posture seemed off—his shoulders too tense, his steps slower.

Cleopatra immediately stood from her chair and walked toward him.

'Are you okay?" Her voice was softer than usual.

Louis nodded, but Cleopatra could see the lie written all over his face.

'I just didn't sleep well at the hospital."

Cleopatra narrowed her eyes, studying him more closely.

Louis never acted like this.

'Is there something you want to tell me?" she pressed.

Louis exhaled, then looked at her with an unreadable expression.

There was something in his eyes.

Something Cleopatra didn't like.

Something that made her chest tighten.

'There's nothing to worry about."

Liar.

Cleopatra's suspicion deepened.

'Louis."

Her voice dropped lower, more demanding.

'I know you better than you think. You're hiding something."

Louis squared his shoulders, trying to maintain the illusion of control.

'Cleo, I'm just tired. This isn't something you need to be concerned about."

Cleopatra folded her arms.

Her sharp gaze scanned every inch of his face, searching for a crack in his mask.

'Don't tell me what I should or shouldn't be concerned about."

She tilted her head slightly, voice unwavering.

'I can see it clearly. Something is bothering you."

Louis didn't answer right away.

His jaw tightened, as if he was holding something back.

Was this about Noah?

Or… something worse?

Cleopatra hated this feeling.

She hated not knowing.

She hated the idea that Louis was keeping something from her.

But before she could push him any further—

Peter suddenly approached them, his expression tense.

And whatever he was about to say—it wasn't good.