Page 26 of Bound to the Enforcer

I pause, the hint of a smile tugging at my lips, but I push it away. "Are you getting soft on me? I'm not the one who needs protecting. You keep your eyes open. I'll handle the rest."

Matteo softens. "You know, you're more like a brother to me than some of the ones I've got. Just don't forget who you've got looking out for you, okay?"

I swallow, gripping the phone tightly. There's a moment of silence, and I feel it—the unspoken bond between us. It's rare for this kind of loyalty, this kind of connection in the world we live in. But I can't afford to dwell on it. Not now.

"I won't forget," I respond. "Keep me posted."

"Always. Talk soon."

I hang up, staring down at the dark liquid in the mug in my hand. The steam rises slowly, but it does little to ease the pressure coiled in my chest.

I take a slow sip, the bitterness grounding me for a moment, and then I step back into the living room. The files are still there, waiting for me. They're a reminder of the fight ahead, of the people I've been trying to protect. And of the mistakes I've made.

I know I can't keep Sophia in the dark much longer. She'll find out eventually. And when she does, I'm not sure how much of me will be left to put back together.

After my rather prolonged coffee break and a few more calls with various personnel, I step back into the small living room. I stop short when I notice her. Sophia is sitting at the table, her focus fixed on the files I had left. I can see how rigid her body is, her fingers lightly tracing the edge of a stack of papers that wasn't there when I left the room earlier.

My stomach tightens. I know exactly what she's looking at.

The files on Domenico.

I can see the recognition in her eyes before she even says anything. The thick folder, the confidential documents, the names of people and operations that should never have leftthe vault. She's already flipped through a few of the pages, her expression shifting from curiosity to disbelief as the weight of what's in front of her hits.

"Sophia…" I start, but she doesn't look at me. She just keeps scanning the pages, her jaw tightening with every word she reads.

"How long, Alessio?" Her tone cuts through the air, soft but dangerous. "How long have you known about this? The names, I know some of these people."

I freeze, my eyes flicking to the files. I can feel the weight of the truth pressing down on me, but I can't bring myself to give it to her—not fully. Not yet.

She slams the folder down on the table, the sound sharp and jarring. "You knew. You knew about Domenico's operations. His plans. You knew, and you didn't tell me!"

I take a step toward her, but I don't touch her. I can't. Not when everything inside me is telling me to hide the truth, to keep her safe from the ugliness that runs through this world.

"I'm protecting you, Sophia. You don't need to know everything."

She looks up at me then, her eyes blazing, and for the first time, I see something else in them—anger, frustration, and the unmistakable hurt of betrayal.

"Protect me?" she snaps. "By keeping me in the dark? By lying to me? Do you think I can't handle it? That I can't handle the truth?"

I want to say something—anything to justify what I've done, but I can't. Because the truth is, I've been trying to protect her from the very thing I've been part of. And in doing so, I've done the exact opposite. I've pushed her away.

"You don't understand," My hands grip the edge of the table. "You don't know what Domenico is capable of. The things he's done…"

"I don't care what he's done!" she cuts me off, standing now, her body riddled with fury. "I care that you kept me in the dark. That you made decisions for me without ever once considering that I might be capable of handling it." She takes a step toward me, and I don't back away. "I've seen the files. I've seen what Domenico's been doing. I can handle the truth, Alessio. What I can't handle is you lying to me."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. She's right. I've been lying to her, withholding information I should've shared from the start. But how could I tell her the truth? How could I make her understand that it wasn't just about protecting her from Domenico—it was about protecting her from me, from the monster I've become in this world?

I swallow hard, trying to keep my emotions in check, but it's no use. "You don't know what you're asking, Sophia."

Her eyes soften, but there's no pity in them. There's only a quiet resolve. "I know exactly what I'm asking. I'm asking for the truth. The whole truth, Alessio. No more half-answers, no more avoidances. I deserve that, don't I?"

I open my mouth to speak, but the words are stuck in my throat. The guilt, the fear—it's all bubbling up inside me. I want to tell her everything. I want to say,Yes, I've been hiding things from you because I thought it would protect you. I want to say,I've been fighting to keep you safe, but I don't know how to keep you from the truth.But I can't.

I turn away from her, unable to meet her eyes any longer. "You're not ready for this, Sophia."

"Don't decide for me. Don't tell me what I can or can't handle. I'm ready." She speaks quietly, but it holds the weight of everything we've been through.

I know she's right, but the fear still grips me, fear that once I tell her everything—everything about Domenico, everything about what I've done to keep her safe—she'll look at medifferently. That she'll see the monster I've become. And I can't lose her, not like this.

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