Just Let Me Breathe

The night before I left the Family, the five of us who grew up together played pool. To make sure delicate Chloe won, my own brother purposely blocked my shots. My boyfriend, the heir to the syndicate, willingly gave up his chance to turn the game around, and my childhood friend shoved a thirteenth penalty shot into my hand. "She's great at pool. What's the big deal if she loses a few rounds?" "It's just a game. Don't be such a sore loser." They gave all their attention to Chloe, completely forgetting tonight was supposed to be my farewell party. No one even cared to ask which part of the Family territory I was about to take over. I touched the plane ticket to Sicily inside my suitcase and swallowed everything I wanted to say. If they only cared about letting her win. Then this time, I would just walk away from the table forever. Chapter 1 The night before I left the Family, our inner circle met at the club to play pool as usual. Ever since Chloe came back and rejoined us six months ago, the attitudes of these three men toward me had quietly changed. Throughout the entire night, Chloe didn't lose a single game, while I was forced to take twelve penalty shots. Whenever I was about to clear the table, my brother Luca would always find a difficult angle to block my cue ball, then conveniently leave easy shots for Chloe. In the final game, the cue ball was frozen to the rail, leaving only the eight ball. Luca grabbed the pool cue from my hands and pushed the cue ball into a tight spot. "Elena, you're great at this. Just play along so Chloe can have some fun." He ruffled my hair with the same gentle tone he used to use, yet his favoritism was obvious. Chloe leaned over with a smile and effortlessly sank her last two stripes to clear the table. My boyfriend Roman leaned against the table, smoking. He clearly had a chance for a comeback, but he just blew a smoke ring and laughed. "I'll take the loss on this round." Then he walked over to me, naturally wrapped his arm around my waist, and whispered to coax me, "It's just a game. What happened to my easygoing Elena? Be a good girl, don't get upset over something this small." My childhood friend, Cassian, also gave up his turn. Chloe won again. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she bit her lower lip and acted innocent. "You guys shouldn't always let me win. Elena will get upset." Luca simply pushed the thirteenth glass of whiskey right into my hand. "She's great at pool. What's the big deal if she loses a few rounds?" Cassian put away Chloe's pool cue for her. "You're not like her. You can take a loss, you just keep it to yourself." With a cigarette between his fingers, Roman frowned slightly and shot me a look. "It's just a game. Don't be such a sore loser." But they all seemed to forget that tonight was supposed to be my farewell party. Even when the game was completely over, no one bothered to ask which part of the Family business I was going to take over. Chloe excitedly suggested we play again at the same time next Saturday. Roman chimed in casually, "Elena can book the room like always." Luca immediately added. "Remember to get a new set of balls. This set felt terrible today." I nodded obediently, swallowing the words that there would be no next week. In my suitcase lay a plane ticket to Sicily. There were only seven days left until I flew to the island estate to start my new role. Since they only cared about Chloe winning. Then this time, I would just walk away from the table. Right after I downed the thirteenth shot, my chest suddenly tightened. It felt like someone was choking me. I reached for my bag by the sofa. It held my asthma inhaler. Before my fingertips could even touch the zipper, Chloe suddenly covered her nose and fell back onto the sofa. "I can't breathe. The smell of smoke is making me dizzy." She had been sitting furthest away from the ashtray the entire night. Yet the three men dropped their pool cues at the exact same time. Luca quickly took off his suit jacket and wrapped it tightly around her. Cassian reached out to help her lie down, casually pushing aside anything in the way. My bag, along with the inhaler inside, was knocked onto the carpet. Roman crouched in front of her, nervously asking if she was alright. I struggled to grab Cassian's arm. "Give my bag back. I need my medicine..." Cassian shook off my hand with extreme impatience. "She's about to pass out, and you're still trying to make a scene?" "My asthma inhaler is in there." "Then go outside and get some fresh air." He gave the sofa up to Chloe and turned to pour a glass of water. The VIP room instantly descended into chaos. In her panic, Chloe crashed into the wine cabinet. An entire row of vintage bottles shattered across the floor, spilling red liquid everywhere. The club manager walked over with a massive bill, waiting to see who would pay for the damages. The noise of the breaking bottles was so loud that the staff from the entire floor rushed over. But Luca had already scooped Chloe up in his arms and headed for the door. "Elena, pay the bill and clean this up. We have to take Chloe to a doctor right now." "I can't breathe." Fighting the sharp pain in my chest, I asked for help for the first time. Luca looked back at me. A trace of apology flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by panic. "Elena, you've always been tough. You'll be fine once you catch your breath. Chloe is delicate, and it would be terrible if she gets a lung infection. I'll take her to the doctor first. Be a good girl, go home and wait for me." Roman tossed his car keys onto the table. "Elena, I need to drive her to the hospital right away. Help clean up here. Remember to bring back everything Chloe left behind. Go home and rest. I'll check on you later." He reached out and touched my cheek. But from start to finish, Roman never once asked why I was clutching my chest. In fact, if he had just taken one more look, he would have noticed I was shaking the whole time. I swiped my card to pay for the expensive wine, picked up the belongings they left behind, and stumbled out the club doors. The tightness in my chest hit me in waves. Pushing through the pain, I walked to the 24-hour pharmacy at the intersection and went in alone to buy emergency asthma medication. The pharmacist on duty took one look at my pale face and insisted on calling an ambulance. My phone vibrated. The estate manager in Sicily sent a flight confirmation, asking if they needed to send a car to pick me up at the airport. I replied, yes. When I switched back to the main screen, Chloe had just sent a picture to our group chat. In a VIP hospital suite, she was resting comfortably against the pillows. Luca was pouring water, Cassian was peeling an orange, and Roman, the usually ruthless mob heir, was sitting patiently on the edge of the bed massaging her temples. A text accompanied the photo. "I'm so lucky to always have you guys by my side when I'm scared." Roman replied instantly, "Stay away from crowded places from now on." He said those exact words three years ago. Back then, I was hospitalized for a severe asthma attack. He stayed by my side the entire night, swearing he would never let me near that kind of environment again. But today, the man who watched without blinking as I was forced to take those shots was also him. I stared at the screen without shedding a tear or demanding an explanation. I simply left their belongings at the front desk and flagged down a taxi, heading in the opposite direction to the city hospital. The ER doctor looked at my concerning chest X-rays, frowned, and asked when my emergency contact would arrive. I quietly looked down the cold, deserted emergency hallway. "I have no family." "It's just me." Chapter 2 The day after I was discharged, I went to the K-9 training center to pick up Duke's retirement papers. Duke was the guard dog we adopted together when we first started dating. Before his retirement, he was the star performer at the Family's training grounds. When an accident occurred at the training grounds that day, I was the only one who rushed in and dragged him out of the kennel. Later, the five of us agreed to take care of him together. Luca claimed he would handle his special diet, Cassian said he would cover all his medical checkups, and Roman boasted he would train Duke into the ultimate bodyguard. But the novelty didn't even last a month before these entitled guys completely forgot about the hassle. When Duke's wounds got infected, I was the one who stayed up all night giving him antibiotic shots. The massive monthly costs for premium dog food, rabies vaccines, and training fees were all automatically deducted from my personal bank account. The vet handed the thick file folder back to me. "Are you taking this big guy with you to Europe?" "No." The estate in Sicily did not allow private guard dogs. I had planned to send Duke to my mother's estate. But when I pushed open the villa doors, Chloe was standing in the middle of the living room, holding my dog's leash. The three men stood around her, and the floor was littered with brand new dog beds and toys. "Elena, you're back just in time." Luca took the paperwork from my hands. "Chloe recently moved into a downtown penthouse, and she feels unsafe living alone. We decided to let Duke be her bodyguard." I looked up at them, taking in their self-righteous expressions. "When did you guys discuss this?" "Last night." Roman answered smoothly. "You're heading to Europe soon to take over the new territory. How would you have the time to take care of an aggressive dog like this?" "Duke is extremely defensive around strangers. Don't you know he bites?" The air in the villa instantly froze. Chloe shrunk back behind Roman in fear, tightening her grip on the leash. "If Elena doesn't want to, I won't force it." She lowered her head and petted Duke. "I really don't mind. As long as I lock my doors at night, I guess no one will break in." Hearing this, Roman frowned slightly. He walked over, took my hand, and patiently coaxed me. "Elena, you know I would never let anyone mistreat Duke. Chloe is just scared of living alone since she just got back. We're only borrowing him for a few days. Once she gets used to her new place, I'll bring the dog right back to you, okay?" A frustrated growl rumbled in the fierce dog's throat. His paws dug into the floor as he stared down Cassian's approaching hand. I closed my eyes, patted Duke's head, and gave him the 'stand down' command for the very last time. Duke whimpered and stopped