The billionaire's beautiful marionette

Lucia's pov

The smell of burnt coffee beans and crisp onions stuck to me like Regret as I scrubbed a sticky table top with the same desperation I used to polish my ballet slippers, only now there was zero music,no cheering or applause - just flickering lights about to die and the irritating voice of my wretched manager spitting out orders as usual.

"Table seven's been patient for long enough Lucia, move your ass!"

I didn't respond.I stopped responding quite a long time ago.words used to flow out of me like a symphony - smooth, unfiltered and captivating. Now they remained stuck somewhere behind clenched teeth and my forced smile.

I managed to balance two plates as I glided towards a table, my posture straight despite my sore joints.

A toddler screamed as she flung food across a table.My fingers twitched on instinct like I was about to perform a pirouette but I stopped myself.

That part of me was lost.

I chuckled bitterly as I mocked myself:

Lucia Moretti, you've fallen so far from a prodigy to a mere waitress in a faded uniform, pouring lukewarm coffee for strangers who can't even look you in the eye.

I brushed aside the thought as I spoke to the man at table seven."Can I get you anything else sir?" my voice devoid of emotion.

Yeah," the man at the table replied,his eyes never leaving his phone.

"get me someone who actually knows how to serve a proper meal because clearly you don't."

I ignored his comment as I took the plate, turned and walked back to the kitchen without saying a word.I also didn't flinch when the ceramic plate shattered in the sink though my coworker was startled.

"My God,Lucy...."

"I'll cover the damages;I murmured and kept my feet moving.

It wasn't the plate.it wasn't even the insult either.it was the unfortunate date. Six months. Six months since that fire. Six months since everything that had meaning in my life was taken from me in the blink of an orange-glowing haze.

"Well not everything. I thankfully still had Sophia,my sister", I corrected myself mentally.

By noon,my feet felt like burning coal and my spine groaned with every step.

My shift finally ended and I dashed out of there without saying goodbye,I didn't really care about anyone but Sophia right now.

I crumpled my tips tightly in my fists - barely enough for the house rent,let alone medicine for Sophia.

Outside, the rain drizzled from the grey sky as I walked on the cracked pavement to the bus stop, hugging my jacket tighter for warmth. A little girl twirled around in circles in the corner nearby,humming off-key and careless in her joy. I froze.

That used to be Me.

Every spin she took was like a punch to my stomach.I smiled bitterly as I watched her pretend the sidewalk was her stage and the rain, her spotlight.

I saw my fifteen year old self again as I remembered being full of dreams and dancing in the snow because practice couldn't wait.

My first costume was a silky tutu that I couldn't wait to wear and my mother used to cry with pride as she saw me, the smell of roses on her fingertips.

My pleasant memories were interrupted by my ex husband's voice as my mind took a wrong turn:"you're losing it Lucy. You can barely take care of yourself,let alone a demanding career like ballet. You're unstable."

My fists tightened.

He had stolen everything - My name, platform,ballet.And when I disappeared from the spotlight,the world believed the headlines:"Ballet's brightest star burns out in public meltdown."

I'd begged him to stop truthfully.But Matt Richards knew just how to control the media and in the end everyone went with his version of my fall.

My apartment was run down and it was on the ground floor with peeling paint and overall barely holding together but it was the best I could manage after the fire.

The one person I still cared about was inside so at least there was hope.

I pushed open the door,then she ran to me.

"Cece!"Sophia beamed as she ran towards me, wrapped in a worn blanket.The bandages on her limbs had been replaced, but her scars peeked through - raw and angry.

I ignored the pain in my chest at her condition as I dropped my bag and knelt beside her."Did you stay in your blanket all day?"

"Noo...,"she replied proudly as she held up a painting.It was blurry stick figures - one tall,one short- holding hands in front of a house surrounded by flames.

My breath caught in my throat.

"sophia...

"I saw them Cece..." she said in a whisper.

"There was a very loud sound.And they were....there.." she trailed off.

I grew stiff."You went through a terrible experience soso, I think it's very normal for you to hallucinate."

"No.I saw them...shadows."

I wanted to hug her, to dismiss it as fear and imagination.But there was a part of me that blamed myself.The fire was so sudden...maybe I left the heater on or something because it doesn't make sense.

And even now, the official cause was left as"unknown electrical failure".

"You're ok now," I whispered, hugging Sophia tighter."Nothing is going to hurt you again."

I stayed awake to watch her sleep after dinner, listening to her steady breathing as I stared at the ceiling.My mind replayed the flames,the smoke, Sophia's screams,the door that wouldn't open....

Until Sophia's muffled whimper snapped me out of my thoughts. I hurried to her room and found her struggling under the covers,sweat covering her forehead.

"Stop,Stop! Don't come in!" Sophia cried in her sleep."The woman! She's in the fire!"

I shook her awake firmly." It's okay. It's okay soso."

Sophia looked up at me with wide terrified eyes that made my heart bleed."Was it just a dream Cece? or something else?"

I didn't know how to answer.

