104.

Lily's POV

As I quietly eased the door open, I slipped into the room, ensuring my footsteps made no sound. My heart raced with each passing second, my breaths shallow and rapid as I surveyed the scene before me.

Rocco and his three cohorts stood ominously before Lucas' bed, their imposing figures casting dark shadows across the dim room.

Thank God I had told Lucas to turn off the lights before I left. The darkness in the room gave me added security.

Relief flooded through me as I caught sight of Lucas, alive and seemingly unharmed, sitting upright in bed, facing the intruders with an eerie calmness.

"Good afternoon!" He called out to Rocco. "I'm guessing Ricardo sent you here to finish the job he started."

I couldn't fathom how Lucas could maintain such composure in the face of danger, while my own nerves threatened to fall apart with each passing moment.

As I stood hidden in the shadows, my heart pounded furiously in my chest, my breaths coming in short, panicked gasps. I strained