The day of Damiano's interview arrived like a storm—loud, unavoidable, and carrying the weight of everything they had been fighting against. Aaliyah watched him from the doorway as he buttoned his shirt, his jaw tense, his eyes darker than usual. This wasn't a promo interview. This wasn't for the band.
This was a declaration of war.
Aaliyah: "Are you sure you want to do this?"
Damiano: "I don't want to. I need to."
He kissed her forehead, then her stomach, whispering to their daughter's name—Estrella, the name that had already leaked online, fueling a frenzy they weren't prepared for. Aaliyah tried not to show the fear eating her alive. The doctor's warning still echoed in her mind every night: too much stress could put the baby at risk.
When Damiano left for the studio, Aaliyah sat on the couch, trying to focus on breathing. But the doorbell rang not long after. She froze. Damiano wasn't expecting anyone. And no one knew their address.
When she opened the door, her heart nearly stopped.
Winona. Her mother.
Older, composed, and carrying a purse big enough to hold every judgment she'd stored for years.
Winona: "Well. Look at you. Pregnant. With a rockstar."
Aaliyah swallowed hard.
Aaliyah: "Mom… why are you here?"
Winona: "Because the whole world is talking about you. I had to see for myself if it was true."
They stood there in a silence that felt like a battlefield. Winona stepped closer and touched her daughter's stomach gently—surprisingly gently.
Winona: "Your baby needs calm. And you've never been good at staying calm."
Aaliyah's throat tightened. She wanted to protest, to defend herself, but the truth cut too deeply. Before she could respond, her phone lit up.
Breaking News:
"Damiano David breaks silence in emotional live interview."
She turned up the TV.
Winona sat beside her.
And the world stopped.
Damiano's interview
The cameras pointed at him as if he were standing trial. He didn't smile. He didn't charm. He didn't soften the truth.
Damiano: "I'm here because the woman I love is being attacked for things that never happened. Lies. Manipulation. Cruelty."
He looked straight into the camera—straight into millions of homes.
Damiano: "Aaliyah is not unstable. She is not dangerous. She is pregnant with our daughter, and stress is putting the baby's life at risk. The media, the paparazzi, and her ex-band are playing with two lives."
The interviewer tried to interject, but Damiano cut him off.
Damiano: "And I won't stay silent anymore."
Online, the world exploded.
#TeamAaliyah and #TeamBand flooded every platform.
Italy was split in half—fans, critics, politicians, even celebrities taking sides.
While the interview spread like wildfire, another headline hit:
"Aaliyah's former band faces legal action—label confirms a full investigation."
One by one, the members started disappearing from public view—deactivating accounts, canceling statements, pulling out of appearances. The empire they built on lies was cracking.
At the clinic
Later that afternoon, Aaliyah had an important appointment—one that could tell her if Estrella was growing properly after the stress of the past week. Winona insisted on driving her.
Winona: "Stress or not, that child needs stability. And you need support."
Aaliyah held her stomach.
Aaliyah: "I'm trying."
The doctor greeted them with a calm smile.
Doctor: "Let's take a look at the baby."
The room filled with the sound of the monitor.
Aaliyah's heartbeat synced with the machine.
One second. Two. Three.
Then—
Doctor: "There."
A heartbeat.
Strong. Clear.
Like tiny thunder.
Aaliyah exhaled a breath she didn't know she was holding. Winona squeezed her hand.
Doctor: "Estrella is strong. But…"
Aaliyah tensed.
Doctor: "…her growth is slightly behind. Nothing alarming yet, but we must monitor it closely. Stress can affect her development."
Aaliyah's world dimmed around the edges.
Not danger—
but not safety either.
A fragile line in between.
Aaliyah: "What do I need to do?"
Doctor: "Rest. Peace. No stress. Absolutely none."
The irony was almost cruel.
Back home
Damiano arrived later that night, still buzzing with adrenaline and fury from the interview. But when he saw Aaliyah's face—pale, tired, scared—everything drained out of him instantly.
Damiano: "What happened? What did the doctor say?"
Aaliyah whispered the truth.
Aaliyah: "Estrella is strong… but small. They have to watch her."
Damiano sat down, pulling her gently into his arms.
Damiano: "Everything I'm doing… it's for you two. I swear."
Aaliyah: "I know. I just… I don't want to lose her."
He pressed his forehead to hers.
Damiano: "You won't. We won't. I'm not letting anything touch this family."
But outside, the noise of Italy's division was growing louder—
the world choosing sides,
the ex-band crumbling,
headlines mutating,
and a new rumor emerging about Estrella's name.
The storm wasn't over.
It was only shifting.
And the line between love and war had officially been drawn.