200

Dante RomanoThe MuseCo building is quiet this afternoon, the usual hum of corporate activity muted in the hallways. I sit at the sleek conference table in Mackenzie’s office, fingers drumming against the polished wood. She places a folder in front of me.“These are the files you asked about,” Mackenzie says. “All the school info they compiled on the twins, student records, parent contacts, enrollment details.”I open the folder carefully, flipping through the papers. Enrollment forms. Evaluation reports. Notes on classroom performance. And then… my breath catches. Two names jump out at me: Kian and Hania. Their last name? Hale.It can’t be.The dates of births, the same ones as the day we lost the twins. The guardian name, Annalisa Hale. The parent contact info, it all aligns. My hands tighten around the folder, knuckles whitening.“They’re issa’s,” I mutter, voice barely audible. “Both of them.”Mackenzie raises an eyebrow. “What?”I lean back, trying to process. Six years of grief.

Ler mais

201

Dante RomanoThe lodge is quiet except for the faint hum of the fireplace. Shadows stretch across the walls. I sit in the worn leather armchair, glass of whiskey in hand, staring into the amber liquid as if it holds the answers I’m too stubborn to find elsewhere. Across from me, Mackenzie sits, posture impeccable, notebook closed on her lap. She doesn’t speak immediately, letting me stew in silence.At this point, she’s life of my therapist than my assistant.“I’ll ask again,” she says finally. “Do you really think leaving Issa alone all these years was an act of betrayal? Or do you think it might have been an act of survival?”I snort, the bitter whiskey burning down my throat. “Survival? She abandoned me. She walked away. My children… gone, and she just left.”Mackenzie tilts her head, eyes sharp. “You’re framing it as abandonment because that’s the pain you know. But consider this, what if she left because she needed to protect them? Protect herself? Protect you from… from the wron

Ler mais

202

Annalissa HaleSunlight spills across the garden. The soft murmur of guests mingling floats through the air. I stand by the window of the dressing room, adjusting the hem of my dress for the fifth time. The past few days has been a whirlwind. Dante’s revelation, the confrontation, the lingering tension with Ivan, and the constant balancing act of keeping the twins’ existence secret.I take a deep breath, letting the perfume of fresh flowers in the room mingle with the faint scent of my own nervousness. This day isn’t about the past, I remind myself. It’s about my sister, and keeping some semblance of normalcy for the twins. But even as I tell myself that, I can’t ignore the flutter of guilt that stabs at my ribs. The thought of Dante, how I hurt him, how he hurt me? sits heavy, unwelcome, yet persistent.The twins burst into the room like a pair of wild hurricanes, Kian tugging at my sleeve, Hania examining her bow tie in the mirror.“Mummy, do I look okay?” Kian asks, spinning in pla

Ler mais

Epilogue

Annalissa HaleThe sun pours over the garden across the lawn where Kian and Hania chase each other around the small fountain. Dante sits on the porch, a few steps away from me, leaning back with one elbow on the railing, eyes trained on the twins. He hasn’t moved closer than that, hasn’t intruded or forced a single conversation. Even after all the upheaval, he’s patient, respectful of the boundaries I’ve drawn. I don’t know if I’m more afraid of him overstepping or of letting myself care again.Three months. Three months of cautious introductions, quiet afternoons, and carefully measured interactions. The twins have accepted that Dante is their father, though not without questions and stubborn resistance at first. I’ve spent long nights preparing how to guide them through it, shielding them while allowing the connection to grow naturally. And now, seeing him sit there, hands loosely clasped, silent, observing, waiting for them to invite him, there’s a tentative peace I didn’t think

Ler mais

Todos os capítulos de The Mafia Devil’s Wrong Bride: Capítulo 201 - Capítulo 204

200

201

202

Epilogue