Gabriella's frailty had been a growing concern for the brothers since their discussion with their grandfather. Her weakened state worried them deeply.

"Let me handle things," Nyx's voice whispered in Gabriella's mind. "You need rest."

Without resistance, Gabriella's body and mind surrendered, allowing Nyx to take total control. When her eyes opened again, they had darkened, a subtle indication of Nyx's dominance.

The brothers entered the room, accompanied by their cousins and grandfather, oblivious to the shift in power. Nyx watched intently, her dark eyes scrutinizing each of them.

"How are you feeling, bambina?" Antonio asked, his lips brushing against her forehead in a gentle kiss.

"I feel alright," Nyx replied with a nonchalant shrug.

Alessandro's eyes narrowed. "You sure?"

Riccardo's face creased with concern as he placed a hand on her forehead. "Piccolo, you worried this old man."

Nyx's expression remained impassive. "I'm okay," she assured him, her voice devoid of emotion. Despite Nyx's control, a faint fondness for the old man lingered, a residual sentiment from Gabriella's interactions with him.

The room fell silent, with all eyes fixed on her. Then, out of nowhere, she spoke up.

"Can I get some weed?" she asked, her tone nonchalant.

The room froze, with everyone's eyes wide open in shock.

"What the heck did you just say?" Antonio asked, his jaw clenched tightly.

She let out an exaggerated sigh. "You heard me. I need something to make this place more interesting."

Leonardo's brow furrowed in concern. "What's gotten into you, Gabriella? Are you sure you're okay?"

Nyx's gaze turned icy. "I'm Nyx, not Gabriella."

The brothers exchanged confused glances. They remembered her acting strangely when they rescued her, like she was a different person.

"What do you mean?" Niccolo asked, his voice cautious.

Nyx's annoyance grew. "I'm not Gabriella, I'm Nyx. Can't you understand that?"

Nyx had never been known for having patience. That was the biggest reason Gabriella refused to let her have total control most times. But now it seemed like Nyx was going to be around for a long time

"Explain what you mean by that" Domenico said, his eyes trained on her face

Nyx opened her mouth but something shut her up. Gabriella clearly didn't want them to know about her, if she did she would've told them. She wouldn't reveal something Gabriella didn't want to be revealed

"Nothing. So how about that weed?" She said, trying to divert their attention

"You're not getting any weed. You're in a hospital bed Gabriella, injured and you want to smoke weed?. Even if you weren't injured you're not getting anywhere close to that stuff" Antonio said firmly

"You're such a killjoy" Nyx said with an eyeroll

"I'll let that slide because you're injured" Antonio said as he glared at her. Meanwhile the others were trying to hold back their laughters.

No one had ever spoken to Antonio with such disrespect before. "Can I at least get a drink?" Nyx asked.

"Get her a soft drink, Xander," Antonio said, his eyes never leaving hers.

Nyx's anger flared. "Oh, screw you," she growled.

Antonio's expression turned stern. "Watch how you speak to me, young lady."

Domenico intervened, trying to calm the situation. "You two calm the fuck down. Antonio, back off a bit, she's injured. Gabriella, apologize to him, you can't talk to him like that"

Nyx bit her tongue, unwilling to apologize. "Sorry," she muttered, her tone unapologetic.

Antonio's glare intensified. "That didn't sound sincere."

"Do I look like I give a fuck?. You wanted an apology, I gave you one, who the fuck cares if it's sincere" She sassed

"You do not speak to me that way" Antonio growled, taking a step forward

"Fuck off old man" Nyx said and Matteo immediately clamped his, hand to her mouth. Scared for her, the look Antonio was giving her was very scary

"Gabriella!" Riccardo called out her name warningly

Nyx closed her eyes, trying to control the anger that wanted to erupt. Gabriella wouldn't want her brothers to be upset with her

"I'm sorry" she said quietly even though she was anything but sorry

She wasn't apologizing because she was scared of them, she was apologizing for Gabriella's sake

"Do you mean it?" Antonio asked, almost as if he could see through her lies

"I'm sorry," she said softly, her sweet tone a thin disguise.

Antonio's eyes narrowed slightly before he nodded. "You're forgiven. Now rest."

But beneath her calm surface, Nyx's mind was racing. Luke's words still echoed in her mind, fueling her growing restlessness.

"I want to see Luke," she said abruptly, her voice slicing through the silence.

"Oh, hell no," Antonio said, shaking his head emphatically. "You're not fully recovered, and I'd die before I let you see that bastard in your condition."

Nyx's expression turned determined. "I need to talk to him. Try to understand, I'm fine."

Antonio's voice turned cold. "I said no. Do not push me on this. I won't change my mind."

Nyx's annoyance grew. "You know there's nothing you can do to stop me, right? I'll meet him with or without your approval."

"She's right, she's too stubborn," Alessandro said with a sigh.

Antonio closed his eyes, fighting to control his anger. He opened them again and fixed her with a stern stare.

"One of us will go with you. That's the only way it's happening," he said grudgingly.

"Who do you want to come with you?" Leonardo asked.

Nyx hesitated before responding, "I want Dom to come with me."

Domenico smiled slightly.

In Nyx's opinion, all the brothers were idiots, but Gabriella seemed to like Domenico more. So, she had no choice but to choose him. Plus, he was slightly less stupid than the others.

"Of course, she has a favorite," Stephano said, rolling his eyes.

"I don't have favorites," Nyx said. "I picked him because he's the most level-headed brother."

