Page 56 of Mafia Don's Secret Heir
“She’s gone,” I say, pacing the length of the room. “Find her.”
“Gone?” Marco raises an eyebrow. “You’re sure?”
I level him with a glare. “Her room is empty. She’s been planning this.”
He doesn’t argue, nodding once. “I’ll put the men on it. Any leads?”
“Sofia.” The name leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. “She’s been filling Valentina’s head with lies, making her think she can run.”
Marco leans back against the desk, arms crossed. “If she’s with Sofia, she can’t have gotten far. What do you want to do when we find her?”
I don’t answer immediately, my mind churning with possibilities. Punishment? Forgiveness? All I know is that I need her back.
“Bring her home,” I say finally, my voice cold. “And if you find Sofia alone, get her here.”
Hours pass, night deepens, and I find a seat on a chair on my balcony, not caring for how the air bites at me. Outside, the engines of my men’s SUVs growl as they return.
I know, by sheer instinct, that they haven’t found my wife. But as the SUVs stop, Marco steps out with a guard, with Sofia in between them. A wisp of air leaves my lips. If I can’t have my wife tonight, I will, at the very least, have answers.
Minutes later, I stride into the great hall, where Sofia is standing. I nod at Marco, who leaves immediately. She doesn’t look the least bit intimidated. She’s wearing a dark coat, buttoned tight, with not a single hair out of place, as if she is attending a business meeting instead of being hauled to the lion’s den.
“Really, Luca?” she says, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Dragging me here like some common criminal? I have dinner plans, you know.”
Her flippant tone grates against my nerves, but I don’t let it show. I motion for the remaining guard to leave, my eyes never leaving hers. “Dinner can wait.”
She folds her arms, her expression defiant. “I don’t know where she is, and even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you.”
“Sit.”
The word is more command than request, and for a moment, she hesitates. Then, with a dramatic sigh, she lowers herself onto the plush leather chair by the fireplace. I pace slowly, the weight of the room pressing down as the firelight flickers against the walls. “You’ve been meddling from the start, Sofia. Feeding her lies. Planting ideas in her head. Ideas that led her to run.”
Sofia’s laugh is brittle, echoing off the high ceilings. “Ideas? You really think Valentina needed me to plant anything? Luca, you’ve done a fine job driving her away all on your own.”
My fists clench at my sides, but I keep my voice calm. “Careful, Sofia.”
“No, you be careful.” She leans forward, her elbows on her knees, looking at me with a fire that almost impresses me. “You think you’re the king of the world, don’t you? Untouchable. But here’s the thing, Luca—Valentina’s not one of your soldiers. You can’t command her, threaten her, and expect her to stay.”
“She belongs here,” I growl, my temper slipping through the cracks. “With me. With our child.”
“She belongs somewhere safe,” Sofia snaps back. “And that’s not here. She knows it. I know it. Hell, deep down, you probably know it too.”
I didn’t think it would be possible to hate her more. I step closer, towering over her, my shadow falling across her defiant form. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t I?” Her gaze locks onto mine, unflinching. “You think love is control. You think power is safety. But Valentina doesn’t need your empire or your money. She needs a life where she doesn’t have to look over her shoulder every damn second. Can you give her that?”
I want to throw her out, to show her what happens to people who cross me. But her words dig into a part of me I’ve buried for years.Can I give Valentina what she needs?
I take a slow breath, my anger cooling into something sharper, more focused. “You’re lucky I don’t kill you where you sit.”
Sofia doesn’t flinch, doesn’t waver. If anything, she looks amused. “You won’t. You know I’m right. And you might hate me for saying it, but deep down, you respect me for it too.”
Her audacity is maddening, but damn it, there’s truth in her words. I step back, giving her space as I turn toward the window. “If you’re lying about not knowing where she is, I’ll find out. And when I do?—”
“I’m not lying.” Her voice is softer now, almost pitying. “But I’ll tell you this for free: Valentina’s not gone because of me. She left because she’s scared of you.”
The words hit like a fist to the gut, but I refuse to let her see it. Instead, I turn, my face a mask of calm fury. “Get out.”
Sofia rises, smoothing her coat as if she hadn’t just been inches from death. “You know, Luca, for all your faults, you do love her. Maybe if you started showing it, she wouldn’t have run.”
