**Collapsed 319**
**Chapter 319**
**AUTHOR’S POV.**
The instant Alina’s body crumpled to the floor, a heart-wrenching scream erupted from Luna, slicing through the suffocating air like a blade. Time seemed to freeze, the world around her blurring into an indistinct haze of panic and dread, as if reality itself had paused to witness the horror unfolding before her.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Luna surged forward, propelled by a tidal wave of fear that coursed through her veins, chilling her to her very core. “Alina! Alina, baby… please, wake up!” Her voice trembled, raw and filled with a mother’s anguish, echoing against the walls of the room like a haunting melody. She knelt beside her daughter, fingers trembling as she desperately sought a pulse, praying fervently for even the slightest sign of life.
Damien and Talia stood frozen in place, their expressions a horrifying blend of shock and disbelief. Luna pushed past them, her heart racing like a wild animal as she focused solely on Alina. “Wake up, sweetheart! Please!” Each word dripped with desperation, her maternal instincts surging to the forefront, demanding action.
Her frantic gaze darted toward Darius, a fiery accusation igniting within her eyes. The moment Cassian Voss had crossed their threshold, a dark premonition had settled deep in her gut, a foreboding sense that their lives were about to be irrevocably altered. “This is your fault!” she spat, her words laced with venom and fear, the intensity of her emotions palpable.
Around Alina, the family gathered, forming a tight circle of concern and confusion. Talia hovered nearby, her hands poised to assist, while the bodyguards stood sentinel at the edges, their vigilance palpable as they exchanged wary glances, ready to spring into action at the slightest hint of danger.
One of the bodyguards hissed a terse command into his earpiece, his eyes scanning the room for potential threats. Another crouched beside Luna, placing a steadying hand on her shoulder—a silent gesture of support amidst the chaos.
“Someone get water!” Damien barked, urgency fueling his movements as adrenaline surged through him. Dropping to his knees, he cradled Alina’s head in his hands, his touch gentle yet firm. “Father, you should have just laid it on her like that,” he muttered under his breath, frustration bubbling to the surface, the tension in the air thickening.
Darius stood like a statue in the center of the room, his expression inscrutable, a mask of calm that belied the storm brewing within. Meanwhile, Cassian remained seated, the brown envelope resting ominously on his lap, an unsettling calmness radiating from him that felt almost foreign in the charged atmosphere.
His presence loomed large, a dark cloud casting a shadow over the family, heavy with unspoken implications.
Luna’s lips quivered as she turned her gaze back to Darius, her voice trembling with emotion. “Why would you bring this up now, especially knowing how she feels about it?” Each word was a battle against the rising tide of despair threatening to engulf her.
Darius replied with chilling calmness, as if he were merely stating an undeniable fact. “She needed to know. There’s no point in beating around the bush when she will find out regardless.” His tone was steady, but the weight of his words hung heavily in the air, a dark cloud of inevitability settling over them.
Luna instinctively brushed her fingers against Alina’s cheek, pressing down as if trying to anchor her daughter to the world of the living. “But still, you should have waited! For God’s sake, she just walked into the house! You didn’t even give her a chance to breathe!” Her voice cracked, the rawness of her emotion cutting through the tension like a knife, leaving a palpable silence in its wake.
Darius remained silent, his gaze locked onto Cassian, studying him with the intensity of a strategist assessing his opponent on a chessboard, the stakes higher than ever before.
**Fifteen minutes earlier…**
The living room had radiated warmth and a sense of normalcy, a cocoon of familial comfort that felt almost sacred, a stark contrast to the chaos that was about to unfold.
Darius had leaned back in his chair, laughter spilling from his lips as he responded to something Damien had said, a light-hearted exchange that filled the room with a sense of ease. Luna sat on the couch, engrossed in her book, a half-finished cup of tea cooling on the saucer beside her, the steam rising and dissipating like their fleeting tranquility. Damien had draped a newspaper over one knee, though his attention was far from the printed words, his mind already wandering.
He watched his parents with a cautious eye, that instinctual wariness children possess when they witness their parents’ moments of affection, a protective instinct flaring within him as he observed the warmth that enveloped them.
Everything felt relaxed, as it often does when one believes the day holds no surprises.
A maid entered, bowing slightly as she spoke in a hushed tone. “There’s someone at the door asking to see Master Vergreen.”
Darius straightened, a frown forming on his brow, sensing the shift in the atmosphere. “Let him in,” he instructed, his tone firm and authoritative, the moment suddenly charged with anticipation.
The maid hesitated for a moment, glancing at Damien as if seeking his permission. “Okay, Master Damien,” she finally said, before moving to open the front doors.
Damien’s head snapped up, irritation flashing across his features. “Master Damien?” he echoed, annoyance seeping into his voice. “I’m not—” He bit back his words, rubbing his temple in frustration as the maid slipped away before he could correct her.
He had repeatedly asked them to simply call him sir, reserving the title of master for his father, but it seemed his wishes fell on deaf ears, lost in the chaos of the moment.
As the front doors swung open, Cassian Voss stepped inside, exuding an effortless confidence. Each step he took was deliberate, his posture radiating authority, as though he were a king entering his domain.
A brown envelope was clutched tightly in his hand, his demeanor suggesting he was a man accustomed to boardrooms and press conferences—neat, controlled, and above all, composed.
Darius recognized him immediately. The name Cassian Voss resonated in his mind—a businessman with a vast empire, his investments sprawling across cities. He was not the kind of man to knock on doors without purpose, and that realization sent a shiver down Darius’s spine.
“Mr. Voss,” Darius said, rising to his feet, “To what do I owe this unexpected visit?”
Cassian offered a polite nod, a slight bow of his head. “I apologize for showing up unannounced, Mr. Evergreen,” he replied smoothly, his voice steady yet tinged with urgency. “But I need to speak with you. It’s very important.”
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