LOGINMichael’s POVThe moment I stepped into the restaurant, I knew I had made the right decision.The place was bright and elegant without feeling pretentious, with large windows allowing the late-morning sunlight to spill across the polished wooden floors. The soft clatter of plates and silverware mixed with the low murmur of conversations, creating the kind of atmosphere that made it easy to forget the chaos that had followed me for what felt like half my life.For once, I wasn't looking over my shoulder, I was simply meeting my friend for brunch and that felt strangely wonderful.I spotted Ashley. She was sitting near the window, already waving excitedly the moment she saw me."Michael!"I couldn't help smiling."Ashley!"She stood so quickly that the chair scraped against the floor. We both laughed as I walked toward her, and the moment I reached the table, she pulled me into a tight hug."Oh my God," she whispered. "You're actually here."I laughed against her shoulder."I'm here."
Michael’s POVI stared at Fernando. I genuinely had no answer for him, not even a single word.The ring was still sitting inside the open velvet box, catching the warm light from the chandeliers above us. The musicians were still playing softly in the background, but their music had somehow become distant, almost like I was hearing it from another room.Fernando remained on one knee, looking up at me. He was waiting, everyone was waiting and I hated that I couldn't give him what he wanted.My throat tightened."Fernando..."His expression softened immediately."Take your time” he said.That somehow made it worse.I looked at the ring again. The thought of marriage wasn't horrible, that was the problem. It simply felt…too soon.We had barely gotten our lives back. Only few moments ago, we had been celebrating the fact that the people who had spent years threatening us had finally agreed to leave us alone. We had just returned to a home that had been taken from Fernando. Henry was fina
Michael’s POVThe meeting had gone better than I could have imagined.For once, I had walked into a room filled with some of the most dangerous men in New York and walked out without anyone pointing a gun at me.That alone felt like a miracle.I sat in the back seat of the car as we drove through the city, staring out at the familiar streets passing by the window.Beside me, Henry was practically glowing."Dad," he said excitedly, "did you see their faces?"I laughed."I saw them.""They looked terrified” he mocked.Across from us, Fernando chuckled."I'd say they were more shocked than anything” he said.I looked at him."Still counts."He nodded."It does."I leaned back against the seat.For the first time in what felt like forever, I allowed myself to breathe.The meeting had worked. Every single one of the dons had signed the agreement, they had agreed not to attack Fernando, me, or Henry, they had agreed that none of them would attempt to interfere with our lives.And most impor
Theo’s POVI had spent the entire day pretending I wasn't worried. It was becoming exhausting.By the time evening came, I was sitting on the edge of the bed in the hotel room, staring at the city lights through the window while my thoughts continued running in circles.Tonight was supposed to be the beginning of the end. At least, that was what Michael had called it.His plan of making sure the other dons would finally stop coming after him and Henry was taking place right now.Yet somehow, knowing how unpredictable the mafia world could be made it difficult for me to believe that anything could truly be that simple.A soft knock came from behind me."Dad?"I turned to see Kim standing by the door, already dressed for dinner.She raised an eyebrow."Are you coming?" She asked.I glanced at the clock."Yes."We left the room together and headed downstairs.The hotel restaurant was elegant without being unnecessarily extravagant. Soft golden lights hung from the ceiling, reflecting aga
Fernando’s POVI couldn't stop smiling. The expressions on their faces were priceless.Some looked terrified, some looked confused. Others looked as though they were desperately trying to convince themselves that the man standing before them couldn't possibly be me.I enjoyed every second of it.After all, how often did a dead man get the opportunity to walk into a room full of people who had already divided his empire among themselves?Never.I slowly looked around the conference hall, taking in every face.A few uncomfortable laughs came from around the table.One of the older dons leaned forward."Fernando, where have you been?" He asked.I looked at him."Somewhere peaceful” I said."How did you survive?" Another man immediately asked.I smiled."That's a long story."I walked toward the table and slowly pulled out one of the chairs."You have all spent years convincing yourselves that I was dead. I don't feel particularly obligated to ruin the mystery for you."I sat down and the
Carlos's POVIt had been weeks since I had walked out of Theo's basement. Weeks since I had been tied to a pillar, wounded, humiliated, and left wondering whether I would ever see the streets of New York again.And yet, somehow, I was back in my penthouse, back in my tailored suits, back behind tinted windows with a driver waiting downstairs.It was almost as if the entire nightmare had never happened.I stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of the large apartment, staring at the Manhattan skyline while swirling a glass of whiskey in my hand.The city looked beautiful from up here.But despite everything returning to normal, something still didn't feel right.I hadn't heard from Fernando. I even tried contacting Michael but nothing came back and that was when I became suspicious."Carlos. I didn't know you were coming."I turned around to see it was Don Felicio, a disgusting man known for trafficking and other disgusting acts.I put up a fake smile to appear calm."I heard th
Fernando’s POVThe night had shifted into morning, but I hadn’t slept a minute.I mean, how could I when it felt like the entire world had suddenly gone to shit in a matter of hours.The room I had taken refuge in wasn’t mine, it was one of the many spare suites in the mansion. The kind I used to k
Michael’s POVI stopped counting the hours after it started feeling it was going slowly.The light slipping through the curtains had already changed color twice and I was tired.Not just tired of the confinement, but of the storm inside me. The anger, the hurt, the endless loop of questions that ha
Fernando’s POV The silence in my room was suffocating. Not the usual calm kind of silence, the kind that gave me control over my thoughts, but the type that crawled under your skin and demanded you break something. I had been pacing for most of the last hour, my hands locked behind my back, my ja
Michael’s POV The room was quiet, but my head wasn’t. It hadn’t been since this afternoon. My eyes kept drifting to the corner, where Henry’s toy train lay overturned beside a half-finished puzzle and memories kept rushing in. I had stepped on one of its little wheels earlier, and instead of pick