My throat tightened.

I cuddled with her in bed for a long time.

Later,she managed to sleep but I didn't.

I couldn't.

I have to do whatever it takes to help my sister.

Lucia's pov

The scream pierced the silence like a knife to the chest.

"Sophia!"

I bolted upright, the wooly blanket slipping from my chest as I bolted to her room where I left her Last night, heart slamming against my rib cage.

The air was thick- too thick- and in the dim light from the hallway I saw her.

She was cringing against the floor by the window,her little frame trembling,hands hugging her chest.

"Cece..." she groaned.

"It ....hurts..."

I rushed to her side in mere seconds, anxiety filling my head as I lifted her into my lap.

"How did this happen?"

"She was fine just yesterday!"

I silenced my thoughts as I felt her skin...it was clammy and burning up but yet she shivered like she was trapped in a tundra.

"Sophia, keep your eyes on me," I whispered, cupping her face.

"What's wrong? What's hurting?".

"My chest," she gasped."I can't...breathe.."

Another wave of anxiety washed over me.This time much stronger .

"Okay. It's Okay. I've got you baby."

I grabbed my phone with unsteady hands and dialed 911.My voice came out hoarse, panicked.

"My baby sister - she CANNOT breathe properly. She's burning up - please just hurry!"

The ambulance lights dyed the world in a frantic red and white. I sat next to her, clutching her hand as they raced through traffic.

"Her heart rate's too fast," the specialist muttered. "Blood pressure dropping - let's prepare the oxygen".

"Is she going to be alright?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

"We'll do everything we can love," the woman said without looking up at me.

"Keep speaking to her. Keep her awake."

The woman continued.

I obliged.

"Soso," I murmured. " Stay here with me, okay? Remember our promise?"

Her eyes fluttered open."Always.... and forever..." she whispered with much effort.

"That's right. You're going nowhere."

I promised once more.

The emergency room was icy, sterile and loud - monitors beeping,voices yelling and machines humming in mechanical rhythm.

A nurse took her from me and I stood there for a moment, empty and shaking.

"Miss," someone said quietly.

"We need you to wait outside."

I nodded mindlessly and stumbled into the corridor.

Seconds turned into minutes. Minutes stretched into hours. I sat on a Stony chair with my arms wrapped tightly around my knees like a little girl. I couldn't cry. Not now. I had to be strong. I had to be useful.

A nurse appeared, clipboard in hand.

"Lucia Moretti?"

I scrambled to my feet."Yes.Is she -?"

"She's stable for now. But there's cause for alarm. We suspect acute respiratory distress, possibly made worse by previous smoke inhalation or trauma. We'll be running more tests."

"Whatever she needs," I answered quickly.

"Please."

The nurse hesitated for a moment.

"Do you have a health insurance file with us?"

"No, but she's just a little child. You'll still treat her right?"

She softened."She's receiving emergency care. But for long-term treatment - most especially advanced diagnoses and medication - we'll need either insurance information or an upfront payment."

I blinked. Twice. "uhh, I have...three hundred and fifty dollars. I can give it to you now."

She forced a tight smile. "Our payment department is just down the hall to the left. You can discuss options with them."

Options? There were few options for me to be honest. I didn't have a well paying job anymore.

"Can I see her?" I whispered.

She nodded and guided me to a small room.

Sophia looked even tinier in the hospital bed, her skin pale against the sheets. An IV snaked into her arm. Her eyes slowly opened as I sat next to her.

"Cece?" Her voice was just a whisper but I could hear her.

"I'm here,Soso." I stroked her hair back softly. "I'm right here baby."

"You were sobbing..."

I smiled, holding back brand new tears." No way,I'm too tough for that."

She gave a knowing smile,then frowned.

"It felt like the fire all over again...like I couldn't move...like I was stuck under a rock or something."

My chest tightened.

"Do you think the fire caused my sickness?"

"No," I lied calmly." it wasn't your fault. None of it was."

"But I saw a lady...from the flames..."

She whispered. " The lady was out to get me."

A chill crawled up my spine.

"She looked very threatening but somehow she was still beautiful."

"Baby," I said gently, " sometimes our brains play tricks on us when we're scared. It doesn't mean it's real."

"But it felt so real."

I couldn't say anything else. So I gently held her hand and murmured," I'll figure it all out. I swear."

After she went to sleep, I found my way into the hallway. Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting a warm glow on everything. I passed the billing office but refused to go in.

What was the point?

I leaned against a worn out vending machine and stared at the broken tile beneath my feet. I was running on luck - no money,a shitty job and an unclear future. And now my sister needed medical care I could barely afford.

A male nurse passed by me and paused

"Are you well,miss?"

I straightened. "Yes. I'm just...waiting."

He looked unconvinced but nodded slowly,then moved on.

I pressed my hands to my face and let out a loud sigh.

This city didn't care about little girls who hallucinated about fires or big sisters who used to dance until their feet hurt because it made them happy.

It didn't care about people like us.

But I did

And I would find a way out of this.even if it killed me.

