𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒.

t h i r t y.

Mateo's POV:

"What happened?" Maeve asked me. I cleared my throat and looked at Maya for help.

"Well, your mom tried to stop your kidnappers obviously but she got hurt in the process." Maya told her.

Maeve laughed. "What? It's not like she got shot twice."

No one answered her.

"Wait? She didn't, right?" She repeated. I sighed.

"R-right?" Her eyes filled with tears.

"I'm sorry Mae. She did." That's all it took for her to start sobbing in her hands.

It hurts watching her cry.

Ariella's POV:

I opened my eyes slowly but the bright lights blinded me. I groaned painfully.

"Dumb motherfucking lights." I snapped.

I laid there in silence but then it all came back in a rush.

Maeve and Milo were kidnapped.

I sat up quickly but the pain in my back nearly stopped me breathing but that didn't stop me.

I walked out the room holding onto the wall. The pain was unbearable. I passed the doctors who looked at me weirdly.

Guess they don't know I'm the one who got shot.

I walked out into the waiting room to get to the front of the hospital. Every step I took, a different type of pain shot up my body. I nearly collapsed but I needed to find my children.

"Ariella?!" I heard someone say. I looked to the side and saw my dad. He ran up to me and placed me in a seat. I leaned my head on the wall behind me and closed me eyes.

"Mom?!" Someone touched me. I opened my eyes and saw Maeve with bloodshot eyes.

She was crying.

"Maeve? You're okay?" I asked touching her cheek. She nodded and started crying in my lap. Tears welled in my eyes.

She's okay.

"Where's Milo?" I asked kissing her forehead. Everyone came to hug me. They all looked so relieved to see me.

"He got a leg period." Maeve told me wiping her eyes.  I touched her hair. Someone cut it.

Short hair looked so good on her.

"He got a what?" I asked chuckling, trying to hide the fact that I was in pain.

"He got shot in his leg but don't worry, he is okay." Mateo spoke tying my hair up. My heart dropped.

"HE GOT SHOT?! WHERE IS HE?" I shouted looking around for him.

"Right there." Marcello laughed pointing to the door.

"MOM!" Milo shouted. Elias looked at me before running over with Milo. But he was wheeled over obviously.

"Angel, you're okay?" He sighed pulling me into a hug. Milo hopped off his wheelchair and sat on my lap. I hissed in pain. He got off quickly.

"What happened?!" Milo asked worriedly.

"You didn't tell him?" Rafael snapped.

"He was screaming he's going to die. Of course I didn't." Elias snorted.

"Maeve, why are you crying?" Milo asked.

"They didn't lie. It was true." She whispered.

"You mean, when they told us what happened to mom?" He asked looking hesitant. She nodded. He looked at me for a few seconds before balling his eyes.