LOGINThe morning sun spilled across the garden, bathing the roses in soft golden light. After breakfast, Flaviana led Lidia and Erika outside with a pot of freshly brewed tea. The three women settled beneath a white gazebo wrapped in blooming vines, where a cool breeze carried the sweet scent of jasmine through the air.For a long moment, no one spoke.Flaviana wrapped both hands around her teacup before finally lifting her eyes to Lidia.“My child…”Her voice trembled.“There are many things you don’t know.”Lidia looked at her quietly.“When you disappeared…” Flaviana continued, “…this house became empty.”She smiled bitterly before shaking her head.“I couldn’t sleep. Every night I sat by the front gate waiting for you to walk back through it. I cried until I had no tears left. Eventually I became so sick the doctors ordered me to stay in bed.”Lidia lowered her eyes.Guilt slowly settled over her heart.“I never blamed you,” Flaviana whispered. “I blamed myself.”Silence stretched betw
“What!”The scream echoed through the unfamiliar bedroom.Lidia and Erika stared at one another for only a heartbeat before rushing toward the door.Neither bothered fixing their messy hair.Neither cared that they were still wearing the comfortable clothes someone had changed them into the night before.The only thing on their minds was getting out.Their hurried footsteps thundered down the grand staircase.Lidia’s breathing quickened as the familiar marble floors came into view.The crystal chandelier.The polished wooden railings.The enormous family portraits.Recognition struck her like lightning.Her feet slowed.“No…”Her voice was barely audible.Erika followed her gaze.“This is…”Before she could finish, a warm, familiar voice drifted from the dining room.“My child?”Lidia slowly turned.Standing beside the enormous dining table was Flaviana.The elderly woman wore her usual apron, carefully arranging plates while humming softly to herself.The table before her overflowed
The following morning, golden rays of sunlight slipped through the sheer curtains, painting soft patterns across the bedroom floor.Lidia stirred first and then stood.Across the room, Erika shifted beneath the blanket before lazily opening one eye.She watched Lidia disappear into the bathroom and smiled to herself.Moments later the bathroom door opened again.Fresh from her shower, Lidia stepped out wearing a simple cream-colored sweater and black trousers. Her damp hair rested over her shoulders, and for the first time in a long while, the heaviness that usually clouded her face had eased.Erika blinked.“You look refreshed.”Lidia paused before the mirror.A small smile curved her lips.“I feel refreshed.”She picked up a towel and gently dried her hair.“I stayed awake for a long time last night after Father spoke to me.”Erika quietly listened.“I kept asking myself one question.”She looked at her own reflection.“How long am I going to keep carrying the past?”Silence settled
The words lingered between them long after Gennado finished speaking.The fire in the corner crackled softly, filling the silence that neither of them seemed willing to break.Gennado rested both hands on his cane, his eyes never leaving Lidia’s face.Years of reading people had taught him when someone was fighting a battle inside themselves.Lidia wasn’t simply listening.She was breaking.“When you went missing,” Gennado said quietly, his voice carrying none of the authority that usually commanded an entire underworld, “Bruno lost himself.”Lidia’s fingers tightened around the edge of the chair.“He became reckless.”A bitter smile crossed the old wolf’s lips.“The Bruno the world feared disappeared.”His eyes drifted toward the window as memories resurfaced.“He tore cities apart looking for you.”“He questioned anyone who claimed they had seen you.”“He barely slept.”“He stopped eating properly.”“He even started making mistakes during meetings.”Gennado chuckled softly.“A thing
The following morning, a black luxury Mercedes rolled through the gates of the old wolf’s mansion.The servants had barely finished breakfast preparations when the vehicle stopped in front of the entrance.Lidia stood near the staircase with Tony balanced on her hip while Erika peeked through the large window.“Oh no.”Erika immediately knew who it was.Lidia closed her eyes.Not again.A servant opened the door and accepted several large packages from Bruno’s men.Within minutes, the living room was overflowing with boxes.Some contained toys.Others contained expensive children’s clothes.Several carried famous designer labels.The largest package held the keys to a brand-new Mercedes.Resting on top was a small white envelope.Lidia already knew what it contained.With a sigh, she opened it.Two simple words greeted her.Forgive Me.Lidia almost laughed.Almost.Instead, frustration rose inside her chest.A week.An entire week.Flowers.Jewelry.Designer bags.Shoes.Luxury watche
The office remained silent after Lidia’s cries faded away.Bruno was still kneeling on the floor.Motionless.Broken.The sound of the door opening barely registered in his mind.Gennado stepped inside quietly.His sharp eyes immediately took in the scene.Lidia’s tear-stained face.Bruno kneeling.The despair hanging heavily in the air.For a moment, the old wolf simply stood there.Then he walked forward.Without saying a word, he placed a gentle hand on Bruno’s shoulder.The simple gesture carried more comfort than any speech could have.Bruno lowered his head.His chest tightened painfully.He looked less like the feared king of the underworld and more like a lost child.Gennado squeezed his shoulder briefly before walking toward Lidia.“My dear.”Lidia wiped her face quickly.Trying to regain some composure.But her swollen eyes betrayed her.Gennado reached down and gently helped her stand.“There is enough for today.”His voice was soft.Fatherly.The kind of voice Lidia had wi
Gold light spilled across the room, catching on crystal and glass, turning every movement into something polished and deliberate.Lorenzo moved through it like he belonged there.Because he did.Men stepped aside without being asked. Conversations softened as he passed. Eyes followed—not boldly, no
The room had gone quiet again.Not the heavy, suffocating silence from before—but something steadier.Something controlled.Lidia sat by the edge of the bed, her fingers resting lightly against Tony’s blanket. The traces of tears had dried on her cheeks, leaving behind faint lines that caught the
A week passed.Then another day folded into it.And for the first time since running—Nothing happened.No black cars.No unfamiliar faces lingering too long.No whispers that followed them through narrow streets.Just mornings filled with the scent of fresh bread.Afternoons softened by laughter t
He didn’t turn immediately.Didn’t respond.The footsteps came closer.Faster.Then—Lorenzo stood in front of him.Closer than before.Closer than he had been in months.Bruno’s eyes lifted slowly.Cold.Unmoved.“I’m not done,” Lorenzo said.His voice quieter now.Not for the room.Just for him.