Lucas's pov

Hospitals were always cold - sterile, serious and lacking emotion. I preferred them that way. They reminded me of boardrooms: full of calculated breaths, quiet strength and controlled chaos.

I sat in a private waiting lounge, grey suit crisp against the beige room, the cuff of my Rolex catching the harsh fluorescent light. The floor beneath my shoes shone.

Everything was clean. Neat. Perfect.

Just how I liked it.

"Mr. Marano?" A nurse poked her head through."Your mother's vitals are stable. She's resting comfortably and the doctor will attend to you briefly."

I gave a brief nod, barely lifting my gaze.

"Thank you."

When she left, I stood and walked over to the large window looking down at the hospital's courtyard. It was drizzling - soft, persistent and unyielding. The same kind of drizzle that poured the night I signed my first billion dollar acquisition.

There was poetry to this type of weather.

And yet...something else drew my attention to the hallway. A flicker of movement. No. Not movement - emotion.

Raw, unfiltered emotion.

I turned just in time to see a young woman arguing with the nurse at the front desk. Her voice wasn't loud but it vibrated with urgency, like a guitar string pulled to the extreme.

"I said I'll figure something out. I just need a bit more time."

I narrowed my eyes.

The woman - youthful, mid twenties maybe - stood in a pale pink hoodie and worn jeans. Hair in a messy bun, cheeks flushed and eyes rimmed bright red,no doubt from crying. And yet she stood firm. Unyielding.

Like the whole fucking world could collapse all around her and she'd still keep fighting.

She didn't belong in this place.

She belonged in a storm.

She turned away from the front desk, sighing like she was pulling herself together through sheer willpower. Then she saw me and our eyes locked for a mere second.

Just one.

And in that second, I saw it.

The fight.

The kind I'd seen in hopeful entrepreneurs pitching their dreams from crumbled homes. The kind that couldn't be bought or faked.

I watched her strut to a vending machine, digging through her pocket. She took out four crumpled bills. Inserted one. The machine rejected it.

Then another.

I didn't think much before I walked over to her,my footsteps silent on the tiles.

"Allow me..." I said, my voice smooth and detached but low enough to cut through her frustration.

She blinked up at me, startled.

"Oh,uh...."

I slipped my black card from my wallet and tapped it against the reader. The machine beeped, signaling the approval of the transaction.

"I wasn't -," she started.

"I know," I finished, not unkindly but a bit icily. " You were struggling. You still are."

She stared at me, her lips parted slightly.

Then she chuckled under her breath - dry, exhausted. "Guess you saw the whole show then huh?"

I shrugged. "I've seen much worse."

I then took her trembling fingers in mine before I continued. "But hardly anyone standing so tall in the middle of it."

Something flashed in her eyes - curiosity, maybe. Distrust as well. She gently removed her hands from mine before folding them across her chest.

"Forgive me, but you don't look like the type who hangs around ER vending machines."

"I don't," I admitted. "But you do."

She tilted her head "and what's that supposed to mean, sir?".

"It means,"I stated matter of factly, "you're too proud to ask for help, but too loyal to walk away.Your kind of person usually breaks alone."

Silence stretched between us like gum.

Then -

"I'm Lucia," she introduced quietly.

"And I don't break. Well not easily, anyway."

My mouth quirked upward at her cute little introduction,well just a little anyway.

"Lucas Marano." I introduced back.

Her eyes narrowed just for a moment, recognition reflecting in them.

"The Lucas Marano?"

I shrugged again. "Depends on who's asking."

She looked me over again - only this time much slower like she was analyzing me which I oddly didn't mind too much. Then she spoke. "Well,Mr. Marano, thank you. For the vending machine rescue."

I gave a curt nod. "It was the least a gentleman like me could do."

Before she could respond, a nurse called her name down the hall.She gave me one last look - wary, grateful and curious - then scurried away.

I stood there a Moment longer, my expression thoughtful.

Then I turned and stepped out for a bit, letting the rain hit me for a brief second before I took out my phone.

It buzzed just before I dialed.

Matt Richards.

I answered the call with a knowing smile on my face. "You sure take your sweet time to reach out matt."

Matt's familiar laughter broke through.

"You're one to talk,Mr ghost Marano. What? Running empires too big to call your best friend anymore?"

I smirked. "Something along those lines."

"Ass," he snorted before continuing...

"You still at hope general? Heard your mom's tests were today."

"She's stable for now."

"Glad to hear it. Hey - LA next weekend. Still up for it?"

"I'll be there but first I need to sort out things here," I said.

"Hey, you better be there because I need a break from Vegas. Too many pricks trying to buy me out and not enough models trying to marry me."

"Same old Matt, you never change do you?" I snorted.

"You know it." he retorted.

We talked for a few more minutes - about nothing in particular and not once did I mention Lucia. I was fine with keeping her a secret.

To me she was the fierce woman in the hallway who struggled with the vending machine but with strength hidden behind her eyes.

I would always remember her and I would make sure she remembered me as well.