Whispers and Heartbeats
Lucy’s POV
“Hey, look, that’s the girl.”
“Yeah, I heard about her, such a bully.”
“I heard she hit a guy yesterday.”
“Yes, he was bleeding.”
“But no one can touch her, her father is a mafia king.”
“Yes, like father, like daughter.”
“She’s so bad.”
“Does she even know about a smile?”
They were talking about me.
Again.
Their voices blended into a familiar echo that’s been haunting me for years.
It’s not new , it’s the same song that’s been playing since I was twelve.
Since he left me.
Since the day I watched him walk away, taking my smile, my heart, my everything with him.
I’m Lucy. My father is Jackcob.
The mafia king. People whisper his name like it’s a curse or a warning.
He might have been a good husband once… but he was never a good father.
Since my mother’s death, it’s like he forgot I even existed. Forgot I was still here , waiting, hoping, craving a little bit of love that never came.
He buried himself in his business, in guns and power, in blood and secrets… while I learned how silence can scream louder than words.
My classes were over.
I stood near the gates, waiting for the car to pick me up like always.
The afternoon sun was burning, but inside me everything felt cold. My bodyguard, Arjun, usually followed me everywhere , a man of few words but steady presence.
Calm.
Composed.
Protective.
But today… he wasn’t here.
I glanced around, feeling a strange unease crawl under my skin. Where could he be? He’s never late. Not even once.
Just as I pulled my phone from my bag to call him, a car sped toward me and stopped abruptly in front of me. I took a step back, startled.
My heartbeat spiked. It was my car , but something felt off. Arjun never drove like that.
Never in a way that would make me flinch.
Still, I opened the door and slid into the back seat, my heart thudding.
A man was in the front seat, wearing unfamiliar clothes.
“Arjun, you startled me. And what are you wea…ring…?”
He turned around.
My breath froze.
It wasn’t Arjun.
It was Easton.
Eight years. Eight long, suffocating years since he had left me.
For a moment, the world stood still.
My heart started pounding so hard it hurt.
It was as if my chest wanted to burst open just to reach for him.
My eyes blurred with sudden tears, my throat tightening painfully.
No.
Not here.
Not in front of him.
I quickly turned my face toward the window, pretending to look outside, blinking away the tears that threatened to fall.
He didn’t speak.
He just turned forward and started driving.
The car was silent.
Too silent.
Only the faint hum of the engine and my heartbeat filled the air.
My heart wasn’t just beating , it was trembling, fighting between wanting to scream and wanting to hide.
What is he doing here?
Why now?
Why after all these years?
Why did he come back when I’ve already learned to live with the emptiness he left behind?
As the car stopped in front of the mansion, I couldn’t wait to escape.
I opened the door and quickly got down, my heels echoing against the marble steps as I walked inside.
I didn’t look back.
I couldn’t.
My room was upstairs , my only safe place, the only space where I could still breathe.
As I started climbing the stairs.
“Lucy.”
The voice cut through the air sharply.
It was my father.
I froze mid-step, slowly turning to face him.
His eyes , cold yet filled with something that looked like concern.
Concern that came too late.
“Are you okay? You look pale,” he said.
I stared at him for a long moment.
I know he loves me.
Somewhere deep inside, I know that.
But I need him to show it.
I need him to care not just when it’s convenient.
“I’m fine,” I said, my voice sharp, almost hollow , like every emotion inside me was buried under layers of ice.
“Look who’s here,” he said, resting a hand on Easton’s shoulder.
I followed his gaze, and my heart dropped.
“Your new bodyguard.”
I froze. Completely.
The words struck me like lightning.
My mind blanked for a second.
What? Him? My bodyguard?
I looked at Easton, and he was already looking at me , his eyes soft, searching, almost… guilty.
I looked away immediately, my chest tightening so much I could barely breathe.
Because I knew if I met his gaze for even a second longer… I’d break.
“No,” I whispered. “I already have Arjun.”
My father and Easton exchanged glances.
Easton lowered his head, the sadness in his eyes unmistakable.
That look… it made something twist inside me painfully.
I hated myself for sounding so cold, but I couldn’t help it.
It was easier to push him away than to let him see the mess he left behind.
“Lucy, please understand,” my father said gently.
“Your safety is important. And only Easton can protect you in any situation.”
“No.” I turned my back to them, my voice trembling.
“Arjun is enough. I don’t want anyone else.”
Before they could say another word, I ran up to my room and slammed the door shut behind me.
My back hit the door, and I slid down to the floor, hugging my knees.
Why is he here after all these years?
Why now, when I’ve barely learned how to stop missing him?
Why as my bodyguard , as if I needed him to protect me when he’s the one I needed protection from?
The tears I had been holding back spilled over.
They came fast, hot, and uncontrollable.
I cried until my throat ached, until my hands trembled, until the world blurred and all I could feel was pain , that same old pain that never really went away.
That night, sleep never came.
My eyes were swollen, heavy from crying.
I stood in front of the mirror, staring at the girl who looked back.
She wasn’t me.
Not the old Lucy.
This girl looked haunted.
Broken.
Like she had spent years trying to hold herself together and was now too tired to keep pretending.
And as I stared into her lifeless reflection, I whispered softly .
“Who are you?”
The silence never answered back.
