Estrella's monitors had been steady for hours—something that hadn't happened since the moment she was born. The nurses kept whispering about it, watching the tiny numbers rise by a fraction, as if afraid to break whatever miracle was unfolding. Damiano sat beside the incubator, unmoving, barely breathing, terrified that if he blinked, her progress would disappear. And then it happened—small, almost invisible, but real. Her chest lifted a little stronger. Her hands twitched. Her oxygen levels climbed one more point.
Damiano covered his mouth, tears falling instantly.
"Brava, piccola… keep fighting…"
Behind him, Aaliyah slowly walked in, still weak but on her feet for the first time since the emergency. Winona held her arm, ready to support her if she stumbled. Aaliyah froze the moment she saw the monitor.
"Are… are those her numbers?"
Damiano nodded, unable to speak.
Aaliyah pressed both hands to her face. "She's getting better… she's really getting better…"
But as she stepped closer to the incubator, something inside her shifted—a memory, blurry and sharp at the same time. Winona noticed the change.
"What is it, honey?"
Aaliyah swallowed hard. "Mom… you said something while I was sedated. Something about… about a file?"
Winona's face paled instantly.
"Aaliyah… we can talk about that later."
"No. We talk now."
Damiano turned, confused. "What file?"
Winona sighed, defeated. "Your father wasn't the only one hiding things. I was too. There's something you deserve to know about your heart condition… and how long I knew about the risks."
Aaliyah's breath caught. "How long?"
Winona didn't answer. And that silence was the answer.
Aaliyah stumbled back, gripping the metal edge of the incubator. "You knew… you knew I could end up like this… and you didn't tell me?"
Before Winona could respond, the hospital doors slammed open. The sound echoed through the corridor like a blast.
Security rushed to attention.
Reporters screamed from behind the barricades.
Cameras flashed from outside the glass walls.
Because the news had broken worldwide.
Because the identity of the "powerful protector" had finally gone public.
Aaliyah's phone lit up with millions of notifications:
"GLOBAL EXCLUSIVE: THE PERSON FUNDING SECURITY FOR AALIYAH & ESTRELLA IS—"
"WORLD STUNNED BY THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY'S MOST INFLUENTIAL FIGURE—"
"THE LEGEND RETURNS TO THE PUBLIC EYE TO SAVE AALIYAH'S CHILD."
Damiano stared at the name on the screen—speechless.
"Holy shit…" he whispered.
Aaliyah's legs nearly gave out. "Why… why would THEY protect us?"
Winona rubbed her temples. "Because you made an impact on them years ago. And they never forgot you."
Before anyone could process it, another blow hit the room:
Damiano received a call from his lawyer.
He stepped into the hallway, his face draining of color as he listened. When he returned, he held a document in his hand—freshly delivered, urgent.
"What is that?" Aaliyah asked.
Damiano's voice cracked. "My contract termination papers. If I sign this… I walk away from everything. The band, the label, my entire career… all of it."
Aaliyah's heart stopped. "Damiano… no…"
But he wasn't looking at the paper anymore.
He was looking at Estrella.
"At this point," he whispered, "she's the only thing that matters."
A faint knock echoed through the room.
The door slid open.
Victoria. Ethan. Thomas.
The entire Måneskin family stepped inside, eyes red, arms full of gifts, flowers, and baby clothes.
They froze when they saw Estrella.
Victoria covered her mouth.
Thomas blinked hard, fighting emotion.
Ethan wiped his eyes openly.
Damiano whispered, voice shaking:
"Guys… this is Estrella."
Victoria stepped forward first, placing her hand on the glass.
"Ciao, piccolina…" she whispered. "We've been waiting to meet you."
Damiano held Aaliyah as her shoulders fell apart in tears.
For the first time in weeks…
the room felt safe.
Warm.
Whole.
The world outside was roaring.
The scandals, the threats, the headlines—still burning.
But inside this hospital room…
Estrella was fighting.
Aaliyah was discovering truths she wasn't ready for.
Damiano was rebuilding his life from nothing.
And the world was rallying behind them harder than ever.
The rise had begun.