Chapter 7 - The Refusal
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Sophia clutched Lily tighter, backing away from me toward the small, cramped living room.
“No,” she said, her voice trembling but firm. “I am not going anywhere with you.”
I stood up, confused. “Sophia, this place isn't safe. You don't have to hide anymore. I am the head of the family now. My mother has no power.”
“It’s not just your mother, Dominic!” she yelled, gesturing around the tiny apartment. “It’s your entire world! The guns, the guards, the enemies! You think Isabella Vitale’s family is just going to let you walk away from that engagement? You think they won't come looking for the reason why?”
She was right. But leaving her here was not an option.
“I can protect you,” I insisted, stepping closer.
“I don't want to be protected in a cage!” Sophia fired back, tears streaming down her face. “I want my daughter to have a normal life. I want to take her to the park without checking for snipers. I loved you, Dominic. God, I loved you so much. But I will not let Lily grow up in a mafia compound.”
Her words hit me harder than any bullet ever could. She wasn't just hiding from my mother; she was hiding from the monster I was.
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“I am her father,” I said, my voice low and desperate. “You cannot keep me from her now that I know.”
Sophia looked at me, completely defeated. “Then take her. Because if she stays with me, and your enemies find us, we’re both dead anyway.”