struggling. Only then could Cassian step forward and unbuckle the black leather collar around Duke's neck. That was a custom handmade collar I ordered from a craftsman, engraved with my initials. "He's Chloe's dog now. We need to put her info on him just in case." I watched as that collar was tossed straight into the trash can. Cassian then swapped it for a ridiculous pink leash. "No matter how wild a dog is, skip a few of his meals and he'll learn to behave." Roman patted Chloe's shoulder to comfort her. "He's just not used to you yet. Take him home and feed him some meat a few times, and he'll be fine." The three of them backed each other up seamlessly. It was as if I was the truly selfish one. Chloe yanked the leash hard, trying to drag the massive dog out the door. He looked back at me in desperation. I instinctively took a step forward, but Luca blocked my view like a solid wall. "Leave him be. The more you baby him, the longer it'll take him to accept his new owner." He knew perfectly well that Duke only obeyed me. He would rather starve than eat food that wasn't given by my own hands. Back then, Luca pointed at him and praised him, saying this was what a truly loyal guard dog looked like and that he should never change masters. Now, as Duke was forcibly dragged until bloody marks appeared on his neck, they acted completely blind. They only cared about the red leash burn on Chloe's palms. "Just bear with it. Once we get to your new place, we'll give him a sedative." Cassian looked down at his phone and forwarded a long shopping list for the special dog food to my email. Imported raw meat from Germany, top-tier vitamins, and a strict appointment schedule for a private vet. The expenses were listed down to the very last cent. "This dog's expenses have always come out of your card, so just keep transferring the money on time. Chloe hasn't officially taken over her family wealth yet, so she can't afford these high costs. You'll still need to pay for this." I looked at Cassian mockingly. "So she gets the dog, and I pay the bills?" Luca sighed, walked over, and patted my shoulder. "Elena, we all grew up together. You've always been the mature one. Just treat it as helping her out. Do you really have to make a scene with Chloe over a dog?" "Didn't you guys say we would all be responsible for him together?" I suddenly wanted to laugh. I found it incredibly ironic. So they remembered the promise, but only the part that could be used to trap me. I didn't put up a fight. I simply drove calmly to Animal Control and asked the staff to update Duke's microchip and registration info. I canceled all the automatic payments for medical care and food tied to his name. And I changed the emergency contact to Chloe's information. Late that night, Chloe flooded the group chat with voice notes. Duke absolutely refused to eat the dog food, knocked over his bowl, and was pacing anxiously in her living room. Luca called me. "Elena, do us a favor. Bring some of Duke's favorite food over and feed him. Chloe is so scared she's hiding in her room." Cassian texted me, accusing me of intentionally withholding the feeding commands and cutting off the payments just to embarrass her. Roman initiated a video call, his tone laced with annoyance. "Elena, stop making a fuss. As long as you come over, feed Duke, and teach Chloe how to handle him, I'll take you on a vacation this weekend." I sat in my empty living room and switched my phone to Do Not Disturb mode. Since they chose a new owner for Duke, everything about him had nothing to do with me from today on. Just like after tomorrow night, these arrogant men would have nothing to do with me either. Chapter 3 Ever since that night at the club, my chest had been harboring a dull ache. A trip to the hospital revealed that the lung infection had worsened, leading to severe fluid buildup in my chest. The doctor scheduled me for a chest drainage procedure on Thursday. He repeatedly emphasized that I was strictly forbidden from leaving alone after sedation. I had to have someone pick me up and stay by my side, or the hospital would refuse the procedure. Luca, Cassian, and Roman originally agreed without hesitation. Luca was to act as my emergency contact. Cassian was responsible for transportation. Roman kissed my forehead, promising he would wait right outside the operating room until I woke up. They always said my asthma was easily triggered and needed constant attention. They said they knew how uncomfortable I would be, so if I ever needed surgery, no matter how busy they were, they would stay by my side. Yet, they were the same ones who kicked my medicine away at the club and ignored me completely for Chloe's sake. But this was a major procedure, and I still wanted to believe they would come to be with me. So the night before heading to the hospital, besides packing my own necessities, I also packed their favorite bottled water and made homemade sandwiches. At eight o'clock the next morning, I sat in the hospital room waiting for over half an hour, but they never appeared in the hallway. The head nurse came in with the pre-op form, urging me to contact my ride home. I could only take a deep breath and dial Roman's number. The phone rang for a long time before it was picked up. "Duke is barking