LOGINGERALDINEWhy did they look so alike?Who was that woman?And if she wasn’t Rebecca… then was it possible she was—I jumped when my phone suddenly rang.I cursed under my breath the moment I saw the caller ID. I’d been ignoring his calls for weeks, but this time, I answered.“Baby, come on, why haven’t you been answering me?”“Don’t ‘baby’ me,” I snapped. “I know exactly why you’re calling, Dino. You need money again.”“Oh, wow. Your life gets better and suddenly your attitude changes too.”I pulled a cigarette from my pack and placed it between my lips, only to stop when I realized I was still inside the hospital restroom.Annoyed, I threw it into the sink and dragged a hand through my hair.“You’ve already gotten enough from me,” I continued bitterly. “How many times have I given you money? And you never pay me back.”“It’s just ten grand, Gie. Come on. I got stuck here in Chicago. I can’t get back and I’ve got gigs lined up.”I clenched my jaw.The man had done nothing for years ex
“Are you sure you don’t want to sleep with us tonight?” I asked, gently brushing my fingers through Savvy’s hair while he got ready for bed.“I’ll pass tonight,” he replied, making me laugh softly. “Stephie will get mad if she finds out I had you and Dad all to myself.”I leaned down and kissed his forehead. “If you need Mommy for anything, just come to our room, okay?”“Yes, I will.”“Goodnight, Savvy.”“Goodnight, Mommy,” he murmured, already closing his eyes.I left the bedside lamp on before quietly stepping out of his room.I nearly jumped in surprise when I turned around and saw Steffano leaning against the doorway, watching Savvy and me. Judging by the look on his face, he’d probably been standing there for a while.“Why are you trying to scare me?”He smirked. “Why are you so easy to scare?”I rolled my eyes and nudged him out of Savvy’s room. He immediately caught my hand and lifted it to his lips.“Thank you.”I sighed. “What are you thanking me for this time, Steffano?”“Fo
“She’s already responsive. Since she can breathe on her own now, we’ve removed the ventilator,” the doctor who performed Stephie’s surgery explained. “She’s been asking for you—especially her mom. If her condition continues to improve, we can transfer her out of the ICU in a day or two.”I tightened my grip on Steffano’s hand at the news.“And by the way,” the doctor added gently, “I heard about what happened before her last attack. I’m sorry. But please make sure not to say anything that might trigger strong emotions. Her condition is still delicate—her body is still adjusting to the new heart.”“Yes, doctor. Thank you again,” I said sincerely.“You can see her now. I’ll leave you to it. Just call if you need anything.”As soon as the doctor left, Steffano and I entered the ICU hand in hand.A nurse who had been monitoring Stephie stood up and quietly excused herself.Stephie’s eyes were closed at first… but after a few seconds, they slowly opened.“M…Mommy?”I could read her lips.S
STEFFANO“What’s your plan now, Steffano?” Lucian asked, his voice serious.I lit the cigarette between my lips and glanced at the lifeless body being loaded into Rigor’s car trunk.What are they going to do with him?Burn him. Erase every trace of what we did.“That bastard Paredes,” Lucian cursed under his breath, then louder, rage spilling out of him. “He challenges you to a drag race, then pulls that shit? Damn animal! So many innocent people got dragged into his worthless revenge!”He took a long swig straight from the bottle.I grabbed mine and drank..This isn’t the time to drink.I know that.There’s still too much to do.But if I don’t—I might lose my mind.“I’m going to tear him apart, Lucian,” I said coldly, taking another drink. “I’ll destroy him so badly he’ll regret not making sure I was the one who died. An easy death? No… I’m not giving him that. I’ll make him suffer first—until he begs me to kill him.”“What about Denaros?” Lucian asked. “How did you even recognize t
STEFFANO“Are you really going to take the law into your own hands?”Rebecca’s question kept echoing in my head as the elevator descended.Revenge never ends, Ama Juancho once told me. It’s an endless fight. If you can, choose to close your eyes and let time punish those who wronged you. Because sometimes, in chasing revenge… you become just like them.That was his advice the day I told him I wanted to avenge my parents—the people who were dragged to their graves because of others.He didn’t agree.But he didn’t stop me either.I didn’t agree with him back then… but I respected him. So I focused on everything he taught me instead.Even after he died, I held myself back.I didn’t pursue revenge.Not for my parents.Not for my lost sister.They say when you seek revenge, you dig two graves…One for your enemy.And one for yourself.“Boss,” one of my men reported through the phone, “he’s not talking. He said even if he does… he’ll still end up dead.”My fist clenched, the bones cracking
“M-mommy?”I opened my eyes at the sound of that trembling voice—and froze when I saw Savvy standing there, crying.“You’re still alive,” he sobbed as he rushed into my arms.I sat up and hugged him tightly. “Of course I am, sweetheart. What’s wrong?”I glanced around the room. Steffano was gone—I remembered he’d been lying beside me earlier.“I thought you were gone,” Savvy said, his voice shaking as he looked up at me. “I woke up, and you weren’t there. I got scared. Mon brought me here because I said I wanted to see you.”My heart clenched.“I had a nightmare, mommy… it was so scary. Everyone was gone.”I gently cupped his face, aching at the fear in his eyes.“It was just a dream, Savvy,” I said softly. “That won’t happen. We’re not going anywhere. We’ll stay with you.”“S-Stephie, mommy?” he asked, his voice small. “How is she?”I swallowed.“The surgery is done,” I said carefully. “It was successful. We just need to wait for her recovery.”“She’s going to be okay?”“Hopefully,”
“Mommy! Don’t go!”I cried out as I watched my mom dragging her suitcase toward the door.I struggled against Grandma’s grip and ran after her, throwing my arms around her waist.“Please don’t go, Mommy! I—I promise I’ll be good!”She gently pried my arms away and knelt in front of me.“I’m sorry,
“Dad, put an apron on Mom. She forgot to wear one,” Savvy instructed.He conveniently ignored the fact that he wasn’t wearing one either—his shirt already dusted with flour.“And why did you remind me about your mom but not me?” Steffano asked.
“W-what are those?” I asked, my voice trembling as I stared at the wall.Even though it felt like knives were stabbing into my chest, I couldn’t look away—especially from the photos of Tim.“That’s the crime scene,” Steffano said evenly. &ld
“Luckily, it’s just a strain. No broken bones,” Alexa said. “But make sure you let your arm rest and avoid moving it too much. Are you sure you don’t want a sling?”I shook my head, glancing at the elastic bandage wrapped around my wrist and up my arm. A







