Page 48 of Mafia Don's Twisted Union

Carlito

The echoes of Mia’s words from earlier still sting as I sit alone in the study. Her demand for honesty was like a crack in the foundation I’ve spent years fortifying. After revealing my Mafia ties, I could see the doubt in her eyes—doubt not just about me but about the life I’ve thrust her into. Now, as the sun dips below the horizon, I force myself to shift focus. Matteo’s shadow is growing darker, and I can’t let my personal fears blind me to the war at hand.

The study is cloaked in shadows, the faint glow from the desk lamp illuminating the chaos strewn across the polished wood. Reports, photos, maps—all pieces of a puzzle that seems to shift the moment I think I have it figured out.

Leo stands across from me, arms crossed, his expression grim. “Dominic’s been spotted near the inheritance property again,” he says, his voice low. “It’s not just reconnaissance anymore. Matteo’s pushing him closer to action.”

I nod, leaning forward to examine the surveillance images. Dominic’s face is a stark reminder of the tangled web we’re caught in. His posture is casual, but his presence isn’t accidental. Matteo is playing his hand, testing my patience and defenses.

“What about the security detail?” I ask, my tone clipped.

“They’re holding for now,” Leo replies, placing a map alongside the dossier. “But it’s only a matter of time before Dominic makes his move—or Matteo orders him to.”

My hand tightens around the armrest of the chair. Dominic, the man who killed Dario, is circling closer to Mia’s inheritance, and by extension, to her. It’s a game Matteo is all too good at—exploiting vulnerabilities to claim victory.

“Double the guards,” I say firmly. “Every entry point, every vulnerable angle—I want them covered. And keep eyes on Dominic at all times. The second he steps out of line, I want to know.”

Leo hesitates for a moment before speaking again. “What about Mia? Are you going to tell her what’s going on?”

The question cuts through the tension like a blade. My instinct is to protect her, to shield her from the darkness closing in. But after the previous events of today—after the questions in her eyes, the way she clung to hope despite her doubts—I’m no longer sure if keeping her in the dark is the right choice.

“She doesn’t need to know yet,” I say finally, my voice firm but lacking conviction. “Not until I have a handle on this.”

Leo doesn’t argue, but his silence says enough. He leaves the study, his footsteps fading down the hall.

Alone again, I lean back in my chair, the weight of everything pressing against me. For all my power and control, this war is slipping through my fingers, threatening to unravel everything I’ve built.

The inheritance property is more than a piece of land—it’s a key to Matteo’s game, a symbol of leverage he plans to use against me. And Dominic is the one holding the match, ready to set everything ablaze.

The thought of Mia caught in the crossfire tightens my chest. She’s my reason for all of this, yet the walls I’ve built to protect her are starting to feel like barriers keeping her away.

A faint noise in the hall pulls me from my thoughts. Bianca steps into the doorway, her coat draped over her arm and a small suitcase at her feet.

“You’re leaving,” I say, my voice sharper than I intend.

She nods, stepping further into the room. “I have to,” she says softly. “This isn’t my world, Dad. It never was.”

Her words hang in the air, heavy and final. I rise from my chair, closing the space between us. “Bianca, running away doesn’t solve anything,” I say, keeping my voice calm, though my frustration simmers beneath the surface.

She meets my gaze, her expression resolute. “This isn’t running away. This is surviving. You’ve built this empire, Dad, and it’s suffocating. Dario is dead because of it. And I... I can’t be next. I won’t.”

The mention of Dario twists a knife already embedded in my chest. His loss is a wound that hasn’t begun to heal, and Bianca’s grief only magnifies it.

“I’m doing everything I can to keep you safe,” I say, my tone firm but low. “That’s why I’ve doubled security, why I’ve been fighting to keep the danger away from the people I love. Do you think this is easy for me?”

Her green eyes, so much like her late mother’s, soften for a fleeting moment before hardening again. “I think you mean well, but you don’t see the damage you leave in your wake. You’ve always believed you could control everything, but this...” she gestures around the study, the weight of her accusation clear. “This isn’t control. This is chaos.”

The silence between us is deafening. I take a step closer, my hands curling into fists at my sides. “I’m not letting Matteo win. And I’m not letting Dominic take away anyone else I care about. You’re my daughter, Bianca. You matter more to me than anything else in this world.”

She shakes her head, tears welling in her eyes. “Then let me go. Let me leave before I resent you for what you’ve done to all of us.”

The finality in her voice makes it clear that this isn’t a request—it’s a decision she’s already made. I reach out, pulling her into a tight embrace. She doesn’t resist, but the tension in her body is unmistakable.

“Where will you go?” I ask quietly.

“Somewhere quiet,” she whispers, her voice thick with emotion. “Somewhere that doesn’t have your name attached to it.”

I close my eyes briefly, the ache in my chest spreading like wildfire. “I can’t protect you if you leave,” I say, my voice barely audible.

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