Page 129 of Ruined

I slipped away unnoticed, confused by what I'd seen. It didn't fit with the cold, demanding father I knew. It didn't match the quiet, submissive mother who never contradicted him.

But now I understand. She loved him with everything she had, even when he was impossible to love. Even when he pushed me too hard. Even when he turned our home into a training ground instead of a sanctuary.

Now he's gone and she'll have to find a way to exist in a world without her sun.

I stare at the window, tears streaming down my face. The pain is overwhelming, a physical ache that makes it hard to breathe.

"Evelyn, please talk to me," Noah says, his hand still gripping mine. "I need to know you're okay."

"I'm not okay," I say, pulling my hand away. "I'll never be okay again."

Noah’sdark eyes fill with concern.

"Evelyn—"

"Please," I cut him off, my voice cracking. "I just need some peace. Just... a moment of silence. Please."

He studies my face for a long moment, then nods. "Okay."

The silence in the car is broken only by Jessica's quiet sobs from the backseat.

Noah pulls out his phone and dials a number. I keep my eyes closed but I can feel him watching me as the call connects.

"Damiano," he says, his voice low and tense. "Alexander Anderson is dead. Russians got to him at the Metropolitan Club."

He listens for a moment.

"No, we weren't there. We arrived after it happened." Another pause. "Yes, I have Evelyn and Jessica with me. Margaret Anderson went with the police to identify the body."

I open my eyes, watching as Noah's jaw tightens.

"I understand. We'll be there in twenty." He ends the call and puts the phone away.

"What did he say?" Jessica asks, her voice small.

Noah glances at me before answering. "We're going to the Feretti house. Damiano says it's the safest place for you both right now."

"What about Mom?" I ask, finding my voice again.

"Alessio will pick her up from the police station when she's done." Noah starts the car again. "Damiano is putting the entire family on high alert. No one goes anywhere alone until we figure out who sent those men and how deep this goes."

I nod, too exhausted to argue. My father is dead. Nothing else seems to matter right now.

"I'm sorry," Noah says softly as he pulls back onto the road. "I know those words mean nothing, but I am."

I don't respond. I just turn back to the window, watching the streetlights blur through my tears as we head to the Feretti house—another place that isn't home, another situation I never asked for.

But maybe, right now, it's exactly where we need to be.

CHAPTER 38

Ipull into the Feretti mansion's circular driveway, my mind racing faster than my Ducati ever could. Evelyn sits beside me, her face pale and drawn. Jessica's quiet sobs from the backseat have finally subsided into silence.

"We're here," I say, reaching for Evelyn's hand. It's cold, almost lifeless.

Lucrezia meets us at the entrance, her eyes widening when she sees the state of the women. She doesn't ask questions—one of the things I've always appreciated about her.

"Come," she says, extending her arms toward Evelyn and Jessica. "Let me take care of them."

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