frantically at my bedroom door. I don't even dare to open it. He's going to bite me!" Roman spoke in a low, gentle voice, coaxing her for quite a while before turning to me with a hint of apology. "Elena, I'm sorry, I got tied up here. What did you need me for?" "I'm having my chest procedure today." The line went quiet for two seconds. "Elena, can you reschedule the surgery?" "You guys promised me last night that you would come and be with me." "Duke is completely frantic right now. Chloe is terrified being alone. She can't handle it at all." I squeezed the wrinkled medical record in my hand tightly. "Does it take three grown men to calm down a dog?" The receiver instantly went silent. A moment later, Luca snatched the phone. "I'm calling the dog trainer. Cassian is going to buy bite suits, and Roman is staying to keep Chloe company. Elena, you've always been understanding. It's just a minor surgery. Don't force everyone to be there for you at a time like this, alright?" The head nurse was urging me impatiently for the third time. I stared blankly at the empty emergency contact line on the anesthesia consent form. "Then who is going to pick me up and stay with me after the anesthesia?" Luca's tone carried heavy displeasure. "You're already taking charge of the Family business on your own. Will it kill you to take an Uber home by yourself after a surgery?" "Hospitals here have a strict rule. You cannot leave alone after general anesthesia. Someone has to drive me." "Then just use a local anesthetic." He said those words as lightly as a feather. As if the person who was about to have a thick needle thrust into their chest, the one who would shake from the pain, wasn't his own flesh and blood. In the background, Chloe pleaded with a tearful voice. "You should let Roman go be with Elena. I'll be fine hiding under the covers by myself." Roman cut her off without hesitation. "You're so scared you can't even stand properly. What will you do all by yourself?" Then, he turned and spoke to me, his tone gentle yet cruel. "Elena, you've always been the strongest. The local anesthetic will wear off quickly. I promise, the moment your surgery is done, I'll be right there in your room, okay?" The call disconnected. The nurse looked at me with sympathy. "If you don't have anyone, should we reschedule for another day?" I lowered my eyes and glanced at the three carefully prepared meals in the cooler bag. "There's no need." I took the pen, crossed out general anesthesia on the form, and checked local. When the thick needle was forcefully inserted into my chest, the pain was so severe I bit my lip until it bled on the operating table, and tears streamed down my face. Under the glaring lights, the doctor kept telling me to relax. But all that echoed in my ears was Roman's voice, 'You've always been the strongest.' Because I was strong enough, I deserved to be forced to take twelve penalty shots at the pool table. Because I was strong enough, I wasn't even worthy of having someone by my side entering the operating room. Because I was strong enough, it was only natural that I endured all the pain silently on my own. After the procedure was completely finished, the lab results confirmed I had a severe lung infection and fluid in my lungs. The doctor prescribed heavy doses of antibiotics and strictly warned me never to touch alcohol or cigarettes again. As I leaned weakly against the bench gasping for air, Roman sent a picture in the group chat of Duke locked inside a heavy crate. "This beast has finally calmed down. Did you reschedule the surgery? I'll adjust my schedule to come be with you." It was truly a miracle he could even remember me at this point. "No need, it's already done." His call came through immediately. "Didn't they say they would refuse to put you under without someone to drive you?" "Didn't you say I was strong, and told me to just endure it with a local anesthetic?" The line fell into a dead silence. "Why couldn't you just wait for me to get there?" His voice cracked, filled with frantic panic. "This is a major surgery! Why do you never take your own health seriously!" I let out a weak laugh. "Who could I possibly wait for?" He couldn't find an answer to that. By the afternoon, the three of them had taken Chloe to a high-end restaurant for a seafood feast to calm her nerves. The group chat was filled with discussions about the food. Chloe casually complained that she was craving French pastries, and Luca immediately ordered custom macarons from the Family's private chef for her. Roman sent a private message asking if I wanted to join them. "We can also celebrate Chloe finally escaping the shadow of that dog." Not a single person asked about the results of my chest procedure. No one even cared if I could eat rich seafood in my current condition. I locked my screen and didn't reply. When I got home, I threw the three stale, hardened sandwiches into the trash can. Then I opened the airline's ticketing page and confirmed my international flight check-in details for the final time. There were less than forty-eight hours left until I left this place completely. Chapter 4 The day before my flight was a Friday. Chloe sent a lengthy list of requirements for her gallery job in the group chat. She wanted to land a top executive