The house in Rome felt too small for the weight it carried.
For days, the tension between Damiano and Estrella had been stretching like a wire ready to snap. Their confrontation in Chapter 55 had left a bruise over the entire family—unspoken words, angry tears, and a silence that tasted like metal.
But Chapter 56 wasn't calm.
Chapter 56 was the aftershock.
The Morning After the Fight
Aaliyah woke up early, her body still adjusting to the waves of nausea that had been hitting her every morning. She hadn't announced the pregnancy to the world yet—but somehow the internet already knew. A rumor here, a blurry photo there… and suddenly her name was everywhere.
Damiano saw her sitting on the couch, scrolling through her phone with trembling fingers.
—"They know," she whispered without looking up.
Her voice was fragile.
Damiano sat beside her, rubbing her back gently.
—"Let them talk. You and I know the truth. That's all that matters."
But Aaliyah didn't look convinced. Not while thousands of strangers pulled apart her life like it was a game.
Estrella Avoids Home
Since the explosive fight with Damiano, Estrella had been avoiding him entirely. She stayed out late, slept in the spare guest room, and barely spoke except to Aaliyah or Thomas.
Thomas noticed.
He found her that afternoon sitting outside on the stone steps, headphones in, staring at the sky like she wished she could dissolve into it.
—"You okay?" he asked.
She shrugged.
—"He hates me."
—"Damiano doesn't hate you," Thomas said, sitting next to her. "He's scared."
Estrella scoffed.
—"He's always scared. Of losing control. Of me growing up. Of… everything."
Thomas didn't answer. He didn't have to.
He simply pulled her into a gentle shoulder hug, and Estrella let herself melt into it for a moment.
A paparazzi flash cracked from across the street.
Thomas flinched.
Estrella cursed under her breath.
Of course they caught that.
Måneskin Drama Adds Fuel to the Fire
The band was in chaos as usual. Ethan had just returned from Milan, the energy weird between him and Aaliyah after the almost-kiss situation. Victoria was promoting her event and dragging the group into every interview. Thomas was being shipped online with Estrella.
And Damiano…
Damiano was fighting on all fronts.
At rehearsal, he exploded at Ethan for arriving late.
Then he snapped at Thomas for not answering a question fast enough.
And then at Victoria for teasing him about "dad energy."
Everyone knew why.
He was unraveling.
Estrella's coldness.
The pregnancy leaks.
His guilt.
His fear of losing his daughter again.
It was all too much.
The Heart of the Chapter: Father vs. Daughter Round Two
That evening, Estrella finally came home.
Damiano heard the door open and forced himself to breathe.
Aaliyah grabbed his hand.
—"Damiano… don't go at her angry. Please."
He nodded.
But when Estrella walked past him like he was invisible… his self-control snapped.
—"Estrella, we need to talk."
She froze.
Turned.
Her eyes were red, but her expression was sharp.
—"Talk about what? How you yelled at me in front of everyone? Or how you think I'm not responsible enough to make my own choices? Or maybe about how you keep treating me like I'm still ten?"
Damiano swallowed hard.
—"I'm trying to protect you."
—"Protect me?" she laughed bitterly. "From what? From living? From making mistakes? From being seen with Thomas?"
Damiano's jaw tightened.
—"He's older than you."
—"By three years. Not thirty."
—"He's my bandmate."
—"I don't care!"
Aaliyah flinched at the volume.
Estrella stepped closer, eyes burning.
—"You don't get to control who I care about. You don't get to control my life just because you messed up yours."
Silence.
Aaliyah's breath caught.
Damiano paled.
Those words cut deeper than she intended.
Estrella realized it too, her anger flickering into guilt—but she didn't take it back.
Damiano drew a shaky breath.
—"I love you," he said, voice cracking. "Everything I do—even the mistakes—are because I love you."
Estrella blinked quickly, trying not to cry.
—"Then start showing it the right way."
She turned to leave.
But before she could, Aaliyah spoke softly:
—"Estrella… baby… I'm pregnant."
The world stopped.
Completely.
Estrella froze mid-step, her hand trembling on the stair rail.
Slowly, she looked at Aaliyah.
—"You're… pregnant?"
Aaliyah nodded.
Estrella's face went pale.
Shock.
Fear.
And something else—hurt.
—"So… there's gonna be another kid. Another chance for you two to 'do it right'… and I'm what? The practice run?"
Aaliyah gasped.
Damiano stepped forward.
—"Estrella, no—"
But she didn't let him finish.
She ran up the stairs, slamming her door so hard the frame shook.
Aaliyah covered her mouth, tears streaming.
Damiano's entire body collapsed into the couch, face in his hands.
The family was breaking down—again.
And Chapter 56 ended with the sound of Estrella's soft sobs echoing through the house…
and Damiano whispering:
—"I don't know how to fix this."