The brothers turned their heated glares on Domenico, who just gave them a smug look.

"Ready to go?" Domenico asked, and Nyx nodded. A nagging feeling had been growing inside her, and only Luke had the answers.

Domenico escorted her to the torture chambers deep within the base. The air reeked of urine, blood, and vomit. As Nyx scanned the room, her gaze fell upon Luke's battered form. She barely recognized him, and the sight brought her a twisted sense of pleasure.

Luke lifted his head, locking eyes with Nyx. For an instant, she saw fear flicker in his gaze, and a smirk spread across her face.

"I don't have anything to tell you," Luke croaked, his voice barely audible.

"Who is he?" Nyx asked, her eyes narrowing.

Luke's body stiffened, and he shook his head frantically. Raw fear flashed in his eyes, and Nyx cocked her head to the side, intrigued.

"I don't know," Luke rushed out.

Nyx took a calm, deliberate step closer. "I'll ask you one more time, who is he?"

Luke's eyes darted wildly around the room. "I already told your brothers I won't disclose that information!" he yelled, his voice laced with desperation.

"And why can't you?" Nyx asked, her expression cold and detached.

"I just can't," Luke replied, attempting to sound resolute. "You can kill me, but I won't talk."

Nyx's eyes flashed with anger. "You're a coward," she spat.

Luke's gaze locked onto hers, a mix of defiance and fear. "All I can say is, just be careful, don't trust anyone. He's closer than you think."

Nyx exchanged a skeptical glance with Domenico. Luke's words seemed laced with a hidden message.

Without warning, Nyx's fist connected with Luke's jaw, knocking him unconscious.

"Something's off," she said, turning to Domenico.

He nodded. "We'll discuss this later. Let's get back before the others show up. And by the way, I know you're not Gabriella."

Nyx's eyes narrowed, impressed. "How did you figure it out?"

"When we rescued you, you kept referring to yourself as Nyx and talking as if you and Gabriella were two different people," Domenico explained. "I suspected something was off, but you confirmed it today. Gabriella would never speak to Antonio like that."

Nyx raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What made you suspect?"

Domenico's expression turned somber. "I knew someone with Dissociative Identity Disorder. Your behavior matched theirs. It wasn't hard to figure out."

"Who?" Nyx asked, her curiosity piqued.

Domenico's jaw clenched, his tone clipped. "Our father. I was the only one who knew. He made me swear not to tell anyone, not even Antonio."

Nyx chuckled, impressed. "You're the only smart one among the brothers."

"I'm Nyx," she said with a mocking bow.

Domenico smiled wryly. "Nice to meet you, Nyx. Now, we have pressing issues. First, let's figure out what Luke meant."

Nyx glanced at Luke's unconscious form. "Let's get back before the old man sends out a search party."

Domenico defended his brother with a small smile, "Antonio isn't old."

Nyx smirked, "He sure acts old."

They left the torture chambers and returned to her ward, where the others waited patiently.

"Did he talk?" Antonio asked.

Nyx and Domenico shook their heads.

Alessandro suggested, "I think it's time we get more creative with the torture. What do you guys think?."

"We'll need to take it up a notch," Leonardo agreed. "He'll have no other option but to talk."

Nyx interrupted, "Can I go back to my old room? I feel fine, I can walk on my own."

"Are you sure?" Angelo asked

Nyx replied curtly, "Yes."

Antonio turned to Leonardo, "Can she, Leo?"

Leonardo nodded, "Her wounds have healed significantly. If you're still unsure, we can have a nurse take care of her at home."

Antonio relented, and Nyx was finally allowed to return home, much to her relief.

When they arrived, Nyx retreated to her room, her mind still reeling from Luke's ominous words.

~~~~~~~

Nyx woke up to loud yelling downstairs. She got up, curious as to what was going on downstairs

Nyx walked downstairs to find her brothers, cousins, and grandfather yelling orders at the guards. "What's going on?" she asked, sensing something was amiss.

Antonio turned to her, his expression grim. "Luke is dead."

Nyx's eyes widened slightly. How could this be? Nothing made sense.

"How?" she asked.

"Vasoxin was detected in his bloodstream," Antonio explained. "It's possible he took his own life."

(A/N: I made up the name Vasoxin)

Nyx frowned. She knew Luke was a coward, but she couldn't see him committing suicide. Yesterday, he seemed defiant, not desperate. Where would he even get the poison?

These questions led Nyx to one conclusion: Luke was murdered. But why?

Then she remembered their conversation yesterday – increasing the torture to make him talk.

The killer's motive became clear, Luke's murder was staged to look like suicide, likely because the perpetrator knew that further interrogation would lead to a confession. But this raised a crucial question: how did the killer gain knowledge of their intentions?

The conversation about increasing the torture had been private, with no outsiders present. The base's security measures were also robust, making it highly unlikely that an unauthorized individual had managed to get into the base

Her eyes widened slightly as the realization dawned on her. She looked at Domenico and she could tell he was thinking the same thing

The person behind all this was a family member

______________________________________ Hey guys,

First of all, Merry Christmas y'all. I hope you're all enjoying the holidays

I hope you like this chapter, tell me your thoughts in the comment section

This is the last chapter of 'The Lost De'Luca'. And as I've said before, I'll start working on the sequel now but it will be published some time next year

If you have any ideas, feel free to drop them in the comment section

I'll see you guys in the new book. Until next year y'all, bye ❤️