Chapter 3

Mara

Before I could correct her, Corrado’s voice cut over mine. "She's the new bookkeeper. Had to set her up with a temporary workspace here, it's hush-hush..."

The lie hit me like a physical strike. It wasn't the first time he had scrubbed my existence to protect someone else, but the blade still twisted deep.

I pulled Enea behind my leg as confusion twisted his tiny features. Needing to get us out of the crossfire, I dropped to one knee and forced a light tone. "Enea, greet the Boss".

Enea froze, looking from me to the man who gave him life. His mouth set into a hard line. "Good evening, sir". His eyes glossed over with unshed tears as he hid his face in my coat. "Can we leave now, Mama?"

I swallowed my curses, grabbed the suitcase, and headed for the private elevator. Behind me, Alba whined, "Corrado, my arm is killing me. Grab this duffel for me?"

The doors slid shut. I scooped my trembling son into my arms.

"Are we in trouble, Mama?"

"Not at all, sweetheart. You were perfect".

When the doors opened in the parking garage, heavy boots pounded the concrete behind us. "Mara!"

Corrado caught up and grabbed my wrist. "Listen to me. The lie I told back there was just protocol to keep civilians in the dark. I'll talk to the boy. I know he's my son, alright?"

I spun on him. Four years of *"stand down"* and *"it's just a front"* flashed through my mind. He had never kept a single promise to us.

"Save your breath. We're out of your hair. Your guest needs you upstairs".

His arm stalled in mid-air as I ripped my wrist free.

"Get back here. The least I can do is give you a ride," he demanded, chasing me down and swinging the bulletproof car door open before I could argue.

The drive was suffocatingly silent. Halfway to the city, Corrado sighed, suddenly pulled over to the shoulder, and popped the trunk.

"Sit tight for a sec". He returned with a bakery box. "Here. For the birthday boy".

I opened the lid, and my stomach plummeted. Resting on the frosting were two sugar figurines—a mafia boss and his bride holding hands, a crimson heart between them. It was an anniversary cake.

But Enea saw the sugar. "Look! Papa brought me a present!" His desperate, fragile hope broke my resolve. "Are you going to have a slice too, Papa?"

Corrado nodded slowly. "Sure thing".

I cut the pastry into three pieces. Enea held his like a brick of gold, a tiny beam of joy lighting his face.

I lifted a bite to my mouth. The moment the flavor hit my tongue, my blood ran cold.

"Cough it up! Get it out of your mouth, Enea!" I screamed, smacking the plate out of his hands. I frantically clawed the crushed marzipan from his mouth with my bare fingers, tearing through the glovebox for wipes.

"Are you insane?! Why did you hit him?!" Corrado yelled.

I whipped around, glaring at him with absolute, unadulterated murder. "Almonds can literally put him in a coma! How do you not know your own kid's allergies?!"

Corrado froze in horror. He looked at Enea, finally noticing the angry red hives aggressively blooming up his throat and down his arms. "Jesus... I swear I had no clue. I wasn't thinking..."

Enea was dead silent, his tiny fists gripping my shirt as he buried his face in my chest.

"Drive to the ER. Step on it".

Corrado gunned the engine. Minutes later, his encrypted phone buzzed on the dashboard. It was Alba.

"Corrado, where are you? The security system is beeping and I don't know the code..."

The Bluetooth echoed through the cabin. Corrado stared at the dashboard, then glanced back at his suffocating son. His knuckles turned white. He hesitated.

"Let us out. The ER entrance is right there. We can cross the street ourselves," I ordered.

"Mara, wait..."

"Unlock the doors".

He swerved to the curb. I shoved the signed severance papers into the crack of the backseat and hoisted Enea into my arms.

"I messed up. I'll fix this, I promise".

I slammed the reinforced door without a word.

Inside the clinic, the doctor pumped Enea with epinephrine and discharged us with an auto-injector. I ordered a ghost-cab straight to the airstrip. As the jet engines roared to life, Enea shifted against me.

"Are we flying in a plane, Mama?"

"We're going on an adventure. Just you and me this time. Sound good?"

He nodded. "Yeah. As long as I'm with you".

The tears finally fell. I pulled out my burner phone and permanently erased every digital footprint tying me to Corrado or the Valdieri Family. Corrado, we were done.

At dawn, Corrado walked into the Valdieri headquarters. Yesterday's catastrophe was eating him alive. He knew he should have driven us straight to the triage unit, should have made sure his kid was breathing.

As he reached for his phone to track us down, a secure alert flashed across his monitor:

Family Exit Request — Authorized.

Corrado's brow creased in confusion. Who the hell was leaving the Family?