nna

the empty room, his form seeming to fill the entire fr

against the crisp folds. "Where is my mother?" I

ace settling into its familiar, unreadable mask. "Rosa required a quieter environment for her stroke recovery," he said, h

ke water-practiced

into the face I had loved for four years. "Is Angelo your

ng until he finally let out a slow, measured

ou dragged me to Iceland in January, year after year-to celebrate your bastard's birth

nothing to say. The quality of the quiet in the room changed, becoming thick,

ween us. "I'm going to the North Side facility to see

was in charge. "You have no car, no guards, and no money," he stated, and he did not raise his voice, but the resonance in his chest seemed to tighten the v

ke the tension. I pulled the

Luca was the son of my mother's oldest ma

e transfers from Dante's accounts. Millions of dollars, all meticulousl

ger kindled in his dark eyes. "You're investigating the Don?" he accused, his compo

x rosary. It was the rosary he had claimed was blessed for Serafina's s

attled against the buttons of his shirt. "I will never

estricted underground corridor s

e boy's hand. She had clearly not expected to find anyone in this private

inger straight at Dante. "Papa!" he

mile, before bending down to the boy. "You need to be quiet, Angelo," she cooed, her voice dripping

ring bracelet. A cold weight settled in my stomach. It was ident

protector to another family all along. He had given them t

ng, I looked Valentina dead in the eye. Without breaking her gaze, I tore the pa

burst into loud,

He glared at me, his voice harsh and filled with a sickening disappointment.

of her mouth. She had waited four years for this moment, and now she believed she had won.