MasukLeo's POVI never thought I would cry this much.Not when my father was arrested.Not when I finally told the world who I really was.Not even when Ryker kissed me in front of half the country's cameras.But now...Standing in a quiet hospital room with the tiniest human being I'd ever seen resting in my arms...I couldn't stop the tears.I laughed through them, embarrassed, but they kept coming anyway."You're crying," Catherine teased weakly from the hospital bed."I know.""You've been crying for almost five minutes.""I know."She laughed "So dramatic.""I don't even know why I'm crying."The nurse smiled warmly before quietly leaving us alone."It's normal," she said. "Congratulations."The door clicked shut behind her.I looked back down at the tiny little girl bundled in a soft pink blanket.She yawned.Actually yawned.My heart melted all over again."Hey there," I whispered, my voice trembling. "I'm your dad."Her tiny fingers curled around one of mine.That was it.Fresh tea
Ryker's POVThe silence felt strange.For days it had been panic, hiding, sleepless nights, racing thoughts, and wondering whether tomorrow would ever come.Now...Everything had slowed down.It almost didn't feel real.Leo and I hurried through the station together. Reporters crowded the entrance, shouting questions the moment they spotted us."Leonardo!""Is it true everything happened because you exposed your father?""Ryker! How are you feeling?""Cameras over here!"Flashes lit up every few seconds.I lowered my head instinctively, but Leo gently nudged my shoulder."It's okay," he whispered.I nodded, though I wasn't sure I believed him.Inside the building, things were quieter.An officer led us toward the waiting room.My heart pounded harder with every step.Then I saw her."Mum..."She turned.For a second neither of us moved.Then she rushed toward me.I met her halfway.Her arms wrapped tightly around me, and I hugged her back just as fiercely.She was shaking.I realized.
Ryker's POVI couldn't take it anymore.Waiting was slowly killing me.For two days, I had hidden inside a beautiful house that suddenly felt more like a prison than a safe place. Every hour that passed felt heavier than the last. Every minute my mother remained out there because of me tightened the knot around my chest until I could barely breathe.I couldn't hide anymore.Vanessa didn't agree with me.She had argued with me from the moment I packed my bag. But I didn't bother listening.So now we were on a flight toward Padrino's estate.The engines hummed beneath us while rain streaked across the tiny airplane window. My knee bounced uncontrollably.I wasn't going there to fight.I wasn't going there to beg.I was simply going to offer myself.If exchanging my freedom for my mother's safety was what it took...Then so be it.I didn't even want to imagine what people were saying about her by now.The news would eventually discover she was my mother.Then the whole country would know
Leo's POVI hadn't slept.Not really.For two days my mother and I had worked in complete silence, piecing together everything we could find. Old documents. Financial records. Hidden files she had quietly copied over the years. Messages she never thought she'd need. Dates. Names.Evidence.Enough to make people ask questions.Enough to finally pull the curtain away from the man everyone admired.If that wasn't enough...My leg still carried the reminder.The scars from the bullets.The records from the hospital.The registered firearms in my father's name.For twenty-four years I had been terrified of him.Today wasn't about courage.It was about necessity.Because while we were collecting evidence...Ryker was hiding.Scared.Looking over his shoulder every time he heard a sound.And that was my fault.I looked at my mother one last time.She stood near the staircase, pale but determined.I gave her a small nod.She understood immediately.If everything went wrong...She knew what to
Ryker's POVTwo days.For two whole days, nothing happened.No strange phone calls.No updates from Leo.No footsteps outside the house.No bad news.I should have been grateful.Instead, the silence terrified me.Silence never meant anything good .I barely slept.Every sound outside made my heart race.Every passing car had me peeking through the curtains.Every vibration from my phone made my stomach tighten.That morning, my ringtone shattered the silence.I blinked awake.The screen lit up beside me.Mom.A strange feeling settled in my chest.She never called this early.I answered immediately."Mom?"There was no greeting.Only shaky breathing."Ryker..."Something was wrong.I sat upright so quickly the blanket fell to the floor."Mom? What's happening?"Her breathing grew heavier."What did you do?"I frowned"What?""What did you do, Ryker?"Her voice cracked "What have you gotten yourself into?"My heart stopped."What are you talking about? I don't understand.""I was... I
Catherine's POVMy head had never felt this quiet before.Leo was gone.The soft click of the bedroom door closing behind him still echoed in my ears, lingering like the final note of a song I never wanted to end.I didn't move.I couldn't.My hand slowly drifted toward my stomach, resting there as though it were the only thing keeping me grounded.He had kissed it.He had spoken to our baby.He had apologized.And somehow...That hurt even more.A tear slid down my cheek before another quickly followed.I wiped them away angrily."No," I whispered to myself. "I'm not crying over him again."But my voice betrayed me.It cracked.Everything inside me felt heavy.When I first found out I was pregnant, I thought everything would finally work out.I thought Leo would stay.I thought he would learn to love me.Maybe not immediately, but eventually.People always said love could grow.Didn't they?Didn't enough time fix everything?Didn't enough effort make people fall in love?Apparently n
Ryker's POV “Tell us everything. Did you really mouth off to those idiots? Word for word. Leave nothing out.” Oliver spoke out.I dropped my bag beside my bed and tried not to smile too hard. “Surprisingly, yeah,” I answered, still half shocked by it myself.Both of them erupted at once.“Cool” Ol
Leonardo's POVThe taxi came to a halt in front of my family house, and I got down, making a beeline toward the big burgundy mahogany door before the driver had fully pulled away my jaw locked so tight it hurt. The morning air was cold, but it did nothing for th
Ryker’s POVI moved quickly, pulling my clothes back on with shaking hands while my mind tried to catch up with everything that had just happened.My shirt went crooked the first time and I had to yank it straight, my fingers fumbling wi
Ryker’s POVAt first, I thought we were actually going into the library, but he veered off before we reached the entrance, heading toward a smaller building tucked behind it.It looked almost abandoned.Like a storage space no one really paid