role at the Family's main art gallery, which required sorting out massive amounts of background check materials and recommendation letters. Luca immediately tagged me in the group, telling me to draft the reference letters for her. Cassian told me to pick up her custom-made dress on my way. Roman simply dropped a screenshot of a reservation at the club's VIP pool room. "Tomorrow night, usual time. It's also a welcome party for Chloe joining the gallery. Go early and get things set up. Consider it your farewell party from me." Still, not a single one of them remembered to ask which day my flight to Europe was scheduled. Nor did anyone notice that my Family security clearance had been fully transferred, and all my personal accounts had been switched to local Sicilian bank cards. I ignored those demanding messages. I simply went to the club alone. The club manager looked extremely shocked when he saw the black card I handed him. "You five have used this VIP suite for over six years. Are you sure you want to cancel the membership?" "Yes." "There's still a large balance on the card. Do you want to transfer it to Mr. Roman's account?" "No need. Just clear it to zero." I canceled the reservation for our regular room and took everything out of the storage locker. A few thick pool score sheets, the custom pool balls engraved with our initials that we had bought together years ago, and my old pool cue that I was used to. Roman thought the cue was too old and told me to get a new one. I never replaced it. I put that old pool cue, the custom pool balls, and the score sheets into a paper bag and asked the staff to leave them for the guys. As I was packing up, the manager asked casually. "Are you going on a long trip, Miss Elena?" "I'm taking a new position in Sicily." "Will you be transferring back?" I paused my movements and thought for a moment. "Probably not." This was the first person in two weeks to seriously ask about my future plans. Not my own brother, not my childhood friend, nor the boyfriend I had been with for years and was about to marry. Just a club manager I saw occasionally once a week. Towards evening, Roman finally showed up at my apartment. He leaned against the doorframe and casually tossed a box of pills into my arms. "Chloe saw you wheezing pretty badly the other night, so she kept pestering me to buy this for you on the way." I glanced down at the packaging. The box clearly listed ingredients for treating skin allergies. "You bought the wrong one." Roman looked annoyed. "I couldn't have. It's the exact same packaging you always take." He wasn't even interested in taking a second look, nor did he care what actual medication I took daily. I handed the box back to him. "Did you come over today just to deliver this?" "Tomorrow night is Chloe's welcome party for the gallery. We rented out the place to celebrate. Come along, and I'll make up for your farewell dinner. You know the crowd, so get there early and help set things up." All for Chloe again. Back when I secured control of the Sicilian territory, they simply brushed me off with a rigged game of pool. Now that Chloe was merely taking a fake position at an idle Family gallery, they were renting out an entire venue to celebrate. "I don't have time to go." Roman's eyes swept across the living room, finally noticing that the apartment looked unusually empty. "Where is all your stuff?" "Shipped off." "Shipped where?" Before I could answer, Chloe's phone call came through. She cried through the line, saying her car had broken down downtown and there were thugs around making her terrified. Roman instantly turned and headed downstairs. Right before stepping into the elevator, he threw a sentence at me without looking back, "Don't go anywhere. Wait for me to come back and we'll talk." I stared coldly as the elevator doors closed. There would be no future for us anymore. At five o'clock the next morning, I headed to the international airport alone with a light suitcase. While I was checking in, Luca was still sending multiple voice notes in the group, urging me to print out the reference letters. Cassian was also demanding to know why the dress shop owner said no one came to pick up the clothes. Roman dropped one sentence into the chat: "Duke is fine now, stop throwing a fit." I calmly pressed the power button, snapped the old SIM card in half, turned around, and boarded my international flight. On Saturday night, the four of them arrived at the club right on time. The usual pool table by the window was already occupied by other guests. The manager handed the heavy paper bag I left behind to Luca. Inside was only a beat-up pool cue, a returned set of custom balls, a few score sheets, and a final receipt for closing the account. Only then did Roman sense something was wrong and hurriedly tried to call me. But all he heard from the phone was an unfamiliar automated voice. That was when the manager finally spoke up. "Gentlemen, don't waste your energy. Miss Elena already left for her new role at the Sicilian estate on a flight this morning." "Didn't she tell you?" At the exact same time, my flight landed at the airport in Sicily. The moment I inserted my new SIM card and connected to the network, hundreds of missed calls and unread messages flooded my screen.（卡点位）