Page 77 of Mafia Don's Secret Heir
“No,” I say, my voice low but firm. “You don’t get to decide who I am or who I love. Valentina is my wife. And if you ever pull something like this again, Mamma, I swear to God, there will be no forgiveness.”
Her eyes narrow, and for the first time, I see a flicker of uncertainty. “You’re blinded by her, Luca.”
“Maybe,” I say, my voice cold as ice. “But I’d rather be blinded by love than poisoned by control.”
Without another word, I turn and leave the room, slamming the door behind me.
Marco is waiting in the hall, his expression cautious. “Everything all right, Boss?”
I take a deep breath. My mind is made up. “No,” I say shortly. “But it will be.”
29
VALENTINA
Leo murmurs in his sleep, soft and incoherent. I only catch fragments. “Dad,” he mumbles, his small hands twitching against the blanket.
By the window, I trace the outline of the dimly lit roads. They stretch and twist into the distance, like veins leading back to the estate. Luca’s estate. Is he pacing those halls now, as furious as he was when he left? Is he ripping into his men, hunting answers?
The black coffee in my flask is bitter and cold, but I drink it anyway. It keeps me grounded, even as my mind races.
“Mommy?”
My head snaps toward Leo. His eyes are closed, but his small chest rises and falls steadily. I crouch beside him, resting my hand lightly on his chest.I’m here, baby. I’m not going anywhere.
Not anymore.
I’ve had it with the running, the hiding, the constant fear of shadows. This is my life. I chose it—twice. The first time, for survival. The second, for love.
Leo will have both parents. He’ll grow up powerful, unshakable. The world won’t swallow him whole the way it tried to swallow me.
A sudden knock breaks the stillness.Rat-tat-tat.
I freeze, my body taut with instinct. Luca’s words echo in my mind.Let no one in unless you hear my voice. Say nothing.
I hold my breath, listening for the knock again.
“It’s me.”
The tension in my chest releases, leaving me momentarily weak. Luca.
The knock at the door is soft but insistent. I freeze where I’m standing, the cool air from the window brushing against my skin. My heart thrums in my chest as I glance at Leo, still fast asleep, his tiny chest rising and falling with the peaceful rhythm of a child untouched by the storm that’s brewing.
“It’s me.”
Luca’s voice, rough, familiar, and cutting through the silence like a blade. My chest tightens, every part of me drawn to that sound despite the tumult roaring in my mind.
I walk to the door quietly, my bare feet padding against the floor. My hand hovers over the lock for a second too long.
Luca knocks again, this time more firmly. “Valentina.”
I unlatch the door, pulling it open just enough to see him. His broad frame fills the dim hallway, and his eyes hold a weight that roots me to the spot. He looks exhausted, the lines on his face deeper than I remember, his shoulders tense as if he’s carrying the world.
“Can I come in?” he asks, his tone gentler now, almost hesitant.
I step aside, opening the door fully, and he walks in, his presence immediately taking up all the space in the room.
Luca glances at Leo, then at me, his gaze softening for the briefest moment before hardening again. He waits for me to close the door, then runs a hand through his disheveled hair.
