Chapter 3 She Needs To Heal

The road was deserted at that hour of the night. An icy wind cut through the air, but Alicia barely felt it, as though her body, having endured too much pain in the span of a few hours, had built a protective shell around itself.

She sat on the edge of the asphalt with her knees drawn up, her arms wrapped tightly around herself.

Tears fell without restraint. Everything felt unreal.

It was as if she were trapped in a nightmare she could not wake from, burdened by a cross heavy with betrayal and pain.

Right then, the sound of an approaching engine broke through her daze.

A sleek black car came to a stop just a few meters away from her.

Alicia did not raise her head, yet she knew who it was the instant a pair of black leather shoes halted in front of her.

"Alicia."

Alessandro's voice was low and commanding, but concern threaded through it.

Beside her, Aaron quickly stepped out of the car.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" her brother demanded harshly as he strode toward her. "Why are you alone on the road at this hour?"

Alicia did not answer.

She did not even look up.

Aaron gritted his teeth, anger flaring as he took in her condition.

"Answer me, Alicia!" he pressed. "What happened?"

But then her father knelt in front of her.

Alicia lifted her eyes and met Alessandro's gaze.

Those were the eyes that had protected her her entire life.

The same eyes that had never witnessed her this shattered.

She could not endure it.

A heart-wrenching sob tore from her chest as she threw herself into her father's arms, the way she had when she was little.

"Dad..." she whispered, her voice shaking.

Alessandro held her tightly, pressing her against his chest.

"I'm here, my little one. I'm here."

Alicia clung to him as if he were the only thing keeping her grounded.

"Dad, it hurts..." her voice broke. "It hurts so much..."

Alessandro gently stroked her hair.

"I know, my love. But I won't let this destroy you."

Alicia sobbed helplessly, burying her face into her father's coat.

"They deceived me..." she murmured weakly. "Marcus... Viviana..."

Alessandro's body went rigid.

Aaron took a step forward, his eyes burning with fury.

"What did you say?"

Alicia squeezed her eyes shut, another wave of pain crashing over her.

"They cheated on me, Aaron..."

Rage surged through Aaron.

Alessandro shut his eyes briefly, forcing his anger back under control.

When he opened them again, resolve had settled firmly in his gaze.

He lifted his hands and gently framed Alicia's face, guiding her to meet his eyes.

"Listen to me carefully, Alicia Michelle Hampton."

His voice remained low and steady.

"No one, absolutely no one, gets to define your worth. Not a man. Not even betrayal."

Tears welled in Alicia's eyes once again.

"But, Dad..."

"No." Alessandro shook his head. "I won't allow you to believe, even for a single second, that you are worth less because of what they did to you. You are a Hampton. You are my daughter. And the whole world will know it."

Alicia trembled as her father's unwavering love closed around her.

Yet Viviana's words still echoed in her mind, poisonous and relentless. As if they had fractured something deep within her soul.

Aaron stepped forward.

"Marcus Aponte and his family have just sealed their own fate, and there is no turning back from what they have done."

His voice was cold, emptied of the warmth he usually kept for his sister.

"I will destroy them. Hampton Enterprises is going to crush them. They will be left with nothing."

Alicia looked at him through tear-filled eyes.

"Aaron..."

But her brother did not allow her to finish.

"It's non-negotiable," he said, his tone lethal. "This won't end like this."

Alessandro nodded slowly, never loosening his hold on his daughter.

"They made a mistake, and that decision is going to cost the Apontes far more than they ever imagined."

Aaron pulled out his phone and dialed a number without taking his eyes off Alicia.

"Start moving the strings," he ordered. "I want every contract, every investment, and every partner the Apontes have to fall into disgrace. Leave nothing of their empire."

A chill ran down Alicia's spine.

Aaron ended the call and slipped his phone back into his jacket.

"This is just the beginning."

Days later, the Italian breeze drifted softly through the morning air, carrying the scent of nearby vineyards into the Hampton Mansion. The grand residence stood quiet, weighed down by a sense of melancholy after the chaos that had shaken the family.

Alicia stood on the balcony outside her bedroom. Instead of returning to her apartment, she chose to stay at the Hampton Mansion and sit with her heartbreak, holding a cup of coffee while she stared toward the distant horizon. The brightness and certainty that once filled her gaze had faded, replaced by a heavy, muted look that reflected the emotional wreckage she was still carrying.

Five days had gone by since the betrayal shattered her trust.

Five days had passed since everything she believed in collapsed around her.

But she had made a decision.

She had shed more tears than she thought possible, and there was nothing left to let out.

The pain had already cut through her relentlessly, leaving her raw and exhausted but no longer breaking.

She knew she had to move forward, even if the path ahead was unclear and she had no idea where to begin.

Her siblings had already gone back to their own lives, scattered across England, Spain, and the United States. Katerina, her sister-in-law, stayed a little longer to help settle urgent business matters before leaving with Aaron. During that time, her young nephew, Alexander, became an unexpected source of comfort, offering her quiet moments of warmth when she needed them most.

As for the companies, she entrusted their management to her older brother. While the Italian executive did not truly require Aaron's assistance, Aaron remained involved, overseeing operations until her return. Even so, Alicia knew she was not yet ready to step back into that role, and the weight of that realization lingered with her.

She could not do it yet.

She could not take control when she no longer understood who she was.

"Are you sure about this?"

Her mother's voice, drew her out of her thoughts.

Alicia turned and saw her standing in the doorway, concern filling her eyes.

She was the only one who had not left her side yet.

Her mother had insisted on staying, though Alicia knew she had to face this part of her life on her own.

"Yes, Mom," she said softly. "I need to be here. I need to be alone."

Her mother let out a quiet sigh and stepped closer, gently cupping her daughter's face in her hands.

"I don't want to leave you, my love," she said. "Not after everything that's happened. You know perfectly well you can come with us to the United States."

Alicia managed a faint smile, one that never reached her eyes.

"I know," she replied. "But going to the United States won't fix anything, Mom."

Paige pressed her lips together, sadness weighing on her expression.

She did not want to leave her.

But she understood.

Her daughter was wounded.

Not physically, but somewhere far deeper.

In a way only time could mend.

"If you need anything at all..." she whispered. "Call me. No matter the time or the place."

Alicia nodded.

"I will, Mom."

Her mother pulled her into a tight embrace, as if trying to pour every ounce of love she had into that single moment.

When she finally released her, her eyes were shining with unshed tears.

"I love you, Alicia," she said softly. "Never forget that."

Alicia forced herself to swallow, pushing down the tight knot that had formed in her throat.

"I love you too, Mom."

She watched her leave with a heavy heart.

She stood there until her mother's car disappeared along the stone path that led to the main road.

And when the mansion fell completely silent, she realized that for the first time in her life, she truly had no one but herself.

She let out a quiet sigh and closed her eyes.

She had chosen to be alone.

But that did not mean the loneliness did not hurt.