All Chapters of The mafia king’s substitute husband: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

THE LETTER FROM HOMEELIAN’S POVThe letter arrives on a Thursday.Nothing about the day feels different when I find it. It’s just a plain envelope sitting among the rest of the mail, my mother’s handwriting across the front.I leave it on the table.For almost an hour, I tell myself I’ll open it later.Eventually, I get tired of looking at it and tear the envelope open.Elian,I don’t expect you to write back. I only wanted you to know that I think about the night you left more than I’ve ever admitted, even to your father. I hardly speak to him now unless I have to.I’ve spent months thinking about the things I said to you that night. At the time, I convinced myself they needed to be said. I don’t believe that anymore. I was cruel, and I’m sorry.I’m not asking you to forgive me. I don’t know if I’ve earned that, and I’m not going to pretend I have. I just wanted you to know that I’m proud of you. I should have told you that years ago, when it would have meant something.Your mother

A QUESTION FOR THE FUTUREELIAN’S POVIt starts at Rosa’s wedding.The garden is full of flowers and people, the same place where so much of our own life together has happened. I watch Rosa and Nico exchange their vows, and before I know it, my eyes are burning.“You’re crying,” Salvatore says beside me.I quickly wipe my cheek. “I’m happy.”“I know.”But there is more to it than that. I don’t know how to explain it, not even to myself.Later that night, we’re lying in bed, the house finally quiet after all the noise and celebration. Salvatore is beside me, one arm resting across his stomach, and I’ve been staring at the ceiling for so long that I know I can’t keep the thought to myself anymore.“Have you ever thought about having children?”He doesn’t answer right away.I turn my head and find him staring at the ceiling too.For a second, I wonder if I’ve said too much.“I have,” he says eventually.I blink. “You have?”“More than once.”There’s something almost strange about hearin

LEO, OUR CHILDELIAN’S POVThe meeting takes place in a small playroom Adelina uses for situations like this.There are toys all over the floor, blocks, cars, puzzles. Everything is arranged to make the room feel like an ordinary place for a child, not somewhere he is being brought to meet two strangers.But that’s what this is.Leo is six, though he looks smaller than I expected. His dark hair falls over his forehead as he sits quietly in the corner, watching us the moment we walk in.I know that look.That careful way of watching people before deciding whether they’re safe.“This is Leo,” Adelina says softly. She crouches beside him. “Leo, these are Elian and Salvatore. I told you about them. They just want to say hello.”Leo doesn’t say anything.His eyes move from me to Salvatore and back again.I don’t go over to him.Instead, I sit on the floor a few feet away and pick up a small wooden puzzle. I turn one of the pieces over in my hand.“I was terrible at puzzles when I was young

PATIENCEELIAN’S POVThe final weeks move slowly.I swear, time has never moved this slowly.Every little delay feels bigger than it should, probably because we’re so close now. We’ve already allowed ourselves to imagine Leo here with us. We’ve talked about where he’ll sleep, what he’ll like, what we’ll do together. We’ve let ourselves want this.And wanting it makes the waiting harder.Salvatore handles it better than I do.He’s good at keeping himself calm when things matter. I’ve learned that about him over time. Still, I’ve caught him more than once sitting with the little wooden puzzle Leo gave me, turning it around in his hands without really doing anything with it.I know why.It’s the same reason I keep picking it up whenever my thoughts get too loud.One evening, he watches me pace around the bedroom for what must be the tenth time.“You’re anxious.”I stop and look at him.“I keep thinking something’s going to go wrong.”He doesn’t interrupt.“Like we’ll get this close, and

NIGHTMARE ELIAN’S POVThe nightmares start on the fourth night.A small cry comes through the wall, muffled but loud enough to pull both of us out of sleep. I’m already out of bed before I’m fully awake.I reached Leo’s room first.He’s sitting up, tangled in his sheets, tears running down his cheeks. His little hands are gripping the blanket so tightly that his knuckles look pale.“Leo.”I sit on the edge of the bed but don’t reach for him. I’ve learned that sometimes the best thing I can do is give someone the choice.“I’m here,” I tell him quietly. “You’re safe.”He doesn’t answer.His breathing is fast, and his eyes keep moving around the room like he’s still trapped somewhere inside the dream.Salvatore appears behind me in the doorway.He doesn’t say anything. He just stays there, giving me room to handle it.“Bad dream,” Leo finally whispers.I shake my head.“Hey. You don’t have to be sorry for that.”His eyes drop to his lap.“Bad dreams happen,” I continue. “They don’t mea